Tuesday, November 26, 2019
SETI essays
SETI essays Bertrand Russell wrote, There are two possibilities. Maybe we are alone. Maybe we are not. Both are equally frightening (Jakosky 1). The question of life in the universe is one that leaves many in a state of bewilderment. It becomes even more interesting when it leads to another question that of intelligent life in the universe. Finding other intelligent civilizations among the interstellar space would greatly affect every aspect of our existence. Conversely, not finding such a civilization would force us to examine the purpose of our own existence. To help answer the question, astronomers and scientists set up a program in search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This program, or SETI, was set up to verify, by observation that extraterrestrial life does exist. SETI tries to prove this by picking up and analyzing radio signals by means of satellites and advanced computers (Heidmann 116). The history of the SETI program is quite interesting. It started back in 1959 with the help of two famous Cornell University physicists, Guiseppi Cocconi and Phil Morrison. Both claimed that it would be possible to communicate with other potential extraterrestrial life in space by the use of techniques used in radio astronomy (Heidmann 112). Together, they voiced their belief that if other alien astronomers elsewhere in the universe possessed radio telescopes, that it would be possible to converse between the two (Heidmann 112-113). A young astronomer by the name of Francis Drake agreed with the theories of Cocconi and Morrison. He proposed building a radio receiver in order to listen for waves of sound being transmitted through space. It wasnt until the spring of 1960 that Drake began his first project of SETI, Ozma. In this project, he was the first to conduct a search for signals transmitted from other solar systems. For two tedious months, Drake pointed an eighty-five foot antenna...
Friday, November 22, 2019
Philosophy of Education Examples for Elementary Teachers
Philosophy of Education Examples for Elementary Teachers A philosophy of education statement, sometimes called a teaching statement, should be a staple in every teachers portfolio. For elementary school teachers, the statement is an opportunity to define what teaching means to you and allows you to describe how and why you teach as you do at the early stages of learning. The following tips and philosophy of education examples for elementary teachers can help you write an essay that youll be proud to have. A philosophy of education statement is an opportunity to define what teaching means to you, and to describe how and why you teach as you do. Articulating this statement in the first person and using a traditional essay format (introduction, body, conclusion) will help you craft an enduring and inspiring personal statement. Structure of a Teaching Philosophy Unlike other kinds of writing, educational statements are frequently written in the first person because these are personal essays on your chosen profession. In general, they should be one to two pages long, though they can be longer if youve had an extensive career. Like other essays, a good educational philosophy should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Here is a sample structure. Introduction Use this paragraph to describe your views on teaching in a general sense. State your thesis (for example, My philosophy of education is that every child should have the right to learn and get a quality education.) and discuss your ideals. Be brief; youll use the following paragraphs to explain the details. Think about aspects of early education that are unique to elementary teachers, and introduce these ideals into your writing. Body Use the following three to five paragraphs (or more, if needed) to elaborate on your introductory statement. For example, you could discuss the ideal elementary classroom environment and how it makes you a better teacher, addresses student needs, and facilitates parent/child interactions. Build on these ideals in the following paragraphs by discussing how you keep your classes aware and engaged, how you facilitate age-appropriate learning, and how you involve students in the assessment process. Whatever your approach, remember to focus on what you value most as an educator and to cite examples of how youve put these ​​ideals into practice. Conclusion Go beyond simply restating your educational philosophy in your closing. Instead, talk about your goals as a teacher, how you have been able to meet them in the past, and how you can build on these to meet future challenges. Philosophy of education documents for elementary teachers are very personal and unique to the individual. While some may have similarities, your own philosophy should focus on your personal approach to pedagogy and classroom management. Focus on what makes you unique as an educator, and how you wish to advance your career to further support elementary education. Writing Prompts As with any writing, take the time to outline your ideas before you begin. The following tips can help you craft your teaching philosophy statement: Brainstorm about your educational philosophy and your views of education, making notes on those principles you value most. This can help you articulate your philosophy as you organize your essay.Demonstrate how you have put your educational philosophy into practice in the classroom by citing specific examples and outcomes with students, parents, or fellow teachers and administrators. Reflect on your experience over your career. Most likely, your teaching philosophy has changed over time. Reflect on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, and how you intend to meet them.Connect with others and talk to your peers in the field, as well as mentors. Ask them about how they crafted their essays and ask them to review yours once you complete it. Having people who know you and your teaching style well review your work can help you craft a truly representative statement.Review a few sample essays to help you as you begin writing your own. Career Advancement Applying for a brand new job isnt the only time you need an educational philosophy. If youre seeking a promotion or are applying for tenure, youll need to craft or update your educational philosophy statement. As time goes on, your approach to education and classroom management will likely evolve, and so will your beliefs. Updating your philosophy allows you to articulate your professional motivations and goals, as well as your approach to educating others so that observers can have a better sense of who you are, even without observing you in the classroom. Consider reviewing your philosophy every few years.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Second Language Acquistion process Research Paper
Second Language Acquistion process - Research Paper Example This paper on â€Å"Second Language Acquisition Process†seeks to analyze, investigate and understand the criticalities involved in the SL acquisition process through an input output process involving a range of intervening steps, and with crucial empirical studies that seek to validate the steps involved in the process of acquisition of a foreign / second language. This section comprises of an elaborate discussion of five critical steps along with empirical studies that authenticate the claims made. These steps include: Beginning of input: Frequency, attention, affect and other factors; Negotiation and Modification; Comprehended input-universal, prior knowledge,(L1/L2); Intake-hypothesis testing; and Individual differences: Personality, situational and modality variables. Languages cannot be learned in a vacuum and hence, it requires essential input for development of adequate language skills. Although the adequate type and quantity of input required for development and achievement of second language acquisition knowledge and skills is a highly debated issue among researchers (Gass, 1997, Pp. 86). The key factors discussed here include input frequency which symbolizes the cross linguistic influence, and comprises of primary variables in a study conducted by Lowie (2000) on the acquisition of derivational morphology in the bilingual mental lexicon. In this study, the L2 factor was productivity, which is essentially associated with frequency. This study revealed that conversion uniformity plays a prominent role in written production at all levels of acquisition. This further suggests that the learners in this experiment depended heavily on their morphological experience in L1 and those, particularly at the lower levels of acquisition, lacked proper dev elopment to of L1 skills. Another experiment conducted in order to ascertain the degree of order of acquisition associated with input, wherein the comparative effect of the L1 related variable
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Was it Right to Drop the Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Essay
Was it Right to Drop the Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Essay Example Questions on the subject of those nuclear attacks are multifaceted. While it is frequently proposed that â€Å"The Bomb†was the only way to ensure a Japanese surrender, Japan was asking only one concession from the U.S. at the time – the emperor is allowed to remain as head of state. Had the U.S. agreed to this, might have the massive destruction of a principally civilian populace been avoided? Taking this into consideration, it is obligatory for history to question President Truman’s motivations for authorizing its use. Was it really necessary to use this swift resolution to the prolonged deadly war so as to ultimately save many thousands of lives, both American and Japanese, which surely would have been lost if the Americans invaded mainland Japan? Or was the reason, as has been theorized, a decision based more so on keeping the former Soviet Union from having input as regards to the partition of post-war Asia much as it had following the war in Europe? Critic s charge that even given that the first bomb might be justified, the extensive devastation along with the collateral and continuing damage was devastating enough. The second bomb was an unnecessary â€Å"overkill†and should not have been utilized. The main reasoning generally provided to use the bomb was that it saved many thousands of lives on both sides by eradicating the need to fight the Japanese on their homeland, a horrific prospect. When the battles for Okinawa and the Philippines were occurring, President Truman was contemplating a massive ground invasion of Japan’s mainland.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Health informatics - collaboration Essay Example for Free
Health informatics collaboration Essay I believes that following the principles below will facilitate collaboration among professions and professionals. †¢ Client-centred care  Interprofessional client-centred care requires collaboration among clients,2 nurses3 and other health professionals who work together at the individual, organizational and health-care system levels.4 Health professionals work together to optimize the health and wellness of clients and involve the client in decision-making.5 Clients are actively engaged in the prevention, promotion and management of their health.6 †¢ Evidence-informed decision-making for quality care  Evidence-informed decision-making through the use of best practice guidelines, protocols and resources will support interprofessional collaboration. Health professionals work together to identify and assess research evidence as a basis for identifying treatment and management of health problems. Health outcomes are continuously evaluated to track the effectiveness and appropriateness of services.7 †¢ Access  Teams of health-care professionals working in collaboration will ensure that patients can access the most appropriate health-care provider at the right time and in the right place. Supporting continuity of care and continuity of care provider is crucial to ensuring high-quality, client-centered interprofessional collaborative care.8 †¢ Epidemiology  Using assessments of the demographics and health status of clients will ensure the relevance of health services, including the identification of appropriate health professions. Trends in the health of the population are tracked to assess the impact of the services offered. †¢ Ethics  Each profession brings its own set of competencies  the results of education, training and experience  to collaborative health services. Health-care professionals working in interprofessional collaborative teams learn from each other in ways that can enhance the effectiveness of their collaborative efforts. Nurses collaborate with other health professionals to develop a moral community12 and to maximize heath benefits to clients, recognizing and respecting the knowledge, skills and perspectives of all.13 Shared decision-making, creativity and innovation allow health-care professionals to learn from each other and enhance the effectiveness of their collaborative efforts. †¢ Communication  Active listening and effective communication skills facilitate both information sharing and decision-making. To support and sustain interprofessional collaboration, CNA believes that the following structural elements15 must also be present: †¢ planning, recruitment, workplace and interprofessional education to support human resources; †¢ long-term funding allocations that support the necessary infrastructure and information technology requirements of interprofessional collaboration; †¢ liability insurance framework for interprofessional teams that includes liability insurance for health-care professionals that is independent of the employer’s liability insurance; †¢ regulatory framework that enables all regulated health professionals to use their knowledge, skills and experience to practice to their full scope and recognizes the decision-making processes and roles within interprofessional collaboration; †¢ standards that guarantee both interoperability and access by appropriate professionals to electronic health records; †¢ governance and management structures that promote systems that foster interprofessional collaboration and strengthen a not-for-profit, publicly funded health-care system; and †¢ planning and evaluation frameworks and assessment tools to measure the performance of interprofessional collaborative practices that are supported by ongoing research and surveillance.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
paganbeo Pagan and Heathen Elements in Beowulf Essays -- Epic Beowulf
Pagan/Heathen Elements in Beowulf      In Beowulf the pagan element, which coexists alongside the Christian, sometimes in a seemingly contradictory fashion, is many faceted.  Certainly the pagan element seems to be too deeply interwoven in the text of Beowulf for us to suppose that it is due to additions made by scribes. While the poet’s reflections and characters’ statements are mostly Christian, the customs and ceremonies, on the other hand, are almost entirely heathen/pagan. This fact seems to point to a heathen work which has undergone revision by Christian minstrels. â€Å"The poet’s heroic age is full of men both ‘emphatically pagan and exceptionally good,’ men who believe in a God whom they thank at every imaginable opportunity. Yet they perform all the pagan rites known to Tacitua, and are not Christian†(Frank 52).  One of the foremost pagan practices in Beowulf is the burial rite of cremation. In the narrative after the conquest of Grendel, a gleeman sings the Finnsburh Episode, the story of a Danish peaceweaver who lost husband, brother and son in the feud. Once the tribes agreed to peace:  Then Hildeburh ordered                       her own dead son placed on the pyre                               beside his uncle Hnaef, their bone-cases burned,                      given full fire-burial. Beside them both                                 the noblewoman wept, mourned with songs.                            The warrior rose up; the mighty death-fire                            spiraled to heaven, thundered before the mound.                Their heads melted, their gashes spread open,                     the blood shot out of the body’s f... ...ons, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.  Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000         The poet â€Å"mentions pagan error, briefly and in passing (175-88), before depicting noble pagan monotheists for some 3000 lines†(Frank 58).     SECONDARY BIBLIOGRAPHY  Frank, Roberta. â€Å"The Beowulf Poet’s Sense of History.†In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.   Robinson, Fred C.. â€Å"Apposed Word Meanings and Religious Perspectives.†In Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Â
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Resilience in Children Essay
Resilience is how a child can cope with the good and the bad things in their life and the ability to succeed and prosper even after facing set and hardships and is based on self-esteem. The more resilience a child is the better they are able to cope with real life situations in their life right up to adult hood and have a more positive attitude. In a paper by Action for Children, it states that resilience concerns the ability to ‘bounce back’. It involves doing well against the odds, coping, and recovering (Rutter, 1985; Stein, 2005). Masten et al (1990) define resilience as â€Å"the process of, capacity for, or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances†. As a concept it appears to be cross-culturally recognised (Hunter, 2001). Masten et al (1990) have identified three kinds of resilience among groups of children. These are: †¢ Children who do not succumb to adversities, despite their high-risk status, for example babies of low birth-weight. †¢ Children who develop coping strategies in situations of chronic stress, for example the children of drug-using or alcoholic parents. †¢ Children who have suffered extreme trauma, for example through disasters, sudden loss of a close relative, or abuse, and who have recovered and prospered. Resilient children, therefore, are those who resist adversity, manage to cope with uncertainly and are able to recover successfully from trauma (Newman, 2004). Some of the processes that are thought to play a part in promoting resilience include managed exposure to risk, since this can provide an opportunity for coping mechanisms to be acquired; opportunities to exert agency and develop a sense of mastery; strong relationships with supportive parents or cares, or external mentors and other social networks; positive school experiences and extra-curricular activities; and capacity to ‘reframe’ adversities (Newman, 2004). I ensure that in my setting the staff are given the skills necessary and the knowledge to promote resilience in the children we care for. Assertiveness is a healthy way of communicating. It’s the ability to speak up for ourselves in a way that is honest and respectful. We promote this in my setting as a child who demonstrates assertiveness will be more likely to ask for help only when they need it. e.g. if a child asked for help doing a jig-saw they know what exactly they want when asking for help. They are also more likely to get on with the task once the initial difficulty has been overcome and they have been successful and will learn from that. Healthy self-esteem is like a child’s armour against the challenges of the world. Kids who know their strengths and weaknesses and feel good about themselves seem to have an easier time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. If a child is self confident within themselves and doesn’t show fear when trying new things e.g. climbing up the steps of a slide. However, the staff need to be aware of risk and the child’s capabilities and be sure that they are not hampering the child’s confidence by perhaps refusing to allow them to take a risk due to age etc. Self-awareness and the ability to socialise and behave appropriately in different situations and is confident about themselves usually reveals a healthy well-being and resilience. Children with low self-esteem may not want to try new things and may speak negatively about themselves: â€Å"I’m stupid,†They may have a low tolerance for frustration, giving up easily or waiting for somebody else to take over. They tend to be overly critical of and easily disappointed in themselves. One example of an approach we use in my setting to help build resilience is based on the Attachment theory. John Bowlby emphasises the importance of early relationships and quality of care for laying the foundations for healthy relationships and self-esteem in adulthood. Interventions based around attachment theory help to develop parental awareness and sensitivity to their child. Sensitive, available and consistent child care practices protect children by establishing positive expectations about future relationships and a positive view of self, which influence adaptive coping in later years (Sroufe et al, 1990). My setting provides this through a key-worker system, ensuring on-going and effective communication and working in partnership with the parents. Daniel and Wassell (2002). They describe resilience in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The intrinsic factors are seen as three building blocks that are necessary for resilience: †¢ A secure base – the child feels a sense of belonging and security †¢ Good self-esteem – an internal sense of worth and competence †¢ A sense of self-efficacy – a sense of mastery and control, along with an accurate understanding of personal strengths and limitations. The extrinsic factors are described as: †¢ At least one secure attachment relationship †¢ Access to wider supports such as extended family and friends †¢ Positive nursery, school and or community experiences This framework provides a useful basis for informing assessment of children, and planning and implementing interventions to promote resilience. In my setting I give the children lots of praise and encouragement throughout the day to encourage their confidence and self esteem. If I praise the children they feel good and happy about themselves, hence building their self esteem. I would give the children small challenges that I know that they can succeed in to help build their confidence and self esteem e.g. jigsaw puzzle then I would give them tasks that they will need a little help to complete the task but I will sit down beside them and help and encourage them to complete it. Once completed, the children feel very proud of themselves. Praise gives children confidence and self esteem and having good confidence and self esteem shows a child has good resilience. I would support and reassure a child when they feel scared e.g. starting in my room for their first time away from their parents. Would reassure then by cuddling them, telling them its okay, distracting them with toys they enjoy playing with at home. If a child makes a bond and trusts the adults in the room they will feel more confident and comfortable. I let the children take risks as this teaches them their boundaries in what they can do and what they cant do. I also let the children play independently by letting them pick what they want to play with to build their interest and their own self-identity. If the children knows what they like and are interested in they will be very confident with themselves. During circle time is a great opportunity for helping children learn new ways of how to protect themselves. On activity we do is to get the children to make faces of happy or sad and ask them in circle time to pick a face and ask why or just discuss when they would be happy or sad and what they can do to change this. This also helps develop awareness of emotions and empathy for others. Helping children protect themselves from child abuse is easier when you begin teaching protection techniques at an early age. It is important to build effective forms of communication with the children by developing relationships and building trust. This circle time activity helps the children to feel comfortable about talking about feelings and emotions. This helps build trust between me and the child and a feeling of comfort in knowing I, or the staff are approachable if something is worrying them I am currently in the process of liaising with the NSPCC about the validity of using imaginative/role play as a forum for exploring what to do in certain situations – example – Run, Yell and tell or the Underwear Rule. I also think the Play Safe is a good simple approach for the older children in my setting, â€Å"Playing with friends is fun, but its no fun if you get hurt. I follow the Play Safe rules to make sure you have a good time†. This is good I think because there are set out specific rules and some of the older children enjoy understanding rules and realising right from wrong. This is a useful tool as it helps children protect themselves in the instance another child hitting or hurting them. They know to tell a member of staff so that they can help deal with the situation. Teaching a child deal with conflict is vital in promoting resilience and independence. The NSPCC’s Underwear Rule scan support and assist staff to explain to children that where you wear your pants is a private place and no one should ask to see or touch that place. It also explains about good touch and bad touch; good touch is a cuddle or hug which make a child feel safe or comfortable; bad touch is something that feels unsafe or uneasy. Circle time is a good venue to also look at the issue of good secrets and bad secrets. (If an adult tells you a secret which makes you feel scared and anxious then this is a bad secret that you shouldn’t keep but if it is a good secret that you get excited about then its ok to keep the secret). I think it is so important for us to teach the children in the setting that they can trust us and tell us anything they feel scared or anxious about and that we can help them deal with this situation. Parents are fully supportive of this and participate by continuing this at home which supports any learning and confirms this for the child. Sources: NSPCC website. Bernardo’s. Action for Children.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Fun Home
About the book: Alison Bechdel’s father Bruce was a high school English teacher, a funeral home operator, and a man who worked tirelessly to restore his Victorian-era home to its original glory. He was a husband and father of three children. On the outside, the Bechdels were a functional nuclear family. However, soon after Bechdel came out to her parents, she learned her father was also gay and that he had sexual relationships with his students. Months after her announcement, her mother filed for divorce – and two weeks after that, her father got run over by a truck. Was it an accident? Was it suicide?Bechdel thinks it was the latter, and in Fun Home, she analyzes her memories, books, and family letters in an attempt to understand who Bruce was and why he chose a life that dissatisfied him so deeply. What I liked: Bechdel’s analysis of her and her father’s lives, and her ability to wed it to distinct visuals, was inventive and involving. I remember one pag e in particular where she mapped out the places where her father was born, lived, and died, and circumscribed the area within one tidy circle to reveal that all of these important things happened within one mile’s distance of each other.The narrative loops back and forth upon itself, and parcels out new information at a measured pace, showing the readers new facets of the same story as it progresses. I appreciated Bechdel’s depth of focus in both her writing and her visuals – nearly everything is in its right place. I admire how much effort went into writing and drawing something so emotionally painful, and how much more effort went into making it all look seamless. Summary: Alison Bechdel grew up with a father who was alternatingly distant and angry, an English teacher and director of the local funeral home (or â€Å"Fun Home†, as Alison and her siblings called it).Their relationship grew more and more complex until Alison was in college. Shortly after A lison had come out to her parents, she learned that her father was also gay†¦ but before she had more than a brief chance to process that news, he was dead. Whether the accident that killed him had been truly an accident or a suicide, Alison would never know, just one of the many mysteries left by her father for Alison to slowly and painfully unravel here. Review:The â€Å"look at my terrible childhood†flavor of memoir is my least favorite flavor, and is responsible for me thinking I didn’t like memoirs in general until relatively recently. I’ll happily grant Fun Home an exception, however, even though it technically does fall into that category. There are several reasons that it sets itself apart from the rest of its peers, but I think the primary reason is that Bechdel is not using her the trauma of childhood for laughs (although there are some humorous touches throughout) or for dramatic potential (although there’s certainly plenty of that as wel l).Instead, there’s a very palpable sense that she’s writing this memoir because she’s really trying to figure out her relationship with her father, and what it meant, and that putting her memories down on paper is the best way she can hope to make sense of it all. The narrative flow does jump backwards and forwards through time, repeating some parts of the story from different angles as they come to bear on different topics, giving it a feeling of â€Å"thinking out loud,†but even so, it doesn’t come across as feeling scattered or unpolished.It also helps that her analysis, both of her father and of herself, is extremely penetrating, with enough emotion to make it powerful but enough age and maturity to make it thoughtful. Bechdel’s prose is similarly both elevated and immediate, verbose and vocabulary-ridden, but still clear and forceful. The book is rife with literary allusions and direct textual comparisons, some of which I got, some of which surely went over my head, but which certainly set the intellectual tone of the book.Bechdel’s art is also great, and I really liked the juxtaposition of her own detailed drawings with the drawn reproduction of photographs, printed text, and her own diary entries. Overall, this was a very thoughtful and penetrating book. I’m sure that there are layers of meaning about homosexuality and the process of coming out that I, as a straight person, didn’t latch on to. But I think there’s also a message that’s applicable to everyone, about the secrets that our parents keep, and about who they really are, and how we, as children of our parents, can manifest those secrets without ever truly understanding them. out of 5 stars.Summary The entire story is present from the first few pages, in the antique decadence that contrasts peculiarly against father Bruce’s strict, volatile perimeters; his cut-off jean shorts; his nose stuck in The Nude by Kenne th Clark; and in Alison’s tomboyish supplication as a child for his affection, channeled instead into the house’s restoration, a House of Usher in reverse. â€Å"It was his passion. And I do mean passion. Libidinal. Manic. Martyred,†writes Bechdel, showing Bruce carrying a porch column bent over his back, wearing only shorts that would make the Village People blush.After Alison types and mails a letter from college telling her parents she is gay, her mother informs her that Bruce, a high school English teacher and part-time funeral home director, had been with men throughout their marriage. The first had been a farmhand at 14; one was even her babysitter, Roy. â€Å"I had imagined my confession as an emancipation from my parents, but instead I was pulled back into their orbit†¦ Why had I told them? I hadn’t even had sex with anyone yet. Conversely, my father had been having sex with men for years and not telling anyone. Four months later, Bruce die d in puzzling (read: suicidal) conditions. Alison impulsively links his death to her sexual revelation  â€Å"the end of his life coincided with the beginning of my truth. †Bechdel traces the fear of this correlation back and forth in time through bizarre, coded interactions with her parents. Watching her narrate cyclonically around this traumatic core  â€Å"a sort of inverted Oedipal complex,†the assertion of her â€Å"erotic truth†destroying her repressed father’s life  is a devastating, bittersweet head-trip.It is the reading equivalent of a photo mosaic: hundreds of tiny images of Alison forming an inescapably dominating image of Bruce. Fun Home also pulls off a portrait of how the invisible histories and private lives of parents impress unwittingly upon children emotionally and psychologically. Plenty of books attempt that, but fewer pull it off without connect-the-dots associations or posturing, fewer still with Fun House ’s effortless juggling of past, present and future.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
International Business Major Assignment
International Business Major Assignment Analysis of critical issues or management in a foreign business environment The expansion of businesses in the international environment has emerged as one of the competitive strategies that are used by firms. Most of the challenges that are witnessed by firms in the international business environment revolve around the issue of managing in a new business environment, which denotes variations in business culture (Arunjo, 2007). The new Chief Executive Officer, Mia Foster, has the challenge of ensuring that the company establishes itself in a totally new market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Business Major Assignment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The new market has different business conditions and a totally new culture of management. However, Foster has fear that the company events are run by Chen. She fears dissolving the local culture of the company as depicted in the business dimension that was taken by Chen (Rentfrow, 2010). One reason why the company sought to expand into the international market was the shrinking domestic market, which implied a reduction in productivity (Bartlett Han, 2011). As an expansion and a competitive strategy, the entry and operation of the company in China as a new business destination was meant to help the company in regaining its competitive scale by quelling the impacts of the shrunken operations in the mother country. China had proved to be an attractive market for a number of United States’ firms that operate in the restaurant sector. During her early years of tenure as the new CEO of Levedary Cafà ©, Mia Foster was interested in monitoring and standardizing the operations of the company in China, which were being spearheaded by Chen. Foster sought for a means of ensuring that the standardization of the reporting models was done. Adopting a standard model of financial and business reporting as that used by Levendary in the mother country of operation proved to be difficult for the operations of the company in China (Bartlett Han, 2011). This is one area of challenge in international business management. It denotes the difference in business culture between the mother country and the foreign location. The entry model for any business in the international market is quite critical and determines the rate at which the company harmonizes the operations in the subsidiaries in relation to the operations in the mother firm as a way of ensuring that the conflict of management does not arise. Two issues come out in the case, which must be addressed in order for the operations of the company in China to be enhanced. The variation in business culture between the United States, which is the mother country of Levendary Cafà ©, and China which is the foreign business environment for the company comes out in two main things. These are legitimacy and conformity (Ferreira, Li Jang, 2007).Advertising Looking for es say on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Ferreira, Li and Jang (2007), the two things have to be considered as they are critical to the successful operation of a company in a foreign market. The issues form part of the hybrid model of entry and operation of a firm in the foreign business environment. There is, therefore, need for Foster to allow the company operations in China to follow a model of financial reporting that goes in line with the legislation on taxation in the country. Emphasis on using a reporting model that is used in the parent country is bound to result in non-conformity with the business environment in China, thereby jeopardizing the operations of the company in the country. The attributes of a business model often change with the environment in which a business expands into. It is, therefore, critical for the Foster to discuss with Chen the aspects of change that are expect ed as far as the expansion of the company operations in China is concerned. Sticking to the parent company model can result in the stagnation of the company due to lack of adaptability to the foreign market environment. When operating in a foreign business environment, it is critical to consider the tastes and preferences of the customers in the foreign market and adopt the practices in the local market as a way of enticing and attracting customers in that environment (Hise Choi, 1995). Analysis of market prospects in China and adaptability of Levendary Cafà © in the market A study of the international business environment denotes that China is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The scale at which the Chinese economy, and by effect the Chinese markets, is growing has kept opening space for the incorporation of foreign firms in the market. The country, therefore, presents a lot of opportunities for multinational firms from all over the world. According to the Levendar y Cafà © case, it has been noted that a substantial number of firms from the United States have successfully entered and set up subsidiaries in China. In fact, this was the guiding factor behind the decision by Levendary Cafà © to expand its operations into China. Most of the large United States multinationals in the restaurant have been able to enter and expand their operations in China through franchising (Bartlett Han, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Business Major Assignment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it should be noted that the model of business that has been used by the United States multinationals to franchise in the Chinese market is based on the foreign model that is embraced in China. This reiterates the relevance of a firm to adapt to the local business culture as a foundation of expanding business operations in a foreign business environment. The rate at which forei gn firms in the restaurant business are entering China is quite high, which poses questions over the future competitiveness of the Chinese market to multinational firms. There is one notable trend in the restaurant industry in China, which depicts a challenge to the multinational firms from the West, among them Levendary Cafà ©. The realization of the opportunities that prevail in China has attracted an array of other multinationals from within the region in the country. This raises several concerns on the operation of western multinationals in the Chinese market. Firms from the region have a higher advantage when it comes to the rate of adaptability to the business culture in China. Contrary to the multinationals from the region, a firm like Levendary is still new in the country and is still struggling to gain footage in the country by adapting to a resounding culture that will enable it stabilize its operations in China without interfering with the general business model of the c ompany. Indeed, the Chinese market presents competitive challenges to the future of Levendary Cafà © considering the fact that the market is attracting firms that have a higher competitive edge when it comes to the adaptability to the business environment in China (Bartlett Han, 2011). As noted in the case, the largest share of the restaurant sector in China is dominated by firms that serve Asian food. This is an aspect of culture, which denotes an advantage to the firms that come from within the Asian region as indicated in the case. According to Wu (2008), cultural adaptability is one of the critical sources of disadvantage for foreign firms that are operating in China. It impacts on the management of the firms in the country. Insisting on exporting the local culture into China as is being done by Foster could compound the ability of the company to withstand the competition in the market.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It can be argued that the best way for Levendary Cafà © to successfully expand and gain a competitive edge in the Chinese market is by pursuing a business model that allows it to make changes to its business culture. This could pave the way for the adaptability of the company to the local conditions in the market, which dictate customer trends. While some practices can be maintained, it can be argued that the path that is taken by Chen makes sense and there is only need to streamline a number of activities that are critical to the retention of the overall culture of the company irrespective of the fact that it adopts to the cultural practices and determinants in China. According to Kogut and Singh (1988), it is critical to assess the factors of compatibility in culture between a mother country and the foreign country and establish a balance in these factors where possible. This attests to the research by Gatignon and Anderson (1987), which denoted the difficulty of US multinational s in adapting to a foreign business culture in non- Anglo cultures. This is the reason why the combination of the models of business is often embraced by multinational firms by considering the cultural trends and their impacts on the competitive positioning of firms in the foreign market. Recommendations on best practices of international management The argument that comes out of the case is that Foster does not have a resounding experience in international management. The fact that she is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the company stabilizes its operations in the foreign business environment means that she has to learn a lot about the attributes of international management. Unfortunately, she has to do this at work, which is quite challenging. In her meeting with Chen, who is steering the operations of Levendary Cafà © in China, she has to adhere to a number of issues in order to be able to establish a worthwhile course for the operation of the company in China. Unde rstanding the technical aspects of the foreign business environment According to Guillà ©n (n.d.), the study and understanding of the foreign business environment are critical to the successful entry and management of a firm in the foreign market. As it comes out from the case, Chen has a substantial amount of experience about managing in China given he is a person who comes from the country and who has been able to understand the business environment in the country. International management entails the understanding of the technical aspects in foreign business environments and how they play out as far as the effect on the operation of new firms in the market is concerned. Therefore, Foster has to prepare to listen to Chen as this will enable her to comprehend the technical aspects of management in China. Chen acts as a cross-cultural consultant in this case (â€Å"Cross Cultural Solutions for International Business†, n.d.). The development of an adaptive strategy in the f oreign business environment After listening to Chen, it is easier for Foster to understand the reasons behind the approaches of business development that are taken by Chen. Though a number of ventures that had been established by Chen did not match with the model of Levendary, they had picked up in China. This proves a positive point concerning the ability of Chen to manage in China. This implies that Chen is a key resource for the company in as a far as steering its adaptability in China is concerned. It is at this point that Foster can open up and discuss about the possibility of modelling the Levendary stores in China along the models of business that are embraced in the parent country. The discussion ought to focus on the aspects of management and the models of business that can be exported by the company to China and those that need to be moulded from the foreign business environment. This attests to the concept of globalization of the business environment, where the understan ding of the culture in a given business environment is key to the establishment of a competitive business model in that market (Gunn-Graffy, 2007). Rationalization of integrating strategy in the foreign business environment An integrative response framework of international management such as the one that was developed by Prahalad and Yves in 1987 can be used in the development of a strategy that will streamline the operations of the company in China. The model by Prahalad and Yves reiterates the need to balance between the local factors and international factors that prevail in the international business environment (Guillà ©n, n.d.). Such a balance is critical in ensuring that the identity of the company is maintained even as the company adapts to the cultural factors in the foreign market. The balance between customization and the standardization of business in the foreign market has to be given priority (Lynch, 2012). References Arunjo, A. L. (2007). Multinational enterprise s in dissimilar cultural contexts: The role of global virtual teams. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing countries, Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 2007. Retrieved from ifipwg94.org.br/fullpapers/R0039-1.pdf Bartlett, C. A., Han, A. (2011). Levendary Cafe: The China challenge. Harvard Business School. Cross Cultural Solutions for International Business. (n.d.). Retrieved from kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles/cross-cultural-solutions-international-business.html Ferreira, M. P., Li, D., Jang, Y. S. (2007). Foreign entry strategies: Strategic adaptation to various facets of the institutional environment. Working paper no. 03/2007. Retrieved from globadvantage.ipleiria.pt/files/2012/08/working-paper-3_globadvantage.pdf Gatignon, H., Anderson, E. (1987). The multinational corporations degree of control over foreign subsidiaries: an empirical test of a transaction cost explanation. Retrieved from msi.org/publications/p ublication.cfm?pub=198 Guillà ©n, M. F. (n.d.). Understanding and managing the multinational firm. Retrieved from http://www-management.wharton.upenn.edu/guillen/files/mneconcept.pdf Gunn-Graffy, C. (2007). When in Rome, Beijing or Brussels: Cultural considerations of international business communication. Retrieved from bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/cas_sites/communication/pdf/thesis07.gunn-graffy.pdf Hise, R., Choi, Y-T. (2010). Are US companies employing standardization or adaptation strategies in their international markets? Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies, 4(1), 1-30. Retrieved from aabri.com/manuscripts/08043.pdf Kogut, B., Singh, H. (1988). The effect of national culture on the choice of entry mode. Journal of International Business Studies, 19(3), 411-432. Retrieved from http://aib.msu.edu/awards/19_3_88_411.pdf Lynch, R. (2012). Global strategy. Retrieved from global-strategy.net/categories/Balancingglobalandlocal Rentfrow, T. J. (2010). Effectiv e leadership within a multinational environment. Retrieved from regent.edu/acad/global/publications/lao/issue_10/rentfrow.htm Wu, J. (2008). An analysis of business challenges faced by foreign multinationals operating the Chinese market. International Journal of Business and Management, 3(12), 169-174. Retrieved from http://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijbm/article/download/776/751.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
construction grammar - definition and discussion
construction grammar - definition and discussion In linguistics, construction grammar refers to any of the various approaches to language study that emphasize the role of grammatical constructionsthat is, conventional pairings of form and meaning. Some of the different versions of construction grammar are considered below. Construction grammar is a theory of linguistic knowledge. Instead of assuming a clear-cut division of lexicon and syntax, note Hoffmann and Trousdale, Construction Grammarians consider all constructions to be part of a lexicon-syntax continuum (a construction). Examples and Observations James R. HurfordThere are several different versions of Construction Grammar, and my account . . . will describe, quite informally, what they have in common. The common idea is that a speakers knowledge of his language consists of a very large inventory of constructions, where a construction is understood to be of any size and abstractness, from a single word to some grammatical aspect of a sentence, such as its Subject-Predicate structure. Construction Grammar emphasizes that there is a lexicon-syntax continuum, contrary to traditional views in which the lexicon and the syntactic rules are held to be separate components of a grammar. The central motive of Construction Grammar theorists is to account for the extraordinary productivity of human languages, while at the same time recognizing the huge amount of idiosyncratic grammatical data that humans acquire and store. The constructionist approach to grammar offers a way out of the lumper/splitter dilemma (Goldberg 2006, p. 45). The k ey point is that storage of idiosyncratic facts is compatible with deploying these facts productively to generate novel expressions. R.L. TraskCrucially, construction grammars are not derivational. So for example, the active and passive forms of a sentence are regarded as having different conceptual structures rather than one being a transformation of the other. Since construction grammars depend on the conceptual meaning in context, they can be seen as approaches to linguistics that collapse the classical distinctions between semantics, syntax, and pragmatics. The construction is the unit of language, which cuts across these other aspects. So, for example, in They laughed him out of the room, the normally intransitive verb receives a transitive reading and the situation can be interpreted on the basis of the X cause Y to move construction rather than the sytanctic deviance alone. As a result, construction grammars are proving most useful in understanding language acquisition and are being used for second-language teaching, since it is the meaningfulness of the situation which is of primary importance, and syntax and semantics are treated holistically. William Croft and D. Alan CruseAny grammatical theory can be described as offering models of representation of the structure of an utterance, and models of organization of the relationship between utterance structures (presumably, in a speakers mind). The latter are sometimes described in terms of levels of representation, linked by derivational rules. But construction grammar is a nonderivational model (like, for instance, Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar), and so a more general description of this aspect of grammatical theory is organization.Different versions of construction grammar will be briefly outlined . . .. We survey four variants of construction grammar found in cognitive linguisticsConstruction Grammar (in capital letters; Kay and Fillmore 1999; Kay et al. in prep.), the construction grammar of Lakoff (1987) and Goldberg (1995), Cognitive Grammar (Langacker 1987, 1991) and Radical Construction Grammar (Croft 2001)and focus on the distinctive characteristics of each th eory. . . .It should be noted that the different theories tend to focus on different issues, representing their distinctive positions vis––vis the other theories. For example, Construction Grammar explores syntactic relations and inheritance in detail; the Lakoff/Goldberg model focuses more on categorization relations between constructions; Cognitive Grammar focuses on semantic categories and relations; and Radical Construction Grammar focuses on syntactic categories and typological universals. Finally, the last three theories all endorse the usage-based model... Thomas Hoffmann and Graeme TrousdaleOne of the central concepts of linguistics is the Saussurean notion of the linguistic sign as an arbitrary and conventional pairing of form (or sound pattern/signifiant) and meaning (or mental concept/signife; cf., e.g., de Saussure [1916] 2006: 65-70). Under this view, the German sign Apfel and its Hungarian equivalent alma have the same underlying meaning apple, but different associated conventional forms . . .. Over 70 years after Saussures death, several linguists then explicitly started to explore the idea that arbitrary form-meaning pairings might not only be a useful concept for describing words or morphemes but that perhaps all levels of grammatical description involve such conventionalized form-meaning pairings. This extended notion of the Saussurean sign has become known as construction (which includes morphemes, words, idioms, and abstract phrasal patterns) and the various linguistic approaches exploring this idea were labeled Constructi on Grammar. Jan-Ola Ãâ€"stman and Mirjam Fried[One] precursor to Construction Grammar is a model that was also developed at the University of California at Berkeley in the late 1970s, within the tradition of Generative Semantics. This was the work of George Lakoff and informally known as Gestalt Grammar (Lakoff 1977). Lakoffs experiential approach to syntax was based on the view that the grammatical function of a sentence constituent holds only in relation to a particular sentence type as a whole. Specific constellations of relations such as Subject and Object thus constituted complex patterns, or gestalts. . . . Lakoffs (1977: 246-247) list of 15 characteristics of linguistic gestalts contains many of the features that have become definitional criteria of constructions in Construction Grammar, including, for example, the formulation that Gestalts are at once holistic and analyzable. They have parts, but the wholes are not reducible to the parts.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Role of women in math science and engineering field Essay
Role of women in math science and engineering field - Essay Example Most of the medieval French women scientists living in the ‘Witch Craze’ timeline, such as Martine de Martine de Berterau du Chatalet (famously as Baroness de Beausoleil), did not have formal education. They grew up in social environments conducive for intellectual development or lived in families of scientists. However, the case of Martine de Berterau du Chatalet is not clear, but records indicate that she was married to Jean de Chastelet, Baron de Beausoleil et dAuffenbach and a renowned expert in mining and mineralogy in Europe during the seventeenth century. There are limited sources of information and facts concerning French women scientists, especially during the Witch Craze. This is partly due to the obsession of secrecy by female scientists fearing to be branded as witches. In the mediaeval society, the fear of witchcraft led to the death of a significant number of women, majority of whom constituted the wise women of the French community in the fields of midwifery, alchemists, and herbalists (Rayner-Canham 23). This is what befell Baroness de Beausoleil. Baroness de Beausoleil sought to practice modern science in the seventeenth century. She used a variety of metal rods and hazel branches to locate water and rich mineral deposits. Together with her husband, they travelled through Hungarian, Germany, Polish, Central Europe, Scotia, Sweden, and Papal States, exploring and discovering deposits and mines, as well as studying the basement resources and the prospecting and mining operations in Bolivia. Her tools, practices, and methods incorporated alchemy, astrology, and dowsing. In the book â€Å"Woman in Science†, Mozans reflects Baroness de Beausoleil as lacking patience with those who believed that the hidden treasures of the earth could not be found without the aid of demons or witchcraft magic. More significantly, the book highlights her ridicule to those who believing in
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