Biff Loman

Biff Loman displays only a small measure of his youthful confidence, enthusiasm, and affection. More often, he appears troubled, frustrated, and sad. The name ‘Biff’ gives an appearance of a tough man, but in the play ‘Death of a Salesman’, Biff is a flawed character who is the opposite of the appearance his name gives. Although he is a flawed character, he manages to succeed at one thing that Willy was not able to, which is acknowledging his failures, rather than dreaming of something he is not able to achieve.As Willy Loman’s oldest son, Biff got most of his father’s attention. He was once a high school football idol, but did not put much effort into school work, failing math in his last year. Without the math credit, going to University of Virginia was not an option. Discovering that his dad was having an affair with another woman when he travelled to Boston, Biff gave up not only going to summer school to recover his math credit, but also g oing to his dream university.Biff’s perception of Willy as the ideal father is destroyed after the trip to Boston. The affair of his dad was the point in Biff’s life where everything started to spiral down, and Biff starts to reject Willy and his philosophy of becoming successful if you’re â€Å"well-liked†. No matter how much Biff wants to get away from being Willy Loman’s son, it is something he cannot do. No matter how much Biff vouches no to be like his father, it is something he cannot run away from.Willy’s two sons were both brought up as a child to have materialistic dreams, and to impress and please their father. Biff was desperate to please and impress Willy, but he realizes that the way he was brought up was flawed like his father. Also, he realizes that he did not want or is able to achieve the materialistic dreams that both Willy and Happy want to achieve so much. Unlike Willy and Happy, Biff is self-aware and takes a great value in the truth.In one of the scenes in the play, Biff shouts at Willy saying that he can’t hold a job because his dad made him very arrogant as a boy, that he can’t handle orders from a boss. Also, Biff is seen throughout the play stealing. Biff blames Willy for not giving him the proper guidance when he was caught stealing as a child. This gave an insight of Biff’s honesty and his true personality that he is not able to express himself, in the play, to Willy. Even so, Willy is not able to accept the truth, making Biff unable to communicate with Willy.

“The King of Torts” by John Grisham

Clay Carter is a public defender doing boring, low-paid, through which every beginning lawyer is to go through. Carter has been there for too long, and this job does not bode anything to Carter†¦ up to the point, when he takes up the case of Tequila Watson, a 20-year-old youth who has committed a murder seemingly without any reasons†¦ Up to the point, when Carter realizes that beneath a hackneyed case there is a real case, which is difficult and dangerous, boding a huge amount of money. This case can become the start of a dazzling legal career – if Carter takes the risk and stakes his all†¦This is the entanglement of the legal suspense thriller â€Å"The King of Torts† (2003) by John Grisham. The novel has a fast-pace and dynamic plot, which takes Carter from the mundane post of public defendant to the pecuniary cream of the society. John Grisham, a former lawyer and now a successful novelist, is known for his penetrating insights into the American legal system, made in his numerous earlier novels like â€Å"A Time to Kill†(1989) and â€Å"Runaway Jury† (1996).This time Grisham takes on the â€Å"torts†, lawyers who lead suits against large corporations in the name of many people, who suffered from the actions or products of this company; the attorney receives a considerable percent from all payouts of all plaintiffs and his payout can be measured in billions. As Clay Carter engages into the case of Tequila Watson, he discovers an enormous conspiracy, where the big pharmaceutical company is involved. Tempted by the mysterious stranger Max, he plunges into tort business and is soon dubbed â€Å"king of torts† for his success.He starts leading a luxurious life, living in a luxurious house and driving a black Porsche; however, everything has its price. The price of success for Carter is his moral and professional principles, which he eagerly sells in exchange for fame and fortune.In this novel, Grisham makes a grim commentary on the American legal system, which has turned into a machine for earning money for attorneys. Apart from the exciting plot, the most gripping suspense lies in the attitude of the reader to the protagonist. Carter is evidently degrading, but will the reader find â€Å"extenuating circumstances† to justify him or at least to understand his downfall? This is a question, which you can answer only after turning the last page of this gripping thriller.ReferencesGrisham, J. (2003). The King of Torts. New York: Doubleday.

The Internet and the Role it plays in the Lives of Consumers and Term Paper

The Internet and the Role it plays in the Lives of Consumers and Businesses - Term Paper Example line Advertising 13 The Ability to Purchase Goods and Services at any Time 14 Timely Customer Service 14 Announcements and Promotions 14 Improved Bargaining Power for Customers 15 Share Experiences on Company Blogs 16 Disadvantages of the Internet for Customers 16 Conclusion 17 Bibliography 18 The Internet and the Role it plays in the Lives of Consumers and Businesses What is the Internet? According to Shuman (2001), it is gradually becoming more and more difficult to reach a consensual working definition of what exactly is the internet. However, it can broadly be defined as a worldwide interconnection of thousands of separate computer networks. The Internet was originally developed in the 1960’s in the United States and it was intended to help link the country’s government agencies with various universities and colleges. However, the internet’s real expansion was first witnessed in the early years of the 1990’s when thousands of different companies as wel l as millions of individual persons realized that they could actually be able to easily afford the necessary telecommunication technology as well as the graphic browsers that are found to be vital in securing access to the internet as well as exchanging messages (Oggerino, 2001). Since its introduction, the internet has played a strategically vital role in revolutionizing communications and computers. The internet is found to serve multiple roles by acting as a mechanism through which information can be disseminated, a vast and intricate world-wide broadcasting capability as well as acting as a medium that allows interaction and collaboration between various computers and the individuals operating them all over the world regardless of their present geographical location (Betz, 2011). The Internet is widely...These benefits are seen to range from reduced advertisement costs for businesses, large market share and penetration to making it easier for business organization in general to be able to carry out cheaper and more effective market surveys. Customers are also able to experience several key benefits that are seen to result from the role played by the internet such as it is now relatively easier for customers to be able to make various purchases from their homes, they are also able quickly compare the price of a given commodity between different stores before making a purchase a factor which makes them gain more bargaining power. However there are several innate disadvantages that have been seen to affect both customers and businesses as a result of the role that the internet is seen to play. Some of these disadvantageous roles that are played by the internet are seen to include, increased risk of identity theft on the part of the customers and the common fact that business enterprises and especially so those in the entertainment industry are finding it increasingly difficult to adequately safeguard their intellectual properties (Fatayerji, 2004). Regardless of the specific role that the internet has been seen to have played that has impacted either customers or businesses, it’s continuous and general influence cannot be ignored and it is important for all business organizations and customers to ensure that they continuously evaluate it so as to effectively determine any advantages they stand to reap or the potential dangers resulting from the role played by the internet.

Training for Health, Fitness and Sport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Training for Health, Fitness and Sport - Essay Example Moreover, endogenous and exogenous fuels for energy production are considerably dissimilar. Aerobic exercise lasts for a relatively long period and involves the working of the heart and lungs. Dubbed as endurance exercises, it implies that it lasts for a long time. The type of race the cyclists specialize in is categorized as endurance and therefore aerobic. It would therefore, be important to consider the efficiency of their heart and lungs in taking the oxygen and conveying it to the muscles, that is, their aerobic fitness. The cyclists would derive energy from aerobic energy systems or metabolism. The aerobic system is quite slow in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Energy requirements and intake of macronutrients varies across gender and sports. This paper is a report, which discusses factors that affect exercise performance based on empirical evidence. The paper will also discuss the nutritional requirements of five cyclists and the importance of macronutrients and micronu trients according to the specific demand of each track-cycling event. The relevance of participation and development in the success and performance will be discussed. Macro and micro nutrients functions and sources Macronutrients in foods provide a rich source of energy and they include carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Sources of simple carbohydrates include fruits, dairy produce, confectionery, soft drinks, and cakes and biscuits. Sources of complex carbohydrates include rice, wheat, oats, corns, vegetables, and pulses. Wheat products such as bread, pastry, pasta, and biscuits provide rich sources of complex carbohydrates. Sources of proteins include eggs, poultry, dairy products, cereals, wheat, rice, oats, meat and fish. Sources of fat include dairy products, oils, cakes, confectionery, and meat. Micronutrients include vitamin and minerals. They do not provide energy although perform key functions. Foods rich in vitamin include vegetables, nuts, fish, seeds, bran, whole grains, beans, and legumes. Water is also required in addition to macronutrients and micronutrients. Endurance cyclists are involved in aerobic exercise, which entails use of oxygen. Oxygen tends to have adverse effects on the body including increasing chances of contracting certain cancers and heart diseases. Antioxidants tend to nullify such adverse effects on the body. The antioxidants such as Vitamin A, C, and E, and some minerals such as zinc and selenium are obtained from fruits and vegetables. Water is also important in diet (Donnelly 2008). Dunford and Doyle (2008) observed that dietary supplements that contain vitamins, amino acids, and minerals would have less significant impact on exercise performance. Ergogenic supplements having the necessary vitamins, proteins and minerals would therefore, be more appropriate. Importance of the nutrients to cyclists and their specific needs concerning physical demands of sport cycling Nutrition is an important extrinsic factor that influences physical training and recovery. Endurance cyclists train for endurance, power, and strength (Seebohar n.d). Donnelly (2008) observed that dietary proteins provide rich source of energy, which is necessary for preserving body’s basal metabolic processes. Proteins provide amino acids that are necessary for the production of broad range of proteins vital for the body functions. Petrie, Stover, & Horswill (2004) indicated that intense and constant exercise tends to increase daily protein demands for adult cyclists. Heavy training coupled

The Role of IS Users in IS Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Role of IS Users in IS Development - Essay Example Today almost everyone old enough owns a cellular phone. This social revolution is mostly brought about by the changes in technological evolution. For many generations, the pace of technological growth was steady. Although after the breakthroughs of the 17th and 18th century, man has achieved more than it had ever done in its entire history. The pace during these two centuries was consistent and steady. The real revolution didn’t come until the mid nineteenth century. This was the first time that man had tried to use artificial computing technology to find solutions to its various problems. The possibilities to this revolution were limitless. Many different breakthroughs were made using this technology. The most amazing breakthrough was none other than the man’s quest of space. Using the mathematical abilities of computers, human beings were able to conquer space for the first time. This would not have been possible without the usage of computers. These computers were ma ny millions times slower than the processing power controlled by modern day super computers. In fact the simplest of desktop computer being used today by a seven year old, has more processing power than the computer used by NASA to send man on the moon. Nevertheless, the whole mission would not have been possible without the use of computers. The journey from computer usage by NASA to modern day smart phone is spanned over only a few decades. In this era the advancements in chip technology, both for storage and processing have given computer technology a whole new meaning. The computer was always used mostly as a giant calculator. Thus it was mostly utilized to process calculations which would otherwise be difficult for human beings to carry out themselves.

In considering the time period of 1865 to the present, is the American Essay

In considering the time period of 1865 to the present, is the American story one of oppression or success Victory on the par - Essay Example The rich have thrived for long while the poor have remained in abject poverty. For instance, during the gilded age, the large corporations, which were owned by the elite, influenced the market. Moreover, the industries manufacturing various commodities were regulated by influential politicians and rich businessmen and women (Unger and Debi 41).1 This led to great disparities in the social realm. In this regard, the poor were exploited because of lack of financial power. Democracy was not practice because the majority were poor hence they could not manage to marshal required numbers to oppose the rich. Even the labor unions could not protect the rights of the vulnerable workforce because the industrial leaders were corrupt. However, the oppression of the wealthy became unbearable culminating in reprisals from the workforce, women and the Black people. They capitalized on politics in their advances. For instance, they used the People’s party in order to present their grievances to the Authorities. These groups faced oppression of different forms like prejudice and social segregation and racial discrimination. The emphasis of a class society was also a means of oppression and exploitation especially at their workplaces (Â  Burnley 29). ... The understanding of the oppressors was that competition was warranted in order for the social and financially fit people to survive while the poor forever remained in anguish and agony. In this regard, any support for the poor from the government side was highly criticized by the high social class people. This implied that it was the wish of the poor to remain in their low social status. However, the farmers who were also oppressed were supported by some white in their fight for their rights (Burnley 34). This group of the white people had formed their own group called the populist movement, which advocated for the rights of all farmers regardless of color or race. Since many blacks never owned parcels of land, it became difficulty for them to engage their oppressors in a formidable battle. The black farmers formed their own movement called the colored farmers Alliance. This alliance was used by the black to specifically orchestrate strikes for the workforce who picked cotton. This contributed in the fight for the freedom of Blacks in America. This did not succeed because the politicians warned of the resurfacing of Negro supremacy. There discrimination against the black workforce continued. This resulted in high levels of unemployment for the black American community .Moreover, the blacks were excluded from voting. This was conducted through deliberate subjection of the blacks into literacy tests and understanding of the US constitution. ( Finkelman 23).34 This was intended to eliminate the black people from taking part in the voting process and deny them citizenship of the US, which was manifest of a high level of oppression. The worst case of oppression was the loss of Plessey’s case whereby he complained against

Porters Diamond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Porters Diamond - Essay Example The first aspect is the strategy and structure of firms. He explains that competition makes businesses to increase their innovation and productivity. Second, he describes the demand conditions factor. Here, he explains that firms face pressure due to increased demand, and this forces them to improve their competitiveness through an increase in quality. Third, he illustrates the nature of related supporting industries. Here, he reveals that the distance between such industries with a firm determines the exchange of information and ideas. In factor conditions, he explains that the factors of production are not inherited but created. He completes his model with the element of a government. He illustrates that the government only acts as a catalyst to push companies to competitive performance. However, Porter’s research has various limitations. First, Porter did not explore how culture influences the competitiveness of a nation in his framework. He did not explain how attitudes or social norms of a population towards authority affect the organization of firms. Second, it was incorrect to mention that the strategy and structure of companies are due to economic circumstances rather than culture. Cultural factors are the reasons for the creation of some enterprises such as Japanese business system of Keiretsu. Conclusively, although Porter's framework is incomplete, it is valid. Academics such as Dunning have extended on the framework and have revealed on the merits of the concept in explaining national competitiveness.

Health care marketing in practice Research Paper

Health care marketing in practice - Research Paper Example Many of the US citizens are without health insurance and when they get ill either they do not find the best treatment or they cannot afford the cost. Moreover, the medical facility and cost vary from place to place. The present study deals in current strategic positioning of Abbott Northwest Hospital and their marketing plans. Abbott Northwestern Hospital was established in the year 1882 as Northwestern Hospital for Women and Children. It is one of the largest hospitals in the twin cities. It is recognized both nationally and locally for its exceptional service and expertise. Every year the hospital provides services to about more than 200,000 patients along with their families across the twin city and Upper Midwest. It serves in the women and child care segment (Hospital overview, n.d.). The website of the hospital provides all necessary information for the patients. The â€Å"visiting† (Visiting us, n.d.) information provides the patients and their families with the address, direction, visiting hours, transportation and campus view of the hospital. The website also provides information regarding the food and accommodation available, services provided for the international patients and preregistration requirements. Apart from these the hospital website gives a clear view of the products and servic es they render. If a patient is suffering from a certain type of illness and does not know which department to refer then they might visit the website and fill up the details present in the â€Å"Provider† (Find a Provider, n.d.) section. Overall the website is very much user friendly and convenient. The reason behind choosing this health care organization is that they have achieved success in the health care segment by providing differential advantage among the healthcare market. They have created the differential advantage among women and child by

Employee's Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Employee's Review - Assignment Example I use my strengths in accomplishing the above results through working hard and attending training programs. Deviation in the working place is crucial because it enables an individual to accomplish the required goals of an organization. Dedicating one’s elf in the work enables one to work hard with an aim of achieving better results in the final work. Additionally, training programs enable one to learn various way through, which an individual may achieve the required goals of an organization. The goals or duties that were not met include unclear order maintenance of products, and unclear pricing. These are some of the duties that were not met the way it was required something that affected the performance of the company. Although, sales increased during the past year, some customers experienced the problem of poor order maintenance and pricing problem from their customers. The difficulties encountered after the goals were not were decreased number of customers and reduced profitability. This is because some customers left making the order from the company because of poor order maintenance of products and the pricing affected them too. My short term career interests include sales and marketing of products. My long term career interests is business administering. These careers are crucial, but they require one to work hard in order to satisfy customers’ needs. This will lead to improvement in the performance level of an

Marketing plan Essay Example for Free

Marketing plan Essay This Report presents the strategic Market entry plan of Victoria Secret in Singapore. Victoria Secret is an American brand owned by Limited Brands Company with retail of Lingerie, Women’s Wear and beauty products with annual revenue of USD 8. 7 billion and market share of over 50 percent in North America. It was launched in 1970 by Roy Raymond who started this chain when he had nightmare experience while showing Lingerie for his Wife. He believed that â€Å"Underwear† is not just an Innerwear but can be converted into a Fashion product by tuning in proper colours, styles and patterns and make a product a sex symbol. As it caters to large market in its home country it has been strongly based but now for better growth and more returns Victoria secret has started International expansion. It is one of the fastest growing Lingerie products under Limited Brands Company Umbrella and contributing more than 40% of profits. 1000 number of Stores give strong presence to Victoria Secret and Online shopping ads to the charm. Victoria Secret invests heavily on Advertising with USD 65 Million average for year. The brand symbolizes romance, class, love, desire and romantic moments. They marketed these products by show casing their products with angel looking models breaking ice of set standards of modelling. It is one of the most watched and appreciated Fashion Shows of the world and features world’s best Supermodel as there showstopper creating a feel of sensation in female gender. The brand also took lines from Dove Advertisements by redefining beauty and showing the product users with boosted confidence and sexier looks. The company has done horizontal integration by expanding product range from Lingerie products only to cosmetics, women wear and cosmetics. The appealing brand image gave quick returns on the new product range and helping Victoria Secret in capturing new markets at higher pace. Also what is helping Victoria Secret is its excellent supply chain and IT collaboration which have helped in cutting down overheads. As companies are looking for growth and stability the expansion into Asian market is unavoidable so is for Victoria secret. Singapore being expanding and booming economy can be next destination for Victoria Secret. Singapore also has high fashion conscious population with high income. Singapore being financial hub and supply chain hub is residence for people who have highest per capita expenditure on luxury brands in all segments. In Asia, Singapore boosts for being top market for growing luxury brands. Country also boosts strong tourism and having largest malls in South east Asia helps cater to being selected as best destination in Asia for expansion. Being business friendly government adds to positive of Singapore. Business environment Factors Demography Population rose 2. 5% in 2012. Total population was 5. 4 Million. The Demography of Singapore consists of mix of Chinese, Indians and Malays which account for 74 %, 9 %, and 13% respectively with maximum population between 20-64. Singapore also is world tourist attractor and counts for approx 12 million tourists a year. Total female population is approx 50% and this results in large market size. Female also play dominant role in the society as they also earn. This results in freedom of females and opportunity for them to satisfy their needs. Political Stability Singapore the synonym for freedom to do business was ranked in top 10 best countries to start business. It takes 3 Days on average to start business in Singapore and this is result of stable political System in the country. It has been ranked among top countries for business environment for consecutive 14 years setting benchmark. Singapore is worlds one of the least corrupt country in the world. It ranks 1’st in corruptions perception Index, 2013. The political Stability in the country has provided the most stable economy in South East Asia. Economy The Economy of Singapore is strong with 5. 1% in 3’rd of 2013. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore was worth 274. 70 billion US dollars in 2012. The Expected Net GDP for Singapore is expected to beat market trends and grow more positively in 4’th quarter. The Economy is supported by FDI, skilled labour and fully planned and excellent Infrastructure. The Rising economy has lead to rising per capita income. With the current economic scenario Singapore will attract more youth and global players which will bring more fashion conscious society which will indeed help growth of luxury segment. Industry With rising brand conscious population and trending international brands today brand is equally important for innerwear as is for outer wear. This was proved by growth of this segment industry even during depression of 2008. The rising economies of scale and large production numbers has led to reduced price of product which has increased demand and purchasing capacity. The following factors have contributed largely for growth of this industry: 1) E-Commerce: With rising e-commerce trend and more sophisticated players coming in picture the market has been taken by storm by these players. The customers have not fallen but E-commerce has attracted more customers because of easy access and getting products sitting home. Singapore boosts well E-commerce network with many local players in market along with international Players. The E-commerce has led to fall in prices of product as it involves lesser overhead costs. Association with global E-Commerce players has helped Victoria Secrets attain marvel in other countries and can do the same in Singapore also. 2) Sophisticated Supply chain: With rising use of Sophisticated IT tools for inventory planning, forecasting, Designing and scheduling has helped to reduce costs and development of industry in total. Many Global Brands with innovation in Supply chain have set example for the world. Singapore boosts excellent supply chain network and being Supply chain Hub is excellent destination. Market Analysis Singapore Market size Increase in Per capita income has led to entry to Luxury and premium brands coming in Singapore. The Size of market is expanding and will have higher success rate in coming years. The Table Below shows the growth of Women’s Inner-ware in Singapore. Source: Euro monitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources a) Target Females in Age group of 18-50 which means 200,000 females. Middle and Upper Class Tourists Young and Brand Conscious Generation. Competition Triumph , Aerie , Calvin Kline , Armani , Sorella , Etam , La Perla Adore-Me offers direct-to-consumer lingerie at about half of Victorias Secret prices Intimint asks customers to take a quiz and sends them new lingerie selections every month, based on their preferences True ; Co. sends women five bras a month, giving them the option of keeping what they like and sending back what they dont. Low Price and high variety local Players who have well established network in Singapore c) Porters 5 Forces 1) Supplier Power: LOW, As Victoria Secret has Production facilities in Thailand and India the supplier Power is very low. Buyer Power: HIGH, As Singapore already has high end Lingerie brands in its vicinity the Customers have wider options and can shift their preferences. The market has both lower prices segment and more premium segment. 3) Competitive Rivalry: HIGH, As Singapore already houses Premium Luxury lingerie brands who have worldwide recognition, Victoria Secret has high competition. 4) Threat of substitution: HIGH, The price range plays critical role as Victoria Secret has Competition with lower, same and high price range Products. 5) Threat of New Entry: LOW, Being well established worldwide name has its own fan following which attracts masses. New entries will take time to create impact and in that mean Time Victoria secret can come up with Contingency plan. Landscape a) Independent Women: Singapore being modern and economically sound has Independent women who earn well and spend well. This has led to brand conscious population b) Internet Penetration and Media sensitivity: Singaporeans are always connected to Internet. This has led to Strong E-commerce market here. The Media plays important role as Singaporeans try new western brands more frequently and invest heavily in it if the like the brand . Population Mix: Being strong economy Singapore has attracted  nationalities from various countries which have brought in sense of fashion, demand for authentic classy items. This Demand is of high end products. d) Location: With production plants in nearby countries such as Thailand and India and Strong Supply chain hubs the Location is also ideal. Singapore being small can’t accommodate Production facility so being centre for supply chain helps. ENTRY IN SINGAPORE: MARKET FEASIBILITY STUDY Design Victoria Secret is renowned for its strong designing team which comprise mixture of people around the world to understand each geographic trend. Once they understand the trends they create new trends in the market. It defines Sexiness as youthful, mature, energetic, adorable and intimate. The competitors have targeted another value like Triumph emphasises on Simplicity. Victoria Secret will benefit from point that Singapore is mix of many. The Design Teams have large market size which they can target with larger variety. Bold and Loud Brand Promotion This brand brings sense of comfort and pride among women. This is reflected in there promotion activities. The brand highlights the beauty of every individual and helps concealing imperfections with its unique designs. It is most bought product by models. Their Catalogues feature world’s hottest and sexist women in the world. Singaporeans are vivid about Fashion and Luxury products. With Rising Per capita income and proper promotion by hiring trending models of Singapore Victoria Secret can target masses. The Footfall in malls is one of the highest in Asia which can contribute to high sales if located at proper places. Rapid Growth of High-end Female Market Women are booming rapidly in Singapore who are either in White collar jobs, Leaders, Elites, working in Multinationals, entrepreneurs etc. These women have decent jobs, High disposable income and strong purchasing power. Maximum percentage of Women are highly educated. They are open and eager to accept and use trendy and fashionable Products with good quality. They Care about their Lifestyles, Health and bodies. This is supported by fact that Singapore has low obesity Rate of 7. 3 % in females and ranks much below America where obesity is 35. 5% in females. As women consider themselves independent and delicate it is highly possible for them to spend a remarkable amount of income on underwear and branded lingerie for self rewards. This will help Victoria Secret to enter the market easily and reap Benefits of growing and educated economy. Price Barriers and Distribution Channels Normal bra Ranges from 40-80 USD in US which reduces to almost half during sales. Singapore can also cater to demand with same or lesser Price as there are production facilities in India and Thailand. This will help in taming local players who play games of lower prices. Price would not be a Barrier for Victoria Secret to enter into Singapore. Having strong supply chain network with both these countries and being placed near the demand can be met. The Retail Distribution channels are strong and can be built easily in Singapore owing to small country size and Strong local infrastructure. Being Business friendly environment will help Victoria Secret to Establish Strong Distribution channels in Shorter Periods. Overview Retail market in Singapore is up by 3. 3% in August 2013 is back on track after falling slightly. Total number of Retailers in Singapore is more than 30000 with less than 1% for Lingerie Products. The Scope of market is high. Singapore is heavily sustained on Imports from US, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Market Challenges and Opportunities Singapore has tightened foreign nationals working in labour market and this has led to increase in labour markets. The Rentals have gone for toss and are very high. The overheads cost the most for setting up business in Singapore. Being business friendly country the market attracts large number of players who provide cheap products, copied items from various world renowned brands. With challenges are opportunities also, being supply chain hub the country can act as stepping stone to enter bigger markets like of china. The Strong judiciary System and quick decision making helps to curb challenges faced such as intellectual copyrights and those related to design copying. SETTING UP RETAIL OUTLET IN SINGAPORE 1) Documents Required for Registration The following documents/information is required for registering a Singapore branch office: a) A certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the foreign company. b) A certified copy of Memorandum and Articles (MAA) of the foreign company. c) Particulars of the directors of the foreign company. A memorandum of appointment and details of at least two persons resident in Singapore who will act as the agents for the Singapore branch office. e) A memorandum executed by or on behalf of the foreign company stating the powers of the local agents. f) Details of the registered office address in Singapore 2) Registration Procedure and Timeline The professional firm hired to handle the branch office registration will take care of all the necessary registration formalities. No physical visit of company executives is required from headquarters. The registration process consists of two basic steps: 1) Name approval 2) Entity registration. The name for the Singapore branch must be the same as that of the parent company. It will generally be approved unless it is identical to any existing company name or is vulgar in nature. Assuming necessary document are ready and there are no delays in the name approval process, registration of a Singapore branch can be completed in 1-2 days. The company registrar will send an email notification confirming the registration of the Singapore branch 3) Retail Outlets – Key Facts and Requirements a) Business Incorporation: Before one can begin operations, retail outlet must first be registered with the Singapore Companies Registrar, ACRA. This involves just two procedures that can be completed online within 24 hours. It is best if retail outlet offers unique products and services that are not currently available in Singapore’s colourful retail market. b) Approval for Premises: One must ensure that intended business premise is an approved location for retail business. To have retail outlet in a conservation building or private property, approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA) is required for making additions or alterations to the premises. A Fire Safety Certificate from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) must be obtained to verify that retail outlet meets all fire safety requirements. If outlet is located in a shopping mall, the landlord may expedite the necessary approvals for you. 4) Licenses for Setting Up a Retail Outlet in Singapore Depending on the nature of the merchandise or products offered by retail outlet, apply for the relevant licenses. If outlet offers products which can affect human health and safety, relevant licenses may be required. To Import and sell cosmetics products domestically, notify the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before placing the product in the market via the HSA’s PRISM site. The fee for the notification of cosmetic products is pegged to each product’s risks and variation (colour etc). 5) Hiring Staff Starting a retail outlet or franchise means that one may need to bring on board employees from home country to oversee operations. If one intends to employ or transfer employees from home country, apply for the relevant Singapore employment pass on their behalf. The Singapore employment pass is however subject to approval by the manpower authority and must meet Singapore’s new productivity vision. 6) Taxation of Singapore Branch A Singapore branch is generally considered a non-resident company for tax purposes. Non-resident companies are not eligible for tax benefits resulting from available tax incentives and tax treaties meant for resident companies.   Annual Filing Requirements Section 373 of the Companies Act requires a foreign company to file its Annual Report and the audited accounts of its Singaporean branch office within two months of its Annual General Meeting, or within 7 months from the  end of its financial year whichever is earlier. Also, each Singapore branch is required to file a Tax Return on an annual basis. MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY Victoria secret can enter Singapore Market in following ways: American exporters use agents or distributors to serve the Singapore market and other markets in Southeast Asia. Singapore firms are aggressive when it comes to representing new products and usually respond enthusiastically to new opportunities. Singaporean companies are open to joint venture proposals. Price, quality and service are the main selling factors in Singapore. Prospective exporters to Singapore should be aware that competition is strong and that buyers expect good after-sales service. Selling techniques vary according to the industry and product, but are comparable to the techniques used in any other sophisticated market. It is also important for U. S. firms to visit their representatives and maintain a good relationship with them. Victoria Secret has expanded in Maximum countries with 100% ownership strategy expect countries where it is difficult or impossible. As Singapore is business friendly and Provides Option for 100% investment Victoria Secret should come as 100% subsidiary. RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Enter the Singapore with 100 % subsidiary 2) Launch all product range in one go from Innerwear, shoes, cosmetics and clothes. 3) Target Shopping Centres for their retail operations for better Visibility 4) Promotion using both international and domestic models for better appeal 5) Enter with 2-3 Stores in Initial Phase for better understanding and Expand Further after setting customer base 6) Join hands with E-Commerce industry both domestic and International to promote brand 7) Target not only Young but also Middle age and Old age 8) High Variety and Utmost quality to remain Core of Business in Singapore also 9) Customized Marketing using social media and Electronic Platform 10) Customized Designs for Singapore Customers as per their taste and like 11) Customer Engagement using print media 12) Virtual Trial Rooms and trained Women staff for guidance on shape and size

Link Between Social Class and Health Inequalities

Link Between Social Class and Health Inequalities The Relationship Between Social Class and Health Inequalities Introduction The birth of the NHS in 1948 was greeted with considerable optimism. It was believed that a fully comprehensive welfare state where people had their needs taken care of from the cradle to the grave would bridge the gap between the haves and the have nots. Governments were optimistic that increasing social equity would lead to a healthy and long living population, it was not envisaged that demands on the health system would increase rather than decrease. Those who founded the NHS believed that a lot of people were ill because they could not afford to pay for healthcare. This group had got bigger over the years and it was believed that once the backlog had been dealt with then there would be a reduction in the number of people who needed health care (Moore, 2002). However, instead of decreasing the number of people using the NHS continued to grow, this was partly because the idea of what constitutes good health changes over time. People demanded better and higher standards of healthcar e and medical advancements meant that conditions that people would have died from could now be cured. All of this cost money, more money than the founders of the health system had ever envisaged and therefore the health service lurched from one financial crisis to the next with its biggest shake up occurring in 1990. During the last twenty years there have been significant changes in healthcare policy making and in the way in which the NHS operates. Most of these changes have occurred because of politician’s concerns over the rising cost of public health. In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher’s Government introduced marketing and business strategies into the NHS to control expenditure on healthcare and to change the health service. The most important factor here was that of the internal market. Rather than health professionals and patients it was now purchasers and providers of healthcare. This created a two tier system that created inequalities between hospitals and between patients. It split the NHS into competing NHS Trust organisations and parts of the health service were privatised. In 1990 the Community Care Act came into force and many people who were previously institutionalised were released into the community. Most of this type of care is undertaken by social services in conjunction with the health service and with voluntary organisations. The Act placed extra burdens on families to care for ageing or disabled relatives (Walsh et al, 2000). Opponents of the system argued that marketisation would lead to greater inequalities in healthcare provision and the poorer sections of society would be even worse off. It is arguably the case that the people most affected by these changes have been those in the lower classes of society. At the start of the 1970s the mortality rate for working men in the lowest social class was twice as high as for those in the highest, but by the late 1990s the figure was three times higher. This was mainly due to a decrease in the mortality rate for the most well off members where between 1970 and 1990 the rate fell by 30% but only by 10% for members of the lower class (Walsh et al, 2000). The Conservative Government’s failure to address the recommendations of the report commissioned by them to investigate the relationship between social class and health inequalities has meant that class inequalities in the standard mortality rate and the rate of morbidity continue to be matters of substantial concern, and thus, areas for continuing research. Epidemology Epidemology is the study of health across populations rather than in the individual. It studies diseases and their spread, and how to control them. Within the study of health and illness social class is associated with physical risk factors including birth weight and obesity. It is also associated with economic factors and standards of housing and with the social and familial structure.There are detectable patterns of morbidity or illness associated with social class and death or mortality rate statistics also vary widely depending on a person’s class. Those who belong to the higher (capitalist) classes tend to live longer than those who are members of the working class. There is also a strong relationship between a person’s occupation and their life expectancy.[1] Standard Mortality Rates Browne and Bottrill (1999) have identified some of the major inequalities in health and they contend that unskilled manual workers are twice as likely to die before the age of 65 as are white collar workers in the highest class. Analysis for life expectancy differences across England and Wales from 1972-1999 found that there had been a noticeable growth in inequality in this area. During 1997-1999 males in professional occupations tended to live 7.4 years longer than males in unskilled manual occupations. The differences for women in the same period and with respect to the same categories had risen to 5.7 years from 5.3 years in the period 1972-76 There are also regional differences, males born in Glasgow between 1999 and 2001 have a life expectancy of 69 years whereas males born in North Dorset may expect to live until they are 79. Cause of death also varies by social class the major areas of health which showed such differences were, Ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease , respiratory diseases andlung cancer. Semi-skilled and unskilled workers were five and half times more likely to die of respiratory diseases between the period 1986-1999 than were managerial and professional workers. Patterns of limiting illness are also affected by social factors such as class. Forty three percent of all men were long term unemployed or had never worked and this group were five times more likely to suffer from limiting illnesses than were the nine percent that consisted of males in professional and managerial positions. During the twentieth century, as a result of improved living conditions and availability of healthcare, infant mortality had fallen substantially this is a useful indicator of the state of the nation’s health. Nevertheless differences do exist based on the economic status of fathers, birthweight, and mother’s country of birth. There was a 16% overall fall in infant mortality between 1994 and 2002 for babies whose fathers were in managerial and professional occupations, the mortality rate was highest among those babies who were registered by single mothers, for babies registered by both parents but whose fathers were in routine occupations, this fall was only 5%. The different rates within a thousand births across England and Wales are shown in figure 1 below. The figures for the standard mortality rate, although lower than previous periods in the twentieth century, tend to show a noticeable increase during the late nineteen nineties. Morbidity Rates Asthana et al (no date given)[3] undertook secondary analysis of the 1991-97 Health Survey for England found that there is a strong relationship between class and morbidity rates, although this is sometimes overshadowed by the effects of age The researchers also looked at other studies undertaken between 1984 and 2002 and again found a strong relationship between social class and self-reported morbidity. The study found that health inequalities by social class were not usually not the same for men as for women and concluded that there needed to be a separate class analysis by gender. The relationship between class and health inequalities therefore will vary by sex and will vary significantly by age. The study focussed on 16+ with respect to age and class was determined by the occupation of the head of the household. The study found that the impact of class differences was lower for the lower age groups, particularly those between 16 and 25.[4] For every one professional man who suffe rs and later die from coronary heart disease there are three unskilled workers who suffer the same. Manual workers make up 42% of the workforce but account for 72% of work related accidents. Obesity is a killer and twice the number (28%) of women in unskilled work compared to 14% of professional women were obese, and suffered from related symptoms.[5] Stomach cancer also varied with 2.2% of professionals suffering from this and 3% of manual workers, the figures were the same for cancer of the oesophagus. However deaths from cancer (of the alimentary system) varied widely. McCormak et al (1995) found that there was a strong positive relationship between social class and incidences of musculoskeletal disease such as osteoporosis. People of the lower social class were also at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Ismail et al, 1999).Littlejohns and Macdonald (1993) identified a strong link between social class and respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, more unskilled workers tended to suffer in this way than did those from the professional classes. There is a strong relationship between class and angina between the 45-75 age group and this increases with age. The difference is less marked for women but tends to peak in the age band 45-54.[6] There is quite a significant class difference between women suffering from raised blood pressure, 17% of professional women reported this condition whereas in unskilled occupations 24% of women said they suffered from hypertension.[7] People from the higher social class may be healthier because they tend to use medical services more often and also because they are more likely to eat a healthy diet. Most studies tend to take the view that although reported morbidity appears to have increased across the population generally the relationship between morbidity and social class has tended to remain much the same for the last ten years. Strategies to Deal with Inequalities Between Social Groups There have been a number of strategies that the Government has introduced since 1998 to combat ill health. In 2005 the Government published a report entitled Tackling Health Inequalities in an attempt to deal with the inequalities evident between different social groups. The Public Service Agreement states that by 2010 the Government will publish a progress report on whether and in what ways the measures to tackle health inequalities have been successful. In 1998 the Government introduced Health Action Zones and twenty six of them were set up in 1999 in under-privileged areas, and where the health status of the population was particularly low. The notion behind the introduction of these zones was that tackling ill health and inequalities in health was not just a job for the NHS but should be tackled by different agencies such as social services, local housing departments and primary health trusts working together to combat inequalities and improve health. Health Action Zones work in two ways, firstly they try to reduce health inequalities by addressing the wider factors associated with ill health and secondly they attempt to improve the quality of health services and increase the access to them. There is, for example a strong link between asthma and cold, damp housing, one health action zone made improvements to heating systems, insulation and damp proofing in council and private homes where children had asthma. As a result of this th ere was a reduction of hospital admissions for children with asthma and they also had less time off school (Moore, 2002). The Government also introduced something called NHS Direct, a telephone based helpline which gives advice to people who are unsure what to do about a health problem. The line not only makes health advice more accessible but in the long run saves money on unnecessary doctor or hospital appointments. NHS walk in centres are located in shopping centres and supermarkets as well as by the side of AE Departments. They are staffed by nurses who give advice and treat minor health problems (Moore, 2002). In 2002 the Government set targets to reduce health outcome inequalities by 2010 with the standards of measurement being the infant mortality rate and the life expectancy rate overall. This standard was chosen because the long term trend in the gap in mortality between professional and manual workers evidenced the fact that it had increased by two and a half times since the period 1930-32. The latest figures on infant mortality and life expectancy show a continuing of widening inequality in t hose areas with the routine and manual work group being 19% higher than the total population in the period 2001-3. Certainly the Government are aware in this report that class inequalities are in health are a result of a number of inter-related factors including diet and housing. Government claim to have invested in the area of housing so that there are less people living in housing that is not suitable to positive health outcomes. They have also taken steps to ensure that vulnerable groups can afford to heat their homes properly in winter. In their 2005 Report the Government say that their efforts to reduce child poverty are showing signs of success and that this will also contribute to children from less well off families having better health. The report claims that the number of deaths from heart disease and strokes is falling, that health inequalities generally are being reduced, and that the gap between disadvantaged areas and the country as a whole has fallen by 22% over the last six years. The Government aims to develop its Healthy Schools Programme in the most deprived communities which are measured by the number of children in receipt of free school meals.[8] The introduction of Sure Start Centres and Healthy Living Centres provide pre-school education for nearly half a million children under four at over five hundred local centres and delivering health and social services to hard to reach groups. Government have increased their campaign to get people to give up smoking with massive advertising campaigns, smoki ng clinics and a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants comes into force in the summer of 2007. Community and school initiatives to back the five a day campaign for consumption of more fruit and vegetables shows that class five families are eating more than similar families in other areas. The report claims that all new policy proposals by government departments also have to take into account health impacts and also how that might have an effect on health inequalities. There are some indications to assume that the gap in health outcomes is beginning to narrow, teenage pregnancies are beginning to fall and there has been an increase in the take up of flue vaccine among vulnerable groups since 2002. Local exercise action plans have been set up in some disadvantaged areas to encourage people to take more exercise and Government have managed to provide intermediate care for more people. Government seem to be taking a much more integrated approach to the problem, an approach which rests on the findings of the Acheson Report. The Acheson Report The Acheson Report needs to be seen in its historical context. In 1978 the Tory Government commissioned the Black Report to investigate the health of the nation. The Report was published in 1980 its brief had been to examine the reasons behind inequalities in health between different groups of people so that policy could be tailored to meet health needs. The report found that there were significant and worrying differences in health outcomes between the social classes. Research has come up with a number of different explanations for the relationship between social class and health inequalities. These are: Artefact explanations The artefact explanation is based on the argument that the growing gap between the classes is the result of a misreading of the statistics and claims for any relationship between the two should be treated with suspicion. Social Selection explanations The social selection explanation is that people who are in poor health are more likely to be unemployed or in low paid work whereas those who are healthy are more likely to have better jobs and living conditions. Cultural explanations Cultural explanations identify consumption and lifestyle as the main causes of poor health. Thus the individual must take responsibility for the sake of their health. Certainly some government campaigns have planted the suggestion that a change in lifestyle can leader to better health and greater longevity (Walsh et al, 2000). Material explanations Materialist explanations regard the cause of health inequalities as the result of wider structures of power, poor working conditions, low pay and associated living standards such as bad diet and poor housing and lack of education. The Black Report concentrated heavily on materialist explanations of health inequality. It recommended that there was a need for a more effective anti-poverty strategy and for better education to combat such inequalities. Since that time there has been a considerable amount of subsequent research e.g. Macintyre (1997) that supported these recommendations, but Margaret Thatcher dismissed the findings on the basis that its recommendations were unworkable because of the amount of public expenditure that would be required to do this. The Conservative Government concentrated on cultural explanations and placed an emphasis on individual life style choices as being the result of inequalities in health. The Black Report was highly influential on later health research and its findings have been used extensively to measure inequalities. Almost twenty years later in 1997 the Labour Government commissioned a similar report, the Acheson Enquiry. The resultant Acheson Report, published in 1998, also recognised the wider factors that contributed to the relationship between class and inequalities in health. The Acheson Report reiterated the fact that materialist explanations of ill health recognise the wider context of material deprivation and inequalities can only be reduced by addressing its root causes. Thus the Report recommended that any attempt at policy making across government departments had to pay attention to any particular health impacts, particularly as they affected those who were disenfranchised, and to legislate in favour of the less well off. The Report argued that the Government take an approach that used what it called both ‘upstream’ and ‘downstreamâ⠂¬â„¢ approaches. Upstream work is characterised by initiatives such as Health Action Zones which attempts to improve health and reduce inequalities by working on the wider factors that contribute to poor health, such as insufficient income and poor standards of housing. There was a particular focus on the inequalities that faced young families and pensioners. There was a recommendation that an automatic Income Support top-up be paid to the poorest pensioners, i.e. those totally reliant on the state pension and who might not recognise their entitlement to further benefits. Such people are also at risk of what the report termed fuel poverty and they may feel unable to heat their homes properly. Government have now substantially increased winter fuel payments to all pensioners in an attempt to lessen inequality in this area. The Acheson Report recommended that there should be an increase in benefits for parents with young children, or a decent living wage for those in unskilled occupa tions, because bringing up a young child entailed more expense than when children got older. The Report also recommended that Government should address housing problems to ensure that people at the lower end of the social scale had decent living conditions. These recommendations were taken on board by the current government who have made inroads into addressing inadequate housing, have introduced a national minimum wage, and have restructured the tax and benefits system. Downstream work is connected with improvements in the NHS and easier access to health services, particularly in deprived areas. The Government has also made inroads in this are through the use of NHS Direct, Sure Start Centres, and Healthy Living Centres. There were recommendations that health inequalities should be monitored and should take account of those groups who were often ignored in policy making, those from ethnic groups and in particular women who for too long had been seen only in terms of their husbands class and occupation.[9] It was further recommended that Government improve conditions for pregnant mothers and for all women of child bearing age to reduce health inequalities and inequalities in infant mortality rates. Conclusion Medical researchers and social scientists investigate why people have poor health, what factors contribute to this and what might be necessary to improve people’s health. Social scientists in particular are interested in all aspects of social life and in the structures that govern society. They investigate why some people have better health than others, why we are a society of rich and poor stratified into classes, and what the wider social effects of the inequalities that result from stratification might be. This paper has looked at epidemiological evidence which indicates a strong and enduring relationship between class and health inequalities. It has found that when the aims of the welfare state for healthy nation and an end to inequity were not realised and Governments found the cost of providing healthcare for all was spiralling out of control. The answer has been, what some people describe as a gradual dismantling of the welfare state and of the health service. However, while such policies may have had adverse effects New Labour’s response to the recommendations of the Acheson Report offsets some of these effects and demonstrates an integrated attempt to reduce the inequalities in health outcomes that exist between social classes. Things are not yet on the decline but there is evidence to suggest that life expectancy and morbidity figures have remained much the same for the last ten years. With new policies coming into play, and Government promises to substantially reduce health inequalities by 2010 it might be said that there is some cause for optimism that the most worrying of these inequalities may, in the future, be satisfactorily addressed. References Acheson, D. 1998. Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Report London, HMSO Asthana, S Gibson, A. Moon, G. Brigham, P and Dicker J (no date given accessed 18/3/06) The Demographic and Social Class Basis of Inequality in Self-Reported Morbidiity: An Exploration Using the Health Survey for England http://eprints.libr.port.ac.uk/archive/00000016/01/jechdiv3.pdf Black Report Inequalities in Health London, DOH 1980 Browne, K. and Bottrill, I. 1999. â€Å"Our unequal, unhealthy nation†, Sociology Review,9 Giddens, A. 2001 4th ed. Sociology, Cambridge, Polity Press. Ismail, A.A., Beeching, N.J., Gill, G.V. and Bellis, M.A. (1999) ‘Capture-recapture-adjusted prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes are related to social deprivation’,  QJM: Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians, vol 92, no 12, pp 707-10. Littlejohns, P. and Macdonald, L.D. (1993) ‘The relationship between severe asthma  and social class’Respiratory Medicine, vol 87, pp 139-43. McCormick, A., Fleming, D. and Charlton, J. (1995) Morbidity statistics from general  practice: Fourth national study,1991-1992, London: HMSO. Macintyre, S. 1997. â€Å"The Black Report and beyond: What are the Issues?† Social Science and Medicine, 44 Moore, S. 2002 3rd ed. Social Welfare Alive Gloucestershire, Nelson Thornes Townsend, P. Davidson, N. and Whitehead, M. (eds) 1988 Inequalities in Health, the Black Report and the Health Divide Harmondsworth, Penguin Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham, http://www.sochealth.co.uk/history/black.htm http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/SocialInequalities_summary.pdf accessed 18/3/06 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/Health.pdf ch. 6 p.4 accessed 18/3/06 http://eprints.libr.port.ac.uk/archive/00000016/01/jechdiv3.pdf accessed 19/3/06 http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:STDauFm9KtQJ:image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2002/11/20/TacklingHealthInequalities.pdf+class+inequalities+in+morbidityhl=engl=ukct=clnkcd=30 accessed 19/3/06 http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part1b.htm accessed 19/3/06 http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/76/98/04117698.pdf p.6 accessed 19/3/06 Tackling Health Inequalities 2005 http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part2a.htm part 2 no page number given accessed 19/3/06 1 [1] http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/SocialInequalities_summary.pdf [2] Source http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/Health.pdf ch. 6 p.4 [3] http://eprints.libr.port.ac.uk/archive/00000016/01/jechdiv3.pdf [4] Ibid p,8 [5] http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:STDauFm9KtQJ:image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2002/11/20/TacklingHealthInequalities.pdf+class+inequalities+in+morbidityhl=engl=ukct=clnkcd=30 [6] Ibid p,8 [7] http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part1b.htm [8] http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/76/98/04117698.pdf p.6 accessed 19/3/06 [9] http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part2a.htm part 2 no page number given accessed 19/3/06

Schizophrenia: The Disease and Treatment Options :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Schizophrenia: The Disease and Treatment Options Leann was a beautiful 17-year- old with a great future ahead of her. She was the star of TV commercials, and sang in the high school choir. She was the envy of all the schoolgirls and the teachers' favorite. She lived in Crawford, Colorado and helped her family on the farm. She had high hopes of becoming a beautician and hairdresser and going on to college or technical school to develop her talent. Now, at age 45 she lives in an apartment in an assisted living center in Grand Junction, where she has lived for the last 23 years of her life. She endures the multitude of medications. She sits in her room, writes songs and sends them to famous country singers, like Toby Keith, hoping to hear her song on the radio someday. She walks downtown to the swimming pool and goes for a swim every once in a while during the hot summer days. She tries to live as normally as she can. About every night we get a call at our house around 6:00 every evening. On good nights she talks about her day and asks us how we are, and what we are going to do the next day. She talks about how she sent her song to some singer and sent something else to the White House. She tells me that I should go to Mesa State College and study to be a hairdresser. On bad nights, however, it is a totally different story. During one of her bad night conversations, she talks about off the wall things that none of my family can understand. She talks about how she thinks my sister can "call events" (tell the future) and how somebody told her that it was true. We try to tell her that my sister can't tell the future, but she doesn't believe us. She talks about how people just come into her apartment and harass her. She thinks that everything she sees is connected with some big plan or conspiracy against her. Often, she will be talking about one thing, and then giggle and just jump to something totally different. All the random changes in subjects and crazy ideas are typical to those who suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, a disorder that affects over 2 million Americans (Mayo Clinic, 1998). Often Leann hears voices and sees people who do not exist and that is how she gets all her ideas about her or others reading minds and telling the future.

Unions Essay -- essays research papers fc

Michael Paul 099 66 3949 History 316z Trade unionism, industrial unionism, and socialism were the main forms of organized labor in the late nineteenth century early twentieth century, yet rarely did these shifting currents flow in complementary ways that might appeal to the vast majority of struggling workers. The three most important formal organizations were the American Federation of Labor (AFL), the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and the Socialist Party of America. All three of these organizations had there own strengths but the many weaknesses and divisions combined with outside influences caused the retardation of their radical, left wing ideas. The American Federation of Labor was founded with the intention of building the class conscioussness and economic power of workers by organizing them on occupational lines. It pursued policies to win short term, concrete, economic gains (Cashman,206.) The AFL was first established as the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor U nions of the United States and Canada from several independent national trade unions in 1881 and it took its definitive form and new name in 1886.The AFL was decentralized and organized as a loose coalition of almost autonomous national unions (Cashman,205.) The advantage to this was that decisions were made in each union where the leaders understood the situation. However, the AFL retreated from its Marxian origins to become a profoundly conservative organization restricted to the ranks of skilled, white males. This restrictive policy was a major flaw of the AFL and kept them from gaining the numbers and strength that it may have attained. These policies came directly from the ideas of the AFL’s longtime leader Samuel Gompers. Gompers believed that labor should accept the existing capitalist economy but try and get a larger share for labor by way of higher wages, shorter hours and better conditions of work. He believed that the idealistic goal of a fundamental economic refor m was an illusion (Cashman,221.) His conservative approach included negotiation and conciliation in labor disputes and in resort to strikes only after other methods had failed. He opposed alliances with political parties and the formation of a labor political party. His prime concern was the status of the skilled worker, which under his leadership attained greater stability than ever before. In concentratin... ...s. By contrast the IWW led by Bill Haywood was the most radical and controversial of all American labor movements. Haywood’s unconventional methods and uncompromising stands frequently put him at odds with allies and opponents alike. And the Socialist Party of America led by Eugene Debs had potential to improve the lives of workers everywhere but do to internal conflicts was unable to truly make a difference. Had these three organizations been able to play off one another they may have been able to realize their ultimate goals. The AFL containing the skilled workers was the most powerful, the IWW took what the AFL did not want giving the unskilled worker a voice and the Socialist Party went in to politics, using political offices to gain power for the working class. Ultimately because of the different outlooks of these three groups the American labor movement, though it gained some ground, was a loss. Bibliography Works cited Cashman, Sean. America in the age of titans. New York university press, NY ,1988 Laurie, Bruce. Artisans into Workers university of illinois press, illinois 1997 Leuchtenberg, William. The Perils of Prosperity. The university of chicago press, london, 1958

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice?

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice? By Jocelyn Smrekar and Andrea Hansen Teachers and parents are sometimes fooled into thinking that children must learn to read by age 5, usually in kindergarten. Consider this example: Jamie has trouble reading in kindergarten. Her teacher says it’s because she only played in preschool. In first grade, Jamie is called learning disabled because she still doesn’t read. By third grade though, Jamie is reading fluidly with her peers. Have teachers cured Jamie of a disability? No!Jamie’s reading development followed its own course and leveled into a lifelong skill and what teachers call â€Å"working at grade level. † Children develop at different rates in separate areas: physical, emotional, cognitive or intellectual, language, and social. Differences, including abilities and disabilities, affect the way and speed with which children develop skills. Genetic traits, temperaments, learning style, en vironment, cultural and racial expectations, and experiences influence learning. Some children learn to say words at 8 months, others not until they’re almost 2 or older.Many children learn to walk at 9 months, while others wait until they are 15 to 18 months. Charts of developmental milestones—walking, talking, running, or stacking three blocks, for example—are based on averages. Parents and teachers frequently worry when a child doesn’t have a skill at the targeted time. Most often, skills develop according to children’s interests and temperaments—that is, a child’s basic approach to people and events. Foundation for Further Learning Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is a term coined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.It describes teaching techniques that identify and foster the developmental needs of children, both individually and in groups (Bredekamp, 1987). DAP is a set of guidelines suggest ing curriculum content and practice serving children birth through age 8. Simply stated, these guidelines encourage early childhood programs to provide an educational environment that responds to the needs and interests of children. In that environment, trained teachers use observation to plan for the class and the individuals in it. In DAP classrooms, children’s play is the primary vehicle for learning.This article will focus on DAP in school settings, prekindergarten through third grade. DAP deals with all the levels and stages children grow through, building a strong foundation for future learning. Children remember, classify, repeat, and modify their experiences as they learn about the world and the people in it. For example, Zach, age 6, is eager to put together a puzzle with 100 pieces. He has experience with puzzles—first with five-piece wooden puzzles in a frame, then with cardboard floor puzzles, and finally with boxed 60-piece puzzles.He knows that the pictur e on the outside of the box will be a guide as he separates the straight-edged pieces from the curved ones. He locates the four corners, looks for matching colors, and after 45 minutes of concentrated effort, completes the puzzle. He has used his past experiences to build new ones that include abstract tasks like classifying, matching, counting, sorting, identifying, and experimenting. He has improved his small motor skills, increased his ability to concentrate on a complex task, and learned the virtue of tenacity, sticking to the task until completion.Zack’s alert teacher notes his success and plans new ways to challenge his skills and foster new interests. A teacher’s understanding and use of DAP are keys to educational success. Learning experiences in a DAP classroom Children are active learners—they need opportunities to investigate and explore with objects, materials, and equipment in order to construct a base of information about their world. Through first hand experiences, children are able to connect what they already know with new, more complex information.Teachers who use DAP in their classrooms provide opportunities for children to interact with a variety of materials. They offer uninterrupted time to actively explore not only intellectual skills, but also social, emotional, physical, and language skills. Specific teaching techniques include asking open-ended questions, modeling, demonstrating, exploring, coaching, and direct instruction. These techniques extend learning and guide children to skill mastery (Bredekamp and Copple, 1997). Young children learn best and most when they actively and playfully explore materials and activities, using all their senses.Developmentally appropriate classrooms are set up so individuals or groups of children can become directly involved with materials. Children move between free or spontaneous play and organized play. In free play, for example, a puppet show evolves into a performance by childr en in dress-up clothes. In organized play, children might chart the favorite fruits of class members. Role of Play A central issue in DAP is the role of play in the curriculum. Because adults don’t depend on play to learn, they tend to dismiss it as a pleasant time spent without profit. In children, however, play is an essential part of a child’s education.Sometimes called children’s work, play supports a child’s development by providing the tools, equipment, and interpersonal experiences that help children grow. Through play, children acquire information, master activities, use concrete materials as symbols, organize previous learning, learn perseverance and focus, solve problems, and develop creativity. Are Children Really Learning? While many teachers agree that DAP helps children develop cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical skills, parents often ask, â€Å"Is my child really learning? All I see is play. â€Å"Standardized tests given after second grade to children in both DAP and traditional classrooms have revealed little difference in general reading skills (Kostelnik, Soderman, and Whiren, 1993). Children in DAP classrooms scored significantly higher in tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, expressive language, and reading and writing mechanics in context. In standardized tests of math, the two groups showed similar scores in overall math skills, but the DAP children scored significantly higher in conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills than children in traditional classrooms.Children who had been in DAP classrooms for five years scored significantly higher in reasoning and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, children in DAP classrooms reported great enthusiasm for school and high involvement in the learning process. What Does a DAP Classroom Look Like? The physical setup of a DAP classroom indicates how learning takes place. The teacher’s desk is usually in an inconspicuous pl ace, not in the front of the room. Student desks, if provided at all, are clustered into learning centers. Most often, long tables replace individual desks, encouraging cooperative group work.Room arrangements and traffic patterns may change throughout the year as children grow and change intellectually, and they meet specific educational goals. Another difference in DAP classrooms is the way textbooks and worksheets are used. Often in traditional classrooms, printed materials are the primary source of instruction; teachers dictate the use of textbooks, worksheets, and other teaching materials. In a developmentally appropriate classroom, children learn through materials that are concrete, real, and relevant to their lives.In a kindergarten class that is studying insects, for example, the classroom is rich with pictures, colorful field guides, and posters. It may also have an ant farm with magnifying glasses, a box of silk worms spinning cocoons, a tomato plant with resident praying mantis, and a butterfly house. Children are encouraged to collect insects and sort them by size, color, function, or benefits to humanity. They use math skills like counting, estimating, and graphing in the daily routine. They have opportunities to draw and paint their impressions of insects as well as to sing and act out the metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly.In a DAP classroom textbooks are resources, not the primary source of information. All equipment and supplies—including manipulatives, construction materials, art music, and role-playing props—are accessible to the children as they explore and discover answers and new questions. Teachers support learning by setting up centers and providing the materials and guidance necessary for the children to learn. DAP as Best Practice Teachers who have adopted developmentally appropriate practices consider each child’s uniqueness and skill level when planning activities.Allowing children to progress through the stages of development at their own rates is the best way to build the foundation for future learning. This philosophy is reflected in the classroom environment and activities planned. Learning takes place naturally, because it is child-centered and relevant. Children are constantly learning, building on what they know to create new ways of thinking and seeing their world. Isenberg, J. and N. Quisenberry. â€Å"Play: A necessity for all children,† Childhood Education, 64 (3), 138-145, 1988. Statements of Developmentally Appropriate Practice Space and Furnishings 1. Indoor spaceChildren need sufficient space that is well lit and has a comfortable temperature for learning and playing. Indoor space that is well maintained and in good repair sends a message to the young child that is welcoming and inviting. 2. Furniture for routine care, play and learning Children need appropriate furnishings to meet the demands of their daily schedules. Basic furniture such as cots, tables and c hairs should be sturdy and appropriate to the size of the children in the group in order for children to be comfortable, have proper body support, and focus on learning, playing, and routine activities rather than their own discomfort.Caregivers need easy access to routine care furnishings, such as cots, in order to maintain proper supervision and provide smooth transitions between activities. 3. Furnishings for relaxation and comfort Children need space and opportunity to relax and rest. Soft furnishings and toys allow children opportunities for relaxation and comfort. Cozy areas provide a space for quiet activities to occur and should be protected from active play so children can snuggle, daydream and lounge. 4. Room arrangement Creative room arrangement promotes a child's positive self-image and encourages a wide variety of age appropriate activities.Well-defined interest centers where materials are accessible help children to understand about organization and returning materials to their proper place. 5. Space for privacy Some children experience unacceptably high levels of stress when exposed to constant activity and interaction. Places where children can escape from the pressures of group care promote positive self-esteem. Providing a child with opportunities, space, and time to be alone can contribute to positive classroom behavior. 6. Child related display Every child needs to know that others value his/her play or work.Artwork or other individual work that is created by the children should be displayed in the classroom at the child's eye-level. This promotes feelings of positive self-esteem and sends the message to the child that his/her work is valued and appreciated. 7. Gross motor play Children need daily opportunities to exercise large muscles, run in open spaces, and practice gross motor skills. (Safety is always a number one priority. ) Space to develop children's large muscles through a variety of play experiences should be made safe by providi ng adequate cushioning for fall zones.All play equipment should be safe and effective monitoring should be implemented to teach children safe play behavior and to safeguard against accidents. 8. Gross motor equipment Children need age appropriate stationary and portable equipment to promote a wide variety of skills that exercise large muscles while developing confidence and abilities. Equipment should be sound, sturdy, safe and accessible to children daily. Personal Care Routines 9. Greeting/Departing Parents and children need a warm, welcoming, and pleasant atmosphere to make the daily greeting and departing routine a happy one.Positive greetings help to promote the children's self-esteem and create a welcoming environment for parents. 10. Meals/Snacks Meals and snacks that follow USDA guidelines contribute to the health of children and provide a model for good nutritional habits for life-long practice. Proper hand washing along with careful food preparation teach children proper h ygiene and promotes sanitary conditions. 11. Nap/Rest Nap and/or rest time should be appropriately scheduled and supervised for the children in the group. Adequate separation of cots helps to prevent the spread of germs.Soft music or a soothing story helps to facilitate a peaceful rest time that is important in helping children to balance the day and renew their energy. 12. Toileting/Diapering Young children need appropriate supervision of the toileting process in order to care for basic needs and to teach the importance of good health habits. The schedule should be individualized. Provisions, such as soap and steps near the sink, should be convenient and accessible so that children can wash hands after toileting; this promotes self-help skills and good personal hygiene.Diapering should always be managed in a manner that promotes safety and good health practices. 13. Health practices Practicing preventive measures, such as washing hands after handling pets or wiping noses, help to e ducate children to achieve life-long health practices. Taking appropriate action when children are sick will minimize the spread of germs. 14. Safety practices Protecting children is critical in providing quality care, whether through adequate supervision or minimizing hazards both inside and outside. Caregivers should anticipate potential safety problems and demonstrate, model, and teach children safe practices.Language-Reasoning 15. Books and pictures The use of books and pictures is an important means of learning for children as they make sense of the world around them. Books, pictures, and language materials should be available in sufficient number both for independent use in a reading center and for use by a teacher with children in formal and informal settings. 16. Encouraging children to communicate Activities and materials that promote language development should be available for use throughout the classroom and the daily schedule. Teachers should establish an environment wh ere language exploration and usage is encouraged.17. Using language to develop reasoning skills Logical relationships and concepts should be presented in appropriate ways. Children learn through interaction with materials and people, both peers and adults, in the context of play and daily routines. Language provides the key tool for success and problem solving, as children are encouraged to talk through their thought processes. 18. Informal use of language Language is a way for children to expand understanding. Caregivers should engage children in give and take conversations for enjoyment and learning.They should support child-to-child conversations as well. Activities 19. Fine motor Children need a variety of age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate toys and materials that they can manipulate with their hands and play with at will. These activities strengthen fine motor control while encouraging skill development that contributes to academic readiness. 20. Art Children benef it from exposure to child-initiated art activities that are open-ended and process oriented. Children's art should be respected and appreciated as individual, creative expression.Materials and opportunities to create art projects at a beginning and more advanced level should be available as children are developmentally ready for them. 21. Music/movement Music and movement are valuable means of learning. Children need a supportive environment that includes a teacher and a variety of tools to encourage their self-expression through music and related activities. 22. Blocks Block play, with a variety of blocks and accessories, allows children the opportunity to explore spatial, mathematical, and role-play possibilities.Powerful block play requires sufficient space in a protected area and time to expand on concepts and ideas. 23. Sand/water Sand and water play gives children the opportunity to learn concepts through active exploration with their senses. The addition of interesting props extends the learning potential offered through sensory play. 24. Dramatic play Dramatic play gives children the opportunity to discover an array of roles and responsibilities. It provides a vehicle through which they make sense of their world. Dramatic play is enhanced by space, time, props, materials, and supportive teachers.25. Nature/science Science and nature activities and materials foster curiosity and experimentation benefiting the young learner through direct experience and application to other areas of learning. Concept and observation skills are strengthened through science procedures. 26. Math/number Math skills, when introduced through appropriate hands-on methods, form a foundation for school readiness and later academic success. Math skills can be taught effectively through routines, schedule, and play activities. 27. Use of TV, video, and/or computerTV/video viewing and computer use tend to be passive in comparison to active involvement with materials and people. The use of each should be confined to subject material that is age-appropriate and mentally stimulating. Time limits encourage more active learning. Participation should not be required. 28. Promoting acceptance of diversity Children need to be exposed to the similarities and differences of people in positive ways through books, pictures, toys, materials, and interaction. This exposure encourages respect for others and lessens misunderstandings. Interactions29. Supervision of gross motor activities Caregivers should use gross motor activities as learning opportunities to promote positive social interactions and to encourage the development of skills and new experiences Diligent supervision of gross motor activities, whether indoors or outdoors, is critical to preventing accidents and insuring safe, active play. 30. General supervision of children (other than gross motor) During activities, caregivers must balance the level of supervision and control based upon the ages, abilities, and i ndividual needs of the children.Adequate supervision and awareness of the whole group is required for children's health and safety and in the recognition of accomplishments, which is necessary for children's emotional well-being. 31. Discipline The set-up of the environment, teacher expectations, available materials and opportunities, and daily schedule significantly impacts children's behavior in childcare. A classroom and curriculum geared toward developmentally appropriate practice will lead to generally good behavior that is the product of self-motivation rather than the result of punishment and control. 32. Staff-child interactionsCaregivers, who are nurturing and responsive, promote the development of mutual respect between children and adults. Children, who trust adults to provide for their physical, psychological, and emotional needs, develop their own sense of self-worth and self-esteem. 33. Interactions among children Because self-regulation, proper emotional expression, a nd positive social relationships are such essential skills for later schooling and life, teachers must encourage children to develop acceptable behaviors by providing a setting that encourages real opportunities for initiative taking and competence building.Providing opportunities for children to work and play together, to solve conflicts in productive ways, and to participate in group activities are ways teachers promote positive social relationships. Program Structure 34. Schedule Children thrive on having a consistent routine that provides a balance of activities designed to meet individual needs and foster physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Best practice promotes a daily schedule with large amounts of time for play, smooth transitions between activities, and a balance between child-initiated and teacher-directed activities. 35. Free PlayWhen children are permitted to select materials and companions, and, as far as possible, manage play independently, they practic e making decisions and having control of their world. Caregiver intervention should be in response to children's needs, an invitation, or an opportunity to expand play activities. 36. Group Time In group-care situations, the focus needs to be on meeting individual needs and guiding children as they interact in small groups. Whole group activities should be kept to a minimum and limited to gatherings that follow the interests and involvement of the children. 37. Provisions for children with disabilitiesMeeting the needs of children with disabilities requires knowledge of routine care needs, developmental levels, individual assessments, and the integration of the children in ongoing classroom activities. It also requires the involvement and establishment of a partnership between the parents and staff in setting attainable goals that will assist the child in reaching his/her full potential. Rutter, M. â€Å"Family and school influences on cognitive development,† Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 683-704, 1985. Maybe little Janie can't read or count because her teacher can't teach.Or worse still, maybe the teacher doesn't know enough about English or math or history to teach the subject. Mischievous speculation? No. It happens, as a result of a historically flawed system in America of educating mostly average or below-average students to be public-school teachers. As evidence continues to pile up that American children are not learning the basics in school, critics are quick to blame the youngsters, their parents, the schools, television, or the curriculum. But increasingly, the focus has shifted to the teacher, the most vital link in the education process.Now, a four-month study at teachers colleges by The Washington Times indicates that the problem of unsatisfactory classroom learning is rooted in the early selection and education of students who say they want to be teachers. These students then are being taught by professors who differ wild ly on what teachers need to know. â€Å"Schools of education are cash cows to universities,† says Dean Edwin J. Delattre of the Boston University School of Education. â€Å"They admit and graduate students who have low levels of intellectual accomplishment, and these people are in turn visited on schoolchildren.They are well-intentioned, decent, nice people who by and large don't know what they're doing. † Mr. Delattre is one of the harshest critics of schools of education. â€Å"It would be possible in terms of the quality of their research, the significance of their research, and the quality of their instruction to give an intellectual justification for perhaps three dozen of them – certainly no more than 50,† he says. There are about 1,300 schools nationwide teaching students to be teachers. Roughly 2 1/2 million public-school teachers are responsible today for the education of 46 million children in kindergarten through high school.Although many teach ers perform well, a significant number are products of an entrenched training system that almost guarantees mediocrity in the classroom. New initiatives are under way in some of the preparatory schools and colleges, but, for the most part, the old ways and faddish new ways are still shaping the teachers of tomorrow. To become a public-school teacher, graduates have to be certified by the state. A college student must take required courses, do a stint at student teaching, and pass a series of general-knowledge examinations.The passing scores for these tests vary from state to state but tend to be fairly low. Curiously, many aspiring teachers never get in front of a classroom until their final days in college – an experience that sometimes persuades many to seek other careers. A major in education has long been considered an easy route to a college degree. Elementary education majors were especially easy to spot on any campus. They were the ones cutting out letters of the alpha bet to make posters while the English majors worried over a paper on Shakespeare's treatment of religious themes. Rigorous academic training was seldom demanded.â€Å"You just had to love kids to become a teacher,† says J. Michael Davis, dean of the School of Professional Studies at 105-year-old East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Thirteen years ago, it was possible to graduate from East Stroudsburg with a major in elementary education without ever taking a math class, Mr. Davis recalls. Twenty years ago, some University of Maryland campuses gave short shrift to reading instruction. Serious concerns about teacher training surfaced in 1983 with the publication of â€Å"A Nation at Risk,† a landmark national report on the state of America's educational system.It found that too many teachers had poor academic records and low scores on tests of cognitive ability. Students who went into teaching programs scored below nearly all other majors on college entrance exam s, then graduated not knowing enough about the subjects they were teaching. Not much has changed in 15 years. Anyone who believes that the problem of unqualified teachers is overblown or confined to a couple of subject areas such as math and science has only to look at the experience of a New York state school district last spring when it tried to fill 35 teaching vacancies.The Connetquot district on Long Island got 758 applications in response to an advertisement. District officials decided to narrow the pool by asking applicants to take a short version of a multiple-choice reading comprehension test taken from the state's old 11th-grade Regents English exams. Just 202 applicants correctly answered at least 40 of the 50 questions. Such incidents keep teacher education in the public consciousness and on the radar screens of elected officials at the state and federal levels. Initially, state legislators turned to higher salaries to try to attract higher-caliber students.From 1981 to 1997, average salaries for public-school teachers rose from $17,209 to $38,611. That's for what is essentially a 180-day school year plus in-service days spread over nine months. Then, lawmakers linked salary increases to policies aimed at raising standards such as requiring new teachers to have more education and raising the passing scores prospective teachers must attain on standardized tests such as the National Teacher Examinations and its successor, Praxis. The teachers colleges responded with talk of â€Å"restructuring† teacher education, and some institutions actually did move to raise admissions and curriculum standards.East Stroudsburg has raised entry standards and toughened course requirements. Students still need to take 60 hours in general education, but they no longer have a smorgasbord of courses to choose from. The college recently raised the grade point average needed to get into elementary education from 2. 5 to 2. 75. In 1996, Boston University began to ta rget only teacher applicants with high SAT scores, resulting in a 17 percent drop in the inquiry pool. As a result, prospective teachers in last fall's freshman class had average SAT scores of 1,276, compared with 964 for all 85,442 self-declared education majors who took the 1997 SAT.George Mason University decided in 1989 that teachers should get a bachelor's degree first and then train to teach in a fifth-year graduate-level program. The Fairfax County school says it annually rejects half the applicants for elementary education training because they don't meet admissions standards. It takes a 2. 7 GPA to get into the University of Maryland College of Education at College Park and a 3. 0 to prepare for special education, a five-year program. â€Å"We're not getting the best and the brightest kids,† says University of Maryland Dean Willis D. Hawley. â€Å"We're getting some of the best and brightest.Some kids are really smart. What there aren't anymore are kids who are real ly dumb. † But the perception lingers, even among insiders, that a lack of academic rigor continues to plague the nation's teacher training programs. â€Å"The truth is, students get into colleges of education – particularly early-childhood education majors – because it's the easiest thing they can get into,† says John E. Stone, professor of education at East Tennessee State University and founder of the Education Consumers Clearinghouse – an Internet source for parents, taxpayers and policy-makers.â€Å"Here at ETSU, the schools of education are kind of at the bottom of the pecking order,† he says. â€Å"Students flunk out of nursing or business and come to Ed to get some kind of college degree. † Since the concept of a formalized vocational training program for teachers was established nearly 160 years ago, that training has combined lessons in subject matter with courses in methodology, or â€Å"how to teach. † The training a lso has included theories of child development and practical field experience. From the start, teaching preparation emphasized methods of teaching at the expense of the content of courses.Often the subject matter would be watered down and presented in courses tailored especially for teachers, instead of requiring teachers to take the same math, for example, that liberal arts majors were required to take. â€Å"Their focus is process, and that hasn't changed,† says C. Emily Feistritzer, who as president of the private Washington-based National Center for Education Information has conducted a number of studies of teachers and teaching. â€Å"Resistance to change is extraordinarily high at the same time there is a high level of conversation about change.† Many critics of teacher training programs argue that a solid grounding in the liberal arts with a concentration in the subject to be taught is all that is needed to teach math, science, history or English. But Mr. Hawley at Maryland's College of Education disputes that. Chances are, he argues, that a rocket scientist would make a terrible science teacher. â€Å"You have to have the ability to transfer knowledge,† he says. That ability generally has to be learned, says Dean Gary R. Galluzzo of George Mason's Graduate School of Education.He believes that only 5 percent of the population might be â€Å"born† teachers, while 65 percent have knowledge but need to learn how to impart it. Boston University recently doubled the amount of time its prospective teachers are required to spend in math class. It also requires juniors and seniors in education to take an ethics course that exposes them to the icons of Western civilization. â€Å"We try to make the fact that teachers are deeply involved in character and values formation obvious to our students,† says professor Kevin Ryan, who teaches an introductory education course.† `What is the right thing to do? ‘ is a question teachers need to ask the young. And we want them to see that America has a moral heritage. † Adds Charles L. Glenn, chairman of BU's Department of Administration, Training and Policy Studies, who teaches a course on the social and civic contexts of education: â€Å"Teachers have to be moral exemplars to students. We raise questions that are usually raised in a religious context. On what basis can you say certain behaviors are right or wrong? I don't know how you can send someone who hasn't grappled with those questions out to teach a 7-year-old.†Schools of education, reacting to social and political pressures, are perceived to be more interested in promoting equity, diversity and social justice than in transmitting knowledge. And many of the educational practices they encourage are often criticized as fads. East Stroudsburg's administrators, for example, proudly describe their teacher training program as focused on the learner and on â€Å"outcomes,† committed to â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice,† â€Å"modeling,† inclusion, and â€Å"hands-on† and cooperative learning.These are the buzzwords and the practices that permeate nearly all of the nation's teacher training institutions. â€Å"Schools of education are currently the origins of our problems, not their solution,† says E. D. Hirsch Jr. , professor of English and university professor of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. Testifying before Congress, Mr. Hirsch sharply criticized what's known as â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice† – the philosophy that a child should not be pressured to learn anything until he signals that he is ready and receptive.â€Å"The doctrine,† he said, â€Å"is drummed into almost all teachers who take early-education courses. The intention is to ensure caring treatment for young children, yet the ultimate effect of the doctrine is to cause social harm. To withhold demanding content from young children between preschool and third grade has an effect which is quite different from the one intended. It leaves advantaged children [who get knowledge at home] with boring pablum, and it condemns disadvantaged children to a permanent educational handicap that grows worse over time. â€Å"The schools that hire new teachers appreciate the increased attention college and university training programs are giving to practical experience. â€Å"Teaching colleges are getting a lot better,† says James Dallas, a Fairfax County support coach for new teachers. â€Å"They have begun to structure their programs to the needs of the school systems. † Where practical experience used to come in the senior year, it now begins at many places in the freshman year, where it can serve to weed out those who discover that life in an elementary classroom is not what they thought it would be.While there is general agreement among the deans about the value of practical exp erience, they part company on the ideal program to train elementary teachers. Mr. Galluzzo of George Mason would opt for a solid general education foundation in an undergraduate or graduate program. â€Å"You should be required to take a liberal arts major of about 80 [semester hours] or two-thirds of the college experience for general education plus major combined.Then you should study the four core disciplines – math, science, history and English – roughly 15 credits each. Spend the other 20 hours getting smart in one of these areas. And in the undergraduate program, the other 40 credits are in learning to teach those things, because now you have something to say. † In many programs, a lot of the basic discipline has to be taught in the methodology classes because the prospective teachers don't know enough math or science to stand up in front of a class and teach, he says.One of his concerns is that too many future teachers take a concentration in psychology i nstead of English, math, science or history, thinking it will help them understand children. In fact, psychology is a subject they will never teach in elementary school. â€Å"What does it mean to know your subject? † asks Maryland's Mr. Hawley, whose background is in the liberal arts and political science. â€Å"You probably don't need to understand quadratic equations to teach fourth-grade math, but you ought to understand algebra and calculus. â€Å"