Operations Review on Supply Chain Management, Logistics, and Inventory

Operations Review on Waste Reduction, Cost Reduction and Process This memo will discuss the efficient ways that Supply Chain Management, Inventory, and Logistics have been successfully implemented in the Intermountain Healthcare Supply Chain Center. Peggy Lee, Card Program Manager at IHC led the tour in the Supply Chain Center. The goal of IHC distribution center is reduce waste, cost and centralized the high volume supplies in one location and distribute across all their facilities. This gives Intermountain better control of their inventories and negotiation advantages.Using these methods has had a great impact in waste reduction, quality and cost savings. Supply Chain infrastructure is an important process at Intermountain Healthcare (IHC). They have learned that building strong relationships with their suppliers is critical and can help eliminate costs as well as allow them to share their savings. How IHC has achieved this, is by supplier involvement. IHC provides a mockup room sp ecifically designed for their suppliers to show off new products and equipment allowing doctors and clinicians to test the equipment at a no cost to the supplier.Suppliers then receive immediate feedback on their products and the hospital can test products before purchase. This is a valuable approach for IHC to see results, make improvements, and negotiate effective distribution for both the supplier and the hospitals. This is gain for both parties, and in particular to Intermountain since supplies are one of the highest expenses they incur. The distribution facility was built with the purpose to manage inventories more efficiently.This facility only holds 6,000 items out of 81,000 products that can be ordered. Only those items that are housed in this facility are the high volume items, with a fill rate of 98% and accuracy of 99%. IHC has a great control on their inventories by assuring that cost of obsolescence, deterioration, and loss are managed properly. The warehouse is equippe d with big fans that move the air around the facility reducing temperature fluctuations allows less than a 4Â ° deference from top to bottom in the warehouse.This prolongs the longevity of the products they house by reducing deterioration. Also, all the shelves are set up on a slope allowing older inventory to shift to the front. This is also known as the FIFO method, which ensures the older products are not aging on the shelves. Another method they use is barcoding. Barcoding is not a new invention, but IHC has taken advantage of this technology in the way they fill their internal orders by implementing some of their own inventory system, VoicePic.VoicePic is a voice activated inventory process where barcodes are placed on the container that will carry the order from one place to another around their facility. As the container moves along the conveyor belt, the person with that order hears the amount of items to be picked up in the current position and repeats the number via his v oice. Another quality check used for their inventory system is that once the level is placed in the container the system knows the weight that is to be at the end of the order. This provides a quality control measure.If the weight is correct then process continues. If the weight is off, the order gets rejected. This lets the operator know that there is an item that does not belong. By combining these two systems in their inventory, IHC has increased their accuracy in their orders by 60%. Logistics is another important part of IHC’s business processes they are trying to refine. The facility was strategically placed in a centralized location to allow moving supplies to all of their facilities since 80% are within a 50-mile radius.They also use their own fleet to distribute their merchandise among the hospitals and clinics, with the exception of the southern part of the state of Utah. The reason for this is they rather use a vendor for this location since the vendor is able to r eturn with a full trailer. This would not be the case for IHC. Another important point in the way their logistics is setup is how they receive and pick up shipments. These activities have a time set when they can be performed.They have divided morning to receive delivery from 4am to 12pm; all deliveries are done on a schedule, as well as pickups, pick up activities begin at 12pm. This is to increase efficiency of the location and the use of resources, thus reducing the chance of error and process flows. In addition, order placement is another key process. All IHC facilities must have their entire orders placed by 11:00 am every day to ensure order fulfillment. One other advantage at the supply chain facility is that it is built to allow shipments to be cross-docking.So, instead of products being housed they are immediately moved to another truck to deliver to the final destination. Logistics processes in this facility are designed to make resources more efficient and allow them to e liminate costs. IHC has increased their success by implementing new strategies on supply chain management, logistics and inventory. They have been able to cut costs and increase efficiencies in inventory on internal orders. Along with inventory, IHC has an added savings by testing for effectiveness of new products when negotiating with suppliers in the mock up room.By having this kind of interaction with supplies, ensures that the products will meet their needs and will contribute to their efficiency. They have also modified their logistics by reducing the number of trips needed to facilities by consolidating all the orders, to transport all necessary supplies in one trip. These are some of the many operational activities implemented in this facility. IHC has identified areas for improvement and made the necessary changes. With all the new improvements within their supply chain center, the facility will pay itself off in 8 years.

Minx Marketing Solutions Essay

A London museum in partnership with department of culture and tourism in Syria wants to prepare for an exhibition to showcase selection of artifacts, relics, sculptures and art – originating from the city of Palmyra, in Syria for a limited time period, over summer 2009. The museum reached out for our company to help launch and manage a campaign that is meant to promote the exhibition, pull customers, raise the museums profile thus reminding the consumers of the museum, differentiate the museum from other museums, raise revenue and attract future partnerships with international departments of culture. Therefore our marketing company, Minx Marketing Solutions (MMS), set out working for a marketing plan and strategies to make the promotion and campaigning of the exhibition a success. The responsibility of MMS is the total management of the exhibition: from choosing of venue, advertisements and general day to day logistics for the period the exhibition runs. The London museum provides a budget of ? 1million which MMS will use in preparation and running of the exhibition. MMS however should give a proposal on how it intends to use the money provided to the London museum. Situational Analysis Palmyra boasts a fascinating and ancient history of significance to many civilizations and cultures. No any other museum has ever showcased Pieces from Palmyra in the recent past. Since the artifacts and art is such significant, we expect attention from a wide audience, youth and adults alike. Therefore this exhibition is fit for all family viewing. It should be understood that there are 1,848 museums in the UK. These are the museums altogether that have attracted up to and over 42 million visitors per year. This is about 22,700 visitors per museum per year. For major museums, the number is twice as much. ( Travers, 2006). Another rather interesting concept is the fact that about 43% of the population in the UK visits museums at least once a year and thus a survey done by London School of Economics showed that museums and galleries were major attractors of visitors and that the type of people visiting the museums had changed significantly in the period spanning 2002-2004. The number of people from the low social economic class and that of the blacks and minority groups had increased by 15. % and 60% respectively in that period (London School of Economics, 2007) The current market is shared by major museums and galleries across the UK but this depends entirely on whether or not it is a major museum (major museums have a larger market stake) and what the museum is showcasing. Therefore, to command a lions share in the market now that the museum is already a major museum, we need to showcase a major attraction such as the Palmyra pieces beautifully displayed to attest the significance of Palmyra works of art and artifacts to other cultures and civilization world over. Market competition is based on what you have to offer. A variety of activities even outside the museum are likely to give one museum an edge over the other. Opportunities and Threats The opportunities for the exhibition to become successful depends on the positioning of the exhibition, the charges, age bracket of the attendants (are children allowed? ) and other related or unrelated events happening around the set date that are likely to draw the crowds. In the 2009 summer, there shall be the Darwin commemoration, the new Jewish museum in Camden grand opening, the London Canal museum is set to host theatrics and other activities for families and many other activities in other museums all over the country. This is a great threat because there are a number of activities being conducted by a number of museums and this may affect the turn out at the exhibition. The only opportunity we have is based on the pricing and other activities outside the exhibition. Another opportunity is based on a fierce marketing campaign to sell the exhibition to the general public.

Adele Laurie Blue Essay Example for Free

Adele Laurie Blue Essay ? Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on May 5, 1988 in North London, England. She was the only child of Penny Adkins who was just 18 at the time of her birth, and a Welsh father, Mark, who left the family when Adele was only 4 years old. Mark, who never married Penny, stayed in contact with his daughter up until her teen years, when appeared problems with alcohol. That is the reason why Adele grew close to her mom, who said her young daughter â€Å"to explore, and not to stick with one thing†. Adele developed a passion for musicin her early years. Because of it her mother took Adele in the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology, where Amy Winehouse studied. While at school, Adele made a three-track demo for a class project, which was posted on her MySpace page. When executives at XL Recordings heard the tracks, they contacted the singer and, just four months after Adele had graduated school, signed a contract. Adele’s debut album, 19, hit record stores because of two singles â€Å"Hometown Glory† and â€Å"Chasing Pavements† which became very popular. She won Grammy and the Critics’ Choice prize at the BRIT Awards. Her album 21, selling 352,000 copies by its first week. Her two singles, â€Å"Rolling in the Deep† and â€Å"Someone Like You†, became top and 19 and 21 became a top albums in the same week. Adele also broke the solo female artist record for staying at No. 1 for 11 weeks. At that year Adele won six Grammies. In this year Adele won her seventh Grammy for her hit single â€Å"Set Fire to the Rain†, an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the song â€Å"Skyfall†. Also Adele has a child. The baby’s father is Adele’s boyfriend, Simon Konecki. She said that she wants to have three sons by the time she’s 30. Adele Laurie Blue. (2016, Sep 29).

Five Guy's Proposal Preparation Plan Term Paper

Five Guy's Proposal Preparation Plan - Term Paper Example To ensure maintenance of quality food service equipment’s, periodic renovations will be carried out. For taxation purposes and proper maintenance of books of accounts, a professional qualified head cashier will be responsible for the actions of junior cashiers. Insurance policies have to be designed. In the formulation of these policies, fire accidents must be given priority, taking into account the various forms of heat transmission that substitute the term fire. Injury of employees while in work or clients while at the work place must be considered as well. Therefore, in addressing these concerns, sub-contracting of services will be made. Cleaning services will be sub-contracted to a cleaning agency which must ensure the facilities are hygienic at all times. There will be consultations with employment agencies in search of qualified personnel for the different job levels. Consequently, consultations will involve more than one employment agency. In ensuring operator maintenan ce, in additional to the subcontracted maintainer, there will be a technician to keep the system in check who will report to the contracted maintainer. Condensed Proposal Plan Executive Summary My perceived business idea is establishing a quality food joint accessible to all. It will stand out from the neighboring joints in the following ways: Reasonable prices will be charged to accommodate all level of income earners, service will be available for 24 hours every day to cater for those who work on nightshifts, equal treatment of all clients regardless of background, these among others will be facilitated by the fact that all employees are carefully chosen and selected from the employment agencies (Murray, 2008). Thus, quality service will be one of the unique characteristic which will aid progress. The food firm is a cost center itself; customers are the only profit center. Every function will take customer satisfaction into consideration. Costs will be high before the implementati on of this idea; consequently, large amount of finances will be required, and their recovery will be made along the way. Management Team It will comprise of five professionals, who have experience in different fields. This will ensure efficient running of operations and adherence of laws (Finch, 2006). Service Provision of healthy foods to replace junk foods sold in the market. Prices of these foods will be reasonable compared to the current junk food prices in the market. Customer willingness to pay a slightly higher price for healthy cooked foods will increase sales. Market and competition Food is a basic necessity (Freed, 2010). Targeted customers are the general public. There are no major competitors, due to the absence of healthy foods outlet in this locality. The market is wide, eventually, branches will be established. Competitors might enter the market; as a result, patents and rights will be acquired prior to operations to avoid unhealthy competition. We will remain the lea der. Marketing and Sales Initially, print advertising will be employed. Word of mouth advertising will be employed by clients once they visit the joint. Investment in this will be minimal. Sales will be low at the beginning, promotion will be effected, as time progresses they will reach the break-even point with no difficulty. Production Process and System Production will encompass scientific food mixing

Decision Making in Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decision Making in Trade - Essay Example carvings found in the early tombs reveal the types of cattle kept, milking methods and other interesting facts† (EL- Rafey, n.d). There are about two million cattle and buffalo in Egypt, producing approximately 1.5 million tons of milk valued at 50 million euros. About 60 percentage of the milk-producing animals are buffaloes. The milk produced is utilized in the following fields: 145000 tons for market milk; 560000 tons for cheese manufacture; 700000 tons for butter manufacture; and 95000 tons for miscellaneous use. In the recent years, considerable attention has been given to ways of improving production and supply of milk to large towns, and the installation of modern pasteurization and processing plants. 1) The structure of diary product market in Egypt. It is estimated that a yearly increase in milk production equivalent to 30 kg per animal, could replace the imported milk products, provided that plant facilities are available for their manufacture. The per capita consumpt ion of milk and milk products is very low, amounting to only about 60 kg of milk. From the nutritional point of view, milk consumption should be increased 300%, thus, plans are being devised to increase milk production. â€Å"The dairy market consists of retail sales of cheese, chilled desserts, cream, fromage frais, milk, spreadable fats and yogurt† (Datamonitor, 2011). Egyptian cuisine consists of the local culinary traditions of Egypt. Egyptian cuisine heavily uses legumes and vegetables, which are produced in large quantities due to the fertile land present near the Nile valley and delta. Dairy products also have a good demand in the market, mainly because people in Egypt are conscious of having hygienic and healthy food. That is the reason why they purchase more dairy products. The main ingredient in the dairy product, as mentioned earlier, is milk. The milk production in Egypt has various stages, the two million buffaloes and cows are distributed over six million feddan s of agricultural land, which constitute the Nile valley. About 80% of cattle are distributed in over one million farms, where each farmer owns from one to three animals. These farms are grouped into 4000 villages. The average number of dairy cattle is 500 per village. Milk produced by these animals is rather low, being one ton a year per buffalo and half a ton per cow. It is estimated that farm animals in Egypt provide an income of ?E 45 million to the farmers and manure valued at ?E 10 million. Experiments have shown that when dairy cattle are kept for milk production only, they respond exceedingly well to balanced rations and better management, and usually double their milk production. This indicates the potentiality for increasing milk production without raising the number of cattle. Distribution channels: The Dairy product companies implemented an action plan, during last few years to increase and condense the local components, based on the fact that the company products depend basically on milk and that the milk production in Egypt reaches about 7000 MT per day. Mainly by individual distributors and local manufacturers, the companies are collecting this milk through the collection units spread in the Delta region, to utilize it in manufacture instead of depending on imports. That is to use this milk to produce all kinds of dairy products within the country. â€Å"The companies offer a variety of products in two areas:

Importance of Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Importance of Theory - Research Paper Example This paper will explore Nightingale’s theory which is based on systems, interactions and development, and to relate it to the nursing practice today. On a given day nurses utilize several nursing theories. Nursing theories are basic concepts that define the nursing practice and attempts to describe and explain what and why nurses do what they do (nursing). Nursing theory is important in differentiating nursing from other disciplines as its main purpose is to describe, explain, predict, and control desired nursing practice outcomes. These theories applied daily by nurses are guidance to how a nurse gives treatment to a patient, how nurses perform their tasks, complete their assessments, and establish interventions. By studying nursing theory, students are able to start thinking critically. For example, nursing theory can be termed as the foundation of good nursing and clinical practice. Even when building a house the foundation is the most important; a strong foundation means a long lasting house. Similarly when the foundation is cracked, the structure (nursing practice) is weakened. Therefore, having a good comprehension of the n ursing theories from the nursing education level topped up with intuition and compassion makes a strong nurse. Nursing theory is the foundation of nursing research which in return develops the nursing practice. It is essential in health care advancement, which allows patients to get the best possible nursing care. As medicine is trying to make a more multidisciplinary approach to health care, nursing has to aim at establishing a exceptional body of knowledge. For example, nurses are gradually increasing their practice scope by performing tasks that were previously carried out by doctors. It is therefore important for theory to define the position of nurses and their roles (Colley, 2003). By giving them this sense of identity,

A five paragraph essay (introduction, three body paragraphs, Research Paper

A five paragraph essay (introduction, three body paragraphs, conclusion) discussing how Bernard Shaw accurately depicted his era in Pygmalion - Research Paper Example The play Pygmalion gives an illustration of the differences and the tensions between the lower and the upper class. There was a general belief in that era that an individual is born into a particular class and the individual cannot move from one class to the other. Bernard Shaw believed that an individual’s personality is not determined by birth. Instead, Shaw had the thought that someone can accomplish social change if he or she can believe in themselves. In the play, the obstacles between the classes are not natural and they can be broken. Alfred Doolittle and Eliza live in deplorable conditions and they give a representation of the working class. The scenarios that happen to Eliza and her father indicate the Shaw’s belief that individuals are capable of improving their lives by their efforts, but they have to take into consideration the changes in their character. Thus, it is not absurd to note that the difference between the flower girl and the lady lies in the lady ’s treatment rather than her behavior. THE FLOWER GIRL [protesting] Whos trying to deceive you? I called him Freddy or Charlie same as you might yourself if you was talking to a stranger and wished to be pleasant. [She sits down beside her basket].† (Classic Reader 1). â€Å"DOOLITTLE [unabashed] Can’t afford them, Governor. Neither could you if you was as poor s me. Not that I mean any harm, you know. But if Liza is going to have a bit out of this, why not me too?† (The EServer Drama Collection 1). Similarly, Doolittle expresses the difficulty in changing one’s entire personality. When he acquires wealth, he conforms to the ways of the upper class and fears to be associated with the lower class. Instead of the depicted development, an individual is supposed to create his or her own personal and flexible behavior code. The upper class regards wealth and background as

Three things you can do with a pack of chewing gum Essay

Three things you can do with a pack of chewing gum - Essay Example Firstly, chewed gum can be used as an assistant tool for drawing contour lines. In most cases, contour lines are irregular, and they cannot be drawn by common tools. Designers usually leave the traces of mistakes visible to use as references for drawing the correct lines. However, being slightly confused by these reference marks is a common phenomenon during the process of professional drawing. Instead of using tentative care, chewed gum can be competently used as references in this context. The main ingredient of chewing gum is gum base. When the chewing gum is in people’s mouths, it gains elasticity with the help of saliva and bodily temperature (Saverson). This feature of elasticity means that the chewed gum can stretch to a long and narrow line. One interesting example of using the stretched chewed gum, is drawing contour lines on topographical maps. To do this, the individual must arrange the stretched chewed gum on the paper to show valleys hills, and the steepness of sl opes. After the process of adjustment, they must then trace along the stretched chewed gum with pen. Finally, if they remove the line of chewed gum a neat curved line will remain. The flexibility of the chewed gum makes the adjustment much easier while the stickiness of it helps to adhere to the paper. Another interesting and potentially useful characteristic of chewed gum is its stickiness. Some people use this characteristic for a special hobby – collecting insects. During the process of making insect specimens, an insect needle is a vital piece of equipment. However, sometimes the insects are physically too small to pitch the needle through. To keep the integrity of insect bodies, the stickiness of chewed gum can help to reach this goal. When making the specimen, the collector must first place the chewed gum into the prepared container. They must then use a lighter to burn the chewed gum for two to three seconds until the gum starts to melt.

Recession in the economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recession in the economy - Essay Example Hence, countries are expected to come up with various macro and microeconomic policies that spur positive growth so that their economies can recover from the menace. Such is the case in Poland if they want to redeem the situation. Consumption forms a critical development criterion in any economy and the state must find measures to spur the vice. The government should first reduce taxes on the basic goods and services as it would reduce the prices of the commodities. Consumers will increase the number of consumption bundles and have an extra income that they can spend on other goods. As a result, the consumption patterns increases that bring more money to manufacturers that they can invest and spur growth in the country. Another measure is by the Poland government to provide subsidies to the producers. The manufacturer's cost of operations will be reduced hence making cheaper commodities (Auerbach, Alan and Yuriy, pg 15). This policy will translate into low prices of goods and service s in the market that will reduce inflation. High consumption results in more sales that lead to high revenues. The firms can hence invest the excess income making them expand and, as a result, hire more workers that reduce unemployment in the economy. Through the central bank of the country, the benchmark lending interest for loans should be reduced to commercial banks. The reduced mortgage rates would be passed to consumers and investments in the form of reduced lending by the commercial bank. More persons and firms would acquire the loan services that they invest in major parts of the country. The policy is necessary because the interest rate is inversely related to investments levels. The higher the interest rate, the lower the investment and the opposite are right (Auerbach, Alan and Yuriy, pg 18). Therefore, due to low rates, investors will expand their production that increases the level of output within the economy. The increased production makes the gross domestic products t o raise that makes the country have a favorable trade balance with her business partners increasing economic growth in the country.

Past, Present and Future Document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Past, Present and Future Document - Essay Example It humbled me to realize just how rapidly our society is evolving based on the continually expanding role of technology. Without proper training, I would only be able to start a position with a company from the ground up and learn as I went. However, I wanted more than that. I wanted to be able to offer my services to an employer on the basis of my knowledge. The variety of courses offered by the University of Phoenix allowed me to obtain a extensive knowledge about a variety of topics which are key to survival, and success, in today's society. Prior to the advent of my enrollment in the University of Phoenix, my personal experience with the techniques and skills involved in problem solving, written and oral communication skills, information retrieval and utilization, and collaboration were practically nonexistent. In high school, classes touched upon these subjects, but did not fully delve into the implications of utilizing these skills in a business context. Prior to my enrollment in the University of Phoenix in the Business Science of Management program, I did not have a clear career goal in mind. I knew that I was interested in business applications and certainly wanted to be a member of a management team, but I did not have a specific industry in which to apply the skills I was eager to learn. I needed to experience various aspects of management before I could truly decide in which direction to pursue a business career. II. Growth A. Contribution of University of Phoenix courses The class, "Essentials of College Writing" was extremely helpful to me in taking the basic writing skills I'd used in high school to the next, more professional level. My management classes, as well as "Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making" were essential in realizing the importance of problem solving, as well as collaboration, in practical business applications. Without learning these skills, I would never have been ready to accept a management position with a company based on my lack of prior experience. The class "Skills for Professional Development" offered me an overview of information retrieval and utilization that I have continually referred to throughout my journey while "Communicating in a Virtual Workplace" took that overview and expanded it to include relevant applications in a modern company. I have grown personally as well as in my professional competency. Through such courses as "Cultural Diversity" and "Ethics in Management" I have learned to view the world and its events in a more discerning manner and I found a personal affinity for exploring diversity and celebrating human differences. I also realized I am concerned with the rights of others and how ethics impacts some of our basic human rights. "Foundations of Research" also aided in helping me critically analyze various pieces of data which surround me in the everyday course of my life, such as news articles and political coverage. B. Courses with Greatest Impact The classes "Human Motivation" and "Organization Psychology" were both instrumental in having an impact on the direction of my

Eu Law Synopsised Judgment of Marshall Essay Example for Free

Eu Law Synopsised Judgment of Marshall Essay The case of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 arose in the United Kingdom. It concerned a Miss Marshall who had been employed as a Senior Dietician with the Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) from the 23rd of May 1974 until her dismissal on the 31st of March 1980, that is to say four weeks after she reached the age of 62. Since 1975 the Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) had a written policy of that in general, its female employees should retire at 60 while its male employees should retire at 65. The policy stated that â€Å"the normal retirement age will be the age at which social security pensions become payable†. The policy was an implied term of Miss Marshall’s employment contract. Miss Marshall’s employers waived this general policy in the case of Miss Marshall. If her employers had not done this, then she would have been dismissed on the 4th of February 1978 (upon reaching the age of 60) but was in fact employed until the 31st of March 1980 (four weeks after she reached the age of 62), therefore her employer waived they’re general retirement policy in respect of Miss Marshall for two years. The applicable pension legislation in the United Kingdom at the time of the dismissal stated that men were eligible to receive a state pension at the age of 65 and that women were to receive state pensions from the age of 60 (Section 27 (1) of the Social Security Act 1975). However this legislation does not impose any obligation to retire at the age at which the state pension becomes payable and when a person continues in employment after the date when their state pension becomes payable, the payment of the pension is deferred. According to the order of reference, the sole reason for the dismissal of Miss Marshall was the fact that she was a woman who had passed the retirement age applied by her employer to women. In view of the fact that she suffered financial loss consisting of the difference between her earnings as an employee of her employer and her pension and also since she lost the satisfaction she got from her work, Miss Marshall instituted proceedings against her employer in the Industrial Tribunal. She contended that â€Å"her dismissal at the date and for the reason indicated by her employer which was that she was a woman who had passed the retirement age applied by her employer to women constituted discriminatory treatment by her employer on the grounds of sex and ,accordingly, unlawful discrimination contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act and Community law†. Her claim was dismissed by the industrial tribunal as it was based on the â€Å"infringement of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, since section 6(4) of that Act permits discrimination on the grounds of sex where it arises out of provision in relation to retirement ; the Industrial Tribunal took the view that the employers general policy constituted such provision† but her other claim that the principle of equality of treatment laid down by directive 76/207 had been infringed was upheld by the industrial tribunal. Miss Marshall appealed this case to the Employment Appeals Tribunal and they upheld the decision of the Industrial Tribunal as regards that the claim was based on the infringement of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, since section 6(4) of that Act permits discrimination on the grounds of sex where it arises out of provision in relation to retirement but in relation to the second question, the Employment Tribunal set aside the question of whether the dismissal violated the principle of equality of treatment laid down by Directive 76/207, because although it did violate directive 76/207, the Employment Appeals Tribunal said that an individual could not rely on an infringement of a directive before a United Kingdom Court or Tribunal. Miss Marshall appealed the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The Court of Appeal stated that Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) was â€Å"constituted under section 8(1)A(b) of the National Health Service Act 1977 and was therefore an â€Å"emanation of the State†Ã¢â‚¬ . The Court of Appeal of England and Wales referred two questions to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling, for an interpretation of European Union law. These questions were; 1. Whether the dismissal of Miss Marshall after she was sixty and on the grounds that she was a woman who had passed the retirement age applied by the Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) to women was discrimination which was prohibited by the Equal Treatment Directive 76/207. 2. If the answer to question one is yes, can the Directive 76/207 be relied upon in this case in national courts or tribunals in spite of the fact that there may be inconsistencies between the Directive and section 6 (4) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The appellant (Miss Marshall) and the European Commission considered that the first question must be answered in the positive. The appellant argued that the said age limit falls within the term â€Å"working conditions† within the meaning of articles 1 (1) and 5 (1) of Directive 76/207. Furthermore the appellant argues that the discrimination on the grounds of sex is one of the main reasons for having fundamental human rights and therefore the general principles of EU community law, and the exceptions to these principles must be interpreted strictly, moreover the exception provided for in Article 7(1) of Directive 79/7 is not relevant. The respondent (Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching)) maintains as regards the first question, that the laying down of different ages at which you can compulsory terminate a contract just reflects the minimum ages stated by the State Social Security Scheme in the U.K. The respondent also considers that the state pension does not fall under directive 76/207 but is an aspect of social security and therefore falls under the directive 79/7 in which member-states can impose different ages to entitlement. The Court of Justice decided on the first question that the directive it fell under was Directive 76/207 as the question it was referred concerns the fixing of an age limit as to when to terminate employment following a general policy of dismissal. The question therefore relates to the conditions and rules governing dismissal. The court further stated that Article 5 (1) of Directive 76/207 provided that men and women are entitled to equal treatment in working conditions which includes conditions governing dismissal meaning that men and women are guaranteed the same working conditions without discrimination on grounds of sex. Following a policy of compulsory dismissing workers even if they get a retirement pension still falls under the term â€Å"dismissal†. The Court summed up the answer to the first question in saying that article 5 (1) of Directive 76/207 must be interpreted in meaning that having a policy whereby you dismiss a person for the reasons being that she is a women who has reached the age of qualifying for a state pension, when the age is different for men as it is to women, constitutes discrimination on the grounds of sex, contrary to Directive 76/207. The Court of Justice realised that since the answer to the first question was yes, then it is necessary to consider whether the appellant can rely on Directive 76/207 specifically Article 5 (1) of that directive in national courts and tribunals (Direct Effect). The appellant stated in their argument that â€Å"directives are capable of conferring rights on individuals which may be relied upon directly before the courts of the member-States; national courts are obliged by virtue of the binding nature of a directive, in conjunction with Article 5 of the EEC Treaty, to give effect to the provisions of directives where possible, in particular when construing or applying relevant provisions of national law†. The appellant also stated that articles 2 (1) and 5 (1) of Directive 76/207 was sufficiently clear to let the courts apply them, a view which the commission shared with the appellant. The respondent stated in its argument that the directive should not have direct effect as directives can never impose obligations on individuals and that it can only confer obligations on a member state in its capacity as a public authority and not as an employer and finally it would be improper to put persons employed by the state in a better position than those employed by a private employer. The respondent also stated that the articles in Directive 76/207 were not clear and unconditional enough to give rise to direct effect. In answering the second question, the Court of Justice stated that it does not matter whether the state is an employer or a public authority when an individual is relying on a directive against a member state in legal proceedings. This is necessary to prevent the state taking advantage of its own failure to comply with community law. The Court of Justice stated that the articles in the Directive 76/207 are sufficiently precise and clear in that they prohibit â€Å"any discrimination on grounds of sex with regard to working conditions, including the conditions governing dismissal, in a general manner†. Where a state fails to implement a directive by the end of the time period given, and if the provisions of the directive are unconditional and sufficiently precise, the Court of Justice ruled that the directive may be relied upon against the state, because otherwise it would not be compatible with Article 189’s binding nature on directives. The Court of Justice answered the second question in saying that Article 5 in Directive 76/207 which â€Å"Prohibits any discrimination on grounds of sex with regard to working conditions, including the conditions governing dismissal may be relied upon as against a state authority acting in capacity as an employer†. The Advocates General’s opinion concurred with the judgement of this case. The legal significance of this case is that an individual may only rely on a directive in a national court when suing a public body but the term public body has been given a wide interpretation by the European Court of Justice. Although Direct Effect was founded originally in the Case 26/62,Van Gend en loos [1963] ECR 1, in the Marshall case we have just looked at, the vertical nature of the directive meant that Marshall could take advantage of it, although an employee in the private sector would not have been able to. This would seem to give public sector employees an unfair advantage over their private sector counterparts, but this glitch in EU law was fixed by the subsequent Case 14/83 Von Colson Kamann v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen which established the doctrine of Indirect Effect which is a mechanism of effectively using indirect means, to give a directive horizontal effect for all employees. Bibliography Cases 1. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 [ 1 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 3, line 11. [ 2 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 11, line 37. [ 3 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 11, line 36. [ 4 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 11, line 51. [ 5 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 15, line 37 [ 6 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 17, line 2. [ 7 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 17, line 19.

14 Best Reading Practices Essay Example for Free

14 Best Reading Practices Essay Best Practice 1: Explicit Word Analysis Instruction, Including Phonics Teachers provide explicit instruction, build word knowledge, and directly teach skills and strategies for word analysis (phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, structural analysis, context clues, vocabulary). Best Practice 2: Assessment to Inform Instruction Teachers routinely monitor and assess the reading levels and progress of individual students. This ongoing evaluation directs and informs instruction. Best Practice 3: See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay Instructional Planning Teachers plan instruction considering three phases: before, during and after reading. Best Practice 4: Collaboration and Reflection Teachers routinely self-reflect and collaborate on instructional practices and student progress within school and/or district. Best Practice 5: Learning Standards Teachers facilitate conceptual knowledge of Illinois English Language Arts learning standards. Best Practice 6: Independent Students have opportunities for sustained reading (oral and/or silent) every day.

Relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety

Relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety 1.1 Introduction Perfectionism is the attitude of an individual that strives to achieve perfection in everything they do. People with perfectionism tend to outdo themselves and make sure everything is in the best form. As perfectionism strives one to be perfect, it is also taxing on the individual for they are pressured to excel, or to meet standards either imposed by others or oneself. This strive is more a common among students as they tend to excel in academic prevalence in an increasing competitive environment. Though the advantages of having this strive, there too are drawbacks, in particular, the level of social anxiety experienced by one. There a number of theorists which have discussed the potential role of perfectionism in problems of social anxiety (e.g., Heimberg Becker, 2002; Schlenker Leary, 1982), but there has been little investigation done on how perfectionist personality characteristics relate to social anxiety and its consequences. (Laurenti, Bruch Haase, 2008). Social anxiety is a disorder where one experiences higher levels of anxiety when engaged in an interaction. As such one may feel fear of being inarticulate, boring, or appearing awkward when interacting with others. According to cognitive theories of social anxiety (e.g., Schlenker Leary, 1982), reviews on interpersonal situations typically involves two aspects: an estimate of ones own abilities (i.e., social self-efficacy) and an estimate of what is an acceptable performance in that particular situation (i.e., others standards) and, presumably, it is the discrepancy between these two appraisal responses that triggers social avoidance and negative effect (Laurenti et al., 2008). Thus, this study aims to examine the relationship between perfectionism and the level of social anxiety among university students in University Putra Malaysia. This study will identify the factors which are related to perfectionism and social anxiety. These factors are referred to ones personal characteristics which include gender, personality, education stream and emotional quotient. Researching the impact of this relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety may lead to the development of an overview about the role of perfectionism in influencing the level of social anxiety among university students therefore in a way, encouraging positive social engagement among them. 1.2 Statement of the problem Is social anxiety a bad thing? Perhaps no; social anxiety can help us to be more sensitive toward others people feeling and needs which is needed in building relationships. Social anxiety will only become a problem while it is excessive or outside the norm. So what are the anxiety symptoms? What causes them to experience social anxiety? To what extent will social anxiety impact ones relationship with others? This study aims to determine the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety among UPM students. Specifically, this study identifies factors which are related to perfectionism and social anxiety, i.e. personal characteristics (gender, education stream, personality and emotional quotient).As such we will focus on these several research questions that would guide us for the research content. How personal characteristic will influence someone perfectionism behavior? Does personal characteristic cause someone to experience social anxiety? How perfectionism will influence social anxiety? 1.3 Significance of the study The purpose of carrying out this study is to mainly determine the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety level among students studying in UPM. Perfectionism when over done would inevitably cause nervousness or anxiety among students which in the long run will lead to stress or other serious problems such as burnout, depression or many other physiological complications. By studying this symptom among individual especially students, it may help to reduce the negative side effect of perfectionism. The study may also help individuals to cope and handle with perfectionism without adding unwanted anxiety to them. As we know that perfectionism among general people will cause signs of anxiety and stress, we want to investigate if it affects UPM students and the significance of the effect. As being a perfectionist will make a person very demanding about the standards of work done, this study will measure the amount of anxiety levels experienced by a UPM student. By measuring the anxiety levels, we will be able to understand if it causes extra stress on a UPM student and causes their performance to be affected. This study will also benefit the other students at the university level in Malaysia as it may be an indicator of how university students react to anxiety when striving to be perfect. It will help to identify the common trend among students and determine if perfectionism leads to over nervousness among students in Malaysia; which in the long run cause their performance to be affected. When perfectionism is identified early or thought correct ways to cope with it, students may be able to avoid being stressed out due to anxiety. This may help to increase the performance of university students without adding unwanted anxiety levels. 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: General objective: The present study aims to determine the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety among UPM students. (Gender, program of student, personality and emotional quotient) Specific objectives: To describe personal characteristics (gender, program of student, personality and emotional quotient) of the students. To describe student perceived perfectionism. To describe the social anxiety level of the students. To determine the relationship between gender and perfectionism. To compare the difference of perfectionism across student personality. To determine the relationship between emotional quotient and perfectionism. To determine the relationship between courses of student and perfectionism. To determine the relationship between gender and social anxiety. To compare the difference of students personality across social anxiety. To determine the relationship between emotional quotient and social anxiety. To compare the difference of student courses across social anxiety. 1.5 Hypotheses: The purpose of the present study is to examine how perfectionism influences social anxiety level. Given the preceding theoretical and empirical outcomes that we had collected through the study, a number of hypotheses which reflects the association between perfectionism and social anxiety level are proposed: There is no significant relationship between gender and perfectionism level There is no significant difference in perfectionisms across students education streams There is no significant relationship between personality and perfectionism There is no significant relationship between emotional quotient and perfectionism There is no significant difference between gender and social anxiety level There is no significant difference between social anxiety levels across students education streams There is no significant difference between students personality and social anxiety level There is no significant relationship between emotional quotient and social anxiety level There is no significant relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety level Conceptual framework Antecedent Variable Personal characteristic Gender Education Stream Personality Emotional quotient Independent Variable Perfectionism Dependent Variable Social Anxiety To have a more clearly illustration of the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety among university students in UPM, a conceptual framework is prepared above. There are three types of variables in this research which are referred to antecedent variable, independent variable and dependent variable. For the antecedent variable, it includes the personal characteristics whereby gender, education stream, personality and emotional quotient is taken into view. The independent variable refers to perfectionism while the dependent variable refers to the level of social anxiety. 1.6 Definition of terminology Perfectionism Conceptual definition: Someone who has perfectionism is a person who is not satisfied with anything unless it is completely perfect. Operational definition: For this study, we used the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) by Hewitt Flett (1991) to assess the levels of multidimensional perfectionism in students. Social anxiety Conceptual definition: It means the interaction between a human and the environment around them that causes the feeling of worrying about something. Operational definition: The social anxiety level is measured using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) developed by Mattick Clarke (1998) which has been used to assess prevalence, severity, and treatment out-comes of social phobia and social anxiety disorders. Gender Conceptual definition: The sex of a person whether its a male or female. Operational definition: This part of information is obtained from the background questionnaire form which will be filled up by the respondent. Courses of student Conceptual definition: The stream of studies of university students whether its science or arts. Operational definition: The information will be obtained by the questionnaire which will be filled up by the respondent. Personality Conceptual definition: It refers to the university students character in how they behave towards other people. Operational definition: In this study the scale used to measure the personality is The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator by Briggs (1985). Emotional quotient Conceptual definition: This means the amount or degree of a feeling such as love, hate, or anger and how they control it. Operational definition: The emotional quotient in this study will be measured using the Emotional-Quotient Inventory which is widely used worldwide. 1.7 Limitation of the study: It is to be certain that there are some limitations with respect to the present studies that need to be acknowledged. As such the data collection might be possible that it would affect the accuracy of the results. The first limitation relates with the extent to which the findings would manage to generalize beyond the previous studies. The numbers of similar research that relates to our present study is limited. Thus, further empirical or duplication of the studies are needed to enhance the current topic and thus would further support future findings. Second limitation here would mainly relate to the small sample size and its location. The small sample size would create a possibility of the data collected to be either ending up with particularly good or particularly bad. Consequently, it is difficult to find an established significant relationship from the data collected, as the statistical method used usually requires a bigger sampling to justify that the result did not fully happen by chance alone. To note, the study will be implemented at UPM, Malaysia. The respondents focused only on university students. Participants may have differed in key ways from non-respondents. Hence, this study limits the ability to generalize the findings and does not represent the population at other places. The nature of respondents also poses a risk. It is to say that, respondents may tend to answer favorably as they perceived to want to be favorable and not be labeled as others or with having a disorder by having higher levels of social anxiety. This would hamper the significance of the result and a certain degree of discretion may be needed. Besides that, there might be other factors that influence the level of social anxiety besides perfectionism which have not been identified or taken into account in our study. To make it simple, there is the possibility that there are more relevant factors to be considered that would significantly influence the dependant variable which is the level of social anxiety. However, the studies and discussion of these other factors are beyond our scope for the present study. Therefore, it would be ideal that more factors can be encompassed within the research. Furthermore, the data collection mainly relies on survey-based information in which we believe contains a certain degree of bias. Undeniably, the response rates through this method are much more satisfactory and faster; but it is possible that other relevant methods would generate different outcomes than the survey-based candidates did. The research design also prevents us from achieving better result since the nature of the data being collect, it would be better to include even more time towards the research. Therefore, it would be best that future research be more convincing if the researchers can relate even more factors into the current study theme.

Hungary’s Attempts at Modernizing its Banking Industry Essay -- Hungar

Hungary’s Attempts at Modernizing its Banking Industry It has been over a decade since Hungary has transitioned into the market economy. Its banking system has gone through numerous changes in order to accommodate an ever competitive world of financial innovation. Today, we see a Hungary that has adopted much of financial structure seen in Western Europe and whose banking sector is finally starting to see profits. Early transitional privatization saw an assortment of problems for state-owned banks including inadequate regulation and an agglomeration of non-performing loans. Reforms made through legislation in the last decade have helped alleviate the pressures on previously state held banks and lead the industry further through privatization. According to the latest findings by the IMF, Hungary’s banking industry is nearly through the transitional process and well on its way to tightening the gap between itself and its Western European counterparts. In 1987, Hungary undertook its first major reform, separating the Hungarian National Bank and its commercial banking sector. Clearly, the goal was too proceed toward privatization. At the time, the state owned banks were flooded with a large volume of non-performing loans. Because foreign funded banks did not face the burden of bad loans, they had a competitive advantage against state-owned banks. This resulted in the â€Å"skimming off the more profitable clients† from the state owned banks and caused the legislation reforms of 1992-1994(1). The government of Hungary subsidized many state owned â€Å"bad loans† in order to proceed with privatization. Not surprisingly, and encouraged by the government, foreign investors bought significant stakes in Hungarian banks. In fact, acco... ... and divesting its remaining stakes in banks. Although the country is still largely based on cash businesses, reliance on credit cards and other banking related items continues to grow. With the Hungarian people ever more dependent on banking services, perspective for the industry’s growth is substantial. The progress made in the last ten years has been tremendous and the perspectives for the future look good. Hungary is now well on its way to reaching western economic development. Works Cited: 1.Shader,Susan and Ingves, Stefan Financial System Stability Assesment, IMF MAY 3, 2002 (4)- P86 (5)- P86-88 (8)P26,P8-P16 Note: When paper references the IMF, statistics can be found between p25-60 2.Van Elken, Rachel Hungary: Economic Policies for Sustainable Growth IMF Washington D.C. 1998 (1)p37 (2)P37-45 3.http://www.buyusa.gov/Hungary/en/page170.html (3),(6)

Australian Immigration And Its Effects Essay -- Australia Environment

Australian Immigration and Its Effects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Australia is an island continent which is geographically isolated from the rest of the world. This has resulted in the evolution of many unique plants and animals and the development of a very fragile ecosystem. This ecosystem has been influenced by human immigration for many thousands of years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The original immigrants were the Aborigines who are thought to have migrated to Australia from Asia between 50 and 100 thousand years ago. These primitive people learned to live in the inhospitable environment of Australia with very little effect. Their major environmental impact was from the use of controlled burning of the land. Over the years they had learned the benefit of periodic fires to control pests and to clear debris before it accumulated and led to large uncontrolled disastrous fires. This also returned nutrients to the soil which helped to grow back new vegetation. Unlike those who followed, the Aborigines had very little impact on the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the Aborigines, Asian seafarers are believed to have traveled to Australia to trade on the north shores. Experts are not sure, but they believe that these seafarers are the ones who first introduced the dingo into Australia almost 3,500 years ago. The dingo rapidly became the top predator and is probably the cause of the disappearance of the Tasmanian wolf and the Tasmanian devil from Australia. They will hunt down almost anything but they are not known to attack humans. They will attack kangaroos, wombats, rabbits, and even lizards. After the settlers arrived and the sheep were brought in, the dingo started to hunt the sheep. The sheep were much easier for them to get. As a result of this the sheep grazers built a 3,307 mile long fence to separate the sheep from the dingo. A $20 US bounty is now placed on the pelt of each dingo.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  European immigrants did not come to Australia until after April 29, 1770 when captain James Cook landed in Botany Bay and made the first claim for England on the eastern part of the island. He called it New South Wales.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1787, England started their first colony in Australia which was a penal colony since England's prisons were very overcrowded. That year, on May 13, eleven ships carrying almost 1,500 people, 800 of them convicts, left England for the new colony. The ... ... to spawn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The European immigrants had specific ideas regarding the beauty of nature. The Australian landscape did not fit these standards of beauty. They therefore began to landscape by first clearing native plants and replacing them with imported ones. The list of these plants grew year after year. Some failed while others thrived and overcrowded the native plants. One of these plants is the Prickly pear. It was originally imported as a hedge plant but eventually took over 120,000 square miles of land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effects of immigration on the Australian environment over the last few centuries has been devastating. The original European immigrants could not foresee the major impact their transplants and traditions would have on the environment. Even if they had, conquering the land was necessary for their survival. In many areas the environmental degradation may have past the point where it can be restored and is now beyond repair. However, with greater understanding and knowledge of the Australian ecosystem it is hoped that further degradation can be stopped or even reversed. What is needed now is the commitment of people and resources to make it happen.

Essay --

Project 4-1: Develop a Personal Disaster Plan 1. Determine which types of natural disasters are the most common for the region in which you live. In Kansas and Missouri states, the most common natural disasters are occurred by Tornado’s and Snow storms. Kansas is ranked in 3rd position in the frequency of tornados. Missouri is ranked in 8th position. Joplin tornado was one of the biggest disasters in Missouri State. This occurred in the summer of 2011. This disaster took lives of more than 150 people and injured over 1000 people. This disaster caused property damage close to $3 billion. The maximum width covered by this tornado is close to 1 mile. St. John’s Regional Medical Center was one of the most damaged areas of this tornado. Heavy snow falls in the months of January and February and a minimum of over 10 inches snow fall is expected in every winter. So we have to be prepared for the snow storms as well 2. Find out which government or private agencies and organizations have information on disasters for your area. There are several government or private agencies which have information regarding disasters in our area. One of the government agencies among those is Missouri Department of public safety State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). This has information regarding planning and preparing for disasters. This also has information regarding recovering and rebuilding from the disaster. This will also let people to volunteer for the disaster recovering programs. The plan and prepare section of the official website of SEMA has information on how to plan ahead for the various disasters like preparing for severe winter weather conditions, preparing for tornados, preparing for floods, etc. There is also one more agency ca... ...t state. †¢ Teach them about the first-aid process and other safety procedures. †¢ Mock the situation and practice my family in case of emergency. References:- 1. 2011 Joplin tornado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Joplin_tornado 2. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/preparing-for-a-tornado/ 3. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/tornado-facts-history/ 4. How to Prepare for a Tornado: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Tornado 5. Kansas Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/kansas/tornado.html 6. Missouri Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/missouri/tornado.html 7. Severe Winter Weather. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sema.dps.mo.gov/plan_and_prepare/winter_weather.asp Essay -- Project 4-1: Develop a Personal Disaster Plan 1. Determine which types of natural disasters are the most common for the region in which you live. In Kansas and Missouri states, the most common natural disasters are occurred by Tornado’s and Snow storms. Kansas is ranked in 3rd position in the frequency of tornados. Missouri is ranked in 8th position. Joplin tornado was one of the biggest disasters in Missouri State. This occurred in the summer of 2011. This disaster took lives of more than 150 people and injured over 1000 people. This disaster caused property damage close to $3 billion. The maximum width covered by this tornado is close to 1 mile. St. John’s Regional Medical Center was one of the most damaged areas of this tornado. Heavy snow falls in the months of January and February and a minimum of over 10 inches snow fall is expected in every winter. So we have to be prepared for the snow storms as well 2. Find out which government or private agencies and organizations have information on disasters for your area. There are several government or private agencies which have information regarding disasters in our area. One of the government agencies among those is Missouri Department of public safety State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). This has information regarding planning and preparing for disasters. This also has information regarding recovering and rebuilding from the disaster. This will also let people to volunteer for the disaster recovering programs. The plan and prepare section of the official website of SEMA has information on how to plan ahead for the various disasters like preparing for severe winter weather conditions, preparing for tornados, preparing for floods, etc. There is also one more agency ca... ...t state. †¢ Teach them about the first-aid process and other safety procedures. †¢ Mock the situation and practice my family in case of emergency. References:- 1. 2011 Joplin tornado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Joplin_tornado 2. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/preparing-for-a-tornado/ 3. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/tornado-facts-history/ 4. How to Prepare for a Tornado: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Tornado 5. Kansas Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/kansas/tornado.html 6. Missouri Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/missouri/tornado.html 7. Severe Winter Weather. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sema.dps.mo.gov/plan_and_prepare/winter_weather.asp

Blood Ties and Families Essay

Many social scientists reject the idea that ‘families can be defined only by blood ties. ’ Discuss. The Oxford Dictionary meaning of family is noun (plural families) 1 [treated as singular or plural] a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit. There are many different ideas about what makes a family, and is this idea of what a family is universal and the children’s perspectives. There is a lot of debate with social scientists about the family. Functionalists say that the term family is a universal institution performing functions for society’s survival. Sociologist Murdock suggest that each family has for functions in order to be classified as a family. They are, a common residence, however there are many cases in which families do not share a common residence for example if a child is at boarding school or a parent is in the armed forces. (Murdock, cited by Gittins, D, p. 2). (Gutman 1976) found that it was common among black slave families in the USA for a husband and wide to live on different plantations and see one another for a few hours once or twice a week. Soliende de Gonzalez cited by gittins) found this type of household very common in black Carib society: â€Å"there are groupings which I have called â€Å"dispersed families† in which the father, even though he is absent for long periods of time he still retains ultimate authority over a household for which he provides the only support, and where affective bonds continue to be important between him and his wife and his children†. (Mudock cited by Gittins p. ) next family function is economic co-operation, it’s a broad term and can encompass a wide range of activities such as sleeping and cooking, it occurs between households as well as between individuals within the household (Murdock cited by Gittins p. 4) third is his definition of sexuality is heterosexuality, even though this is only one of many forms of sexuality. They say that this is the most important function of a family because it leads to reproduction. He also suggests that they get pressured into thi nking that’s heterosexuality is a ‘socially approved relationship’ between two adults. However there are critisms of Murdock as he doesn’t take into account the diversity of the ways in which co-residence, economic relations, sexuality and reproduction. Many sociologists say that they are simply western values and ideas of what a family should be like and assume that everyone will agree. (Jessie Bernard 1973 cited by Gittins pg. 3) Another criticism is that families do not need adults of both sexes, or a heterosexual couple, as same sex couples can adopt or can use medical advances (e. . IVF or surrogacy) to become a biological parent. (Edholm 1982 cited by Gittins p. 4) Anthropologists prefer to use the term kinship rather than family, â€Å"the ties which exist between individuals who are seen as related both through birth (descent) and through mating (marriage). † This theory is concerned with the ways in which parentage us assigned, attributed and recognised, descent is traced, relatives are classified, rights are transferred across generations and gr oups are formed. Unlike the functionalist approach the kinship theory stresses the fact that kinship is a social construction and also it emphasises on the variability of kinship depending on how it is defined. There is a debate about whether kinship is biological or social, many of us believe that its biological because of we know who are parents are and they made us so we simply think that kinship is biological but there are cases where children are brought up by parents who they believe to be their biological parents and then find out that they have been adopted and then suffer an identity crises because they do not know who they are anymore. Their own suffering is caused by the ways in which we define kinship in society and there is a clear difference between a ‘biological’ and ‘social’ parents, we see the biological parent as the real parents and that has the strongest bonds with the child, this is a strong western belief. However in other cultures they believe that it is the person who rears the child is defined as the parent regardless who is involved in the reproductive process, for example in some cultures it is common for a child to be raise by a grandparent. ( R. T. Smith cited by Gittins p. ) fond this was common in Guyana and Jamaica and says that ‘close and imperishable bonds are formed through the ‘act’ of raising a child. Fictive kinship (Rapp 1980:292 cited by Gittins p5) stated that fictive kinship was a serious relationship, and how we turn friends into family. It was also argued that kinship is whatever we chose it to be whether that’s biological, social or fictive, it’s a way of identifying others as in some way special from the rest, people to whom the individual or collectively feel responsible in certain ways. Many anthropologists have argued that kinship is simply a system of meaning and symbols, they also state that animals reproduce, mate and form attachments but they do not have a kinship system. (Marx cited by Gittins p 5) argued that it distinguishes people from animals. In child birth motherhood is always known unlike fatherhood, however apart from carrying and giving birth to the child that is where the biological process stops the rest become socially constructed. Gender also affects the ways that kinship is constructed and defined, they are both universally present as mothers and children are but the content of them and the meanings ascribed to them is highly variable. Age is also an important fact when it comes to kinship as people grow up the household composition and resources change. All relationships are different and with society changing there has become many different norms of society. Families do not have to be blood ties or even live under the same roof all the time or have two sec parents. Family isn’t universal.

Gifted and Talented Education in the United States Essay

Abstract The purpose of this research is to find the best way for selecting and teaching gifted children for Gifted and Talented Education Programs in the United States. It explores who exactly are defined as â€Å"gifted students† and what their characteristics are like compared to regular students. Then it explains main ways of selecting and teaching them and listing pros and cons of each method. Finally it concludes that in order for Gifted and Talented Education in America to give full scope to gifted students’ ability, it is best to select children by using a set of Measures of Academic Progress Test, Otis Lennon School Ability Test, and Structure of Intellect and teach them in the method called cluster grouping. Introduction Although school districts in the United States recognize that gifted and talented students are children with unique advantage and excellence, state laws, local policies, and available funding vary widely in each state. Therefore each school has their own services and curriculum for gifted students and also there is uneven protection for gifted and talented students under the law. This holds back the progress of gifted students which means that the disparity of school districts is taking away the children’s capability, potential, and their future. Therefore, it is important to unify the selection method and the broad idea of how to teach gifted students. There are many ways of selecting and teaching them, but the best way to select children is to use a set of Measures of Academic Progress Test, Otis Lennon School Ability Test, and Structure of Intellect and teach them in the cluster grouping method because these are the most effective way to select and teach gifted students in order to cultivate unique their skills and expand the possibilities for their future. In this paper, it will define what Gifted and Talented Education Program and who gifted students are, and explain what kind of entrance exam for gifted education is the best. After that, according to the characteristics of gifted students, it will explore the best way of teaching them. Gifted and Talented Education Program Gifted and Talented Education is a broad term for â€Å"special practices, procedures and theories used to educate children who have been identified as gifted or talented†. National Association for Gifted Children, NAGC, estimates that approximately 6% of the student population is gifted and talented† (â€Å"National Association for Gifted Children†). The detailed aim of this education program differs from district to district, but the common aims that all school have are to develop students’ merits by following the lead of the gifted students since they have different speed of learning, most of the time faster, than regular students. Most of the decisions on gifted education are made at the state and local level. The Definition of Gifted Students There is no standard global definition for gifted students to this day. US Department of Education defines them as â€Å"children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment† (â€Å"US Department of Education†). However, there are many controversies among researchers over the definition of gifted students. In most school districts all over the United States, â€Å"students who generally score high scores on aptitude tests or on periodic examinations were offered a test to receive Gifted and Talented Education Program† (Maker and Nielson 5). However in this measurement, the students are selected based only on their general intelligence, which is a scholastic performance on coursework such as mathematical calculation capabilities and reading abilities in English. Therefore, in the past several years, the researchers have been challenging the theories and the definition of the gifted students. Some researchers say gifted students are children who are highly proficient based on triarchic theory of intelligence formulated by Sternberg. He discussed in his theory that intelligence consisted of three aspects. First is the analytic skill, such as ability to comprehend abstractly and evaluate information. Second is the synthetic skill or creativity, the ability to invent novel solutions or ideas. Third is practical skill, which enables people to cope with determinate situations. Also he proposed that intelligence involves distinct mental cognitive processes of three kinds: â€Å"(a) metacomponents, or executive processes needed for planning, monitoring, and evaluating problem solving; (b) knowledge-acquisition components, used to gather information necessary to solve problems; and (c) performance components, or processes needed to implement the commands issued by the metacomponents†(Sternberg 7). According to Sternberg, gifted students are not necessarily those who are good at processing general information but also students who are good communicating with people or who have more unique inspirations than others. Gardner defined intelligence as â€Å"the ability to solve problems of fashion products that are valued in at least one culture† (Gardner 4). In his research, it showed that there were at least seven different intelligences in people – linguistic, logical mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily kinesthetic, and intrapersonal. In this view, although it is true that students who score highly on standardized intelligence are somewhat gifted and talented, they are only adept in one aspect out of the many fields human being could be masterful. Gifted children are those who are adept in unique aspects. The Criteria for Determination of Gifted Students There are mainly three ways to test out students so that they can be identified as gifted and talented students: â€Å"a set of Otis Lennon School Ability Test and Stanford Achievement Test, WISC-IV, and a set of Measures of Academic Progress Test, Otis Lennon School Ability Test, and Structure of Intellect† (Porter, section 2). The set of Otis Lennon School Ability Test and Stanford Achievement Test, usually expects students to score 96 percent in at least one subject and score more than 86 percent in Otis–Lennon School Ability Test, OLSAT. The Stanford Achievement Test mainly measures basic academic skills. OLSAT is a test of abstract thinking and reasoning ability. â€Å"It is organized into five areas, and it includes an equal number of verbal and non-verbal items each area which are verbal comprehension, verbal reasoning, pictorial reasoning, figural reasoning, and quantitative reasoning† (â€Å"Otis-Lennon School Ability Test ®Ã¢â‚¬ ). This means that this measures students mostly students’ standard scholarship like standardized intelligence. WISC-IV shows IQ scores which shows essential information and critical clinical insights into a child’s cognitive functioning. However, theories and the results of experiments by Gardner and Sternberg imply that schools in the United States should not define giftedness only by general intelligence or on IQ test scores of students. In this view, although it is true that students who score highly on standardized intelligence are somewhat gifted and talented, they are only adept in one aspect out of the many fields human being could be masterful. Therefore, the two tests that were above-mentioned are not suitable to determine students as gifted and talented students since these focus mainly on basic academic achievements and not on other factors that students could be talented in. The set of Measures of Academic Progress Test, Otis Lennon School Ability Test, and Structure of Intellect, this focuses many aspects that children could be talented in, like regular scholastic abilities, artistic creativity, and interpersonal relationships unlike two of the tests mentioned above. Therefore if this method is used as the entrance examination system to receive gifted and talented education, students who are in gifted education program would be able to get opportunities to blossom further by getting motivated and inspired by other talented children who are gifted in other aspects because this method allows to accept many different kinds of talented students in the education program. Hence it is best to unify the Criteria for Determination of Gifted Students to the set of Measures of Academic Progress Test, Otis Lennon School Ability Test, and Structure of Intellect. Characteristics of Gifted Students and the Adequate Way to Teach Accordingly There are many characteristics that gifted students have which regular students do not. Gifted learners usually have â€Å"excellent memories and ability to understand concepts and principles quickly† (Maker 104). Some of the gifted students have extraordinary capacity to input information and strategies with incredible fast time and naturally without so much effort put into it. This means that they only need little practice in order to acquire knowledge. However, they still do need to learn how to use the knowledge they acquired by analyzing, synthesizing, and by evaluating. It goes without saying that they already have this type of strategy, but it is important to develop their merits even more to their full extent. Dewy explains that most gifted learners fit into at least one of the following aspects: â€Å"(a) extraordinary ability to communicate ideas and feelings through words, actions, symbols, sounds, or other media of expression; (b) outstanding ability to think things through and consider implications or alternatives; (c) goal-oriented thought; (d) abilities to use ideas, processes, or materials ingeniously; and (e) an unusual capacity for information acquisition and retrieval† (344). He also explains that these kind of students need â€Å"opportunities to express in some form that leads them to show their ideas, problem solutions, or conclusion and to make connections to previous knowledge or experience† (351). Opportunity for students to express what they have in their mind is important since learners can benefit from hearing, seeing, or reading how others analyzed their opinions because the method of expressing could be different from their own. Second reason is because others have a chance to analyze and evaluate their process and also their finished product of their thinking. Also, it is important because â€Å"students need to be aware of their own mental processes in order to learn to control them† (Clarke 118). Expressing is one of the best ways for gifted students to educate themselves and also get education from other peers in class. Group activities build leadership and characteristics of each student. Maker and Nielson states that â€Å"because of the high degree of participation and the rapid pace of most games, gifted students usually maintain their interest in group-process† (129). In most cases in an active group interaction, some kind of structure forms. For example, one is perceptive, responsive, and assertive to their opinions and feelings, one is seasoned listener and knits up discussion when needed, and one has sense of humor unifying the group with a warm atmosphere. One could even not be participating in a group interaction at all. In structured performance like this, students can extend their uniqueness and skills they have and also influence each other positively by interacting with each other. One who is not participating at all seems like student is giving a negative influence, but in a group of gifted students, others who are participating have possibility to improve communication competency by trying to cope with him. Group process activities can be just a simple group discussion, or simulated social situations, or even games that need trust, willingness to open them up, and develop ability to support the group process activities. Considering all the characteristics of the gifted student learners, the best way to teach is to use the method called the cluster grouping. Cluster grouping is â€Å"an educational process in which four to six gifted and talented (GT) and/or high achieving students are assigned to an otherwise heterogeneous classroom within their grade to be instructed by a teacher that has had specialized training in differentiating for gifted learners† (Winebrenner 177). Clustering is not simply putting all the academiclly accelerated students into one classroom to study like other methods such as pull-outs, compacting, and enrichment which U.S. Government reported that these methods are generally unsuccessful in 1993. In cluster grouping, talented students are able to receive the place to express themselves to others in their individual way, develop their ability to use the knowledge they have acquired by analyzing, synthesizing, and by evaluating, and group activities. Schuler emphasizes that â€Å"through cluster grouping the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of the gifted students can be addressed† (section 4). There are many cleasr evidence that shows the advantages in cluster grouping. According to one survey, advantages include: â€Å"cost effectiveness, high challenge and expectations of students, faster progression through curricula, administrative ease in observation of services, increased understanding of GT students, and an improved opportunity to address the psychological needs of the GT students† (Rogers 249). Other research has shown â€Å"a 99% positive approval rating among parents of clustered children and a 90% positive approval rating among the children themselves.† (Rogers 226). Therefore, it is clear that cluster grouping is a successful method to teach gifted students. Conclusion There is clear evidence and reasonings that cluster grouping method and the set of Measures of Academic Progress Test, Otis Lennon School Ability Test, and Structure of Intellect for selective examination are the most effective and efficient way to use gifted education in America. However, there are still many questions and problems unsolved even though the gifted and talented education in the United States started more than 100 years ago. One of the reasons is because that there are only few researchers who collect numerical data of gifted children. Many researchers most of the time only come up with new method of teaching or selecting gifted students but they do not publish clear evidence why they are successful. United States is in need of furthur research and experiments on gifted education and gifted students for the success of the future children and for the future of the United States. Clarke, John. Patterns of thinking: Integrating learning skills in content teaching. Columbus, OH: Merrill, 1986. Dewey, John. The child and the curriculum and the school and society. Chicago, IL: University of Chiago Press, 1956 Gardner, Howard. Five Forms of Creativie Activity: A Developmental Perspective. Dayton, OH: Ohio Psychology Press, 1994 Maker, C. June and Aleene B. Nielson. Curriculum Development and Teaching Strategies for Gifted Learners. 2nd ed. Austin, TX: Pro ed, 1995 Rogers, Karen. Re-forming Gifted Education. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press, 2002 Schuler, Patricia. Cluster Grouping Coast to Coast, Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. Danbury, CT: University of Connecticut, 2005 Sternberg, Robert. Conceptions of giftedness. New York, NY: Cambridge University Express, 1986 Winebrenner, Susan. Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, 2001 â€Å"Gifted and Talented Students† U.S. Department of Education. < http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg72.html>. â€Å"What is Gifted† National Association for Gifted Children. < http://nagc.org/WhatisGiftedness.aspx >. â€Å"America no Gifted Education no Kyouiku Jijyou† Washington State University. 2 November. 2011. < http://www.blog.crn.or.jp/report/02/130.html >.

Techniques for Building Strong Customer Relationships

Your first strategy to building a strong customer relationship could be to make every customer interaction count. Don’t take a single customer for granted. Each and every interaction with a customer is a gift and should be valued. You can achieve that by setting up a focus group made up of loyal customers. A focus group can be a vital tool to getting into the mind of your customers and knowing their needs. Another strategy is to really listen to customers. Even complaints can be a gift if handled properly and quickly. Be available and accessible when customers have questions, concerns, or comments. Humans always look for someone to talk to or share their problems with, and if you can listen more to your customers, you will end up knotting the bond between the customer and your business. I think one of the strongest strategies that are important would be to build a strong brand identity. Make it easy for your customers to identify your business or products in the midst of the crowd. Create a winning slogan, tagged with a catchy logo and a unique theme. Most importantly, make a specific promise and deliver on that promise. One of my favorites is to reward loyal customers as a strategy. This is a point that can never be over emphasized, because most businesses go after new customers while forgetting that the existing customers need to be taken care of. Introducing a loyalty program is a very effective relationship marketing strategy. Creating long lasting relationships helps to ensure long-lasting customers and repeat sales. Nothing strengthens a bond more than appreciation, and thanking customers for sticking to your brand will go a long way to make them know they are important. A simple thank you package might be all your business needs to connect personally with your existing customers. Customers want to know that they are valued and appreciated as an individual. Showing existing customers that value and appreciation encourages them to refer their colleagues, friends, and others to your business.

The Biggest Migration in Global History

In 1886, the Statue of â€Å"Liberty Enlightening the World,† a gift from the people of France, was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland. Set at the entrance of New York, the statue was just in time to greet the biggest migration in global history. Between the years of 1860-1910, more than twenty-two million immigrants had entered the country . This influx of immigration became known as the New Immigration. Industrialization had taken over agriculture and American industries were experiencing one of their greatest booms, thus a greater demand for workers . Immigrants from all over Europe came in hopes of securing for themselves money to return home with, or in some cases, a permanent position in a country of abundant opportunity. Although this increase in immigration eventually led to restrictive immigration laws, ultimately, this group of â€Å"New Immigrants† not only provided a much-needed economic service, but also added to the diversity of our â€Å"melting-pot† country. The promise of immediate employment and political and economic freedom were more than enough reasons to entice immigrants to come to the United States; in 1864, some 194,000 immigrants landed in America . Until 1897, ninety percent of all overseas immigrants arrived mostly from northern and western Europe, primarily from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia . Most of these new immigrants came from lands with democratic traditions and education systems and were welcomed by the native-born Americans because they possessed much needed industrial skills. The new immigrants, primarily the Scandinavians, used the Homestead Act to receive land in the Midwest and start small farms . They had families and skills to offer and were not a migrant group; they planned to stay and make it in America. However, by 1905, partially encouraged by the new technology of steamships and cheaper ocean passage rates, the number of immigrants had risen to 1,285,000 people annually . More than a million immigrants arrived in each of the years 1905, 1907, and 1910, some fleeing the â€Å"pogroms† (organized massacres) taking place in Eastern Europe, and others seeking a life that they could never have within the borders of their poverty-stricken countries . These later immigrants, arriving from southern and eastern Europe, were Czechs, Poles, Ukrainians, Serbs, Slovaks and Russian, as well as Italians, Greeks, Hungarians, and Rumanians. Approximately ten percent of them were Jews fleeing from the repressive policies of Czarist Russia under Alexander III, although Roman and Orthodox Catholics were among the arrivals . The masses of immigrants were overwhelming. By 1887, it became obvious that Castle Garden (immigrant receiving station) was too small to process the large numbers of immigrants pouring into the country . Castle Garden had because so small, that criminals were simply hanging out at the receiving station to rob the immigrants inside, instead of waiting for them to get on the streets. Thus, the government built Ellis Island and immigrants continued pouring in. The number of immigrants was so great that by 1910 immigrants and their families composed over half the total population of 18 major cities . In Chicago, eight out of ten residents were immigrants or children of immigrants . The response to these newcomers was unfriendly and inhospitable. The Americans who saw their job security challenged by immigrants that were willing to work longer hours for lower wages did not welcome them. The newcomers did not have the same culture as the first immigrants that had come from Northern and Western Europe. Most lacked skills and very few spoke English, some could not read or write in any language. The Slavic and Polish (excluding Jewish) immigrant groups were viewed as unskilled, illiterate, and transient and were seen as a bigger threat to American institutions than the other European ethnic groups. They were not ambitious people, tended to keep to themselves, and were opposed to the American idea of materialism. Many of the Slavs and Poles distrusted American public schools; they withdrew their children from school and encouraged them to seek training in a trade, thus allowing a high rate of dropouts. Likewise, Italians were discriminated against because they also provided cheap labor and, naturally of a clannish nature, tended to move and settle as a group in Italian communities where they only worked with fellow countrymen and did not learn the ways of urban life. Americans thought that Italians did not assimilate into the American culture well since they held on their old-country traditions and cultures so strongly. Assimilation was important to the Americans because they were fearful of the change that came with other cultures, not to mention their resentment towards the new languages already replacing English in several parts of the cities. The Italians also brought the Mafia, which although in Italy enforced justice, came under the control of criminals in the US, and became known for racketeering, blackmail, and extortion. The immigrants were blamed for creating disorder and violence in the cities, and in general, were thought to be â€Å"birds of passage† who would use the American economy to make their fortunes, then return to their native land taking American dollars. The ever-growing influx of immigrants disturbed many native-born Americans who were annoyed by the newcomers† appearance and way of life. They expected these people, no matter what their place of origin, to conform to Anglo-Saxon patterns of behavior and to cherish the institutions of America. These anti-immigrant, nativist, sentiments, and the hatred and prejudice toward these immigrants led to the passing of immigration laws that greatly restricted the flow of immigration . The first restrictive law prevented immigration of lunatics, criminals, polygamists, people with diseases, and those likely to be public charges. In August of 1882, the first federal immigration law was adopted. This law put a head tax on all immigrant passengers. In February of 1885, a law prohibiting the importation of contract labor, called the Foran Act, was enacted. In 1906, leaders of the Boston Immigration Restriction League used the arguments of racial superiority to limit immigration. Finally, in 1924, the Fundamentalists succeeded in passing the National Origins act, which allowed the US to restrict the number of immigrants to 164,000 a year, and also favor immigrants from Western Europe over those from Eastern Europe . Many American believed that these immigration restrictions were necessary to keep the American institution cities from deteriorating. The population living in cities of over 30,000 increased from ten percent of the total in 1860 to more than twenty-five percent of the total US population by 1900 . The pressure of the tremendous inflow of immigrants quickly outstripped the ability of the nation†s established institutions to cope with them. Already poor in the Old Country, for the most part, they arrived in America penniless and made their homes in the growing tenements of America†s major cities. The severe strain on the housing situation coupled with discriminatory practices eventually led to the creation of ghettos. Women and children were often sent to work to contribute to the survival of the family, old-world views that eventually led to wholesale exploitation of child labor. Poverty on a never-before-seen scale became the norm in America†s urban centers. Perplexed, poor, and lacking knowledge of the American lifestyle, these immigrants were used as a low-paid labor force for dirty jobs that nobody else wanted and felt the harshness of Industrialism the most. They did not know their bosses, class animosity often divided management and labor, and their interests and wants were of little concern to the corporations. Because these people did not have the proper education, many of them remained unskilled or semi-unskilled throughout their lives. Although many could not attain the work skills they needed, they gained many other things. By the early 1900†³s, ninety percent of those who could not speak English learned to do so in less than ten years after they arrived, and only a third was still illiterate . Despite their many hardships, the new immigrants were determined to make it in the New World. For example, the Slavs† ability to take the worst jobs and stick with them enabled them to become one of the top two ethnic groups representing employees of America†s leading industries . It was the clashing of old-world views with those of new-world ideas that forced compromises that helped to advance social and political thoughts. The cities would not have grown without people to provide cheap labor in the factories, and it was the willingness to provide a cheap source of labor and to work the most difficult and menial jobs that helped enable the United Stated to make the economic gains that she made.