Crm at Makro

Let me start by giving a brief idea of what Customer Relationship Management means. CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, is a company-wide business strategy designed to reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer loyalty. True CRM brings together information from all data sources within an organization (and where appropriate, from outside the organization) to give one, holistic view of each customer. It's a strategy used to learn more about customers' needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger relationships with them.This allows customer facing employees in such areas as sales, customer support, and marketing to make quick yet informed decisions on everything from cross-selling (selling to an existing customer) and up-selling (selling something that is more profitable or otherwise preferable for the seller instead of, or in addition to, the original sale) opportunities to target marketing strategies to competitive positioning tactics. Once thought of as a type of software, CRM has evolved into a customer-centric philosophy that must infuse an entire organization. There are three key elements to a successful CRM initiative: people, process, and technology. The people throughout a company-from the CEO to each and every customer service representative need to buy in to and support CRM. * A company's business processes must be reengineered to support its CRM initiative, often from the view of, how can this process better serve the customer? * Firms must select the right technology to drive these improved processes, provide the best data to the employees, and be easy enough to operate that users won't face problems. If one of these three foundations is not sound, the entire CRM structure will crumble. Now that you have an idea what CRM is, I will move on to discuss the CRM of Makro.For this I had to meet up with the manager of customer relation at Makro’s head office located inside the shopping complex. The Manager was quite hel pful and encouraging which I was not expecting honestly. I took 20 minutes of his time and discuss about the CRM his company managed. I started by asking what communication means to him and his company and according to him communication skills are important in every aspect of business. Information must be clear and accurate. In Customer Service, you must be able to explain company policies to customers and answer their questions about your products or services.These customers are not experts in your business, so you must be able to translate industry terms or technical information into layman's terms. Customer development and maintenance of relationships with customers is very important especially for a huge chain like Makro. Like businesses, Hypermarkets are also focusing on improving relationships with their customers and want to gain customer loyalty. Globalization and technological improvements have given Makro a tough competition where new competitors keep on emerging Metro bei ng one of them currently.Makro is focusing on managing customer relationships in order to efficiently maximize revenues. For Makro marketing is not just limited to developing, delivering and selling, it is developing towards maintaining long term relationships with customers. Relationship marketing is becoming more and more important in financial services . Managers really needs to look at areas where opportunities lie because industry consolidation, multiple delivery channels and online banking are making the customers leave one bank for another.Thus banks are increasingly using customer relationship management to develop long lasting relationships with their customers. Ensuring customer satisfaction is their main goal of any company. To achieve this goal customers especially HORECA are frequently contacted, and it is made sure that Makro staff and CRM department asks them about the problems they are facing and they try their level best to solve them. These methods increase custome r convenience and satisfaction in the longer run and keeps on bringing the customers back.Makro offers its customer the following advantages, known as the ‘Makro Advantage’ which includes: Competitive Prices 1. Quality Guaranteed, 2. Everything Under One Roof, 3. Air-conditioned and clean environment, 4. Bulk Packing, 5. Detailed Sales Invoice, 6. Extended Business Hours – 8:00 am to 12 Midnight, 7. Open 7 days a Week including national holidays, 8. Vast and secure parking space, 9. Convenient shopping environment for senior citizens and customers on wheelchairs, 10. Makro Mail: a fortnightly price list with special promotions on a vast range of productsOne main problem is the difference in price of one product and buying in bulk. Buying in bulk is cheaper and most customers don’t understand that unless we explain it to them. So we have to continuously reinforce this idea in their minds. We also have to deal with unsatisfied customer if for example the pro duct is faulty; we have to compensate them properly. A business this large cannot survive unless we have a large number of loyal customers. Since they can easily break off and buy from our competitors. Competition is very fierce from other similar business.So we have designed some strategies to give us the competitive edge. Makro designs special promotions privileges for its customers to offer maximum benefits of price competitiveness and convenience. Enclosed is a copy of our promotional circular – the Makro Mail. This circular, published twice a month, offers Makro’s customers information on the best deals and new products available at its centers. Customers get this information delivered free of charge at their doorstep enabling them to make informed buying decisions for their businesses. Customer satisfaction is the most important objective at Makro.Makro Gold Card is one way of showing our appreciation for your patronage and providing you with a more personalized service. Gold Card at Makro offers you the advantage of an annual bonus scheme which is an extra percentage off on your annual purchase at Makro. The extra bonus amount will be excluding tax, Makro Mail offers and already discounted articles. We also offer Purchase solutions for Employee Canteen / Cafeteria, Fair Price Shop, Office equipment ;amp; stationery, General office supplies: tea, coffee, drinks, tissues, cleaning items etc and Tools ;amp; maintenance requirements.A purchase solution is when we sell our commodities online. B2B If you are a business concern that buys its need in bulk, get in touch with our Customer Development Department, stationed at each Store for your options of payment. Following non-cash options are available for purchases at all Makro Centres. Debit Card Debit card is the most convenient ;amp; safe payment option. For safety and security a separate account may be opened at Habib Metropolitan Ban or MCB, which will insure tha funds are available and cont rolled in a separate account for Makro purchase.Credit Card Makro accepts payment through credit cards with a bank charge of 1. 73% Advance on Credit Goods can be purchased against the exact amount deposited at Makro Centres. Bank Guarantee Credit is available against a bank guarantee provide by the customer to Makro Centres. Marketing The next main question was about marketing and how Makro conducts it: The CRM systems at Makro for marketing help the enterprise identify and target potential clients and generate leads for the sales team.An important marketing capability is tracking and measuring multichannel campaigns, including email, social media, telephone and direct mail. Prospect Relationship Management (PRM) solutions which track customer behavior and nurture them from first contact to sale, often cutting out the active sales process altogether. Customer Service and Solutions Makro's Customer Development Department situated on the sales floor of every Makro Centre help custome r with their question, queries and problem and offers them the right solutions. We have our own call center located in house.Customers can also E-mail and go the the site http://www. makropakistan. com/index. htm for feedback. Plus all Makro centers are equipped to help handicapped people move around and have accessibility for wheelchairs etc. keeping checks and balances on the cleanliness and maintenance of the branch: a nice, clean ambience makes an overall good experience for the customer. Feedback is very important for Makro said the manager, it helps in improving and enhancing the service we provide. Social media Social media has been a great help for many businesses.Same is the case for Makro. Social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are amplifying the voice of people in the marketplace and are having profound and far-reaching effects on the ways in which people buy. Customers can now research companies online and then ask for recommendations through social media channels, making their buying decision without contacting the company. Makro has its own page on Facebook http://www. facebook. com/profile. php? id=100001615146117. People also use social media to share opinions and experiences on companies, products and services.As social media is not as widely moderated or censored as mainstream media, individuals can say anything they want about a company or brand, positive or negative. Increasingly, companies are looking to gain access to these conversations and take part in the dialogue. More than a few systems are now integrating to social networking sites. Social media promoters cite a number of business advantages, such as using online communities as a source of high-quality leads and a vehicle for crowd sourcing solutions to client-support problems.Companies can also leverage client stated habits and preferences to -target† their sales and marketing communications. Some analysts take the view that business-to-business marketers shou ld proceed cautiously when weaving social media into their business processes. These observers recommend careful market research to determine if and where the phenomenon can provide measurable benefits for client interactions, sales and support. It is stated that people feel their interactions are peer-to-peer between them and their contacts, and resent company involvement, sometimes responding with negatives about that company.

Starbuck’s FDI

1. Initially Starbucks expanded internationally by licensing its format to foreign operators. It soon became disenchanted with this strategy. Why? When Starbucks started its international expansion in Japan, it initially decided to license. As it is known licensing is â€Å"the method of foreign operation whereby a firm in one country agrees to permit a company in another country to use the manufacturing, processing, trademark, know-how or some other skill provided by the licensor†[1]. Advantages of licensing are obvious: it is less expensive, less risky as the risk is held by licensee and it ensures additional profitability with less initial investment. However, licensing has disadvantages and for Starbucks the main disadvantages of licensing in Japan are: †¢ This strategy did not give Starbucks the control needed to ensure that the licensees closely followed Starbucks’ successful formula. Starbucks successful formula† refers to its basic strategy: To sell the company’s own premium roasted coffee, along with freshly brewed espresso-style beverages, a variety of pastries, coffee accessories, teas, and other products, in a tastefully designed coffeehouse setting and also providing superior customer service[2]. Starbucks found it necessary to successfully replicate the look, feel, and experience of an American Starbucks that is why Starbucks transferred American employees to the Japanese stores to help train workers in the Starbucks way. With licensing Starbucks had limited control of expansion rate. Simultaneously with entering the market in Japan, in US Starbucks developed new cold beverage (Frappuchino) with Pepsi, signed contract with Dreyer’s for making ice cream. However, the expansion rate in Japan was not controlled under licensing agreement as could be done in US and the realization of new products was slow in Japan. 2. Why do you think Starbucks has now elected to expand internationally primarily through local joint ventures, to whom it licenses its format, as opposed using to a pure licensing strategy? Joint venture is â€Å"an enterprise in which two or more investors share ownership and control over property rights and operation†[3]. In short, the advantages of joint venture are: the company can be more informed about the situation in the market and how the consumers respond to the products; the fixed costs for new product entrance are shared with the company; synergy effect can be achieved. The main disadvantages of joint ventures are that more capital investment is needed versus licensing; the financial losses and risks are higher compared to licensing; a potential conflict between partners exists. By using joint ventures Starbucks managed to share the cost and risks of developing its foreign markets with the licensee and at the same time to have higher control over the operations of the licensee. Another reason for expanding through local joint ventures was that Starbucks had access to local knowledge through the partner and can measure the process of product adaptation. Pure licensing did not give enough power to Starbucks to control which helped Starbucks to sustain competitive advantage. The pure licensing limits the important information about market situation in the country. 3. What are the advantages of a joint-venture entry mode for Starbucks over entering through wholly owned subsidiaries? On occasion, Starbucks has chosen a wholly owned subsidiary to control its foreign expansion (e. g. , in Britain and Thailand). Why? Entering a new market is always risky and is accompanied with huge costs. Using joint venture model allows Starbucks to have controls over those risks by sharing them with a local company. The advantages of joint ventures, if compared with the wholly owned subsidiaries, are the opportunities to share the costs and risks associated with entering and developing in the market, having access to greater resources as well as getting acquainted with the local market, its culture, characteristics with the help of the local partner’s experience and knowledge. An advantage of Joint venture is also the opportunity to widen economic scope fast; building reputation is often difficult, time consuming and expensive. At a joint venture, Starbucks has the opportunity to widen its economic scope without spending too much money and waiting for a long time[4]. With the Joint venture model, the local company also has incentives and motivations for the total joined success and growth. It would be much lengthier, difficult and expensive process in case of entering through wholly owned subsidiary. One more advantage of joint venture is still having large measure of control over the situation, even though the control is more limited if compared with a wholly owned subsidiary, however it gives the opportunity to have sufficient control over the local situation. A joint venture example of Starbucks is entering into a joint venture with a Swiss company, Bon Appetit Group, the largest food service company in Switzerland. The disadvantages of joint venture are the following: it takes time to build the right partnership relationship with another business, especially when the objectives of the two partners are not entirely agreed and communicated[5], or there are differences in cultural and management styles. Also control and decision making are sometimes compromised in joint ventures. Since there is an agreement that divides which one will take over a particular operation, the other may not be satisfied with how the things are worked out with another. This leads to another disadvantage of a joint venture. There would be no communication or agreement issues in case of wholly owned subsidiaries. Another disadvantage is that the profit generated in the local market is shared. There are several cases when Starbucks preferred a wholly owned subsidiary in the process of its foreign expansions. There were different reasons for making such decisions. One reason was if the country had appropriate operations up for sale. Such example was in Britain, when Starbucks acquired an existing coffee chain that was modeled after Starbucks. An American couple, originally from Seattle, had started Seattle Coffee with the intention of establishing a Starbucks like chain in Britain. The chain was already successful; some of the risks that would normally be associated with introducing a new concept to a foreign market were eliminated. The other reason of choosing a wholly owned subsidiary model would be if control was very important in the country of expansion or if the country didn’t have an appropriate joint venture partners which have prerequisites acceptable by Starbucks. In case of Thailand, Starbucks chose to shift to a wholly owned operation, after the jointed venture with Coffee Partners, a local Thai company, didn’t manage to raise capital from Thai banks for further pre-agreed expansion of Starbucks in Thailand. Thus by acquiring Coffee Partners, Starbucks had a goal to have more control over the expansion strategy in Thailand. 4. Which theory of FDI best explains the international expansion strategy adopted by Starbucks? Starbucks followed Internalization theory, which suggests that when licensing is difficult, foreign direct investment is appropriate. The theory was developed by Buckley and Casson, in 1976 and then by Hennart, in 1982 and Casson, in 1983. Initially, the theory was launched by Coase in 1937 in a national context and Hymer in 1976 in an international context. In his Doctoral Dissertation, Hymer identified two major determinants of FDI. One was the removal of competition. The other was the advantages which some firms possess in a particular activity (Hymer, 1976). [6] Advantages of Foreign Direct Investment are †¢ A firm will favor FDI over exporting as an entry strategy when transportation costs or trade barriers make exporting unattractive A firm will favor FDI over licensing when it wishes to maintain control over its technological know-how, or over its operations and business strategy, or when the firm’s capabilities are simply not amenable to licensing[7] This theory fits Starbucks wants to maintain product quality and brand identity in all countries it has internationally expanded, to be perceived in the same way in all cultures, and preserve taste preferences, work habits and ways of doing business all over the world.

Air quality Essay Example for Free (#2)

Air quality Essay ? The quality f air that we breathe in today has significantly reduced over the years. Atmospheric air contains nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and rare inert gases. Of these, the two highly inevitable ones are oxygen and carbon dioxide. Theses are important for the survival of life n the planet: 02 is useful for animals and CO2 for photosynthesis in plants. The quality of these gases is determined by availability and its pollution-free state. Both factors have contributed to the present unfavorable status quo of these gases with respect to the sustenance of life on the planet. Many conferences have held in nations of the world; quite a handful of International Summit have held to address the prevalent menace of environmental pollution that threatens all lives on the Earth. Daily, the number of endangered species increase, and many plants and animals have already gone into extinction as a result of the pollution affecting the quality of atmospheric gases available for daily cellular functions. Human activities such as deforestation and degradation, water pollution through oil spillage and poor river basin development programs have indeed played significantly roles. Besides, exhauist from mechanical equipment and vehicles, gaseous wastes from manufacturing industries, pollution with indiscriminate use of plants chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, etc have contributed to the reduction in the quality of air available to plants. This has affected the produce of plants, and the health of animals including humans. One must realize the fact that plants constitute a major recycling pathway for the purification of atmospheric air. Photosynthesis uses sunlight and such inorganic molecules like CO2 to produce organic compounds in the from of glucose. This is consumed by animals to produce CO2. O2 is used in oxidation of food in animals with carbon dioxide as byproduct. This pathway is important in determining the quality of atmospheric CO2 and O2, a byproduct of photosynthesis. This implies that any process, natural or man-made, that alters this pathway will affect the recycling process and the availability of good quality air for life. The threat of destruction of rainforest would have tremendous impact on future levels of these gases: It would cause an automatic alteration in the pathway describes above. Plants population would reduce and animals would suffer greatly for this. As a result of this imbalance, atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide would change accordingly. The quality of atmospheric oxygen and CO2 has changes over the years. The threat of rainforest destruction would worsen the change in the future. www.climatechangeissues.com/files/science/Plimer.doc Air quality. (2018, Nov 08).

Administration of Medicines 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Administration of Medicines 3 - Essay Example f nurses’ and midwives’ professional lives regulated by the NMC are education, conduct, registration, supervision, allegations and ethical issues (Benner et al., 2009. P. 243). It is thus of the essence that student and practicing nurses and midwives ensure that all the latest NMC regulations are observed and standards attained. For instance, in 2004, the NMC set standards for education, which require nurses and midwives to attain the right level and types of skills, proficiency and qualities prior to their being absorbed into the industry. Besides the initial education, the NMC also set standards for nurses and midwives to develop their careers once absorbed into the industry. This continuous training and involvement in learning activities not only help nurses and midwives to sharpen their skills and competencies but also ensure their skills do not lag behind. One benefit of attaining the NMC standards of education and efficiency is to enable a nurse or a midwife to register with the NMC, which is the organ mandated to keep the register of all midwives and nurses in the United Kingdom. It is only by being registered that a nurse or a midwife may operate legally in the United Kingdom. To be registered, nurses and midwives must therefore meet the education standards, pay the annual fee and update their skills. The other function of the NMC, which nurses and midwifes must observe is supervision. During these organised supervisions, it is imperative that nurses and midwives prove that their work is supervised and meets the set standards to qualify for registration with the NMC. The NMC also deals with any issues and allegations rising within the nursing and midwifery professions in the UK, especially allegations that one does not meet the set professional standards and skills relating to education, supervision and work ethics. From these func tions of the NMC, it is obvious that student and professional nurses and midwives should endeavor to attain the set

ARTICLE CRITIQUES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARTICLE CRITIQUES - Essay Example Another aspect covered by the article is sources of information for the recognition of potential threats arising from hazardous materials. These include location and site occupancy; placards, labels and other markings on mode of transportation, buildings and containers; as well as information about the physical and chemical properties. All these information provide HAZMAT professionals with knowledge and guidance in the handling of hazardous materials and in responding to HAZMAT incidents. Finally, the article tackles personal protective equipment or PPE’s which help reduce risks from hazardous materials encountered by HAZMAT professionals. All the initial information provided in the article should be well-known to the emergency responder of incidents involving hazardous materials. Moreover, all the inputs provided by the article should be further studied by individuals who deal with these materials. Lack of appropriate knowledge about hazardous materials not only run the risk of exacerbating the incident but also fatal risks for the HAZMAT professionals. They should be well-versed in the laws and regulations concerning such materials to be able to prevent untoward incidents. Emergency responders should also be able to recognize the presence of these materials and must know how to safely handle them. Additionally, in responding to emergency situations involving hazardous materials, HAZMAT professionals should be equipped with appropriate PPEs and should be well-trained in their use. The article provides an introduction to laws, regulations and regulating bodies concerned with hazardous materials. It gives examples of regulating bodies such as the EPA, OSHA, DOT, NFPA; as well as examples of regulation such as SARA-EPCRA, HAZWOPER, and NFPA standards. Even from the examples presented, the reader is made to realize that many entities are concerned with safety as related to hazardous materials. Although the examples are not explained at length, mere mention

Customer and market dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Customer and market dynamics - Essay Example In this period firms have started giving considerable importance to the demands of the consumers. Firms are launching products that are trying to cater the needs of different sections of the consumer markets that have diverse needs and wants. Aspects like variation of product mix are frequently being used by different organizations to understand the exact demands of the consumers and delivering their demands by producing tailor made products to the consumers. In order to achieve success for their product offering it is important to segment the market on the basis of consumer behaviour of the target market segments. According to Loudon consumer behaviour is defined as â€Å"the decision process and physical activity individuals engage in when evaluating, acquiring, using or disposing goods and services† (Loudon, 2001, p.5). ... The UK consumer market has been selected as the consumer market where the product would be launched. The study would cover an extensive analysis of the existing literature so as to prepare a set of plausible recommendations for the firm so as to successfully launch the product in the market. Macro-environmental Factors Political Factors UK or United Kingdom comprises of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. UK is one of the most developed consumer market of the world. The nation has a constitutional monarchy and is headed by the queen who is closely aided by the Prime Minister and his council of ministers who are elected democratically. The political establishment is one of the most stable political establishments in the nation which ensures development of the nation in all aspects. The administrative wing of the government is divided into the legislative, executive and judiciary wings which control the administration of the nation. The nation firmly believes in the spirit of democ racy and provides considerable fundamental rights to its citizens (CIA, 2011). Economic Factors UK is one of the most economically powerful nations of the world with GDP in terms of official exchange rates stand at $ 2.179 trillion as of 2009. The GDP figures in terms of purchasing power parity stand out at $ 34,200 as of 2009. The services sector has the highest contribution towards the GDP followed by industries and agriculture (CIA, 2011). Social Factors UK represents one of the best consumer markets of the world with population figures of 62,348,447 individuals as of July 2010. The median age of the population is 39.8 years which represents a good market for the product (moisturiser). Approximately 90 percent of the total population

Agency theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Agency theory - Essay Example Freeman states that stakeholder concept is about management, and it mirrors and guides how managers function rather than chiefly addressing management and economists’ theories (1994). Freeman states two key enquiries of the stakeholder concept in his article. The first query is the aim of the corporation. This is useful and helpful for managers in the 21st century. Managers, by determining the purpose of the firm, can state the share’s responsiveness for the value they create. Managers can also determine what brings the key stakeholders together. Furthermore, this challenges the firm to establish sound performance through considering its goals and market fiscal metrics. The other question enquired in the shareholder concept is what accountability management has to shareholders. These aid managers to understand how they plan to carry out business. Predominantly, they look for a suitable kind of association with shareholders to attain their own welfares. The fundamental o f shareholder theory’s economic importance is that great numbers of persons come and function together to enhance their situation, in conformity with the central modern economic realisms. To urge more and more workforces to perform their finest for the corporations, it is essential and vital for supervisors to develop relations and create effective communication with shareholders. It is broadly accepted that stockholder is a significant party within the firm and his or her interests are a dire characteristic.

North Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

North Korea - Essay Example The Boxer Rebellion initiated by China had a negative impact on Russian interests. Consequently, Russia sent troops into Manchuria. America instituted the open door policy (1899-1900) to curb Russian expansion. Nevertheless, Russia and Japan fought over Manchuria and Korea (1904-1905). This paper delves into the historical evolution, demographics, politics and other events that have shaped North Korea as such (Armstrong 13). Russia experienced a communist revolution and toppling of the Tsar in 1917; the country officially adopted the name of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The USSR’s influence had dwindled in East Asia by this time while Japan became more confrontational over Manchuria. The Japanese eventually installed a puppet government in Manchuria after the invasion of 1931-1932. Japan’s aggression escalated to the extent that it declared war on China in 1937. Furthermore, Japan forced the invasion of its culture on Korea through imposing Shinto religion on the Koreans and forcing them to adopt Japanese surnames. Korea’s national endowments were eyed by competing nations culminating in the Korean war of 1950-1952. Government records and statistics are somewhat sketchy. The CIA World Fact Book estimates that the population of North Korea is 24,589,122 as of 2012. People below 14 years old represent 22%; those aged 15-64 represent 69% while those above 65 years old represent 9%. A further look into the statistics reveals that number of females is considerably bigger than that of males within the age range of above 15 years old. The median age is 31.2 for males and 34.6 for females; this is a young median age for both. The birth rate of 14.51 per 1000 and death rate of 9.12 per 1000 combined with a net immigration rate of -0.04 per 1000, which yields a population growth rate of 0.53%. Urbanization is 60% of the population; infant mortality rate is 26.21 deaths per 1000; maternal death rate is

Why Parents are Sometimes Strict to their Childeren Essay

Why Parents are Sometimes Strict to their Childeren - Essay Example This paper examines the issue of strict parenting by first defining what this means, and then exploring the multiple reasons why parents might choose to be strict to their children on occasion. A number of scholarly findings are reported, along with illustrative examples, in order to demonstrate the type of situations which call for strictness, and finally a comparison is drawn between strictness which is appropriate, and strictness which is unhelpful for a child’s development. Most people can remember instances from their childhood when their parents punished them because of something that they did. It is entirely natural and proper for a certain amount of conflict to arise between parents and children because the only way children can learn about the world is by being gradually introduced to it in a safe and practical way. Babies and young children have to be taught that certain objects are hot, or sharp, or in some other way dangerous, and caring parents are generally very strict about things like fire and matches, crossing roads, talking to strangers, and other kinds of behavior which could bring harm to the child. Strictness in this context is a fundamental parental duty. It would be criminal and negligent to allow children to freely experiment with such dangerous behaviors and so in this sense strictness is a positive quality which protects the child by teaching it what must be avoided. There is another kind of strictness, and this relates to the social behavior of a child, for example in learning to say hello and goodbye, or to say polite phrases like please and thank you. There is an element of culture in this kind of strictness, because it has more to do with what people think about the child (and by implication also the parents) than what the child wishes or needs. Some families are very strict about using titles such as â€Å"Sir† or â€Å"Ma’am† when the child is addressing adults, while other parents are much more relaxe d, and some even allow children to address parents by their first names, rather than by polite phrases or the labels â€Å"Mom† and â€Å"Dad†. The purpose of this kind of strictness, when it occurs, is to make sure that the child learns to fit into the norms of the social setting in which the family lives. Parents who have been in the military, or who have a strong faith in a major religion, are often more concerned about this kind of behavior, because they have high moral standards themselves and wish to pass these same standards on to their children. Parents who work in the arts and media, or who are unemployed, or who are of a more gentle disposition may, on the other hand, value a free and easy approach to life, or perceive such good manners as something irrelevant, or elitist. The moral, religious and political views of the parent, therefore, are often a key factor in determining how strict they are with their children. A number of studies have been carried out o n parents and strictness, including a recent exploration of the relationship between teenage drinking behavior and parental strictness levels (Aubrey, 2010). Researchers at Brigham Young University found that children whose parents are indulgent and easy-going tend to be the most likely to become involved in binge drinking of alcohol. The same study found also that parents who are very strict try to prevent the child from coming into contact with alcohol, but unfortunately this has the effect also of removing the opportunity for children to make their own judgements. (Aubrey 2010). An earlier study on parental strictness in the United Kingdom found that â€Å"Children are more likely to grow into well-adjusted adults if their parents are firm disciplinarians.†

Evidence based nursing practice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evidence based nursing practice - Research Paper Example 10). DESCRIPTION Evidence based nursing practice is the application of nursing practice based on information gathered from researches (McCann, 2007, p. 2). Usually, this information came from nurses’ experiences in the health care setting. Research data help nurses in deciding appropriate patient care and tend to be more updated than reference books. In conducting evidence based nursing practice project, the basic steps involved are: clinical question formulation, searching and reviewing articles on that clinical question, critical evaluation and comparison of the articles, application of the information from the articles, and outcome evaluation of the changes made in local practice (McCann, 2007, p. 5). Developing a clinical question may arise from clinical practice or to an area where an individual wants to gain awareness. To start a clinical question, it must be specific, concrete, and pointing relationship between patient and exposure. The formulation of an outcome and fac tors to consider are also included in the first step. After establishing clinical questions, the nurse will have to review relevant articles to use. Online indexes, published journals, books, and other references serve as databases and will help in broadening knowledge about the research topic. The next step is critical evaluation and comparison of the articles. In this step, the nurse must make sure that articles were published in peer-reviewed journals, that is, outside experts had reviewed the article prior to publication (McCann, 2007, p. 6). Articles are examined for quality indicators such as validity and reliability. If found out that the information from the article is valid and reliable, the information from the article is applied. Then, outcomes are further evaluated depending on the patient’s response. The response of the patient serves as gauge line for measuring initial objectives. Documentation must be concise and objective, and additional information are implem ented as new heath practice. In 2008, Reavey and Tavernier conducted a study comprising the team formation of staff nurses, unit nurse manager, clinical nurse specialist, nurse researcher, and infection control nurse. The clinical question is to identify the best practice for frequency of central line dressing changes in severely neutropenic patients. The current policy, which is daily dressing changes, resulted in skin breakdown and increases the chance for infection. The patients were dissatisfied also with the frequency and discomfort due to skin breakdown. The team conducted a literature search of relevant evidence. Based on the literatures, the team came up with a proposal that central line dressings must be changed every 7 days or as needed, and gauze dressing changes every 2 days. The expected outcomes were reduced cost spent in supplies and less nursing time required, as well as decreased infection and skin breakdown. The team implemented the proposal and conducted a pilot s tudy measuring outcomes. During 6 months of trial, blood stream infection rate is 4 per 1,000 line days, which is below the benchmark. Based on this result, the current health policy on central line dres

Rejected Shepherd Essay Example for Free

Rejected Shepherd Essay Introduction The nation of Israel has been waiting for their Messiah for millennia. Prophesied since the days of Adam, promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, anticipated by Moses, and lauded by David, the Jewish nation expected Messiah to come in power and glory and to usher in a nearutopian kingdom in which Israel would be an autonomous state. Such a one-sided interpretation of prophecy has caused Israel to miss the suffering Savior of Isaiah 53 and to wander in a spiritual haze for thousands of years. The failure of the Jews to recognize and accept their Messiah was not, however, surprising to God. The last six chapters of the prophecy of Zechariah center on the advent of the Jewish Messiah. Within those chapters, God chronicled many of the events leading up to both the first and second comings of Christ including His rejection by the nation of Israel as a whole. This paper will focus on the details concerning the first coming of Christ and the historical fulfillment of events as foretold by Zechariah. One thing the Israelites did expect to occur with the coming of Messiah was judgment to fall on those nations that persecuted the Jews. The militant Zealots of the first century AD were always watching and ready to fall in behind a king, sword in hand. Many of the other Jews, while maybe not as openly aggressive toward foreign control, eagerly awaited the freedom that would come with the kingdom of Messiah. Chapter nine of the prophecy of Zechariah begins with a declaration that would have sparked the emotion of any Jew that was still recovering from his or her time in Babylonian captivity. Judgment was coming on the nations. Holland 2 CHAPTER TWO. The First Coming of Messiah Judgment of the Nations When looking at prophecies concerning the coming of Christ, it is important to understand that both comings may or may not be in view and that the events described in the prophecy may relate to both comings. This writer would like to focus on those prophecies of Zechariah that have fulfilled historically at the first coming of Christ. Zechariah 9:1-7 describes certain strongholds of the nations surrounding Israel. The first to face the judgment of God are Hadrach and Damascus. There is no clear reference in Scripture or history at to the location of Hadrach, but in his comments on Zechariah 9:1 from his study Bible, MacArthur indicates this might be â€Å"a reference to the dual Medo-Persian kingdom. † Damascus, however, is clearly identified as the capital of Syria, the nation that led the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity. With the judgment on these cities, the Lord included the city of Hamath and the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. Tyre is mentioned in verses two and three as being â€Å"very skillful† and as having â€Å"heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. † The abundant wealth of the city and a parallel prophecy of judgment are recorded in the following from Ezekiel 28:4-7: [B]y your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth—therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the Holland 3 most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. Such wealth and wisdom did not spare these cities when the face of God turned toward them in judgment as Tyre was, indeed, stripped of its prosperity just as Zechariah prophesied in 9:4. Verses five and six show the progression of judgment southward through the land of the Philistines. Four of the five major Philistine cites were included in the path of destruction; only Gath was excluded. These cities were said to look on the destruction of Tyre and Sidon in fear and hopelessness (9:5). Afterward, their land was occupied with foreigners, and, according to Expositor’s Bible Commentary , they were stripped of their â€Å"repulsive† idolatrous practices (9:67). The first seven verses of chapter nine chronicle the destruction of the enemies of Israel during the phenomenal conquest of Alexander the Great. The young leader conquered the Syrians bringing an end to the Medo-Persian Empire. After this Alexander went to the Mediterranean coast and carried his conquest south. In his invasion of Palestine, he executed the judgment of God throughout the land. The famous siege of Tyre is testimony to the influence of God behind this pagan ruler. The island city of Tyre seemed impregnable, but using debris from the mainland city, which had been sacked by Nebuchadnezzar some years earlier, Alexander built a causeway and marched his army across the channel and right up to the city walls. Using siege weapons, he broke through the defenses and decimated the city selling tens of thousands into slavery (â€Å"Siege†). From there Alexander marched south and conquered the cities of the Philistines â€Å"killing their national pride† but leaving alive a remnant (MacArthur). Holland 4 With the swift and effective conquest of Alexander, many would find it odd that Jerusalem and Judea was spared. Bible students, however, have a very clear answer for this: God had already said His people would be spared. This leads the discussion into Zechariah 9:8 and the promised preservation of the Jewish nation. Preservation of Israel Great problems arise in the continuity of prophetic Scripture if Israel ever ceases to be a nation. In the midst of calamitous activity around the Jewish nation, Zechariah provided yet another hope for the sons of Jacob. According to verse eight of chapter nine, the mighty hand of God was defending His chosen people. Alexander, according to Jewish tradition, visited Jerusalem after receiving a vision in a dream of the high priest of the Jews. When he arrived at the city and saw the priest as he was in the dream, the young general bowed and knew he would completely conquer Persia (â€Å"Zechariah†). God had certainly spared His people during the conquest of Alexander, but verse eight also indicates the nation of Israel would never be overrun by an invading army. Even a cursory look at history reveals such an event did happen again in 70 AD. That year the Roman general, Titus, sacked Jerusalem, dispersed the Jewish nation, and razed the temple to the ground. The prophecy in verse eight must, therefore, refer to the second coming of Messiah (MacArthur). During the time of the Tribulation, Revelation 7:4 recounts 144,000 Jews will be sealed to live in spite of the intense persecution by Antichrist. Following that period, the Jewish nation will never again be overrun by oppressors. Coming of Messiah Zechariah 9:9-17 seem to be a reference to both comings of Messiah. In verse nine He is referred to as a king â€Å"humbled and riding on a donkey. † This entire verse was directly stated to Holland 5 have been fulfilled in Matthew 21:1-5 and John 12:12-15 when the God of creation rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey to shouts of praise. A glorious picture of Messiah is presented in Zechariah 9:9. He was â€Å"righteous, having salvation, gentle† and rode and animal of peace, not a warhorse. If any of the Jews present at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was familiar with this verse, it is no wonder they lauded Him as king. The puzzling thing is: of those who envisioned Zechariah 9:9 when they saw Jesus enter Jerusalem, how many remembered the later prophecies of Zechariah 11. Since this paper focuses on the words of Zechariah concerning the first coming of Messiah and since 9:10 through 10:12 speak primarily of the second advent and the future establishment of the millennial theocracy, the reader will be directed to the beginning of Zechariah chapter eleven to conclude this look at the fulfilled prophecies of Messiah contained in this book. Rejection of Messiah Chapter eleven opens â€Å"in stark contrast to† the previous chapters (MacArthur). The prophecies of chapters nine and ten that speak of the second coming of Messiah present Him as a glorious king who showers peace and blessing on the people of Israel. Chapter eleven, however, begins with a lament over the destruction of the land of Palestine (1-3). The interpretation of these first three verses is debatable, but they most likely speak of â€Å"the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70 and the subsequent devastation of the whole land, which resulted in the dissolution of the Jewish state† (MacArthur). Such destruction caused those whose lives and livelihoods were firmly planted in the land to wail (Zech. 11:1-3). Isaiah 53:3 recounts the mournful cry of the rejected Servant, Messiah. Likewise, Zechariah 11 states the reason behind the lamentable destruction of verses 1-3: the Shepherd had been rejected by His flock. God gave Zechariah a message he was to role-play in verses 4-6, Holland 6 which the prophet enacted in verses 7-14. The symbolism of these latter verses is important in relating to the actual events of the rejection of Jesus. Zechariah recorded that he went through the process of caring for a flock of sheep. MacArthur relates this literal event to both the feeding of the Word of God by Zechariah and the then-future work of the Shepherd-Messiah. The prophet had two staves, Favor and Union, which were used to tend the flock. The name of each had significance relating to the covenantal relationship between God and the nation of Israel. The first half of Zechariah 11:8 is greatly debated. The rejection of the three shepherds in this verse, according to MacArthur, seems to relate to the removal of the offices of â€Å"priests, elders, and scribes of Israel. . . . God ended the traditional offices of the mediators and in [their] place brought a new priesthood of believers. † The under-shepherds of Israel failed in their duties and actually led the flock to reject the true Shepherd. Because of their rejection, the Shepherd turned His back on the flock and let them devour themselves, which they quite literally did during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD (MacArthur). The breaking of the staves in verses ten and fourteen indicate the broken covenant of that generation [although the eternal covenant of God with the Jewish nation is still in tact]. Upon breaking the covenant between Shepherd and sheep, a call was made of payment for services rendered, to which the sheep [literally, the owners of the flock] respond by giving Zechariah the insignificant amount [in value] of 30 pieces of silver, which was hardly worth the time invested with the flock. Zechariah was then instructed to â€Å"throw it to the potter† (Zech. 11:13). This, again, was directly and literally fulfilled in Matthew 27:3-10 when Judas betrayed Jesus for the price of a slave and later threw the money at the priests who, in turn, used it to buy the worthless field in which Judas was eventually buried. Holland 7 CHAPTER THREE Conclusion The prophecies of Zechariah concerning the first coming of Messiah are not without great amounts of irony. The people eagerly awaited the entrance of Messiah, according to the prophecies, but failed to see they would reject Him. [The irony of the 30 pieces of silver being used to purchase the burial field of Judas is another.] The foolish decisions of the Jewish nation have caused them to become largely apathetic toward God and to wonder if Messiah will ever come. They expected a military deliverer and were sent a suffering Servant, whom they wholly rejected. One has to wonder the magnitude of the mourning of Israel when Messiah does come on a white charger to receive His rightful throne (Zech. 12:10). Judgment once came on the nations that had oppressed Israel, and judgment will come again. Israel was once preserved from destruction by the mighty hand of God; Israel will be preserved again. Messiah once entered Jerusalem hailed as a king, and He will enter again prepared to take what is His. The Jews once rejected their Savior. When He comes again, this will not be repeated. Holland 8 Works Cited MacArthur, John Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible. Electronic Ed. Nashville: Word Pub. , 1997. Siege of Tyre. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia . 10 Apr 2007, 23:21 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 20 Apr 2007 . The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. â€Å"Zechariah. † The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: New Testament . CD-ROM. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Jean Piagets Theory Essay Example for Free

Jean Piagets Theory Essay Piaget’s theory is based on stages, whereby each stage represents a qualitatively different type of thinking. Children in stage one cannot think the same as children in stage 2, 3 or 4 etc. Transitions from one stage to another are generally very fast, and the stages always follow an invariant sequence. Another important characteristic of his stage theory is that they are universal; the stages will work for everyone in the world regardless of their differences (except their age, of course, which is what the stages are based on!) Piaget acknowledged that there is an interaction between a child and the environment, and this is a focal point for his theory. He believed a child cannot learn unless they are constantly interacting with their environment, making mistakes and then learning from them. He defined children as â€Å"lone scientists†; he did not identify any need for teachers or adults in cognitive development. Children have all the cognitive mechanisms to learn on their own, and the interaction with their environment allows them to do so. To put this in perspective, another theory by Lev Vygotsky suggested that the interaction is not important at all; the child will learn when encouraged to with an adult’s assistance. I will be explaining then contrasting Vygotsky’s theory to Piaget’s in my next post – so be sure to check back for that! With the background of his theory explained, let’s look at – The Key Concepts of Piaget’s theory: Before explaining the main part of Piaget’s theory (the four stages), it’s very important to look at some of the underlying principles behind it. Rather than write a stupidly long paragraph explaining it all, I will write the key terms in bold, then explain them in bullet points – just to keep things simple! †¢Schema (pl. Schemata, although some say â€Å"Schemas† for the plural) Possibly one of the most important concepts put forward by Piaget, Schemata help individuals understand the world they inhabit. They are cognitive structures that represent a certain aspect of the world, and can be seen as categories which have certain pre-conceived ideas in them. For example, my schema for Christmas includes: Christmas trees, presents, giving, money, green, red, gold, winter, Santa Claus etc. Someone else may have an entirely different schema, such as Jesus, birth, Church, holiday, Christianity etc. Of course, there are schemata for all kinds of things – yourself (self schemata), other people (people schemata), events/situations (event schemata) and roles/occupations (role schemata). With regards to Piaget’s theory, a child might have a pre-conceived schema for a dog. If the household has a small West Highland White Terrier as a dog, the schema might be â€Å"small, furry, four legs, white†. When the child interacts with a new dog – perhaps a Labrador, it will change to incorporate the new information, such as â€Å"big, golden, smooth etc.† This is known as: †¢Assimilation Simply the process of incorporating new information into a pre-existing schema. So with the â€Å"dog† example, the child assimilated the Labrador’s information into the old dog schema. Assimilation is essentially fitting new information into schemata we already have in place. Unfortunately, this can lead to stereotyping. For example, if an old lady sees a teenager mug another person, she might assimilate â€Å"violence† or â€Å"crime† into her teenage schema. Next time she sees a teenager, her schema will be applied to them – and although they may be a kind person, she will probably show prejudice. Assimilation is normally a simple process, as new information already fits the pre-exisiting categories. †¢Accommodation When coming across a new object for the first time, a child will attempt to apply an old schema to the object. For consistency, let’s use the dog example again. The child may have â€Å"four legs, furry† in their dog schema. When coming across another similar animal, such as a cat, they might say â€Å"Look, a dog!† – that’s assimilation. However, when told that it’s actually a cat – not a dog – they will accommodate the new information into another schema. They will now form a â€Å"cat† schema; â€Å"not all four legged furry animals are dogs – some are cats too!†. They have accommodated the new information. The process just mentioned – of assimilation then accommodation is known as †¢Adaptation Assimilation and accommodation are the two parts of adaptation – which is simply what it says – adapting our schemata to make an accurate (enough) model of the world we live in. It is a form of learning, but an entirely different form to the kind you’d see in behaviourist psychology for example (such as operant/classical conditioning). †¢Equilibrium Piaget suggested that humans naturally strive to achieve a cognitive balance; there must be a balance between applying prior knowledge (assimilation) and changing schemata to account for new information (accommodation). Piaget suggested that when a child has a schema which doesn’t fit reality, there is tension in the mind. By balancing the use of assimilation and accommodation, this tension is reduced and we can proceed to higher levels of thought and learning (equilibration). QUICK SUMMARY: Children have schemata (cognitive structures that contain pre-existing ideas of the world), which are constantly changing. Schemata constantly undergo adaptation, through the processes of assimilation and accommodation. When seeing new objects there is a state of tension, and a child will attempt to assimilate the information to see if it fits into prior schemata. If this fails, the information must be accommodated by either adding new schemata or modifying the existing ones to accommodate the information. By balancing the use of assimilation and accommodation, an equilibrium is created, reducing cognitive tension (equilibration). Vygotskys theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition Vygotsky, 1978), as he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of making meaning. Unlike Piagets notion that childrens development must necessarily precede their learning, Vygotsky argued, learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function (1978, p. 90). In other words, social learning tends to precede (i.e. come before) development. Vygotsky has developed a socio-cultural approach to cognitive development. He developed his theories at around the same time as Jean Piaget was starting to develop his theories (1920s and 30s), but he died at the age of 38 and so his theories are incomplete although some of his writings are still being translated from Russian. No single principle (such as Piagets equilibration) can account for development. Individual development cannot be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which it is embedded. Higher mental processes in the individual have their origin in social processes. Vygotskys theory differs from that of Piaget in a number of important ways: 1: Vygotsky places more emphasis on culture affecting/shaping cognitive development this contradicts Piagets view of universal stages and content of development. (Vygotsky does not refer to stages in the way that Piaget does). 2: Vygotsky places considerably more emphasis on social factors contributing to cognitive development (Piaget is criticised for underestimating this). 3: Vygotsky places more (and different) emphasis on the role of language in cognitive development (again Piaget is criticised for lack of emphasis on this). Effects of Culture: Tools of intellectual adaptation Like Piaget, Vygotsky claimed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development Piaget focuses on motor reflexes and sensory abilities. Vygotsky refers to Elementary Mental Functions – o Attention o Sensation o Perception o Memory Eventually, through interaction within the socio-cultural environment, these are developed into more sophisticated and effective mental processes/strategies which he refers to as Higher Mental Functions. For example, memory in young children this is limited by biological factors. However, culture determines the type of memory strategy we develop. E.g., in our culture we learn note-taking to aid memory, but in pre-literate societies other strategies must be developed, such as tying knots in string to remember, or carrying pebbles, or repetition of the names of ancestors until large numbers can be repeated. Vygotsky refers to tools of intellectual adaptation these allow children to use the basic mental functions more effectively/adaptively, and these are culturally determined (e.g. memory mnemonics, mind maps). Vygotsky therefore sees cognitive functions, even those carried out alone, as affected by the beliefs, values and tools of intellectual adaptation of the culture in which a person develops and therefore socio-culturally determined. The tools of intellectual adaptation therefore vary from culture to culture as in the memory example Social Influences on Cognitive Development Like Piaget, Vygotsky believes that young children are curious and actively involved in their own learning and the discovery and development of new understandings/schema. However, Vygotsky placed more emphasis on social contributions to the process of development, whereas Piaget emphasised self-initiated discovery. According to Vygotsky (1978), much important learning by the child occurs through social interaction with a skillful tutor. The tutor may model behaviours and/or provide verbal instructions for the child. Vygotsky refers to this as co-operative or collaborative dialogue. The child seeks to understand the actions or instructions provided by the tutor (often the parent or teacher) then internalizes the information, using it to guide or regulate their own performance. Shaffer (1996) gives the example of a young girl who is given her first jigsaw. Alone, she performs poorly in attempting to solve the puzzle. The father then sits with her and describes or demonstrates some basic strategies, such as finding all the comer/edge pieces and provides a couple of pieces for the child to put together herself and offers encouragement when she does so. As the child becomes more competent, the father allows the child to work more independently. According to Vygotsky, this type of social interaction involving co-operative or collaborative dialogue promotes cognitive development. In order to gain an understanding of Vygotskys theories on cognitive development, one must understand two of the main principles of Vygotskys work: the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). More Knowledgeable Other The more knowledgeable other (MKO) is somewhat self-explanatory; it refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. Although the implication is that the MKO is a teacher or an older adult, this is not necessarily the case. Many times, a childs peers or an adults children may be the individuals with more knowledge or experience. For example, who is more likely to know more about the newest teen-age music groups, how to win at the most recent PlayStation game, or how to correctly perform the newest dance craze a child or their parents? In fact, the MKO need not be a person at all. Some companies, to support employees in their learning process, are now using electronic performance support systems. Electronic tutors have also been used in educational settings to facilitate and guide students through the learning process. The key to MKOs is that they must have (or be programmed with) more knowledge about the topic being learned than the learner does. Zone of Proximal Development The concept of the More Knowledgeable Other is integrally related to the second important principle of Vygotskys work, the Zone of Proximal Development. This is an important concept that relates to the difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. For example, the child could not solve the jigsaw puzzle (in the example above) by itself and would have taken a long time to do so (if at all), but was able to solve it following interaction with the father, and has developed competence at this skill that will be applied to future jigsaws. Vygotsky (1978) sees the Zone of Proximal Development as the area where the most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given allowing the child to develop skills they will then use on their own developing higher mental functions. Vygotsky also views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies. He suggests that teachers use cooperative learning exercises where less competent children develop with help from more skillful peers within the zone of proximal development.

Indias Rise in Economics and the Challenges it Faces

Indias Rise in Economics and the Challenges it Faces India is not, by a long way a regional power, let alone a global power. That it is necessary to state this obvious fact is a testament to the power of public indoctrination. There is a huge gap between India and the developed world. According to the World Bank, Indias Gross National Income (GNI) in 2009 was $793 billion, compared to the USs $12.95 trillion. India, with 17 per cent of the worlds population, accounts for less than 1.7 per cent of the worlds income. Thus Indias per capita GNI was $1180, compared to the USs nearly $47,240. Even South Koreas per capita GNI was over $19,880. Indias situation is slightly better in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) but even Indias PPP per capita income is ranked 154th in the world  [1]  . For all the rosy projections of rapid growth by India and other Asian countries by 2020, the USs National Intelligence Council admits that per capita income in most (Asian) countries will not compare to those of Western nations. Human Development The situation is far worse in terms of human development. In the UNs Human Development Index, this claims to be a composite of various factors, such as health, education and income, India ranks 119th among 175 countries. Indias under-five mortality rate per 1,000 live births is 69, that is, one in fourteen children die before the age of five. Its maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births is 230, compared to 38 for China  [2]  . We are constantly told that poverty in India is declining, and a great industry has sprung up of academic treatises to show how fast poverty is declining. However, these treatises have reduced poverty by defining the term so that it no longer relates to whether or not people get their minimum requirements of calories. The official National Sample Survey of 2005 revealed that three-fourths of Indias rural population and half the urban population did not get the minimum recommended calories. This is confirmed by nutritional and health surveys, which reveal the following: more than two-fifths of the adult population suffer from chronic energy deficiency, and a large percentage are at the border of this condition; half Indias women are anaemic; half its children can be clinically defined as malnourished (stunted, wasting, or both). Within India half of our rural population or over 350 million people are below the average food energy intake of SSA (Sub-Saharan Africa) countries.  [3]   Poverty as such is not directly observed: the National Sample Survey (NSS) gathers responses to a questionnaire regarding consumption, and the poverty estimates are then derived (after making various assumptions) from this data. But the same NSS directly observes that employment growth plummeted between the last two surveys (1993-94 and 1999-2000). Now, it is virtually impossible for poverty to have declined if unemployment grew sharply, and the methodology of any study that claims poverty has fallen should be questioned. The sector of the countrys economy has seen breakneck growth in the past decade: the provision of software services and business process outsourcing services to foreign (principally US) firms. However, that sector accounts for 0.25 per cent of the labour force. Where are the rest? Nearly half of Indias total working-age population (15-59 years of age) is unemployed, most of it not even counted as part of the labour force. While agriculture continues to employ the majority of those considered employed, it accounts for less than a quarter of the national income, and that share continues to shrink. No Industrial Transformation National income is conventionally divided into three sectors- agriculture, industry and services. All the countries in the developed world passed from being predominantly agricultural economies to being predominantly industrial economies. It was only after industry had brought these entire economies (including their agriculture) under its sway, commodities became vastly more plentiful than in the past, and the economic surplus grew massively, that these economies could sustain growth in the share of services. Today, industry accounts for the largest share of GDP in the economies of China, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, as much as 56 per cent in the case of China. In Indias case, however, the share of industry is low just 28.2 per cent in 2009  [4]  . Industry has never been the dominant sector of the Indian economy. Moreover, its share of GDP has not been increasing, but is stagnant or shrinking. And Indian industrys share of employment is just 17.6 per cent. Indeed, in the two commodity-producing sectors agriculture and industry one cannot find any miraculous takeoff in growth during the period of reform. But one should beware of drawing sweeping conclusions on the basis of two or even three years figures. And while the services sector has led growth over the past two decades, so that it now accounts for 54.6 per cent of GDP, much of the services sector (e.g. growth of police and armed forces, the explosion of financial sector and real estate activity) has no tangible benefit for the people at large. It is true that certain Indian firms (or Indian units of foreign firms) have attained world standards in quality of output, and with their lower labour costs may become highly competitive exporters. Glowing press reports of such units convey the sense that the Indian economy has undergone a take-off. However, these firms are generally dependent on imported capital goods and are strongly linked to export markets; they have few linkages to the rest of the Indian economy. They remain islands in the large sea of underdeveloped India. Contrast this with the transformation of the economy that would take place with the rapid development of industries catering to domestic demand for items of mass consumption. That would create demand for raw materials and indigenous capital goods, in the entire process generating huge employment and promoting indigenous technological know-how.  At any rate, India accounts for less than one per cent of world exports. High technology goods constitute ju st five per cent of its exports. Indias rapid increase in oil imports (and Indias high-profile efforts to secure long-term oil and gas supplies from abroad) is being held up as a sign of its rapid economic growth. It actually is a sign of the absence of national planning. Much of the growth in oil consumption is on account of the great boom in private automobiles. This is in turn the result of the failure of public transport, growing income inequalities, and the massive expansion of cheap credit for car purchases. Moreover, rapid growth of oil imports signifies not the growing strength but the growing vulnerability of the Indian economy. Genuine national planning would have ensured instead (i) restraint on consumption (through the expansion of railways for goods and passenger transport, expansion of public transport in cities, and a variety of energy conservation investments), and (ii) a programme of investment to develop and use the countrys oil, gas and plentiful coal resources effectively and economically. A comb ination of such measures could have greatly reduced the countrys dependence on oil imports. Instead, the share of oil in Indias energy is growing, and the share of imports in its total oil consumption is on course to reach 90 per cent or more in some years. In the last few years, large foreign capital inflows and the booming foreign exchange earnings of the IT sector have resulted in the rapid growth of the countrys foreign exchange reserves. As a result, the Government has liberalised foreign investment by Indian firms. Thus a number of Indian firms have been investing abroad, in many cases acquiring foreign firms. This phenomenon has generated considerable excitement in the business press, which point to it as further evidence of Indias new global status: now, they claim, Indian firms too are multinational corporations. Indeed, for two years, 2003-04 and 2004-05, India ran a current account surplus, which means that it was a net capital exporter. However, much as this may be good business sense for the firms which are making them; but in general they run contrary to the requirements of national economic development. India is not a capital-surplus economy, but an underdeveloped, capital-starved one, with large resources lying idle for lack of investment. It makes no economic sense to export capital from such a country. Indian capitalists may earn financial returns from their investments abroad, but such returns will give paltry stimulus to the Indian economy, whereas investment in manufacturing within the country stimulates demand, productive activity and employment in a number of sectors, with far-reaching benefits for the whole economy. India- A Knowledge Economy As part of the propaganda about Indias emerging as a global power, we are told ad nauseam that India is a knowledge economy, an information technology (IT) superpower, and the like. The truth is that adult literacy in India is just 61 per cent; on this score, it ranks 146th out of 177 countries in the UNs Human Development Index   (that is, many countries with much lower per capita income had much higher literacy levels than India for example, much of desperately poor sub-Saharan Africa). In recent years, on the recommendation of the World Bank, the Indian government has focussed its meagre education expenditures increasingly on primary education, largely abandoning secondary and higher education (as if they were a luxury). Yet official data tell us that 42 per cent of children enrolled drop out before completing primary education (I-V). Another 19 per cent, according to official data, drop out  before completing upper primary education (VI-VIII). And according to Cens us data, 43.5 per cent of the children between the ages of five and nine are not in school. More perturbing is the quality of education that is being imparted in government schools. It is so dismal that half the children in Class IV in government schools in Mumbai cannot do the arithmetic calculations required of a Class I student. When put to the test, 18 per cent of students attending Classes II to V in Andhra Pradesh couldnt do single-digit additions while only 12 per cent managed single-digit subtractions. Higher education, which the Government has increasingly abandoned to a rapacious private sector, is out of the reach of all but a small section. At any rate, the infrastructure and staff of many of the new private institutions are appalling, and thus the degrees imparted to a large percentage of graduates may not be worth the paper they are printed on. Research And Development According to the official publication Research and Development Statistics (2004-05, the latest edition), Indias expenditure on R D has been falling as a share of GDP, from 0.87 per cent in 2000 to 0.77 per cent in 2005. Let us look more closely at this R D expenditure. First, the Indian private sector does not account for much of it. According to official figures, eighty per cent of R D expenditure was carried out by the Government. This was largely not for productive purposes, but for military purposes: 32 per cent on direct military research, 21 per cent on space research (much of which actually serves the missile programme) and 12 per cent on atomic energy (much of which actually serves the nuclear weapons programme). Even allowing for some genuine space and atomic energy expenditures, at least half of R D expenditure in India appears to be for military purposes. To be able to project power, we bought Admiral Gorshkov from Russia and named her Vikramaditya. But where is the sh ip? Where is that power on high seas? Our horizon does not even show the outline of a carrier. The Arihant (the lead ship of Indias Arihant class of nuclear-powered submarines) has not been armed as yet, and we do not have an indigenously manufactured fighter/bomber. Nor do we have the Missile regime that makes the military might of a Regional Power credible. The showpieces of defence R D the Main Battle Tank project (started in 1974) and the Light Combat Aircraft project (started in 1983) have yet not been completed, and, after the expenditure of billions of rupees each, the chances of their actually being inducted into the armed forces are dwindling. For example, the air force is now in the international market for a mammoth order of 126 fighter planes, at a cost of over $6 billion. How then can we call ourselves a Regional Power? To absorb foreign technology properly (in such a fashion that one can further develop it), R D expenditures need to be multiples of technology payments. And finally, much of what passes under the name of R D in Indian industry is merely classified so for tax saving purposes, and actually consists of adaptation of products to local conditions, or even merely quality control. By conventional measures of scientific output, Indias performance is dismal. The standard database in this regard is the US-based Science Citation Index (SCI). In 1980, around 40 Indian journals were indexed in the SCI; this figure has fallen to 10, or just 0.3 per cent of all SCI-indexed journals. In 1980, nearly 15,000 scientific papers from India were indexed in the SCI; this figure fell over the next two decades to just over 12,000 (Chinas figure grew from under 1,000 to over 22,000 during the same period). Indias share of the worlds total research papers published in SCI-indexed journals was just 1.79 per cent in 2002. Finally, Indias world ranking in the SCIs citation impact (the number of times a paper is cited by others) has fallen to an abysmal 119 out of 149 countries listed. The IT sector Indias much-vaunted Information Technology (IT) sector is composed of two parts: the software sector, and the IT-enabled sector (ITES). In both cases, work that was earlier done in the developed world, particularly the US, has been outsourced, or contracted out, to locations in India. In the case of the ITES, the activities outsourced include call centres, medical transcription, data entry, ticket-reconciliation, claims processing, credit card administration, and such other routine office work as can be performed at remote locations. While this work requires knowledge of English, it does not require superior education or skills. Indeed, some of it is so mechanical and repetitive that it is in danger of being eliminated: Optical-character-recognition software is automating the work of Indian data-entry workers. Electronic airline tickets are eliminating some of the ticket-reconciliation work airlines carry out in India. Eventually, natural-language speech recognition is likely to automate some of the call-centre work that is currently going to India. Other countries too are entering the same business, particularly those once colonised by an English-speaking country: the call-centre business is booming in the Philippines.   This is obviously not high-technology or knowledge-based work; new information-and-communications technology has merely made it possible to carry out such work at remote locations. The sole reason for outsourcing such work is that wages for it in India are a fraction of those in the developed world (according to Deloitte Research, one-tenth), yielding massive savings to US and UK corporations. The jobs threatened in those countries are primarily ones that already pay low wages because they require low skills; by outsourcing to India, firms are able to drive their costs even lower. The same applies for the software sector. It is true that Indias annual production of IT engineers is larger than that of the US. However, Indian engineers are employed in relatively low-value work: the less-creative software jobs are the ones being moved offshore: bug-fixing, updating antiquated code, and routine programming tasks that require many hands. The software pyramid, shows a structure with a few thousand architects at the top, followed at successive levels of skill and pay by researchers, consultants, project managers, business analysts, and finally basic programmers. The last categories are the foot soldiers in the information economy, who write codes for applications and update and test them. It is a part of this lowest category that has been off shored, much of it to India. Indian software firms manage applications of programmes owned by multinational software giants; but Indian firms produce virtually no copyrighted programmes which are sold to a large number of customers, and earn a continuing stream of revenue. Rather, both the hardware and the software they use are imported. American investments in India, especially in new technology areas, will help American companies to reduce costs and become more competitive globally. Equally, Indias earnings from these investments will lead to increased purchases from the US. The information technology revolution is built primarily on US computer-related technology and hardware. India is thus not a knowledge economy but a low-wage economy, distinguished from other such by its colonial heritage, English. It does not command increased international status by virtue of its economic strength; rather, the publicity about its emergence as a power is an outcome of conscious US policy.

What Contribution Does Curleys Wife Make to Of Mice and Men? Essay

What Contribution Does Curley's Wife Make to Of Mice and Men? Curley's wife is the most dangerous character in the novel, because she is the loneliest one. Because of her need for attention, she destroys George and Lennie's dream of living "off the fatta the lan'." The appearance and clothing of Curley's wife have a symbolic meaning. She is described as a "purty" woman because she is always made up. Even on the ranch she has "full, rouged lips" and her hair lies in "little rolled clusters, like sausages." Also her clothes are seductive. When she speaks with George and Lennie, she wears a "red dress" and has red lips. The symbolic meaning of the colour red in literature is danger. So Steinbeck foreshadows that she will be dangerous. She wears the same dress in the bunkhouse, as when she speaks with Lennie at the end of the novel. The reader senses that something bad will happen: the death of Curley's wife. Curley's wife does not have a good life on the ranch. The relationship between her and Curley is miserable. She hates her husband and is really glad when Lenni...

The First World War (WWI) Essay -- World War 1 I One

World War I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nothing was a bigger disaster than what happened in World War I. This was such a bad war because everyone in the world has allies, and the allies are in oath to help there ally when things get rough or that country is going to war. What I am here to inform you about is how one of the major countries and why one of the biggest powers in the world played a big part in World War I. This country is no other than France, a country who has a lot of say in Europe, and has many allies through out the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The war officially started when the assassination of Austria's Archduke Ferdinand on June 28 in Sarajevo. After this France came in on the side of the Russians and Serbians. As an ally of Russia they were forced to defend them, and after this other big powers got involved such as the Germans, Italians, Russians, Americans, and Japan. The true reason why France got involved was because Germany declared war on them. None of the states that went to war realized how long it would last or how terrible the cost might be. Most thought it would be over in a few short months and that peace would return in 1915.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After this the war got real nasty and the countries stood for no mercy. The French discharged 180,000 kg of chlorine gas from 5,730 cylinders on the line between Steenstraat on the Yser Canal, through Bixschoote and Langemark, to Poelcappelle. This was the beginning of Chemical warfare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the war starts the Germans are nearly wiping the French out of the war rapidly taking out there soldiers. But the French forces were successful in achieving their objective at the Battle of Mons and the Battle of the Marne. As each side tried to outthink the other, France began to try and take over the Swiss border apart of France. With this great positioning it would be hard for the Germans to attack them from different angles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The French thought the war would end quick, because of the great advantage the allies thought they had over Germany and their other countries on there side. As soon as the Americans got involved in the war many people thought it would end even faster. Between the two armies in a ten month span, Bri... ...ost many of their best troops.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this time the French were doing well considering the Germans were fighting them face to face on one front, and the Germans had a better trained military than the French. On July 1, 1916, the British and French launched an offensive wave, which put an end to any German thoughts of continuing the Verdun Offensive, was launched against some of the heaviest German armies on the entire Western Front. The British commander, The French had a new campaign which gave the first use of tanks, and was preceded by the war's greatest artillery barrage. Despite these advantages, the general slaughter of allied troops which occurred is famous, with the British suffering 65,000 casualties on the first day alone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the October rains finally put an end to the prolonged carnage, 400,000 British, 200,000 French and 450,000 Germans had become casualties. The Allies only captured a few miles of ground, and the Germans soon withdrew to their new Line in early 1917. Then the great French commander Sir John wasted no time to continue with his offensive ideas and gave the Germans no time to retreat and rest.

Catherine II :: essays research papers

"Women fell under her spell as well as men, for underlying her engaging femininity was a masculine strength which gave her the courage to present a bland and smiling mask in the face of the greatest tribulations." Sophia Augusta Frederica was born into a small Prussian kingdom in 1729. Her hometown was in Stettin, Germany. Her birth was a great disappointment to her parents, her father, Prince Christian August of Anhalt- Zerbst and her mother, Johanna Elizabeth, daughter of the prince of Holstein – Gottorp. Both parents had hoped for a son. After they did finally have a son, she was neglected even more. Although, when her parents discovered that she had a good memory, they encouraged her to study religion, history and geography. Besides learning, Sophia also became more interested in hunting and riding horses rather than what were considered more feminine past times and was somewhat of a tomboy. Throughout her life, her mother only spoke to her to criticize her. Her father cared very much for her, but was too engrossed with his military work to show her much affection. She spent much time with her governess who taught her to question everything and everybody and to trust her own common sense. Her guidance from her governess and her ability to be independent at a young age helped her to later become a strong leader. At a very young age, she wished to marry her second cousin, Peter Ulrich, who later changed his name to Peter Fyodorvich. Elizabeth I of Russia chose her to marry her son, Peter Fyodorvich. Catherine prepared for the role of czarina by studying the Russian language intently. Love played no role in her thoughts to marry Peter; Catherine was only interested in the throne. As a strict Lutheran, Catherine’s father was very unhappy about Catherine marrying a Russian Orthodox. Her father wrote her letters begging her not to abandon Lutheranism. Catherine was determined to gain the respect of the Russian orthodox, so when she became deathly ill, she called for a Russian orthodox priest instead of a Lutheran. She won the trust and sympathy of Russia. On June 28, 1744, Catherine was baptized into the Russian orthodox faith. The next day she and peter Fyodovich had an elaborate betrothal at the Cathedral of St. Sophia. She married Peter in August of1745, and their marriage was a disaster from the beginning. Peter was very immature and spent most of his time playing with toy soldiers. 2/1/952 "The marriage was a complete failure. The following eighteen years were filled with deception and humiliation for her." Peter hurt Catherine deeply when he told her of women in the court that he loved

Irish Violence and the Troubles Essay

In this essay I will examine the effect of silence during the ‘troubles’ on individual and national identities; with particular interest to Seamus Deane’s Reading in the Dark, Tim Pat Coogan states that the term â€Å"Irish Troubles† refers to a whole history of violence and colonialism that Ireland has endured, over the last thousand years. ‘To the physical force school of Irish nationalism the Norman coming is generally regarded as the starting point for ‘eight hundred years of British oppression’’ (Coogan, 1996, p. 43). In addition to this, he explains that the term ‘troubles’, is now directed to the modern, twentieth century troubles. They mainly occurred during 1960 to 1998. The reason for the violence and resentment in Northern Ireland is due to the divisions between the nationalists (Roman Catholics) and the unionists (Protestants). The nationalists identify Northern Ireland as part of Ireland, not a separate country, and not another colony of the United Kingdom; whereas the unionists have great allegiance to Britain and regard their position as part of the UK with pride (Coogan, 1996, p. 1). But the Irish agony had been building up slowly also, rooted in complex factors, one of which geography, pre-dates the dawn of history: others involve the outworkings of two forms of colonialism, those of Mother Church and Mother England (Coogan, 1996, p. 1). Discrimination also factored into the tension between the two groups. The unionists rule over Northern Ireland affected most Catholic lives negatively, as they were a minority; they were discriminated in areas of employment, housing and education. Internment or also known as Operation Demetrius is one key issue that contributed to the beginning of the ‘troubles’ (Coogan, 1996. 30). This was introduced by the British Army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary; it involved arresting anyone who was accused of being against the professional military force immediately, without trial. These aspects stirred resentment from the nationalists and inconsequence caused violent rebellion (Coogan, 1996, p. 145). Thus, the violence that was carried out during the ‘troubles’, was chiefly by the IRA (Irish Republic Army), the Ulster Volunteer Force, the British Army and The Royal Ulster Constabulary (Coogan, 1996, p. 18). The aggression of the ‘troubles’ constructed Northern Ireland to be a place of great instability and tension. In his book The Wretched of the Earth, Frantz Fanon comments on the state of the colonised mind. Fanon was a psychiatrist and a theorist of post-colonialism. His work essentially centred on the developing countries, particularly Algeria. In order to break away from colonisation, Fanon advocates violence to the colonised and he is renowned for this factor (Fanon, 1967, pp. 10-11). His main concern is his patients, who are mentally ill. In his final chapter â€Å"Colonial War and Mental Disorders†, he explains that his patients suffer not merely by war but also from a colonial circumstance (Fanon, 1967, p. 235). But the doctors described it by portraying as a congenital stigma of the native, an ‘original’ part of his nervous system where, it was stated, it was possible to find the proof of a predominance of the extra-pyramidal system in the native. This contracture is in fact simply the postural accompaniment to the native’s reticence, the expression in muscular form of his rigidity and his refusal with regard to colonial authority (Fanon, 1967, p. 35). It is this colonial circumstance that inevitably yields the ‘native’ into a nervous, mental state. Fanon pays close attention to language and asserts that language is taken away from the colonised subject (Fanon, 1967, p. 194). The language of colonising involves removing the ‘native’s’ language and speech. Consequently, the colonised is silenced, and this is an oppressive act. ‘Silence’ is defined in The Oxford English Dictionary as an ‘absence of sound’ and ‘speech’; it can be an evasion of discussing something in particular, or it can be something that is forced upon (Soanes and Stevenson, 2008, p. 1342). Sara Maitland, author of A Book of Silence, attempts to understand silence and claims that the OED’s definition is far too indistinct (Maitland, 2008, p. 25). She explores the essence of it in several ways; her own life, history, religion, literature and travel. It is apparent from this book that ‘silence’ is an ambiguous phenomenon that consists of both positive and negative dimensions. Silence is abstract and transforms itself; it can be relative or a complete absence. Maitland observes that it is generally recognised negatively, her friend writes in a letter that, ‘silence is the place of death, of nothingness’ (Maitland, 2008, p. 8). She justifies that silence is only negative when it obstructs. Maitland describes the three forms of ‘interferences’; a subject’s tongue is cut out then they are silenced; if someone is imprisoned, they are silenced, since any noise they make will not be heard; if speech is construed as ‘worthless’ and ‘meaningless’, then it is silenced (Maitland, 2008, p. 29). This is very effective and useful for your average oppressor: calling someone ‘mad’, for example, means they can say what they like but no one will hear – this was the sort of silencing the Soviet Union went in for (Maitland, 2008, p. 9). This form of silence interrupts speech and creates a barrier that subjugates the potential speaker. It is oppressive and in effect it becomes a metaphorical prison. Seamus Deane’s novel Reading in the Dark was published in1996, two years before the end of the ‘troubles’. The novel is a bildungsroman, as it reports the protagonists’ growth from child to an adult, so the reader witnesses the protagonist’s youthful innocence transform with experience, as he comes of age. The narrator is an Irish Catholic boy who is growing up in Northern Ireland, Derry. It is constructed of smaller stories that are dated from 1945 up to 1971, where the protagonist matures into an adult. These stories are fragments of memories, conversations, myths and events that happened in the area. They contribute in narrating the protagonist’s growth from a young child to an adult. Thus with backdrop of the violent ‘troubles’, the narrator develops his understanding of who he is, by unearthing a profound family secret (Deane, 1996). Deane complicates the whole novel by playing with ‘silence’. The style of narration is one of the key methods that he employs to do this. Before the narration begins, the title ‘Reading in the Dark’ indicates towards a narrative of silence and so to a narrative that will be indecipherable. As mentioned before, this novel is a bildungsroman, a story of self-discovery and identity. Ensuing this, to read is to understand, and so the protagonist will understand and discover himself by ‘reading’. However, ‘reading in the dark’ is a paradox, as it is impossible and in result self-discovery is silenced. The opposite of dark is light, and light is generally associated with illumination and knowledge (Farquharson, 1999, p. 101). Whereas, darkness contains an absence, so it becomes the visual equivalent to silence. Deane implies through this understanding of the title that the unfolding of the narrative will be an intricate and complicated process. This displays that the colonial landscape of Northern Ireland and the ‘troubles’ create identity as problematic. Pre-eminent among them are the disfiguring effects of both colonialism and postcolonial nationalism alluded to above, the crisis of self-representation produced by colonialist discourse, and the dynamics of power and resistance, history and memory, language and identity within colonial relations. Read from postcolonial perspective, the novel could be described as an exploration of the problematic process of identity formation in a colonialist context (Harte, 2000, p. 152). As a result, Deane deliberately confirms through his title that self-discovery and understanding of identity is furthermore complex in a colonised state (Fanon, 1967, p. 182). In consequence, darkness obstructs light and silence obstructs articulation. Therefore, silence hinders the narration.

Attending Skills Essay

Bolton, in his book People Skills (1979), describes attending as giving all of your physical attention to another person. The process of attending, whether you realize it or not, has a considerable impact on the quality of communication that goes on between two people. For example, by attending you are saying to the other person â€Å"I am intersted in what you have to say†, however, a lack of good attending communicates that â€Å"I really don’t care about what you have to say. † The body can be used as a tool to facilitate good communication. This is done through positioning the parts of the body so that they invite and hold an interpersonal relation. A relaxed alertness expressed by body posture seems best suited for fostering good communication. Bolton offers these suggestions to establish a posture of involvment: * Lean toward the speaker. This will communicate energy and attentiveness. * Face the other squarly (i. e. , your right sholuder to the speakers left). This communicates your involvment. It is especially important for you to position yourself so that you are at eye level with the speaker if you are seen as a authority figure. This will circumnavigate feelings of threat and can greatly aid in forming an interpersonal relationship. * Maintaining an open posture is also important for fostering interpersonal relatedness. A closed posture (i. e. , crossed arms and or legs) often communicates coldness and defensiveness. * You also need to be aware of your proximity to the speaker. We all have a concept of â€Å"personal space. † When those boundaries are crossed it puts the other on the defensive and makes them feel uncomfortable. However, to much distance communicates aloofness and disconectedness. Body motion, it’s a funny thing! Have you ever paid attention to what your hands were doing during the course of a conversation? Some of us simply shove them in our pockets or let them hang aimlessly by our sides. Then there are others, like me, who tend to fling them around as if to place some kind of emphasis on each word! There is such a thing as too little and too much. Body motion is good but it can be over done if you are not careful. The purpose of gesturing when you are listening is to encourage the speaker to continue speaking. This can most easily be done with a periodic head nod. A good listener moves his or her body in response to the speaker. Effective eye contact says that you are visually attuned to what the speaker is saying. Good eye contact involves focusing on the speakers face and occasionally shifting the focus to other parts of the body. The key is that the other is aware that they have your attention because your eyes are â€Å"on them†. Good eye contact should seem natural to the other person. What ever you do, don’t â€Å"stare them down. † This makes you seem anxious and sometimes critical of them. The environment where the communication takes place is also an important factor in whether an interpersonal relationship can be formed. It is not always posible to move the conversation into a private room or office, but every attempt should be made to reduce the number of distractions that are present. In his book, The Skilled Helper (1998), Gerad Egan offers what he has labled the Micro Skills of Attending. The are very close to the infomation I have presented above from Bolton’s People Skills. He has developed the following acronym to help counseling students remeber these vital skills in communication. The listener has a specific responsibility in the course of communication. That is to stay out of the speakers way and to try and follow where he or she is leading. The goal of listening is not responding but understanding what is trying to be communicated. A door opener is a noncoercive inivitation to talk. Sometimes door openers are not necessay to â€Å"get the ball rolling†, but may be needed later in the conversation if the speaker does not seem to want to continue. Door openers don’t have to be verbal cues, a good listener can also use his or her body to send the signal â€Å"I am interested, you have my attention, please tell me more. The â€Å"four elements† of a door opener, as discussed, by Bolton are; (1) A discription of the other person’s body language (i. e. , you don’t look like you are feeling well today. ) (2) An invitation to talk (3) Silence (to give the other person time to decide if they want to talk and what they are going to say. ) (4) Attending (this inclueds all of the attending skills that are discused on the attending skills page. ) What on earth are â€Å"minimal encourages? † In the attempt to follow it is important not to become a nonparticipant in the conversation. Minimal encourages refers to the amount the listener speakes and the amount of direction the listener gives to the conversation, which should be very little. Sometimes encouragement is needed but the speaker needs to remain in control of the conversation. The same is true for questioning as is for encouraging. The problem is not questioning itself but the fact that most people do not do it well. Most people ask closed questions that only require specific and short answers such as â€Å"yes† and â€Å"no. † The trick is to ask open questions that are designed to spur the conversation on when it gets stuck. This means that questioning will be relatively infrequent. Finally, attentive silence is one of the most important elements in following the listener. We live in a culture in which silence is not comfortable. We often inturpert it as a cue that we need to jump in and say something. In fact, silence is an opportunity for the speaker to reflect on what he or she has said and to gather their thoughts before their next statment. What we say is not as important as giving the speaker the time he or she needs to clearly communicate their point. An important aspect of listening is to help the listner clarify his or her communication so that they can get their meaning across. To practice reflective listening is to serve as a mirror for the person speaking. One way that the speaker can do this is through paraphrasing. A paraphrase is a conscise response to the speaker that restates the essence of the communication in the listener’s own words. The paraphrase deals with facts or ideas and not the emotions. In this respect it focuses the content of the speakers message. Another aspect of reflecting is the mirroring back of the speaker’s emotions as they make their statments. It is important to tune into the speaker’s emotions. If we, as listeners, miss the feeling content we have missed a major part of the speaker’s reaction and experience. Reflecting feelings also give the speaker an opportunity to evaluate how he or she is responding to a problem situation. Not only should the listener reflect feeling, he or she also needs to reflect meaning. Content + feeling = meaning. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But, if you get the feelings wrong or the content wrong then you can’t understand the speaker. Reflecting meaning alows you to be sure you are â€Å"getting† what the speaker is saying. Reflecting feeling and content are the baby steps to reflecting meaning. Meaning expression can use the basic empathic formula; you feel _______ because _________ , or some variation on this formla. After a while the formula will disaper and a natural empathic responding style will develop. Finally, there is the concept of sumative reflections. This reflective response is designed to recap the major themes of the conversation and comes after an extended period of the conversation. During the course of the conversation bits of useless information can acrue. The sumation can serve to help the speaker to sort through the litter and to construct a more complete and compact conceptualization of the issue being discussed.