Outline How Material Things on City Road Favour the Activities

Material things on city road favour the activities of some groups of people over others. I have outlined three specific things on city road that I will be talking about and the different groups of people if favours over others. Firstly there is the Auto trader newsagents, it first opened its doors in the 1930's and has been a family run business since then, and there is the Taste buds cafe, which is the longest established cafe. Also the Macintosh centre.The Auto trader newsagents first opened its doors in the 1930's it is a family run business and the present owner has been working there since 1965, and before that his father ran the newsagents. The shop will favour people shopping for general every day items, also people from the local area who know its there and wanting to keep small local businesses alive. It wouldn't favour people who were on low incomes as there is a Tesco that has opened just 2 blocks away. This has not helped the business of the newsagents and has lowered the sales. 5 years ago a Spar shop opened up close to the Auto trader but that didn't make much difference to the shop. There are not many children in this area and those who do shop here don't seem to use traditional toys. (the street, 2009, scene 3 ) The ethnic minority would not be favoured with this local shop as it wouldn't sell the specific food groups that they may be looking for, also families and students who would be looking for cheaper alternative to local products.The Taste buds cafe is the longest established cafe on City road, they cater for lots of different tastes so will favour people from all different backgrounds. They specially cater for old people, they do this by keeping their prices low and creating a safe environment and providing a community centre. Making and repairing a society through creating a scene of community. (the street, 2009, scene 3 ) This would also favour families with and people in a lower income, but wouldn't favour people without a disposable i ncome as its not a nessisty.They serve Spanish, Greek, English curry's and mousaka. So this would favour people who would want to try different food groups. It favours old people who go their for the community feel, the feeling if safety and security, the elderly like come in to meet up with their friends and talk to the staff who make them feel welcome. There is also the Macintosh centre on city road, which is a locally run sports centre, it was a family home for the Richards hen the Makintoshes and was farm land before being developed into a sports centre. It is the bringing people from outside the area into City road but its making the locals feel unwelcome with its expensive look. So its not favouring the locals with the expensive look of the building outside so its creating a divide between the locals and the outside world. So from that it will favour families and children on a higher income. But wouldn't favour people of a lower income, students and people from the local area. The Macintosh centre are trying to change this perception with local advertising. On a Saturday this all changes as the mackintosh centre changes into a local farmers market, this favours locals, students and families. It also favours people looking to keep things local, fresh and additive free. I moved here a few months ago to begin my studies at Cardiff, for me it offers a way of life I want to support. ( the street, 2009, scene 7)

The Danger of Potent Ideology

It is inevitable that great men who wield great powers are bound to be misinterpreted. History reveals that this inevitability is true to the most influential men of our time, from the bible’s Jesus Christ to Germany’s Friedrich Nietzche, two opposites who share the same fate. The radical ideologies that both men promoted have become the basis of infamous acts and beliefs. For example, the fatal extremist belief that Christians abhor homosexuality is highly in contrast with the teachings of Jesus Christ, who advocated unconditional love and forgiveness. The Superhuman theory of Friedrich Nietzche, on the other hand, has been erroneously used to foster the idea that a particular race of man, or a particular individual, is superior to others. This Nietzche philosophy was speculated to be internalized by Adolf Hitler himself, who orchestrated the largest mass murder in the history of the world, simply because he believed in the superiority of the German race. Thus, we can see in the examples of Jesus Christ and of Friedrich Nietzsche, that when men rise above the conventions and to the challenges in their time, they are not only bound to become legends, but also misinterpreted leaders. Martin Luther King: A Force Misinterpreted In the United States of America, one potent influence suffers the same fate. Considered the leader of the free world; this man had so much power that he heightened a revolution and compelled a nation to change its laws. He is Martin Luther King, Jr. In his article entitled â€Å"Martin Luther King,† popular civil rights journalist Jack E. White describes King as, â€Å"the right man at the right time,† for in a revolution that needed a fearless leader, King became the perfectly accurate answer; the right man for the job. The nation at the time was ripe with protests against inequality. America then was a country that subscribed to the apartheid ideology;     segregation of individuals according to skin color was viewed appropriate. Race validated a person’s worth, and King fervently disagreed with this belief. He mobilized the African-American community into launching non-violent protest against discrimination, one of which is the 13-month boycott of the Montgomery bus lines in Alabama, in 1955. The popular and immortalized story of Rosa Parks, an African-American seamstress who refused to give up her bus seat for a Caucasian man prompted the boycott, but it was King who instigated and sustained the people’s resolve to protest. In 1957, King began organizing a network of African-American leaders and started facilitating non-violent protests in several communities. The awareness and significance of King’s cause heightened even more.   The most admirable trait King has demonstrated is his unwavering principle of non-violence, even when he himself had suffered through several acts of volatile violence, including the bombing of his home and unjust incarceration. Several communities and critics noted his incredible resilience and potent influence, and in the 1960s, he earned the recognition he so justly deserved. Time Magazine hailed him as its Person of the Year in 1963, and in the succeeding year, King was named as the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. However, King did not limit his cause to racial discrimination. He had far too much insight to narrow his perspective on one cause alone. Among the issues that he felt strongly about are the war in Vietnam and its accompanying factor, poverty.   By acting on these issues, Martin Luther King, Jr. became not just the leader of the African-American  demographic, but the most influential civil rights beacon who led the entire nation of America into a new light. Such a magnificent leader deserves a golden place in history, and Martin Luther King, Jr. is a figure truly well-placed not only in the annals of history, but in the hearts and minds of the American people as well. However, such a magnificent leader does not deserve a misinterpretation, and martin Luther King, Jr., is a figure highly misinterpreted. King’s impact today   extends only to African-American communities and engulfs only the issue of racial discrimination against African-Americans. Although this is a correct representation of King, it is a narrowed perspective of what he believed in, what he stood for, and what he fought and died for.  Ã‚   Jack E. White, in his article entitled, â€Å"Martin Luther King,† observes that: It is a testament to the greatness of Martin Luther King Jr. that nearly every major city in the U.S. has a street or school named after him. It is a measure of how sorely his achievements are misunderstood that most of them are located in black neighborhoods. Three decades after King was gunned down on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tenn., he is still regarded mainly as the black leader of a movement for black equality. That assessment, while accurate, is far too restrictive. For all King did to free blacks from the yoke of segregation, whites may owe him the greatest debt, for liberating them from the burden of America's centuries-old hypocrisy about race. Thus, we can clearly see that the United States of America owes him the label of â€Å"liberator of all,† instead of the restrictive label, â€Å"liberator of the black race.† The American nation we have  today would have a very different face if King had not step up to the demands of his time, if he had not heeded the cry of the American people. Martin Luther King, Jr. freed America from the bondage of racial hypocrisy, and yet he is denied such a distinction by assigning him only to one cause, and only to one community. The earlier premise that Martin Luther King, Jr., is a highly misinterpreted leader is once again emphasized here. As a matter of fact, King had the intention of leading a protest march against poverty, an American plight that was not unique to a certain race. From the cause of racial discrimination, he moved to the cause of fighting poverty. However, before he carried out his plans King was gunned down in a hotel balcony in 1968. Thus, his distinction should not be narrowed down merely to a single cause. His widow Coretta Scott King perfectly validated her husband’s life and her husband’s cause by organizing the â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change;† for it was the all-encompassing cause of social change that King believed in, stood for, fought and died for. Another misinterpretation of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the use of his principles and the use of his words to further racial issues grounded on a myopic perspectives.  Ã‚   One such movement that stands out from the rest, mainly because of its controversial nature, is the movement being led by Ward Connerly, an opponent of the government’s affirmative action policy. Connerly claims that his opposition against affirmative action is based on, and in parallel with, the advocacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. He asserts the erroneous interpretation that affirmative action is tantamount to racial discrimination. This claim is incredulous, since the affirmative action policy is aimed precisely to eradicate discrimination.   It is preposterous to conclude that the allocation of jobs minorities is equal with racial discrimination; it is even more preposterous that a magnificent leader such as King would even be associated with such an incredulous cause. In Respect to Martin Luther King’s Dream In these modern times, social change is a cry that resounds with so much fervor, and it is evident that so much has to be done to achieve the dream that Martin Luther King envisioned. King’s complex cause, social justice tied with economic justice, is a feat that requires internal and external changes within individuals, within communities, and the nation at large. It is worthy and important to note, however, that the United States of America has come a very long way indeed in terms of liberation from racial and social hypocrisy, and in this sense, we can say that King’s dream is slowly coming into reality. Racial discrimination, for instance, is now viewed as an abhorrent ideology, an unacceptable doctrine for the modern American. It is very much detested that whoever exhibits the slightest belief in it becomes an outcast in a nation of free thinkers, in a nation called the free world. The racist violence that was so apparent, so real, and so brutal in the past, prior to the emergence of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his civil rights cause, seems incredulous; it seems inconceivable that America has ever trodden such a path. The African-American race today, in fact, has earned a stellar place in America. Prominent names like talk show host Oprah Winfrey, professional golfer Tiger Woods, premier poet Maya Angelou, musicians Alicia Keys and Beyonce Knowles are influential figures in American society, admired by all races in America. Amusing Quotes.com lists this line from Chris Rock, a popular African-American comedian: â€Å"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, and the best golfer is a black guy.† Though this statement is intended not to be taken seriously, we see a tinge of reality in it: the reversal of stereotyped roles between a black man and a white man is an indication that America has greatly changed its racial perception about the African-American race. This, however, is just a small parcel of achievement in the social change King aimed for. Customer’s last name  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   6 The Martin Luther King Challenge The world today faces the Martin Luther King challenge, the challenge to forward the cause from racial equality to economic justice, and then elevate these to the international context in order to achieve international peace. Because the nation is merely in the first step, racial equality, it is quite obvious that we do have a long way to go. To take up and succeed in tackling the Martin Luther King challenge, we have to go back to his words, and one effective guideline that stands out from among his speeches is his advice to live a complete life. Seattletimes.com discloses the manner in which a complete life may be achieved, according to King: And there are three dimensions of any complete life to which we can fitly give the words of this text: length, breadth, and height. (Yes) Now the length of life as we shall use it here is the inward concern for one’s own welfare. (Yes) In other words, it is that inward concern that causes one to push forward, to achieve his own goals and ambitions. (All right) The breadth of life as we shall use it here is the outward concern for the welfare of others. (All right) And the height of life is the upward reach for God. (All right) Now you got to have all three of these to have a complete life. Such wise, potent words may ring empty if it is not heeded, and the free world, in order to fulfill the noble dream of Martin Luther King, must begin acting on this quest for completion. True, racial equality is a cause forwarded by this magnificent leader; but to say that it is the only thing he fought for, is very much restrictive. This is the ripe time for America and the world to truly understand his cause, and to truly act upon it. Works Cited â€Å"Chris Rock Quotes† Amusingquotes.com. 12 December 2007. â€Å"Friedrich Nietzsche.† Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 10 December 2007. Kalish, Michael. â€Å"Friedrich Nietzsche's Influence on Hitler's Mein Kampf.† UCSB Department of History. 10 December 2007. â€Å"The Life of Martin Luther King Jr.† Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. TheSeattleTimes.com. 9 December 2007. White, Jack. â€Å"Martin Luther King.† The Time 100:The Most Important People of the Century. Leaders and Revolutionaries. 9 December 2007

Amputation Mishap

Amputation Mishap The Neighborhood News reports of a medical error at The Neighborhood Hospital. The report states a 62 year-old male patient underwent surgery to have his leg amputated only to discover the wrong leg was amputated during surgery. The newspaper article states the mishap is negligence. In the following paragraphs, negligence, gross negligence, and malpractice are discussed and determine if the newspaper’s statement of negligence is correct. Ethical principles in nursing and nursing documentation regarding such issues are also discussed. Negligence and malpractice fall under the tort laws definition.According to Guido (2010), â€Å"Torts are civil wrongs, not based on contracts, but on personal transgressions in that the responsible person performed an action incorrectly or omitted a necessary action† (p. 92). Tort laws are based on fault and in a health-care setting, tort laws are the most common. To determine if the above scenario results in negligence, gross negligence, or medical malpractice, one must understand the definition of each. According to Guido (2010), negligence is a general term and â€Å"equates with carelessness, a deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would use in a particular set of circumstances† (p. 2). According to Judson and Harrison (2006), four key elements (four D’s), must be present to prove negligence (p. 101): 1. Duty: The person charged has a duty to provide care to the patient. Neighborhood Hospital and staff have a duty to provide a standard of care that a reasonable person would use in a particular set of circumstances. 2. Dereliction: The person charged breaches the duty of care to the patient. The operating room team failed to identify the correct leg for amputation prior to proceeding with the operation; therefore a breach of duty has occurred. 3.Direct cause: The breach of duty is a direct cause of injury to the patient. The wrong leg is amputated as a direct result of failure to identify the correct leg for amputation. As a direct result, the patient will become a double amputee once the correct leg is amputated. 4. Damages: A recognizable injury to the patient is present. In this case, the wrong leg was amputated deeming a recognizable injury. Using the above criteria, negligence is present in this case scenario. Gross negligence occurs when medical practitioners perform an intentional act regardless of the negative, anticipated consequences.In this scenario, the patient must prove the medical staff at Neighborhood Hospital intentionally amputated the wrong leg. The medical staff at Neighborhood Hospital did not intentionally amputate the wrong leg, therefore ruling out gross negligence. According to Guido (2010), medical malpractice is â€Å"the failure of a professional person to act in accordance with the prevailing professional standards or failure to foresee consequences that a professional person, having the necessary skills and education, should foresee† (p. 93). Guido further states the difference between negligence and malpractice is licensure.If the act is by a non-professional person, it is negligence. If the act is by a professional person, it is malpractice. Six elements must be present to prove malpractice (Guido, 2010, p. 93): 1. Duty owed to the patient Neighborhood Hospital and staff have a duty to provide a standard of care that a reasonable person would use in a particular set of circumstances. 2. Breach of the duty owed to the patient. The operating room team failed to identify the correct leg for amputation prior to proceeding with the operation; therefore a breach of duty has occurred. 3. Foreseeability.The omission of identifying the correct leg for amputation prior to surgery. 4. Causation: breach of duty owed caused injury. The wrong leg is amputated as a direct result of failure to identify the correct leg for amputation. As a direct result, the patient will become a double ampute e once the correct leg is amputated. 5. Injury. In this case, the wrong leg was amputated deeming a recognizable injury. 6. Damages. The amputated leg cannot be replaced; therefore the patient is entitled to compensatory damages regarding pain and suffering, permanent disability, disfigurement, emotional damages as well as financial loss and medical expenses.In this scenario, all six elements to prove malpractice are present. The negligence is by licensed personnel in a hospital setting. Using the definitions and criteria above, the newspaper incorrectly defines the mishap as negligence. The correct term to use in this case is professional negligence or malpractice. Nursing documentation should be reflective of the patient’s hospital stay. This includes identifying and addressing patient needs, assessments, problems, limitations, and responses to nursing interventions.According to Guido (2010), â€Å"Documentation must show continuity of care, interventions that were impleme nted, and patient responses to the therapies implemented. Nurses’ notes are to be concise, clear, timely, and complete† (p. 197). Guido (2010) lists the following guidelines for nurses to use to ensure documentation is complete and accurate (p. 197-209): 1. Make an entry for every observation. If documentation is absent, it can be assumed an observation did not take place. 2. Follow-up as needed. Evaluation and observations require follow up to ensure appropriate patient responses and optimal outcomes. . Read nurses notes prior to giving care. Reading nurses notes enable the nurse to know and understand patient diagnosis, response to treatment, and steps necessary to carry out the plan of care. 4. Always make an entry (even if it is late). Document immediately after the observation to reduce the risk of losing valuable information. A late entry is acceptable although risks omitting valuable information. Never document an event before it happens. 5. Use clear and objecti ve language. Document using clear, objective, and definite terms to describe the observation.Vague terms lead to misinterpretation. 6. Be realistic and factual. It is important to document factual observations and assessments exactly as they happen. It is also recommended to document a realistic picture of the patient, especially if the patient is noncompliant with the plan of care. 7. Chart only one’s own observations. Charting observations of others is not accurate observations and can cause credibility of the nurse in question. 8. Chart all patient education 9. Correct chart errors. 10. Identify oneself after every entry. 11. Use standardized checklists or flow sheets. 2. Leave no room for liability. According to Guido (2010), â€Å"Understanding one’s ethics and values is the first step in understanding the ethics and values of others and in assuring the delivery of appropriate nursing care† (p. 4). Nurses and other healthcare providers face ethical issues d aily. Together, law and ethics guide nursing practice to provide safe, effective care keeping patients free from harm. â€Å"Ethics are concerned with standards of behavior and the concept of right and wrong, over and above that which is legal in a given situation† (Judson & Harrison, 2006, p. ). In addition, understanding law and ethics in nursing practice keeps nurses at their professional best and decreases the risk of legal litigation, such as the scenario described by the Neighborhood News. â€Å"Though malpractice is rare in the lives of individual healthcare professionals, the number of malpractice suits is on the rise† (Larson & Elliott, 2010, p. 153). The nursing profession has more professional responsibility and accountability than any other time in the history of nursing.According to Weld and Garmon Bibb (2009), â€Å"nurses must confront the fact that they now owe a higher duty of care to their patients, and by extension, are more exposed to civil claims for negligence than ever before† (p. 2). Understanding ethical principles in nursing, importance of nursing documentation and how it relates to medical malpractice and negligence is imperative. References: Guido, G. W. (2010). Legal & Ethical Issues in Nursing (5th ed. ). University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Judson, K. , & Harrison, C. (2006). Law & Ethics for Medical Careers (5th ed. ). University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.Larson, K. , & Elliott, R. (2010, March-April). The Emotional Impact of Malpractice. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 37(2), 153-156. Ebscohost. com. Prideaux, A. (2011). Issues in Nursing Documentation and Record Keeping Practice. British Journal of Nursing, 20(22), 1450-1454. Ebscohost. com The Neighborhood- Pearson Health Science. The Neighborhood News. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://pearsonneighborhood. ecollege. com/re/DotNextLaunch. asp? courseid=3609454 Weld, K. K. , & Garmon Bibb, S. C. (2009, January-March). Concept Analys is: Malpractice and Modern-Day Nursing Practice. Nursing Forum, 44(1), 2-10. Ebscohost. com.

Capitol Budgeting Long Term Financing Assignment

Capitol Budgeting Long Term Financing - Assignment Example Capital assets receive attention because they commit a firm for long term. These capital assets are commitment of over a year and sometimes for decades for instance, real estate. Economically, the resources being scarce and competitive in nature, there would be wrong allocation of such resources at the wrong time or on a non rewording asset. Assets acquisition analysis According to (Baker, & Powell, 2005) any company will invest finance for the sake of gaining a return which is useful for four focal reasons: 1. To recompense the shareholders or owners of the enterprise for staking their money and by sacrificing their current purchasing power for the sake of current and future cash flow 2. To reward lenders by paying them regular return on their money borrowed in the form of interest and principal repayment as and when it falls due. 3. To be able to plough back retain part of their earnings for the purpose which facilitates not only the companies’ short term growth and long ter m growth but also has the implication of increasing the size of the company in terms of sales, in assets as well as shareholders wealth. 4. To increase the share prices and thus the credibility and goodwill of the company and its capability to raise further finance. Such return is necessary to keep the company’s operations moving straightforwardly and efficiently thus allowing the above objective to be accomplished. A financial manager and decision makers must present investment policies which will be concerned with how efficiently the company’s funds are invested because it is from such investment that the company will survive. The investments are important because: They influence company’s size, Influence growth Influence company’s risks In addition, to this investment decision making process which is also known as capital budgeting, involves the decision to invest the company’s current funds in viable ventures whose returns will be realized for long term periods in future. Capital budgeting as financial planning is characterized by the following: a. Decisions of this nature are long term i.e. extending beyond one year in which case they are also expected to generate returns of long term in nature. b. Investment is usually heavy (heavy capital injection) and as such has to be properly planned. c. These decisions are irreversible and any mistake may cause the company heavy losses. Importance of Investment Decisions 1) Such decisions are importance because they will influence the company’s size (fixed assets, sales, and retained earnings). 2) They increase the value of the company’s shares and thus its credibility. 3) The fact that they are irreversible means that they have to be made carefully to avoid any mistake which can lead to the failure of such investment. 4) Due to heavy capital outlay, more attention is required to avoid loss of huge sums of money which in the extreme may lead to the closure of such a company. However, these decisions are influenced by: I. Political factors – Under conditions of political uncertainty, such decisions cannot be made as it will entail an element of risk of failure of such investment. Thus political certainty has to be analyzed before such decisions are made, such factors must be taken into account such that the company forecasts the inflows and outflows within given. Limitations such as the

What strategies do cyber security use in order to avoid the hackers Essay

What strategies do cyber security use in order to avoid the hackers prevailing users of e-commerce websites - Essay Example About 52% of the UK consumers use online shopping as an opportunity to save cash. In 2009, an estimated 608 million card payments were made online, with  £47.2 billion being spent in 2011 around 74% of UK homes have internet access (Government of the United Kingdom, 2011). The cyber security departments need to have strategies that balances resiliency with focused, protection, risk-informed prevention and preparedness activities in order to manage and reduce the most deleterious risks in e-commerce. E-commerce is regarded as the wave of the future. However, as organizations come up with new web-based strategies so as align themselves with the future commerce, problems are expected on the way inform of cyber attacks. Cyber security is at a sensitive stage in the evolution of e-commerce. A major attack at this particular time, if successful, could significantly affect the future development of the e-commerce business model. This could result to harsh ramifications for the victimized organization(s) in particular. The paper will highlight the strategies used by cyber security in order to avoid the hackers prevailing users of e-commerce websites. The ever increasing roles of information technology as well as the growth of the e-commerce sector have made cyber security be very important essential to the economy. The cyber security standards are prevailing security standards that enable various organizations to practice safe security techniques so as reduce the number of successful cyber security attacks (Amoroso, 2012). The misuse of the online environment through hacking, fake websites and other means have threatened to undermine the social and economic benefits of the online environment by eroding confidence and trust in the security and safety of the online environment (Shoemaker & Conklin, 2011). This is what has necessitated the e-commerce industry to come up with strategies that will boost customer confidence in engaging in online transactions. These

Treatment for Tobacco Use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Treatment for Tobacco Use - Essay Example Chantix was developed specifically for smoking cessation and is a highly selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist. Chantix affects the sites in the brain that are affected by nicotine and aid by reducing the craving for nicotine. Being a partial agonist means that is has both a stimulating and a blocking effect on the receptor it is attracted to. Pfizer received a priority FDA review because of its potential to offer substantial improvement in the public health. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), trials took place in 2003-2004 at 6 US and 18 International medical clinics that were experienced in smoking cessation. The participants were chronic smokers who averaged smoking 21 cigarettes per day. The trials were designed as a 12-week treatment program with an extended follow-up period. Participants were given carbon monoxide testing to verify their claims of abstinence. In a trial reported by JAMA, after 52 weeks 43.6% of the participants that received varenicline had continued not to smoke. This compared to 36.9% of the participants that received a placebo. Other studies have reported a success rate of 21.9% for varenicline versus 8.4% for the placebo. The difference has been attributable to the design of the study.

Iranian economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Iranian economy - Essay Example The performance of the Iranian economy in the early twenty-first century has witnessed a marked deterioration, in absolute terms as well as relative to other countries in the region. The growth of the economy has slackened drastically (Ramin, 2004). The economy, with a rapidly expanding population, has experienced a marked decline in investment, low labor productivity, a widening trade gap, a fast accumulation of debt and, above all, a sharp decline in the standard of living. What are the determinants of economic performance? There is broad agreement among economists that macroeconomics stability – characterized by moderate and predictable inflation, a small budget deficit, and the relative stability of the real exchange rate – is essential for long-term economic growth (Sciolino, 2005). Several empirical studies suggests that stable prices, a sensible exchange rate that does not discourage exports and good fiscal and monetary disciplines are necessary, though not suffi cient, conditions for a sustainable improvement in living standards. Viewed from this perspective the deterioration of in the performance of the Iranian economy since 1980 can be largely explained by the macroeconomic stability that has characterized this post revolutionary period (Sciolino, 2005).The theme of this proposal is centered on the role of the state in the process of economic and social development in the post revolutionary period. The emphasis, however, is on economic performance.... there is general consensus amongst close observers of the Iranian economy about the 'decisive' historical role of the state. Furthermore, a distinctive feature of the current Iranian state is that sizeable oil revenue accrues to the government because of its monopoly right over oil. The rentier nature of the state provides it with economic power and financial independence, although the state plays a central role in distributing this wealth to the population through direct subsidies and the creation of economic activities. 2. Iran's Economy in a Comparative Context There has been a remarkable deterioration in the growth performance of the Iranian economy since the late 1980s, both relative to its past performance and compared to international standards. This is reflected in the below table, which shows comparative per capita GDP trends for Iran and United States. Though the comparison does show a major difference, it is to be noted that here we have compared a lower middle income economy to a higher economy. Table: Comparative Figures of Iran and US Economy for the years 2003 - 2005 Source: World Bank Data Banks. 3. Economic Policy and Industrial Structure The rapid growth of the Iranian economy during the two decades preceding the 1979 Revolution took place in the context of an import substitution industrialization strategy. The paradoxical result of this strategy was to make the economy increasingly dependent on oil export revenues in order to finance the intermediate and capital goods imports needed by Iran's heavily protected industrial sector (Halliday, 1979). In the immediate aftermath of the revolution a considerable portion of large-scale modern industry, and the entire banking and insurance

Managed Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managed Healthcare - Essay Example It is under such circumstances that the role of a care-giver becomes all the more important. While on the one hand, the care-giver has to take care of the organizational goals and the profitability aspects, on the other hand the care-giver is supposed to provide the best care and guidance to the customer. Once, such arrangements takes cues from corporate management, the healthcare too becomes 'managed healthcare'. From the point of view of a consumer, the pros of such managed healthcare are; v. At times, in situations like the consumer is on tour to place outside the native place, then the tie-up between caregiver companies helps the consumer in getting a good care from some affiliated company as well i. The consumer gets tied up with a particular company for longer time and even if there are better alternatives, he/she cannot go for a change, because of the agreement between the consumer and the healthcare company But entering into a managed healthcare plan with consumer also involves some risk for the company. For example, in these inflationary times, when costs are rising up, the company finds itself unable to charge higher prices, because of the agreement done with the consumer. Some of the well known managed healthcare are plans are, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO); Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) and Point-of-Service (POS) plans. These plans have evolved over the years and have taken care of some of the deficiencies that included in the traditional insurance covers. While the traditional insurance covers used to take care of limited aspects of the healthcare, the managed healthcare plans are comprehensive in nature and try to include some modern day health hazards like long sitting in front of the computer screen and its ergonomic impacts on our body parts.

Democracy in Modern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Democracy in Modern World - Essay Example Gladys argument focuses on the fact that democracies cannot wage successful wars as the case of Athenians waging war in Sicily’s. I do support her argument that democratic countries should distinguish between good and bad leaders, but I find certain flaws in her argument. I agree with Gladys’ premises that suggest the country frightened their generals into sending better news home than the facts on the ground and chose weak generals to wage the war. This argument leads to her argument that democracies cannot wage a successful war. A look at all the premises helps Gladys conclude that a democratic country cannot lead such a war is viable.Her argument in her conclusion is valid since there need to be better strategies in war, and the failure of Athenians was a result of poor strategies and poor execution by the generals. There was a need to evaluate leaders and have better alternatives. In her argument, it is clear that poor intelligence brought the wrong generals, and th ey were overextended. This situation showed that to have the best plans there is a need for good executors for it to be successful. In conclusion, I agree with her argument that democratic countries cannot wage successful war since their strategies are prone to hope and checks and balances. Such checks limit the passion experienced in such wars but to be on the safe side all parties in a war need to appreciate and differentiate between choosing weak and strong leaders to wage wars.

Social Performance of National Football League(NFL) Research Paper

Social Performance of National Football League(NFL) - Research Paper Example Finally, in the end, a single elimination game is organized between the group winners of AFC and NFC. This culmination of the two group champions is known as the Super Bowl. The ultimate winner from the Super Bowl is awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Other awards and accolades are given to the coaches and individual players for their exceptional performance that help a team to win. Most of the games are scheduled on the Sunday afternoons to attract more viewers. During the normal season, some games are planned on other week days like Thursdays and Mondays. The corporate structure of NFL is interesting to study. The league office of NFL is not constrained by income tax, as this unincorporated association earns no profit. However, the individual teams are subject to income tax because individually the teams generate profit. So NFL is like a trade association that is financed by its member teams. The league is mainly operated by the commissioner, treasurer and secretary. The conference s are headed by the president. An election is conducted to elect the commissioner and the president (August, n.d.). The prevailing weather condition is one of the key factors that affect the league externally. Sometimes the temperature can go below the normal expected temperature. This may negatively affect the league. Matches may get cancelled due to bad weather conditions, as in an extremely chilly weather it becomes difficult for the players to perform. It is also imperative to enhance the game experience for the fans. Initiatives should be taken by the league committee to conduct the games in indoor stadiums in case of adverse weather conditions. There has to be uniformity in the games so that unfair advantage is not given to any of the teams i.e. indoor facilities should be ensured for every match and not for particular matches as the external environment is vital for the team’s performance. Bad weather

Coffee delight Essay Example for Free

Coffee delight Essay I agree with Lisa’s view to a certain extent that the marketing budget is the most important component in the marketing plan. Harry has set a market objective of two million subscribers by 2015; a target that is very ambitious to achieve a fifth of the forecasted market share which is seen as very unrealistic with a basic marketing budget and Robert media plc will need to do a higher proportion on research than normal which will cost a lot more than usual. Another reason why the marketing budget is so important is that Roberts’s media is changing from print format to digital as they seek to achieve their object of increasing ROCE to 8%. Digital media is a new market for the business and therefore will need extensive research to see what the target markets’ needs and wants are. Although the marketing department had previously won awards for the way it promoted print magazines, but was concerned that the new technology would require a very different approach. As digital is completely different to print media, it obviously needs research conducted. However, Harry is being stubborn and dismissive stating that the marketing budget is un-important and will not provide additional funds. This could therefore mean that the businesses target the wrong people and that their objective to increase the ROCE to 8% could be dented and un-applicable. The rivals of Roberts media plc are already one step ahead of the business as they were already launching their own digital magazines within the next sic months and had already started their marketing campaign. This will have a big effect on the Roberts media as their targeted customers are already being targeted by rivals which could therefore mean fewer sales in the future. As the business is behind its rivals, a big promotional campaign will be needed in order to attract potential customers away from rivals. A big promotional campaign will require a big marketing budget but is what is needed in order to out beat its competitors in the race for customers. However, I agree with Harry not to provide addition funds to the marketing budget as the financial situation of the business is not very stable at this moment in time. The return on capital has fallen from 10% to 2% meaning that it will not be wisely to invest as it’s not really worth it to invest. Along with the poor state of ROCE, the current ratio is also in a bad state fallen from 1. 5:1 to 0. 5:1. This means for every 50p of current assets the business had ? 1 of liability. Having such a poor financial position will rupture the finance available and will need to use the scares finance available wisely. To conclude, I certainly agree with Lisa that the business’s marketing budget is the most important feature on the marketing plan. This major change from print to digital will cost a lot and will be in need of a big marketing budget to be successful. Also, Roberts media is already behind its rivals on its marketing and therefore will need something big to attract customers. Finally, Harry has set a very ambitious objective and therefore it will need a big marketing budget to be able to fulfil its purpose. Although the financial state of the business is poor, harry will need to help its marketing team and provide which they feel what is needed as the long run.

Project Recommendation Email Essay Example for Free

Project Recommendation Email Essay We have three project proposals to consider in next week’s Project Management Office’s (PMO) Review. Piper Industries Corp. needs the projects to be complete and to be generating review within 12 months of next week’s PMO Review. Wendell Deirelein, our vice-president, has assigned your team to analyze the three projects below and make a recommendation on which project the company should invest in. The recommendation must include your team description of the five phases of the project and the key deliverables (project completion date and cost) for each project. Project Code Name: Juniper †¢This is an enhancement of a current widget being offered by our company. †¢Risk of completion of this project on time is low. †¢Product plan shows the critical path to be 6 months at a cost of $325,000 to bring the product to market. †¢Product is forecasted to have a ROI of $250,000 for a period of 2 to 3 years. †¢The third year is forecasted to be the end of life for this product line due to advances projected in technology. †¢This is a standard product line that marketing believes many customers will want to purchase. Project Code Name: Palomino †¢This is a new line of widget products including enhancements using existing technology. †¢Risk for completion of this project on time is medium. †¢Production plan shows the critical path to be 9 months at a cost of $655,000 to bring the product to market. †¢Product is forecasted to have a ROI of $450,000 for a period of 5 years. †¢This product will be a custom part for one of your strategic customers—historically the forecasts from this customer have a 5% margin of error. †¢The seventh year is forecasted to be the end of life for this product by the customer. Project Code Name: Stargazer †¢Research and development has already started on our new widgets. The company has spent $450,000 on this product so far and the estimate to bring this product to market is $575,000. †¢Risk of completing this project on time is high. †¢Product is forecasted to have ROI of $300,000 first year; $550,000 the second year; and $750,000 the third year. †¢The product life is forecasted to be 7 years for this product. (This forecast included derivative product which will cost more). †¢By delivering such an innovative product to the market place first, your organization will be seen as a leader in this industry. †¢Your sales and marketing teams have discussed this type of product with a few of your strategic customers; while some are interested, there are many questions about the business. Sincerely, Ray Gritsch Piper Industries Corporation

The multiple challenges facing the retail banking industry

The multiple challenges facing the retail banking industry Retail banking is facing multiple challenges. These challenges have been categorized in 5 different sources. Security, Decrease cost, Mergers and acquisitions, Regulatory compliance and Revenue growth. (McCormick, Edson, Natesan, 2007) These variables are also linked to efficacy and efficiency of a service sector. They have also argued that with the increase in access points efficiency is being affected and security concerns have been increased to a greater extent. The basic reason behind this point is customer identity is anonymous at these new access points. The anonymity is responsible for increasing crimes and fraudulent which is the major security concern. Novell provides hardware and software management system which helps to increase efficiency in retail banking sector. Manual processes leads to increasing cost of compliance and further leads to regulatory and compliance violence and corporate reputation risk (McCormick, Edson, Natesan, 2007). As a measure of efficiency revenue growth can be measured as function of excellence. Merger and acquisition is the crisis situation which impacts the retail bank sector from recovering losses for 3 months average taken from Retail Banking Technology Trends survey Dec.2006. Novell has developed a system which is concerned towards operational excellence as well as regulatory compliance and security as a function of Retail Bank efficiency. In majority of countries that can be classified as transition economy, foreign capital controls an increasing share of the banking sector (Weill, 2003). This research is based on comparative analysis of efficiency of foreign owned and domestic owned banks. Furthermore (Weill, 2003) has concluded that efficiency of banks with foreign ownership is higher than the efficiency of local banks. Parametric approaches, such as the stochastic frontier approach, use econometric tools to estimate the efficiency frontier have been used for the study as it provides room for random errors. Few of variables used in (Weill, 2003) are Personnel and interest expenses, Price of labor, Investment assets etc. While considering the cost efficiency foreign ownership has influenced positively on the banks in countries with transition economies (Weill, 2003). The reason behind it is that foreign banks have better know how of the working and better corporate governance. This research has left a room for further study on origin of advantages of a foreign owned bank. (OKEAHALAM, 2008) has argued that internationalization increases competition in the banking sector and effects efficiency. However a study has been conducted showing larger but inefficient banks of Namibia and smaller yet efficient banks of Tanzania. Policy makers should ensure that entrants have high quality management and will transfer technology and skills. This finding is consistent with entry and behavior based primarily on the desire to transfer a monopoly structure and derive economic rents (OKEAHALAM, 2008). Key finding from the study of Namibia and Tanzania is that lack of competition has made efficiency vulnerable. Another unusual thing can be concluded that foreign entry essentially does not make markets more competitive or efficient. Market only becomes competitive when it is already concentrated with local or foreign banks. Another article discusses that customer efficiency increases with greater self service utilization. In case of self service input cost of retail bank is decreased. This issue exactly mirrors the concern in the firm productivity literature that focuses on methods for à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"explainingà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  multifactor productivity of firms given that it is also measured as a residual concept. (Xue, Hitt, Harker, Customer Efficiency, Channel Usage, and Firm Performance in Retail Banking, 2007) Possible explanations for the differing efficiency scores for the majors and regional banks are diversification, technological change, organizational restructuring, different customer bases, and the effects of the globalization of financial services (KIRKWOOD NAHM, 2006). This study further concluded that efficiency of major banks is increasing. Their productivity has also increased a lot whereas regional banks are in danger their efficiency is decreasing and profits are shrinking. This decreased productivity is directly proportional to banking efficiency in Australian banks. This trend can be used in my study to gauge the tangible factors and their effect in Pakistani Market. Another research of Xue related to customer efficiency show that self-service through the Internet has a significant migration effect on personal service and, consequently, saves service delivery costs and improves customer efficiency. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find no evidence that increasing levels of self-service damage customer relationships (Xue, Customer efficiency: Concept and its impact on service management, 2002). Thus Internet or Virtual Banking services are adding on value to the efficacy and productivity of retail banking services. ATMà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s, Debit Cards, Credit cards, Online Cheque writing facilities, Pay Orders, Demand drafts, Online Banking and all the possible technologically advanced instruments effect the preferences of consumer in selection of a service provider bank. Therefore output relies on customer base which is element of efficacy. Concluding remarks can be technology change has direct relation to banking efficiency. After reading all articles it can be concluded that efficiency is very broad term and handling all variables will make research complex. Therefore to get more accurate result it is necessary to shortlist few variables. (NEAL, 2004) has used ROA (Return on Asset) as a measure of efficiency for measuring it from 1995-1999 in Australian Banking case. He has used product of net margin and asset utilization to gauge this variable. The data shows better results for national banks as compared to regional ones. This research is Australia based and focuses on national and regional bank. However corporate and consumer banking has not been separated. The variable ROA in fact can be used for both retail as well as corporate banking. (Hassan Isik, 2002) mentions that previously cost efficiency or input saving efficiency were used to measure the efficiency of banks in Turkish researches. This study is the first to focus on output side inefficiency along with input side inefficiency in Turkish banking, using the so-called stochastic frontier approach. The approach behind using it is that Profit is the key while bank is making losses with less or even same input. Profits are the outlook and are punished even when input becomes costly. On evaluating Turkish banks by both criteria Turkish banks becomes efficient while evaluating by profit efficiency methods.

Greenwich Theatre: Be My Baby Essay -- Drama

Greenwich Theatre: Be My Baby Staging ======= The audience was seated in a "square u" shape around the square stage, which faced the audience at a right angle. There were two exits, one at right back and one at left back stage with room to walk between them. There was a curtain in the style of a hospital ward, which was pulled around one of the exits; the exact one depended on the scene, which worked well when it was pulled across the whole stage when Mary was giving birth. The stage was set out with all the scenery incorporated into one set, this included the laundry, Matron's office and Mary and Queenie's Bedroom. When extra scenery was needed, for example, laundry baskets, they had wheels fixed to the bottom so they could be wheeled in and out with ease as needed. The lighting was very effective in that it made the set look like a hospital ward. It also showed the different times of day, as there were different colours behind the window, orange for daybreak, and to set the time of year and temperature. Theatre The theatre was quite small making the audience feel more intimate with the play. Also, the size of the theatre meant that all of the audiences' attention was focused on the actors. There was a tension between the girls when Mary first enters the home. They build the audience up to a climax when Mary Gives birth, using the curtain as a screen as if in a hospital. The play highlighted the problems faced by pregnant girls in the 60's. The theatre, itself was different to those I am used to, it felt more welcoming to walk down a warmly lit narrow staircase. Towards an intimate seating area where the staff showed the audience to their seats in a similar way to that used in a cinema. Characters Mary Mary was portrayed as a bright girl with more confidence than I imagined her to have when I read the script. She walked with her chin up and her back straight. She seemed to be less friendly with Queenie than I thought she should. She also seemed to be a bit too snobbish and "above" everyone else. She spoke with a predominantly English accent, which abruptly changed to northern when she first entered the home, however, after the interval, it changed back again. Mary seemed very set in her ways and to the point in the way that she was portrayed. If Mary were an animal, she would be a peacock as they ar... ... directing the play, I would make her less confident and more eager to fit in. Also, if Mary was seven months pregnant, her father would've noticed so she would dress in baggy clothes or clothes that were too big for her, however, she entered the home wearing a fairly tight skirt and jacket set. The play highlights the problems and flaws in 1960's society, what pregnant girls had to go through and their feelings. They used the stereotypical northern teenager and divided it into four, adding feelings and history. Setting the play in northern England, using northern accents makes the girls sound "backwards" and poor. Audience Reactions The audience laughed mainly at Dolores. Norma made the audience nervous and made them pity her. Mary made the audience feel as if they could relate to her. Queenie was the leader of the girls, and so led the audience into the home and into the other girls' lives. Matron made the audience look up to her, as she was responsible for running the home. Mrs. Adams made the audience feel sorry for her to have to give up her own daughter, but at the same time hated for being so obsessed by her status and what others would think of her.

Miscommunication :: essays research papers

â€Å"Miscommunication† Problems in every society usually derive from one specific thing. Miscommunication. How many times have you gotten in an argument or a disagreement with someone over what someone said, and then you later found out that that person meant something completely different from what was running through your head? How many times have you gotten off the phone with someone—someone important, --and wondered, what in the world were he or she talking about? I often get this feeling after class. Now, have you ever looked—I mean really looked at the English language? It is a very confusing language and it’s no wonder so many other people have so much trouble understanding it. Have you ever talked to someone from a foreign country and you’ve had to rephrase the entire thing you were trying to say because they didn’t understand? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Let’s start with something simple. Oxymorons. Let’s say you’re getting ready for a job interview and as you’re leaving the house, someone yells out behind you, â€Å"Just Act Natural, you’ll be fine.† You get in the car and the only thing you get on your mind is â€Å"acing natural.† A person can’t act and be natural at the same time and the entire time you’re driving to the job interview, you’re thinking, what can I do to act more natural. That, my friend, is an oxymoron and can easily be mis-interrupted. You’ve heard of them before. They can easily be defined as a couple of words contradicting one another but used as a fixed expression. A couple of examples, found missing, same difference, good grief, and airline food. Expressions such as these can cause miscommunications, misunderstandings, and basically just a lot of confusion. Have you ever been watching the news or Sportscenter ® and they show a clip with the small title of â€Å"taped live† down in the corner? How can something already have been taped and yet they’re showing it over live television? Our government seems to enjoy these phrases quite a bit. In our government, they have many divisions called government organizations. Tell me if I’m wrong but I believe the government is an organization itself. How can they call them government organizations if the government IS an organization? That’s like saying organization organization. We also have a division we call the Peace Force. How can a person force peace without destroying the entire definition of the word?

Double the Dose :: Feminist Feminism Gender Equality Papers

Double the Dose "Youz a hooooo! HO! Youz a hooooo! HO! I said dat youz a ho," screams the rapper Ludacris from my alarm clock radio at six o'clock in the morning. I slam the snooze button and curse myself for joining the army. I have physical training today. I jump out of bed and hurry to get dressed. Then, I run over to the training site and join the rest of my fellow classmates. These individuals are becoming very special friends to me. We run together; we do pushups and sit-ups together; we force each other to go further than the limit allows us; we yell at one another; and we feel pain together. The thing I love most about the army is that they aren't really supposed to classify us by any of our differences. As they say, we are one team fighting for a common goal. Yet, it was not so long ago that the military opposed of this type of mindset. Only recently has there been an initiative to integrate both sexes in the army. However, the step to combine men and women in the military doesn't necessari ly mean that bigot views and generalizations about the female gender are erased. In fact, as much as we would like to believe that we are improving as a society with the amount of laws and restrictions that we have against sexism, in truth, the double standards against women still lurk in the minds of many-unspoken but still heard. After an hour of training, I walk back to my dorm to take a shower and get dressed, but not in my regular school clothes-no way, today's Wednesday, the Battle Dress Uniform Day. I look at myself all the time in the mirror when I get dressed, but whenever it's Wednesday, I don't feel like the beautiful women I am supposed to be. For now, I am a man. No jewelry, hair pulled back, baggy camouflage clothes, and the strange feeling in my heart telling me that I'm being trained to kill. I spend the day walking around campus in my uniform trying to ignore the disgusted or confused looks I get from students. "Is she a dike?" I know many ask themselves because, of course, no 'real' woman would ever join the army. Sometimes I wonder myself if I'm a woman trying to be a man.

Cool Running’s – American Dream

Englisch – Leistungskurs Do you think that â€Å"Cool Running’s† is an example of the idea of the American Dream? Give reasons for your answer! The film â€Å"Cool Running’s† can be regarded as a perfect example of the idea of the American Dream in many ways. When a group of Jamaican athletes founds a bobsled team, on an island, offering neither snow nor any sleds they could practice on, a former bobsled coach finds himself ready to train the team, in order to win the Winter Olympics.Regarding their commitment to obtain their goals, they struggle through everything standing in their way, such as not being supported by their own families, and even being ridiculed by the opponent teams, and the media. The first desperately looking team becomes a well-trained bobsled crew, showing off their skills and now even competing in the Winter Olympics. Their goal to win the Olympics only becomes of second importance, when their coach reveals his past referring to the scandal he is responsible for, by cheating during the past Olympics, followed by him saying: â€Å"If you're not enough without a medal, you'll never be enough with one. During the final day’s race one of the sled’s blades falls off, flipping the sled on its side, when only a few meters are separating the team from the finishing line. However, they lift the sled proudly and walk across the finishing line, while the crowd around them is applauding cheerfully. It seems like society almost forgot the meaning of the American Dream, by putting prosperity on a level with happiness. Many people forget how some can even find happiness without wealth or economic success, but in their personal fulfillment, which in this case was to take part in the Winter Olympics and represent their country.

Outlin of an ICT project for a hairdressing business

The Hair Studio has recently opened in the local Sutton Coldfield neighbour hood. The Salon has been open for the past 6 months. This new Hair salon has a variety of products that it sells, such as hair and care product to enhance the hair and improve it also it has a selection of professionals that cut and do re-styling of the hair. The salon has been experiencing many problems in the past couple of months since it has opened. All the customer details have been stored in filing cabinets. The disadvantages of having the information of the customers stored in filing cabinets are that the cabinets take up space and too much room of the salon which may cause some inconvenience. There is also a probability that some of the customer details could get misplaced of even lost therefore this could lead to customer complaints. The reputation of the salon could lessen and this will affect the company sales and income. The hair salon is not efficient enough because other problems could occur such as double bookings this would cause confusion for the salon. The salon needs to advertise their business since it is new to the local area and they could do this by putting up poster and other methods such as making leaflets. The opening hours of the shop should be put on the salon door so the people are aware of the opening hours of the hair salon. I am an ICT specialist and I have been approached by the Hair Studio salon business and they have asked me to design an ICT solution which is a new system that will help salon to hopefully function more smoothly. This new ICT system that I will give the hair salon will help the business become more organised and can handle the client’s data more efficiently. The ICT system should make a huge difference to this business and the hair salon should have a vast benefit from the changes that will take place within it business. This will make the salon work more effectively and make the salon more reliable so this can fulfil customer loyalty and there will be no customer complaints. The new ICT should make a huge difference to the salon and solve all their problems at present. I am going to solve all these problems at present by using the ICT system which will allow the data of all the clients to be managed in a securely and safe way so no other person from a third party can enter the clients personal details. The system will be able to save and store the records of each client who comes to the hair salon frequently, and this will make it easier for the details to be handled by a member of staff. To make the information organised in a professional style I can make columns for the ICT system such as Name, Surname, Address, telephone/mobile number this will go under the personal details section and the other section will be where all the appointments will be booked in the appointment booking system. This will help the salon manage the details in an organised manner and there will be secure.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a socio-political protest against the policy of racial segregation and discrimination campaign in the public transport service of Montgomery city, Alabama in 1955. It lasted for one whole year starting at December 5, 1955 and ending at Decenmer21, 1956. The sentiments of the Afro-American community were cooled down by a United States Supreme decision that declared segregation in public transport as unconstitutional. The main cause of the protest and boycott of transport system was racial discrimination. This segregation was a source of bitterness and pathos for the Afro-Americans community for a long period of time. The city bus service was making a mockery of Afro-American as they were harassed by white drivers. They had top pay the fare at the front door whereas they had to reboard from the rear-door.   They used to sit behind a barrier that segregated the white community from the black one. This barrier was always moved toward the rear end to accommodate more white customers. On the bus, blacks sat behind a mobile barrier dividing the races, and as the bus filled, the barrier was pushed back to make room for white passengers. This stated resentments of the black residents of Montgomery city got an impetus in the arrest of Rosa Parks. She was taken into custody on December 1, 1955 on the charges that she refused vacate her seat to a white passenger. She was penalized 10$ in addition to $ 4 court charges. This decision flamed the feelings of the Afro-American community who had already planned to set a protest against this uncivilized practice. So the same day, on December 05, 1955, almost forty two thousands Black residents of the city started the boycott of city bus transport in order to protest racial segregation and racially discriminatory law of Alabama state. Rosa Parks was also an enthusiastic adherent of the protest campaign. The first occurrence of protest was a one day boycott by a local women’s rights organization, Women's Political Council to show solidarity with Rosa Parks. The council’s president JoAnn published and distributed 52,000 fliers that prompted Montgomery‘s Afro-American community to stay off public buses on the day of the Rosa Park’s trial. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) local section, that was hankering after an issue to involve the court into a legal and constitutional debate over the issue of racial segregation took advantage of the situation, started preparing for the legal challenge. After the conviction of Rosa Parks, the local black leaders congregated to arrange a mass protest and an extension of the bus boycott. They further established Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to forward the interest of the Afro-American community at the national level and elected Luther King Jr. as its president. This protest continued for 381 days during which Black community used other mean of conveyance like taxis, carpooling, and walking through miles. Their efforts and sacrifices bore fruit when they ultimately succeeded in their struggle to desegregate seating on public buses, not only in Montgomery, but throughout the United States through a decision made by Supreme Court. As it is stated earlier that Black organizations like NAACP and other community leader started thinking on various legal measures to challenge the Alabama bus segregation laws and to eradicate the segregation. For his purpose, they based their case on Fourth Amendments that declares equal laws for every citizen of America and  Ã‚   wanted a clear judgment in this regards over the discriminatory laws of Alabama State. But real solace came through another case Browder v. Gayle that was filed on February 1, 1956, in the U.S. District Court. Browder was a Montgomery housewife who was denied the equal right of bus service under the discriminatory law and Gayle was the mayor of Montgomery. In June, 1956 ruling, federal court declared the segregated seating as unconstitutional but an appeal was forwarded to the United States Supreme Court. However, on November 13, 1956, the superior court endorsed the lower court's ruling. This was a great triumph for the Afro-American community as they won the struggle for their rights. The Montgomery Bus Boycott cast deep imprints U.S. history and equipped the Black leadership with an impetus to carry on their civil rights struggle. It had implications that reached far beyond the desegregation of public buses. Luther King established himself as the leader of a national stature. The protest boosted the Civil Rights Movement and created a mass awareness about the struggle of Afro-American community and highlighted their pathos and miseries. It further provided confidence to the Black people that they can win their rights by constant struggle. In the words of King: â€Å"We have gained a new sense of dignity and destiny. We have discovered a new and powerful weapon—non-violent resistance.† Reference Burns, Stewart. (1997) Daybreak of Freedom: The Montgomery Bus Boycott. The University of North Carolina Press.

Black Hawk Down Movie Essay

When the movie â€Å"Black Hawk Down† was first released I immediately wanted to watch it. Once I had the opportunity to see this film I was not disappointed and it instantly became one of my favorite movies. I particularly liked this film because I found it to be a captivating movie that provided a glimpse into the minds of American military leaders, especially the elite forces during a controversial conflict. In the years leading up to the conflict portrayed in â€Å"Black Hawk Down† the country of Somalia had been involved in a civil war. Rival clans headed by vicious warlords were rutted against one another. They maintained their power by controlling the weapons and food. By late 1993 over 300,000 civilians had been starved to death by these warlords. When the United Nations could no longer keep the peace and distribute food to those in needs, the United States sent in an elite group of military forces to the region. Ridley Scott directed Black Hawk Down, which was released in 2001. The movie tells the story of 24 hours in the life of American elite soldiers in a clear, focused, and honorable manner. The movie begins with the capture of a man named Mr. Otto who General Garrison, the American commander of forces in Somalia believes to be the main supplier of weapons to the areas primary warlord, Aidi. With the help of inside Intel General Garrison decides to dispatch Army Ranger and Delta forces into Bakara Market area of Mogadishu in order to capture two of Aidi’s key personnel: Omar Salad, his top political advisor and Abdi Hassan, a militia minister. When the U.S. forces left, they were arranged in four chalks. Army Rangers were assigned to evacuate black hawks by the use of fast ropes, and then to secure the corners around the target house where Aidid’s men would be arrested by Delta Force who were dropped in the target site by small birds. The prisoners were then supposed to be transported by a convoy of Humvees back to the U.S. base during which time the black hawks would circle the sky  to provide over head cover. The entire mission was scheduled to take an hour. The codeword â€Å"Irene† was use to start the mission. When the birds reached their target area Rangers began to file down the fast ropes. After the first bird had let its men out, the mission went wrong. As the black hawk maneuvered to miss an RPG, Private First Class Todd Blackburn missed the rope as he departed the black hawk and fell nearly 70 feet. Private First Class Good, the chalk medic came to Blackburn’s aid. Unfortunately, Blackburn’s injuries were far more severe than he was equipped to handle. Blackburn needed to be extracted immediately. As Blackburn was loaded onto a stretcher to await the arrival of the medevac the firefight intensified and the Rangers were forced to branch out. With eyes on the battlefield from a screen located at the command center, General Garrison observed the deteriorating situation. Within minutes thousands of Somalis began to erect barricades, start fires, and maneuver themselves towards the American forces. These barricades caused the Humvees to alter from their original course in an attempt to make it to the pick up site. At the same time, the Ranger and Delta forces had successfully captured Aidi’s key men. When the Humvees finally arrived, Blackburn was near death. The chalk leader decided that three Humvees would break from the convoy and take Blackburn back to base; however, while in route to the base their gun man was killed. The city was filled with Somalis shooting at the force from every possible direction. While this was taking place, the helicopters continued to circle the city. They provided aerial support for the ground forces. While providing aerial support one of the black hawks (Super Six One) piloted by Wilcott was hit by an RPG. Initially Wilcott believed the damage was minor, but his bird quickly began to spin out of control and proceeded to crash; which quickly changed the American forces mission. Now the American forces had to reach the fallen bird before the Somalis did. With a chopper leading the way, ground forces along with Humvees began to make their way to the crash site, but fate struck again. While leading the convoy, the chopper manned by Mike Durant was shot down by an RPG. A new plan was then created in order to secure the second fallen black hawk. The new plan was for the Humvees to continue on to the first crash site, secure it, recover the wounded as well as dead, head to the second crash, site secure it, and then finally head back to the base. However, before the Humvees where able to make it to the first crash site they had taken so many casualties that they were forced to return to base; leaving the Delta force and Ranger forces to fight the growing mob. As night fell the remaining forces settled into fallen homes where they proceeded to take care of their wounded and fire at advancing Somalis. Meanwhile the convoy returned to base, unloaded their wounded, rearmed and headed back out to rescue the American forces. Additionally, small birds darted through Mogadishu firing down upon the Somalis in an attempt to provide fire support. By 9:30 that night a rescue plan was in place. The U.S. forces would hook up with the Malaysian and Pakistani forces, form a convoy and bring the remaining forces back to base. There task was a long and tedious process as the convoy was constantly under fire. However, by 5:45 the following morning the convoy had reached the troops and was heading back to base. The only problem with this was that there was not enough room for all of the soldiers. Due to this fact, some of the soldiers were forced to run back to the base amid the continued shooting. The movie concluded as a large forced prepared to return in an attempt to find Mike Durant. In conclusion, Black Hawk Down is an excellent, must see movie. In my opinion the movies accomplished three main goals. First, it informs the viewers of the events that occurred in Somalia. Second, it brings the audience deep into the heart of battle by showing a realistic portrayal of combat and the brave actions of numerous American soldiers. Consequently, the movie gives its viewers a sense of the fellowship that was felt among the American forces that were apart of this conflict as well as a deeper appreciation for the sacrifice that so many American’s make even when not involved in a major war. Finally, throughout this movie Ridley Scott highlights one of the principle warrior ethos used by the fighting forces  and lived by many American Soldiers: â€Å"Never leave a fallen comrade†.

Report on Primary School Essay

Drop-out problem is not caused by any single reason, in fact, a whole lot of different factors work behind it. These factors are also inter-related to each other and therefore one factor influences many other factors. For example, poverty has inter-linkages with many other factors that influences drop-out like quality of education, parental attitude etc. Poverty also has intra linkages with facts like direct cost, indirect cost and opportunity cost of schooling, early pressure for marriage. As poverty is one of the major reasons behind drop-out, it has various linkages with most of the other problems. Although primary education is declared as tuition-free, there are many direct costs like exam fees, enrollment fee; certain amount from the stipend money is also taken for various reasons. These expenses become a big problem for the poor households and it influences dropping out because when survival is the issue, things like education is less important. Another problem was the hidden costs of schooling that are clothes, pen and paper, etc. all of the 12 samples and their parents said that buying clothes, pen and papers was a huge problem for them. All of the parents said that as they are poor people, these extra costs of schooling are unbearable to them. Almost all of 12 dropouts have missed school frequently due to failure in obtaining these articles. They feared that they will be punished if they go to school without pen or paper. Teachers said that children who come to school without pen or paper cause a lot of trouble because they are unable to do any class work and disturb the other students. So they are given punishment. The opportunity costs of schooling include chore time, sibling care and foregone earnings of children. The opportunity costs of educating children are higher in poor families because these families rely more on each member to contribute to the family’s economic survival. Girls and women are the unpaid household labourers. All of the 6 female samples’ labour in the household is an economic necessity because it frees others to earn outside. All of them had to do important works like collecting water and firewood, washing utensils, helping in cooking and taking care of siblings. Dropouts who belonged to large families, less earning members and unstable income due to illness of earning members had to do wage work for  cash. All of the female samples told that they had worked in rich households as domestic helps when their family needed cash or could not afford a satisfactory meal. It is difficult for poor families to afford the opportunity cost of schooling because the contribution of their child’s labour at household work or earning is essential at certain times for the survival of their families. All of these direct, hidden and opportunity costs are intra-linked with poverty, which causes poor attendance rate. This encourages dropping-out as the school terms clash with the agricultural cycle and those who miss school over several weeks drop behind, teachers withdraw their books and they are disqualified for stipend, as a result, they ultimately abandon school. Poverty is interlinked with quality of education as poor families cannot afford private tuitions for their children. Apart from a few parents most of them were illiterate and they could not give any effective help to their children in their studies. Hence these parents have regarded the need of going to private tuitions as a very urgent one. All the samples agreed that students who took private tuitions performs in the class and does well in exams. All the parents agreed that if the teachers had taught the students well in the class, then the parents would not have to spend extra money to send their children for private tuitions. The parents even said that the teachers do this deliberately to earn money. The students who receive private coaching get promoted to the next class regardless of their results, so they do not get dropped from the PESP receiver’s list. As a result, only the children from solvent families are able to continue their studies. Dropping out due to disqualifying for PESP have been observed in this research amongst those households who sent their children to school after hearing about the PESP. During harvest period, there are many works to be done, so a lot of the children do not go to school. Consequently, many of them fail in the exams as they fail to catch up with the class due to absence. As a result, they get dropped from the PESP receiver’s list. So again the economic factors affect the situation because it can be seen that only the children of the well to do families can receive stipend. This is because since the children of solvent people do not have to work at home, they can attend school regularly and on the other hand, they can attain private lessons by using the money they get from stipend, so they can pass in the exams. Poverty is interlinked to students’ eagerness to learn. As the drop-out children belonged to the poor households they all suffered from certain extent of malnutrition. The samples told that usually they went to school after eating rice, rice crisps, banana, molasses etc and 7 of the children said that very often they had to take insufficient food and so they felt hungry in the class. Some of the children had to do household works and they felt tired and sleepy in the class. All of these children said they found it hard to concentrate in the study. So the eagerness and motivation of the children of the poor households are affected by their economic condition. The irregular and low salary of teachers influences their motivation to teach and forces them to depend on alternative income sources like private tuition. As a result they are obligated to favour their private students which create frustration amongst the other students. These children found school unfriendly and unfair. They become reluctant to attend school and as a result they miss classes and this causes poor performance in exams. All of these factors contributes to disqualifying from stipend program and finally leads to drop-out. Societal reasons are also found to be affecting drop-out of children, especially girls. The people of this village are very pious and they think that school education is the trend of the new age. They think that receiving religious lessons is more important since it will help them in the afterlife. Maximum people think that it is foolish for children of poor people to receive higher education because there are no such job opportunities for them, and the people who have no certainty of their day meal will obviously send their children to work and earn money to run the family, this is reality. Pressure for early marriage is also present as most of the community members agreed that this the safest option for the parents. Incidents of eve teasing were seen and sadly the societal pressure was on the girl as she will earn a bad reputation and her prospect of marriage will be ruined. These types of societal pressures are interlinked with unsupportive parental attitudes, because all parents and especially the poor parents do not have much of a say in the society and they are the most vulnerable ones. So the parents of a girl child prefer marriage over education as that is safest option and also this is what the society expects them to do. So all of these different factors are interlinked with each other which affects dropping out of children. CHAPTER 7: IMPACTS OF PESP 7. 1 BACKGROUND OF PESP. The most notable among the incentive programs undertaken by the government at the primary level were the Food for Education Program (FFE) and the Primary Educational Stipend Program (PESP). The FFE Program was launched in 1993 to increase the enrollment, persistence, and attendance rates of children from landless and very poor families. Forty percent of the children enrolled in primary schools in the targeted poor areas received a monthly allocation of wheat or rice for their family if they attended primary school regularly. To be eligible for receiving the food, the children were to be present at school for 85 percent of classes each month. A sliding scale increased the amount if more than one child per family attended school. Ultimately, the FFE was implemented in 1255 unions, covering 27 percent of the country. The World Bank’s 1998 Poverty Assessment found that the FFE did raise enrollment and attendance rates, and by 2000, the FFE program had covered about 27 percent of all primary schools in Bangladesh. Out of 5. 2 million students enrolled in schools with FFE, about 40 percent received food grains (mostly wheat) through the program. About two million families benefited from the FFE program. But there negative issues related to the FFE program as well. It suffered from high levels of leakage (it cost 1. 59 taka to transfer 1 taka in benefits) and was poorly targeted (50 percent of the beneficiaries came from households above the lower poverty line). Increases in the price of the food commodities in 2001-2002 caused the government of Bangladesh to reduce the amount of food assistance, until the program was discontinued in June 2002. However, universal primary education was still far from achieving. So, a new program, the PESP was introduced. The new Primary Education Stipend Project was designed to provide cash assistance through a stipend program to poor primary school pupils and their families throughout rural Bangladesh. The targeted beneficiaries of the PESP were an estimated 5. 5 million pupils from the poorest households who were enrolled in eligible primary schools in all rural areas of Bangladesh (469 upazillas). In order to qualify for the stipend, selected pupils were to maintain 85 percent monthly attendance and attain a minimum of 50 percent marks on the annual exam administered for each grade. To continue to participate in the program, a school must demonstrate at least 60 percent pupil attendance, and 10 percent of its grade 5 pupils must sit for the Primary School Scholarship Exam. Households of qualifying pupils would receive 100 taka (about $1. 76) per month for one pupil (not to exceed 1200 taka annually) and 125 taka per month for more than one pupil (not to exceed 1500 taka annually). Six designated national banks would disburse the stipends on a quarterly basis to authorized parents/guardians on a pre-determined date at the local bank branch or at a temporary distribution post (â€Å"camp’) established at a convenient location within 5 kilometres of the school site. Stipends would be disbursed to pupils’ parents or legal guardians who present the proper PESP bank-issued identity card. Preferences were to be given to issuing cards to the mothers of the selected pupil. The new features of the PESP were: †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Subsidies provided in cash, rather than in kind (as in the FFE Program) would ease transfer to poor recipients and would limit the involvement of school personnel in distribution (FFE required teachers to dole out the wheat and rice). †¢Cost-effectiveness would increase as the government of Bangladesh can offer stipends to more families for the same cost and not be vulnerable to increases in food prices (as with the FFE Program that necessitated decreasing the amount of food provided). †¢The stipend amount is fixed at a level that will significantly offset household poverty (unlike the 25 taka offered through the PES Project). †¢The cash stipend is more flexible, so the family can determine its best use according to their needs—whether it is used for food purchase, school expenses or financing income generating activities (unlike the FFE Program where households often sold the food at less than market value to obtain cash). †¢Disbursing the stipend funds to the mother will increase her power within the household and she will be more likely to spend the money to improve the children’s welfare (earlier programs disbursed to fathers or male household heads). †¢Leakage will be reduced because (i) commodities (such as the FFE Program’s wheat and rice rations) are more liable to misappropriation and (ii) bank-mediated distribution eliminates scope for underpayment or kick-backs. †¢Provision of stipends on a nation-wide basis (rather than in selected areas) will reach the poor families throughout rural Bangladesh who must restrict their children’s participation in primary school. 7. 2 ProgramME Performance. The Primary Education Stipend Project (PESP) aims to increase the educational participation—enrollment, attendance, persistence, and performance–of primary school-aged children from poor families throughout Bangladesh by providing cash payments to targeted households. The new Primary Education Stipend Project is designed to provide cash assistance through a stipend program to poor primary school pupils and their families throughout rural Bangladesh. The impacts of PESP in the research area are described below according to the official objectives of the PESP: †¢ Increase the enrolment rate among primary school-aged children from poor families. The researcher found this objective successful to some extent because the statistics provided by the teachers show that enrolment rate has increased after the PESP have been introduced. The school enrolled the new students in only class one. The numbers of enrolment of last five years has been shown in the table below. YearNumber of students enrolled in class 1Total students of the school 200084270 200195280 2002102288 2003108295 2004116309 Table 6: The number of students enrolled in class 1. †¢ Increase the attendance rate of primary school pupils. The PESP rationale is that regular attendance will improve pupils learning outcomes and contribute to good grades on exams. Attaining 40 percent marks will motivate the pupil to study and the pupil’s family to support his/her studies, by ensuing school attendance (not withdrawing for labour) and providing the necessary supplies and inputs. Combined these conditions are expected to lead to reduced repetition and drop-out and increased completion. Meeting the attendance requirement on a monthly basis will  determine the amount of the quarterly stipend disbursement. If a pupil does not meet the condition, the stipend will not be paid for that month. Classroom teachers record attendance daily, checked by head teachers. The 85 percent target is relatively high, compared with average primary school attendance rates that are reported to be 61 percent or below and even with the FSSAP which has a target of 75 percent. This objective was not very successful as the attendance rate was very poor in the primary school were this research have been done. Teachers said that in general attendance rate is well below 85 percent. Students from the poor households are the most irregular ones. The reason for absenteeism is primarily due to the inability to pay for school expenses and/or the need to work either at home or outside the home. However, in some of the cases, reasons behind absenteeism were temporary or chronic illness, disinclination for schooling, bad weather, flooding, etc. During the rainy season the attendance was low as the roads were muddy and slippery and transportation was unavailable. During the bad whether some of them stayed absent as they didn’t want to damage their clothes. Two of the samples said that they had only two clothes, of which one was torn so they wore it in the house and the other one they wore in the school. They remained absent if the better cloth was wet as they couldn’t were the other one. The direct and opportunity costs of schooling, cultural constraints and prejudices, and special needs of vulnerable children—prevent these children from going to school. Although primary education is declared as tuition-free, there are many direct costs like exam fees, enrolment fee etc and with this there are many indirect costs like pen, papers, clothes etc. Though the stipend money was a help to some extent to the poor families, it was distributed after 3 months and during that time whenever the family couldn’t afford the necessary equipments, the children remained absent. Although the stipend receivers said that they bought pen, papers, clothes etc, they also said they still missed school whenever they couldn’t manage them as they were given punishments. Another reason for low attendance of the students was the opportunity cost of the child. Students frequently remained absent during different times of agricultural cycles as their labour was needed by their family. In the rainy seasons some of the boys helped their father in boat rowing so they stayed absent and because of this, they were dropped from the stipend receivers list. †¢ Reduce the drop out rate of primary school pupils and increase the cycle completion rate of primary school pupil. Unlike enrollment, persistence in primary school requires an ongoing household commitment that, especially among the vulnerable poor, is easily assailed by family circumstances (e.g. illness, death), the economy, and a host of other factors. The continuous payment of a stipend for the pupil’s entire primary school career—does provide both motivation and a monetary cushion for the family by helping to offset the opportunity costs associated with economic hardship that could pull a child from school. However, as a child ages both the direct and opportunity costs (for boys in the labour market and girls in the marriage market) increase, and the stipend is not sufficient to meet these costs. In addition, considerations other than monetary—such as lack of interest in schooling, dissatisfaction with the quality of schooling, cultural imperatives to marry, etc. –may come into play that are not amenable to financial incentives. Although primary education is declared as tuition-free, there are many direct costs like exam fees, enrolment fee; certain amount from the stipend money is also taken for various reasons. These expenses become a big problem for the poor households and it influences dropping out. The number of drop-out children in last five years is given below. Table 7: Number of dropouts in the last 5 years provided by the school YearNumber of drop-out childrenNumber of children completed class fiveTotal students in class five 1999104555 2000124254 2001114455 2002114960 2003124759 Chart: The number of dropouts and completions during last five years Although the dropout numbers provided by the school shows that dropout from school in class five is around 10 to 12, the researcher found that in reality the number was more than that as certain amount of underwriting is done so that the school remains in the PESP allotting list. The PESP stipend does not appear to meaningfully offset the opportunity costs of child labour, averaging less than 5 taka per day or $2 per month. But, its ability to attract children from the labour market to school clearly depends on the situation of the family. It is unlikely that a desperately poor family would be able to forego the income or even the food earned by a regularly-employed child. However, in some cases the child may continue to earn a sufficient amount outside of school hours and during school absences tolerated by the PESP (15 percent). The additional 25 taka per month for any subsequent children enrolled in primary school represents a much smaller contribution towards meeting the opportunity cost of schooling, and acts more as a reward to those households who have already made the decision to send their children to school than to encourage households to send non-attending children to school. Since opportunity costs must also be added to direct costs of schooling to assess the real cost, families of working children may not be able to cover both the sacrifice of a child’s income or labour and the cash outlays for the direct costs discussed above. Both the direct and opportunity costs of schooling increases as the child ages and progresses in primary school, increasing the burden for very poor families. Consequently, the PESP stipend may not be sufficient to overcome the financial barriers to primary schooling in families where children must work constantly to increase household production or income or to feed themselves. †¢ Enhance the quality of primary education. The PESP is least likely to be successful in improving the quality of education (as defined by learning outcomes and completion rates), because it places the entire burden of quality improvement on the child (maintaining high attendance) and household (purchasing educational inputs to ensure good grades), rather than on the teacher or school. First, failure to achieve is more often the result of poor instruction than of incapable students. Second, families targeted for support are poor, and it is far more likely that the stipend will be used to provide additional food and clothing for the family than purchase educational materials or tutoring for a primary school child. And while it would not be reasonable to expect a stipend program to also be a quality improvement program, the PESP may have negative consequences for educational quality of the 75-85 percent of primary school-age children already in school by diverting resources away from  needed supply-side improvements. The impact of PESP in the research area seemed to favour access over quality. The teachers said as the most of the parents who enrolled their children for stipend, they don’t worry about the quality of education; instead they want to receive the stipend money anyhow. This attitude can never help to improve quality of education. †¢ Ensure equity in the provision of financial assistance to primary school-age children and alleviate poverty. Bangladesh ranks as one of the poorest countries in the world, with a GDP per capita of $350. The poor account for about 50 percent of Bangladesh’s total population, and 37 percent are counted among the â€Å"hard-core† poor, who live in the direst circumstances (Bangladesh Human Development Report 2000, BIDS). That fifty-three percent of pupils in the primary education system come from poor households reflects the high demand for primary education among Bangladeshi parents. Ultimately, much of the success of the PESP in combating poverty and helping families deal with the direct and opportunity costs of sending their children to primary school will depend on the validity of the targeting mechanism and on the real value of the stipend in offsetting those costs. Primary school-age children become eligible for stipend benefits if their families meet at least one of the following five targeting criteria: ? Children from a landless or near-landless household that owns less than half an acre of land; ? Children of day labourers; ?Children from female-headed households (i. e. , a household headed by a female who is widowed, separated from husband, divorced, or having a disabled husband); ? Children from households that earn their living from low-income professions (such as, fishing, pottery, weaving, blacksmithing, and cobbling); and ? Children of sharecroppers. At present, the targeting methodology does not appear sufficiently well-defined to ensure that the poorest families in Bangladesh benefit, but rather the poorer families relative to their specific locale (which may not be terribly poor). With no clear-cut guidelines or empirical methods for identifying the poorest students, it is not clear how poor children can be identified. More over, a lot of community members and parents of the dropout children blamed the teachers and SMC members of deliberate biases and distortions. Almost universally, those interviewed said that SMC members and teachers complicit in giving favour to local elites and the non-poor in school admission and enrollment in the PESP or extracting some form of payment for consideration. Because the SMC members are generally members of the local elite, it has been told by the parents of the drop-outs and community member that they have a tendency to favour their own friends and relatives. The stipend amount appears sufficient to cover the education costs of one child, but the PESP often employs a rationale that double- and triple-counts the stipend, by stating that it will offset direct costs, eliminate opportunity costs, and increase household income. It is unlikely that the stipend is adequate to address all three at the same time. It does not appear to fully recognize that the PESP will also cause the families—especially those with working children—to incur significant costs that may not represent a net gain for the household (at least in the short-term). The PESP may be too expensive for very poor households whose children are not already enrolled, as the stipend amount is not sufficient to pay for education, compensate for lost wages/production and increase household income as well. Poverty impedes households’ ability to pay for school fees and/or other direct (e. g. textbooks) and indirect (e. g. â€Å"donations† for school authorities) costs that may be required for school admission or full participation in primary school. Poor households are more likely to need children’s labour for income-producing or cost-saving activities, and be less able to sacrifice the child’s time to schooling, resulting in frequent absenteeism and/or early withdrawal from school. The poor are more prone to disease and malnutrition than the non-poor. Poor health and nutritional status among young and school-aged children can result in illness and/or physical and cognitive impairment or delays, causing late enrollment, drop-out, absenteeism and poor learning outcomes. Additional objectives (mentioned by MOPME officials): Eradication of child labour and empowerment of women were the additional objectives. PESP could not eradicate child labour as it was seen that the samples often missed classes because of various household works. All of the 6 male samples helped their fathers in the field at different times of agricultural cycles. The boys who worked in the agricultural field worked in two phases. For working in the morning from 8AM to 1PM, they received 1 meal and 50 to 70 taka and for working from 2PM to 5PM, they are given 30 taka. In the rainy season a some of the male samples helped their fathers in boat rowing. Girls and women are the unpaid household labourers. All of the 6 female samples’ labour in the household is an economic necessity because it frees others to earn outside. All of them had to do important works like collecting water and firewood, washing utensils, helping in cooking and taking care of siblings. Because of these reasons, parents were reluctant to spare their daughters for schooling. There is no evidence of gender disparity in enrollment rates among the poor, but it is likely that girls who belonged to poor families are less likely to persist and perform in school than boys. But as there is a stipend programme for the secondary female students, girls are now getting the opportunity for higher studies. Social Impact of PESP: Irrespective of the PESP’s impact on primary education or its reaching the poorest 40 percent of families, the prevalence of poverty in Bangladesh is such that the PESP must be regarded as a positive move in improving social welfare, in that it represents a substantial redistribution or transfer of income from the wealthier sections of society to the poorer ones. Given the rural focus, it is seen that these cash transfers has some positive impact on the economies of small rural communities. As households spend the PESP stipend on commodities (books, food, clothing, etc) and services (tutoring, medical, etc. ), the effects are rippling through the community, generating additional income for merchants and suppliers. Insofar as mothers are the stipend recipients, it is expected that they will have decision-making authority over its use and their economic prestige will be enhanced somewhat. The political and social impact is also positive as beneficiary poor families and community members appreciate the recognition of need and the benefits offered by the PESP. But the major negative impact of this program is that those parents who sent their children to school after hearing about the stipend money, many of them withdrew their children when they were dropped from the stipend receivers list. These parents were unaware of the rules for achieving the stipend and they became angry and  annoyed by the rules. They also claimed that rules are strictly followed in the cases of poor students and teachers showed biasness while distributing stipends. According to them, the students who take private tuitions from the teachers and the children of the rich and powerful people receive stipend even if they are irregular or have failed in exams. Many of the parents said with anger that the strictness of rules happens only for the poor. Thus even though the stipend programme has increased the enrolment rate it has also became a reason for dropping out of children. The people who have two or more children enrolled in school do not support the rule of Tk. 125 for two children. They feel that all of their children should receive Tk. 100 each. Some of the parents of the dropouts were very annoyed with this rule. Few dropout children had their siblings reading in the same schools as well, so the amount of money received from PESP due to this rule made the parents take different strategy. Although both children received stipend, many of these parents withdrew their eldest child from school and engaged them in work, while the other children continued studying as long as they receive stipend. It is difficult for a poor family to afford the opportunity cost of more then one child. Matrix 1—Knowledge, attitude and perception towards the primary education stipend project Key issues Students ParentsTeachersCommunity 1. Knowledge regarding the project. Selection criteriaFor poor and regular students, in primary school are eligible for stipendFor poor and regular students85% attendance and at least 45% pass marks in each subjects in all examsGiven to all poor and good students schools Retention CriteriaRegular attendance and at least pass marks in all examsRegular attendance and good result85% attendance and at least 50% pass marks in each subjects in all examsRegular attendance in school and good result Disbursement ProcessDistributed by bank officials or teachers to the students in school/nearby camps arranged for disbursement. Distributed from school and received by studentsDistributed from school or camps arranged by UPO in the presence of headmaster, class teacher, and SMC members Distributed by school among students 2. Attitude towards the projectBeneficial for all especially the poor. Helpful for allHighly beneficial particularly to the poor studentsHelpful for children Adequacy of stipend amount Disbursement processNot sufficient and should be increased ReasonableInadequate for expenses of direct and hidden costs but still helpful. ReasonableThough inadequate but helpful for the very poor students Though reasonable but takes a whole working day Key issuesStudentsParentsTeachersCommunity 3. Impact of the project Enrollment Attendance Increased, particularly for the poor students Increased a little Increased Increased a little Increased for all, and especially increased for poor students Attendance is still the same amongst poor students but in general increased a little Increased Probably more regular than before Dropout Completion rate Incidence of early marriage. Support towards female education Family pressure for marriage Social pressure for marriageDecreased High Still the same Same as before Still the same Still the sameLess than before Higher than before Still the same Increased a little Decreased a little Still the sameDecreased a little Higher than before Still the same Increased a little Still the same Still the sameDecreased a little Higher than before Still the same Increased Decreased a little Still the same Key issues Students ParentsTeachersCommunity 4. Problems regarding the project. Inadequate stipend amount Late distribution of text books Late disbursement of stipend Extortion of stipend money in forms of school fees and private tuitionInadequate stipend amount, Indirect cost of schooling (fees, uniform, cost of education aids), Late distribution of stipend Extortion of stipend money in forms of school fees and private tuitionInadequate stipend amount for the very poor students, Lack of training opportunities for teachers in the project Late disbursement of stipend money by the government Inadequate stipend amount 7. 3 IMPACTS ON BENEF.