Monday, March 23, 2020

The Importance of Arts in School Essay Example For Students

The Importance of Arts in School Essay Talent is a special skill that is eminent but unique in each and every one of us. Be it within a normal person or a disabled person, will improve depending on how you cultivate it using hard work. Many have stated that disability is not an issue in cultivating talents within a person, but as many do realize, there are not much facilities which are disabled- friendly to the society, Disability is a sensitive topic to the education system as it may ignite discrimination to the students involved There are many problems concerning disability and its environment. According to the FEE Global Monitoring Report (2010), reaching he marginalia, children with disabilities remains one of the main groups being widely excluded from quality education. Disability is known as one of the least visible yet most compelling factors in the educational System. Children with disabilities have a right to education. Since the UN universal Declaration on Human Rights was released in 1948, there has been legislation on providing education for all children. We will write a custom essay on The Importance of Arts in School specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Which entered into force in 2008 and Which was ratified by the LIKE in 2009, has 145 signatories (as at June 2010) including all AS countries except Afghanistan and Zanzibar. Referring specifically to education and the role of the international community, it has profound implications for DIF and its work. But it is not that easy to actually give education if facilities are inadequate in a country, In a book entitled Livelihood Situation of Disabled Population in China (2011), one of the biggest problems China faces is the education problem. Comparing with the large number of disabled population, there are quite few educational institutions tort them. Up to 2008, there are only 1640 schools and institutions specifically for disabled people; and there are only 46 housing teaching staffs in total. In India, education for the disabled enters in a different context where a recent study by the World Bank (2007), for example, noted that children with disability are five times more likely to be out of school than children belonging to scheduled castes or scheduled tribes (SC or SST). Moreover, when children with disability do attend school they rarely progress beyond the primary level, leading ultimately to lower employment chances and long-term income poverty. The Philippines is also a place where its people are talented. In the recent show Philippians Got Talent (2010), Carl Malone Montevideo, an 11 year- old boy who had been blind since his birth is blessed With extraordinary singing talent to compensate his eyesight. Still, not all are able to adapt in an environment with problems about inferiority because of their condition. There may be problems that the instructors may possess themselves and the environment they are in. According to a research done by Veneering Nazarene Trill, the Director of Resource and Program Development at Jesus- Marie International School, Inc. (2010), gifted and talented children and children with disabilities are all included as one number. Some gifted and alienated used to be classified as behaviorally challenged as they oeuvre disruptive in class. Teachers need specialized training as well. A great deal of thinking and problem solving to transform Philippines basic educational system to a wonderful learning environment has to be done (2010). As environment With the normal and disabled could result to discrimination or inferiority, this research attempts to investigate the spaces which would help with the progress and growth Of the talents Of the disabled and differently abele to claim that Philippines is one of the most diverse countries there is in the future. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This research aims to determine the potential of the disabled people in a school or environment together with the average people. .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 , .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .postImageUrl , .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 , .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54:hover , .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54:visited , .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54:active { border:0!important; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54:active , .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54 .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4ac059988cbf9641614e0b53f319be54:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Alexander The Great EssayScientifically, the research attempts to answer the following questions: 1. What are the problems that may be present it the disabled are placed in an environment with the average people? 2. What are some problems with keeping up with the average peoples pace of learning? 3. What are the space requirements that would be helpful for their simultaneous growth? ASSUMPTION This research assumes that with provision to proper spaces for the disabled ill result as the simultaneous growth/ learning of both the average and disabled people and nurture their creative talents. This research also assumes that the data collected would help in the design of a school or facility for the disabled. This research also assumes that solutions are as practical and sustainable as possible but as effective as it is intended in terms of keeping up with the trend of architecture. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY This research helps in giving out educated knowledge to help in the fight against discrimination between the disabled and physically impaired people in Which society is still under since the early times. This may help the community living in a diverse environment for the improvement and progress of each community in the Philippines. With this, the government may have more public facilities for them which may help in the progress of our country. If, more facilities are to be established, the education profession would have jobs available and at the same time, it challenges their profession for the better. This research also helps other architects and architecture students alike to improve facilities for the disabled. It will give others ideas and concepts in the improving he designs for the disabled. They may also incorporate the solutions to their own original ideas as solutions to another project not related to the topic of the research. With this research, the government may consider changing design standards of public facilities that are intended for the better learning of public school children with or without disability as may present flexible solutions. This may also help in the economic aspects of the country, Because solution may be flexible there is less need for providing for what is for the average students and what is for the disabled students LIMITATIONS

Friday, March 6, 2020

The Effectivity of Peanut Meal essays

The Effectivity of Peanut Meal essays This study was conducted to determine the effectivity of peanut meal as a potential weed killer. Its objective was to find out if peanut meal would decrease the number of weeds and/or inhibit weed growth and to detemine if the treatment would Three treatments were formulated for the experiment. Treatment A, comprising of the peanut meal, was obtained by extracting the oil from peanuts with the use of a Soxhlet apparatus. Treatment B is the peanut itself and treatment C, the control, is plain water. Three land areas with the same dimensions were isolated for the experi-ment. Ten individual weeds were labeled in each area and observed for changes in At the same time, a germination study was conducted. An equal number of mongo seeds were placed in two petri dishes with osterized peanut meal. Geermination of the weeds and their changes in length were observed. Lengths were After two weeks of treatment no significant changes were observed in areas A and B. The mongo seeds with peanut meal were observed to have relatively less germination than the mongo seeds without peanut meal. It is concluded that peanut meal particles completed for moisture and is not an effective weed killer. The Philippines is greatly dependent on its agricultural produce, the palay, which is processed into rice and is a necessity for both the country and for eco-nomic growth through exports. It is therefore important to be able to produce the highest possible palay yield. This is difficult, however, because of weeds. Weeds have always been hard to control even with the introduction of herbicides into the market. The problem with these herbicides, relatively effective as they are, is that they are chemically based and usually have trace elements in the soil, which may be harmful to non-weed plants like palay. Weeds are regarded as nuisance to the agricultural industry. It is also a troublesome element along highways, rail...

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Polly Peck Fraud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Polly Peck Fraud - Essay Example However, in spite of all these efforts, fraud still exists all over the world as seen in the case of Polly Peck Fraud. More than 20 years ago, city funds and small financiers were surprised as one of the safest bets on the London Stock Exchange imploded. The share price of an international trading corporation, Polly Peck International (PPI), collapsed following raiding of its premises by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) at the center of the empire constructed by Asil Nadir, its apparently outstanding chief (Casciani, 2008). Asil was a 71-year-old British citizen of Turkish-Cypriot origin. When he was arraigned to court, he protested his innocence but then ran away from the country asserting that he will not get a fair hearing. In 2010, 17 years later, he came back stating that he wanted to clear his name. Instead, a jury confirmed that he was a thief following a mammoth and sometimes a bewilderingly complex trial. According to Casciani (2008), Asil was found guilty of ten thefts from P olly Peck amounting to? 29 million, and he was cleared of an additional three lawsuits regarding approximately? 5 million. PPI was built by Asil Nadir out of very little. The rise of Asil in the 1980s started with an amazingly shrewd investment in a small textile company which he simply referred to as Polly Peck. He used Polly Peck as a means to construct a trading empire throughout Europe hence adding International to the Polly Peck along the way. Nadir and PPI possessed at the company’s height what was once one of the largest electronics companies in Europe, Del Monte- the global fruit brand, and leisure complexes and hotels. According to The Guardian (2012), he posted stratospheric profits each quarter hence everyone wanted a piece of PPI in the get-rich-quick environment of late 1980s Britain. As a result, PPI was worth ? 2 billion by the end of the decade hence, making it an FTSE 100 player. Some shareholders had observed returns of over 1,000 times their original stake although very few of them got out prior to crash down of PPI. One of Nadir’s plush management companies in Mayfair was raided by the Serious Fraud Office on September 19, 1990. The following day, PPI’s share price trailed in the middle of rumors and speculation. Nadir started to be investigated by the Serious Fraud Office by looking at allegations of insider dealing- a line of investigation that was dropped later. Instead, Serious Fraud Office asserted that it had obtained evidence that Asil had stolen millions of pounds that belonged to investors of PPI. Asil had a very high degree of control over finances of PPI him (The Guardian, 2012). He had authority to withdrawing or depositing money without obtaining a counter-signature from another director. The Guardian (2012) asserts that the jury was told by the prosecution that Asil, with the support of close confidants, used over 50 transfers to steal about? 151 million from PPI from August 1987 onward. While in the court , the businessmen agreed that the Asil instructed majority of transfers.  

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Philosophy - Essay Example Since his early age, Descartes had begun to doubt every traditional fact, he had ever known or learned. His doubts even reached his own existence in the world. So, in his Discourse on Method Meditations and Principles, Descartes explains and elaborates the principles of his philosophy that depend on skepticism and uncertainty. Then, he started to rebuild his knowledge, as well as ours, by proving his own existence, and the existence of mind, soul, and God. As noticed by many thinkers, â€Å"the Method of Doubt ultimately involves the task of removing all uncertain beliefs, ensuring that only beliefs that are certainly true beliefs remain in one's philosophy† (Bellotti). In order to take us from the state of complete doubt to complete certainty, Descartes made an insightful connection between his method of doubt and his method of inquiry, resorting to the use of the scientific method of thinking, advocated by former thinkers and philosophers. In essence, the scientific method c an be considered as a process, in which one corrects himself and his previous knowledge, through continuous examination of truth, for the final aim of finding answers to questions. This examination of truth is what is referred to as doubt and skepticism by Descartes (Bracken). Theoretically, the scientific method of thinking, as practiced by famous thinkers such as Galileo and Francis Bacon, takes two main forms: deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. Building on the theories of great former thinkers, Descartes found that the deductive method best suited his philosophical principles. To illustrate, the deductive form of the scientific method arrives at a provable true conclusion by reasoning after the application of thoughtful experiments and sound logic. The inductive method, on the other hand, starts with observations, which create a hypothesis to be proved through a confirmation process. This form of the scientific method can be evidenced, for example, in Newton’s la w of gravity. He arrived at this law after observing the fall of the apple from the tree. This observation led him to make a hypothesis about a hidden force that let the apple fall, leading him to arrive at the law of gravity. On the contrary, the deductive form of the scientific method does not start with a hypothesis; rather, it looks at the already existent facts and examines them through reasoning to derive conclusion about the accuracy and authenticity of the fact. So, this was exactly what Descartes wanted to implement, regarding his philosophy of doubt. For him, any known fact can be doubted till it is logically proved to be true through reasoning (Roach). Descartes derived this trust in the concept of logic and reasoning from his background as a mathematician. He clearly states this fact, when he says that he was delighted â€Å"with mathematics because of the certainty of its demonstrations and the evidence of its reasoning† (Beardsley, p. 9). Making use of his mathe matical background, Descartes then tended to apply logic and reasoning to all his future philosophical principles. Implementing the deductive form of the scientific method, Descartes goes on in his meditations to experience an intellectual journey, in which he doubts every single fact in our world. As noted by many observers, â€Å"Descartes begins his method of doubt by considering that he has, in the past, been deceived by his senses – things have looked a way that they are not† (Lacewing). As a result, this scientific method

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Meritocracy in UK Education: Bernstein and Bourdieu

Meritocracy in UK Education: Bernstein and Bourdieu ‘Education policy in the UK now contributes to a more meritocratic society. Discuss the various explanations that sociologists have offered for differences in educational outcomes Introduction Many policy developments regarding education have had as their express aim the need to make the education system fairer (including the 1870 and 1944 Education Acts and the 1988 Education Reform Act, which introduced the National Curriculm): that is, to achieve a position in which educational achievement reflects children’s innate ability.[1] However, despite these manifest aims the basic pattern of educational achievement remains stratified along lines of class, race and gender: in general, children from middle and upper class families (as defined by the occupational grouping of the father) tend to achieve both a longer and more qualified education (see Douglas, 1964 or Halsey et al, 1980). Similarly, race differentials of attainment are also evident (see Orr, 2003). Finally, educational outcomes, despite successive attempts to overcome them, remain gendered: girls tend to be concentrated within the ‘feminine’ subjects such as English, whilst boys tend to do bette r in mathematics and the sciences (see Thomas, 1990). However, the largest factor affecting educational outcomes in the UK remains class: this is not to say that all working class children fail educationally; however, there remains a strong correlation between social class and achievement levels. Thus, despite a widespread belief in the meritocratic nature of modern western society this belief may in fact be little more than a legitimating ideology: it is therefore the unequal educational outcomes of children with similar ‘natural’ abilities that social theorists have sought to explain. However, as many theoretical approaches have been utilised in this attempt as the number of theorists so involved: theorists with liberal, conservative, feminist and socialist leanings may further show actor-centred, structuralist or functionalist tendencies to their explanatory schemas. In this essay I have decided to concentrate on the work of two theorists, Pierre Bourdieu and Basil Bernstein, my reasoning is threefold: firstly, space limitations negate the feasibility of a broader survey; next, though Bernstein was previously influential within educational theory, it is the work of Bourdieu that now appears ascendant and to have wider applicability; finally, whilst both Pierre Bourdieu and Basil Bernstein have been associated with class-based analysis, it is that of Bourdieu that has subsequently been more widely adopted, therefore they provide neatly contrasting explanations of educational differentials. In the next section I outline the educational theory of Basil Bernstein; in the following that of Pierre Bourdieu. In the conclusion, I critically asses both approaches, arguing that, whilst at first glance they appear similar in that they both aim to account predominantly for the class-based dimension to educational differentials, in fact it is the more subtle and nuanced theory of Bourdieu that is better able to account for educational differentials of a wider type: those based on gender, race, and class. Basil Bernstein: The Elaborated and Restricted Codes Basil Bernstein (1925-2000) initially developed his account of the elaborated and restricted codes during his time teaching young men motorcycle repair in the 1960s. It was then that he noticed the different ways in which language was used by the tutors and pupils, leading him to conclude that it was in fact two different forms of language that were being used: the restricted and elaborated codes. He defined the ‘restricted’ code as being inherently context bound, emotion based and reliant on condensed symbols: ‘restricted codes are more tied to a local structure and have a reduced potential for change’ (Bernstein, 1972: 164). In contrast, the ‘elaborated’ codes ‘orient their users towards universalistic meanings’ (Ibid.) and are defined by Bernstein as utilising rationality and logic; ‘elaborated’ codes are thus described by Bernstein as being context-free; it is the elaborated code that Bernstein takes to be dominant within education. Bernstein believed that the elaborated language code is the norm for the middle classes, whilst the restricted code is usually used both within working-class and middle-class families, with differences the result of the ‘cultural transmission’, via socialisation, that turns the biological infant into a cultural being (Bernstein, 1972: 162). He argued that the process of socialisation naturalises the social order and occurs via social institutions such as the family and school. He identified two family types: the ‘positional’ and the ‘person-centred’, and these are likely to utilise specific modes of interaction (Bernstein, 1972: 170). Arguing that all children have access to the restricted code, Bernstein believed that it is only those from the person-centred family type (the middle-class families) who are likely to have had regular contact with the imaginative and interpersonal language of the elaborated code outside of formal education, giving them an advantage within education: Historically and now, only a tiny percentage of the population has been socialised into knowledge at the level of meta-languages of control and innovation, whereas the mass of the population has been socialised into knowledge at the level of context-tied operations (Bernstein, 1972: 163). In short, the language used within the home gives middle class children an advantage at school; they ‘speak the same language’ as the teachers. Bernstein does not argue that either mode is better than the other, his aims to be a descriptive, rather than a prescriptive, account; instead he argues that it is the educational system itself that favours one code above the other and thus privileges the children of one group, middle-class children. Pierre Bourdieu: Cultural Capital Similar to Bernstein, Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) developed his theory of cultural capital as part of an attempt to explain the class-based educational differentials between children with similar natural abilities. Two concepts are central to this schema: those of cultural capital and cultural reproduction. In the first, culture is viewed as similar to power (Bourdieu, 1986: 243) because, like money, one is able to inherit it and it can be translated into other social resources, including wealth and status (Bourdieu, 1986: 244-5). It is this transferability of cultural capital that leads to the second key concept, that of cultural reproduction: for in this schema the class that dominates economically is also able to dominate culturally and ideologically; thus, similarly to Bernstein, schools play a key role in socio-cultural reproduction by valuing middle-class culture more highly than that of the working-classes. Bourdieu isolates three distinct types of cultural capital, embodied, objectified and institutionalised: the first describes the way that cultural capital becomes incorporated into the very body of the individual (Bourdieu, 1986: 244-5); the second refers to artefacts which may be inherited (Bourdieu, 1986: 246); whilst the third refers to those academic qualifications which allow an individual access to economic capital via the job market (Bourdieu, 1986: 247). In this way schools, along with other institutions, help to both naturalise and perpetuate inequality. Like economic capital for Karl Marx, for Bourdieu cultural capital has the capacity to reproduce itself ‘in identical or expanded form’ (Bourdieu, 1986: 241). In short, for Bourdieu education plays a key role in legitimising and naturalising social inequality; for if all children are believed to have equal opportunities to succeed according to their ability then any failure must be a result of differences in their level of ability: it must be their own fault rather than the fault of the system as a whole. Bourdieu posits the educational shortcomings of the working classes on their situational constraints in two ways; firstly, the objective class position of the children’s family is used to provide the basis for assumptions regarding the kind of cultural resources they therefore hold; secondly, their social position limits the amount and type of capital an individual is likely to accrue and pass on to their children. Within Bourdieu’s theory, each economic class is thus assumed to have developed a ‘class culture’, or way of both acting in and perceiving the social world, and in this way social inequality is intern alised or embodied as it is also naturalised. Analysis and Conclusion The two approaches appear similar at first glance; both concentrate on the class-based aspects of educational inequality, and, as such, both are open to the criticism that they fail to account for other educational differences, such as those resulting from race or gender (McCall, 1992: 851). Further, both approaches are liable to be criticised for their economic determinism: John Frow has argued that with Bourdieu’s approach the cultural resources of an individual are merely assumed from their class position (Frow, 1995: 63) and this criticism might equally be applied to Bernstein. Finally, both approaches entail the idea that differential educational achievement is best explained with references to ‘barriers’ to achievement: both posit the way that society is organised, the education system in particular, as itself limiting the ability of some children to succeed. However, Bernstein’s theory has been criticised empirically, theoretically and ideologically; first, little empirical is cited to support his hypothesis and he conducted no participation observation of either middle or working class family homes (Rosen, 1974: 10). Theoretically, Bernstein utilises a crude conception of class analysis which ignores the ruling class entirely whilst also concentrating solely on the unskilled section of the working class (Rosen, 1974: 6). He fails to address the relations between the two classes (Ibid.), further, by concentrating on the role of the family his theory fails to acknowledge other institutions or the role of peer groups or the media (Rosen, 1974: 7). Finally, he fails to acknowledge the effect that the attitude of the teacher toward their students may have on their education. Whilst there is a ‘grain of truth’ to his argument, in that there are differences in the language use of the various social classes, by attributing t he failure of working class children solely to their language-use Bernstein misses the point: it is not the language that inherently contains power, but rather it is the broader education system that, by imposing middle-class culture via pedagogic authority, limits the ability of working class children to succeed. Although he aims to only describe the differences between the two language types, Bernstein himself falls into the ethno-linguistic trap of believing his own language use to be the superior form (Rosen, 1974: 6). Finally, as Deborah Cameron states: ‘the theory of codes could be boiled down to a political truism, those who do not speak the language of the dominant elite find it difficult to get on’ (Cameron, 1985: 159-160). Bourdieu’s approach is more subtle; although he agues, similarly to Bernstein, that language plays a key role in the under achievement of the working classes, Bourdieu’s explanation involves many other factors, including the development of a specific habitus, or set of predispositions, and the social, cultural and economic capitals. Thus Bourdieu does not point to language as the sole cause of working-class children’s educational failure, but instead describes a complex process that not only attempts to account for this failure but also its internalisation. Indeed, Bourdieu’s theory is supported by in-depth participation-observation, rather than the assumption and anecdote of Bernstein, reflecting his recognition of the complexity of the causes of unequal educational achievement. In recent years Bernstein’s theory, though once influential, has fallen out of favour within educational sociology, as a quick survey of recent articles reveals, whilst the theory of cultural capital has become increasingly influential (Burkett, 2001). Whilst at first glance the theories appear similar, in fact it is the theory of Bourdieu that is better able to account for educational differentials of a wider type: those based on gender, race, and class and many theorists have sought to thus extend the theory to account for these wider differentials (see, for example, McNay, 1999; Reay, 2004). Indeed, Ben Fine has argued that academia has been gripped by a kind of ‘capital’ mania (in Burkett, 2004: 234), in part, at least, attesting to the strength of the explanatory schema. Bibliography Bernstein, Basil (1972) ‘Social Class, Language and Socialisation’, Language and Social Context: Selected Readings, Giglioli, Pier Paolo (Ed.), London: Penguin Education, pp. 157-178. Bourdieu, Pierre (1986) ‘The forms of Capital’ in Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, Richardson, J (Ed.), London: Greenwood Press, pp. 241-258. Burkett, Paul (2001) ‘Book Review: Social Capital versus Social Theory: Political Economy and Social Science at the Turn of the Millennium’ by Ben Fine, London: Routledge, Historical Materialism, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 233-246. Cameron, Deborah (1985) ‘Beyond Alienation: An Integrational Approach to Women and Language’, Feminism and Linguistic Theory, London: MacMillan, pp 134 – 161. Douglas, J.W.B (1964) The Home and the School: A Study of Ability and Attainment in the Primary School, London: MacGibbon. Frow, John (1995) ‘Accounting for Tastes: Some Problems in Bourdieu’s Sociology of Culture’, Cultural Studies, Vol. 1(No. 1), pp. 59-73. Halsey, A.H; Heath, A Ridge, J.M (1980) Origins and Destinations: Family Class and Education in Modern Britain, Oxford: Clarendon Press. McNay, Lois (1999) ‘Gender, Habitus and the Field: Pierre Bourdieu and the Limits of Reflexivity’, Theory, Culture and Society, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 95-117. Orr, Amy (2003) ‘Black-White Differences in Achievement: The Importance of Wealth’, Sociology of Education, Vol. 76, pp. 281-304. Piper, David Warren (1984) ‘The Question of Fairness’, Is Higher Education Fair to Women?, Acker, Sandra and Piper, David Warren (Eds.), Guilford: SRHE and NFER-NELSON, pp. 3-24. Reay, Diane (2004) ‘It’s all Becoming a Habitus’: Beyond the Habitual use of Habitus in Educational Research’, British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 431-444. Rosen, Harold (1974 [1972]) Language and Class: A Critical Look at the Theories of Basil Bernstein (3rd Ed.), Bristol: Falling Wall Press. Thomas, Kim (1990) ‘The Question of Gender’ and ‘Feminism and Education’ in Gender and Subject in Higher Education, Buckingham: SRHE Open University Press, pp. 1 – 23. 1 Footnotes [1] See David Warren Piper (1984) for a discussion regarding the feasibility of attaining true ‘fairness’ in education.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Benford’s Law Essay

Benford’s law, aka first-digit law, states that in lists of numbers of naturally occurring data, the leading digit is distributed in a specific, non-uniform way. In number sequences, most people assume that in a string of numbers sampled randomly all nine numbers would be equally probable for the leading digit. Benford’s Law states otherwise. He found that the number 1 will appear first about 30% of the time and the number 9 will only appear first around 4.5%. Naturally occurring can be anything from check amounts or stock prices to lengths of rivers. Benford’s law is both scale invariant and base invariant. If something is scale invariant that means if you multiplied every number in the list by the same constant, it does not significantly change the distribution. For example, it does not matter whether the numbers are based on the dollar prices of stocks or their prices in Yen or Euros. Mathematicians have found that the larger and more varied the sampling of numbers from different data sets, the more closely the distribution of numbers approaches Benford’s Law. Benford’s Law does have limitations. Benford’s Law does not apply to uniform or non-naturally occurring data sets. Examples of non-naturally occurring data sets are made up of pre-assigned numbers like zip codes or UPC numbers. Benford’s law can only be applied to data that are distributed across multiple orders of magnitude. Moreover, if there is any cut-off which excludes a portion of the underlying data above a maximum value or below a minimum value, then the law will not apply. Benford’s law has many applications. Several countries, states, large corporations and accounting firms use detection software based on Benford’s Law. Benford’s Law is used in the accounting profession to detect fraud. It can be a powerful and simple tool for detecting frauds, embezzlers, tax evaders, inaccurate accounting and computer glitches. Dr. Mark Nigrini used Benford’s Law to test the first digit in approximately 170,000 IRS model files. Dr. Nigrini found that these lines follow Benford’s Law very closely. He then used Benford’s Law on fraudulent data taken from King’s County, New York District Attorney’s Office. The fraudulent data consisted of cash disbursements and payrolls, none of which followed Benford’s Law. In general, Dr. Nigrini found that fraudulent or concocted data have far less numbers beginning with 1 and far more numbers beginning with 6 than true data do.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Swot Matrix for Starbucks

SWOT matrixkey success factors for star bucksStarbucks has a strong brand name and its known international. Starbucks was the first coffee shop whereby high quality coffee and products at accessible locationsand affordable prices, provided a community to share in the coffee drinking experience| Strengths: * Brand recognition * High quality coffee * Business ethics * Location they are located everywhere| Weakness * Competition a lot of coffee shops are offer coffee at a lower price. * Overexposure star bucks Is obsolete according to some consumers. Too many products * Not enough marketing | Opportunity * Business leaders * New strategy * Expand franchise| Threat * Recession * Mc-cafe offers lattes and cafes at very cheap price with the same quality. * PLC is at declining stage. | 2. Generic strategy pursued at starbucks: Differentiation strategy Differentiation strategy star bucks offers high quality coffee that you cant find at other coffee shops. Starbucks spends minimal cost on mar keting although they have great market share due to the product differentiation star bucks has a unique line coffee shops so advertising is through a method called word of mouth.Their core competencies can be defined as high quality coffee and products at accessible locations and affordable prices, provided a community to share in the coffee drinking experience, and variety of choices. They also value ethics and good business practices. Starbucks provide a high quality coffee and unique experience in the convenience of a large volume of locations, which separates them from their competition ,the new instant coffee line is straddling differentiation and low cost- leadership.While it will be a low cost and convenient alternative to Starbucks regular coffee, it is still unique from other products in the market. The in-store gifts and brewing utensils are in the focused differentiation category as they cater to the coffee lover, and are unique items found only in the Starbucksstores. 3. strategic direction pursued by star bucks? Starbucks new strategy is to refocus on some of the areas that decrease risk and up front investment. Franchising, expanding products and selling at convenient stores not just coffee shops.This includes expanding foreign stores, with aid of partnerships that share risk and costs, selling whether its instant coffee and other products in retail and convenience stores, and reinvigorating the Seattle’s Best Brand coffee. 4. I would pursue cost differentiation since star bucks is already I would add a few new bistro’s or pastries or offer special deals that wouldn’t harm my profit margin but gain more market share. Starbucks doesn’t focus on marketing since the brand is already famous so by offering new flavors of coffee, pastries and beverages would attract attention. Swot Matrix for Starbucks SWOT matrixkey success factors for star bucksStarbucks has a strong brand name and its known international. Starbucks was the first coffee shop whereby high quality coffee and products at accessible locationsand affordable prices, provided a community to share in the coffee drinking experience| Strengths: * Brand recognition * High quality coffee * Business ethics * Location they are located everywhere| Weakness * Competition a lot of coffee shops are offer coffee at a lower price. * Overexposure star bucks Is obsolete according to some consumers. Too many products * Not enough marketing | Opportunity * Business leaders * New strategy * Expand franchise| Threat * Recession * Mc-cafe offers lattes and cafes at very cheap price with the same quality. * PLC is at declining stage. | 2. Generic strategy pursued at starbucks: Differentiation strategy Differentiation strategy star bucks offers high quality coffee that you cant find at other coffee shops. Starbucks spends minimal cost on mar keting although they have great market share due to the product differentiation star bucks has a unique line coffee shops so advertising is through a method called word of mouth.Their core competencies can be defined as high quality coffee and products at accessible locations and affordable prices, provided a community to share in the coffee drinking experience, and variety of choices. They also value ethics and good business practices. Starbucks provide a high quality coffee and unique experience in the convenience of a large volume of locations, which separates them from their competition ,the new instant coffee line is straddling differentiation and low cost- leadership.While it will be a low cost and convenient alternative to Starbucks regular coffee, it is still unique from other products in the market. The in-store gifts and brewing utensils are in the focused differentiation category as they cater to the coffee lover, and are unique items found only in the Starbucksstores. 3. strategic direction pursued by star bucks? Starbucks new strategy is to refocus on some of the areas that decrease risk and up front investment. Franchising, expanding products and selling at convenient stores not just coffee shops.This includes expanding foreign stores, with aid of partnerships that share risk and costs, selling whether its instant coffee and other products in retail and convenience stores, and reinvigorating the Seattle’s Best Brand coffee. 4. I would pursue cost differentiation since star bucks is already I would add a few new bistro’s or pastries or offer special deals that wouldn’t harm my profit margin but gain more market share. Starbucks doesn’t focus on marketing since the brand is already famous so by offering new flavors of coffee, pastries and beverages would attract attention.