The gap in outcomes between people of different education levels

Individuals with various instructive levels have various ways of life and appreciate various benefits. More significant levels and longer lengths of instruction impactsly affect singular individual abilities, life inclinations and individual qualities. For instance, during the time spent tutoring, an individual creates basic reasoning, great relational abilities, high confidence, mindfulness and confidence.Advertising We will compose a custom article test on The hole in results between individuals of various training levels explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although most these aptitudes are not educated in class, they widen ones experience and aptitudes thus one can deal with his time and assets adequately, and can be in a situation to settle on suitable choices throughout everyday life. Accordingly, as people under a similar foundation go up in the scholarly stepping stool, their degree of nonpecuniary advantages, for example, bliss, psychological wellness and p ublic activity increment proportionately. Think about the instance of the serious business industry. The businesses search for the most prepared or qualified people to dole out or grant an occupation. Subsequently, the degree of tutoring influences the odds of being jobless, sort of work and the situation for which an individual is utilized, which directly affects individual pay. Since the degrees of accomplishments and victories are basically estimated dependent on monetary status, long haul joblessness and low earnings are viewed as complete cultural disfavor. In addition, long haul joblessness and low livelihoods connected to sorrow and low confidence, which thus influences the psychological well-being of person. Thus, a college alum is probably going to be utilized or have a superior activity than a school dropout or secondary school dropout, and consequently the alumni is more averse to experience the ill effects of gloom and poor emotional wellness. Why it is hard to recognize the causal impact of training on results. Evaluating the nonpecuniary benefits got from tutoring is significant. In any case, it is very hard to precisely single out or segregate a couple of components so as to set up a causal connection among tutoring and nonpecuniary benefits. Factors, for example, family foundation, hereditary qualities and determination are advantageous and powerful to tutoring. For instance, two distinct understudies with polar child rearing frameworks or money related foundations are exposed to very surprising tutoring outcomes.Advertising Looking for article on instruction? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The two understudies will experience distinctive tutoring strategies and natural conditions, introduction and cooperatively. Thus, twins with various hereditary cosmetics will likewise have diverse instructive results. What's more, the facts demonstrate that the degrees of earnings increment with t he degrees of tutoring. Higher earnings in turns achieve more nonpecuniary benefits. This present a trouble in estimating unequivocally the measure of financial advantages that can be exclusively tied on tutoring. For instance, think about a CEO of a worldwide company. It is difficult to discern whether his propelled techniques for socialization are absolutely controlled by his tutoring level or his money related status. Strategies that Oreopoulous talked about Schooling is significant as it causes a person to create both information based aptitudes, and Critical reasoning and social abilities that empowers people to be moral, conform to new circumstances and to ready to investigate and tackle issues. Subsequently, under the item proficiency model, Schooling gives an appropriate situation to people to create performing various tasks strategies and compelling time the executives aptitudes. Be that as it may, the ‘allocative productivity model’ sees tutoring as a methods for outfitting people with more aptitudes for dynamic. Twin and Sibling Studies are embraced to limit the impacts of earlier socialâ€economic achievement and hereditary obstructions that may predisposition the estimation of nonpecuniary advantages of tutoring. The examinations show that an additional time of tutoring brings about more nonpecuniary benefits. In Natural Experiments in Schooling includes adjustment of arrangements that have net impact on cost of instruction without loss of advantage or worth. An extra year of obligatory tutoring, educational cost, boarding in school, making of a school in given territory influences both financial and nonpecuniary benefits.Advertising We will compose a custom article test on The hole in results between individuals of various training levels explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Outside the work markets approach looks at the degrees of monetary advantages emerging from tutoring distinctive tutoring levels, when moldin g pay. From this strategy, one can reason that the advantages of tutoring are reflected relatively in marriage, child rearing procedures, individual wellbeing, long haul practices, individual inclinations, advancement of trust and the general personal satisfaction. This article on The hole in results between individuals of various instruction levels was composed and presented by client Parker Holder to help you with your own investigations. You are allowed to utilize it for examination and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; in any case, you should refer to it as needs be. You can give your paper here.

Hard Rock Cafe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hard Rock Cafe - Essay Example A rundown of all exercises required to finish the venture (ordinarily ordered inside a work breadown structure), 2. The time (term) that every movement will tae to finishing, and 3. The conditions between exercises. With assistance of this CPM a director can without much of a stretch see the overral improvement and which activities are to be smashed so as to finish a task in time. The all out span of the venture is a whole of activities terms on the Critical way. Basic way is the grouping of exercises which include the longest generally speaking span. An extra equal way through the system with the complete terms shorter than the basic way is known as a sub-basic or non-basic way (â€Å"Critical Path Method†, 2011). On account of Rockfest, basic way is discovered utilizing MS Project, Figure 1. In the first collumn there is the tasks depiction, in the second, activities length. There is Ganth chart on the plan with red stamped crithical way. In this way, the overral span of the undertaking ought to be 23 weeks (the basic way length). Smashing a task implies shortening a few activities to fullfill project’s time prerequisites. In the event that action B (Selection neighborhood printer) would take 5 weeks rather than arranged 3 weeks we should crash a few tasks since action B is on the Critical Path. The smashing time ought to be 5-3=2 weeks.

6 Coping Mechanisms to Try If Youre Feeling Alone

6 Coping Mechanisms to Try If You're Feeling Alone Stress Management Situational Stress Print 6 Ways to Cope With Loneliness By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on January 26, 2020 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW on January 26, 2020 More in Stress Management Situational Stress Effects on Health Management Techniques Job Stress Household Stress Relationship Stress Virtually everyone experiences loneliness from time to time, with many people becoming especially aware of feelings of loneliness around the holiday season, Valentine’s Day, and during times of extreme stress. While the sheer number of people who experience loneliness is quite large (a poll on this site shows that holiday loneliness is experienced by a surprising proportion of readers, for example), people don’t always talk about feelings of loneliness and don’t always know what to do with these feelings. How Loneliness Can Affect People Other than being emotionally painful, loneliness can affect people in many ways: Physical Pain: Research shows that the areas of the brain that deal with social exclusion are the same areas that process physical pain, adding a scientific explanation to the oft-romanticized experience of a broken heart.Depression: One study found that lonely people showed more depressive symptoms, and lonely and depressed people alike tended to experience less togetherness in social interactions. Research has also found that depression and loneliness can feed off of each other, each perpetuating the other.Physical Health: Several studies have linked emotional stress with depressed immunity. Other research links loneliness and depression with poorer health and wellbeing. That means that people who are experiencing loneliness are susceptible to a variety of health issues. What to Do If Youre Experiencing Feelings of Loneliness If you’re experiencing loneliness, there are some things you can do about it. Join a Class Whether it’s an art class, an exercise class, or a class at your local community college, joining a class automatically exposes you to a group of people who share at least one of your interests. It can also provide a sense of belonging that comes with being part of a group. This can stimulate creativity, give you something to look forward to during the day, and help stave off loneliness. Volunteer Becoming a volunteer for a cause you believe in can provide the same benefits as taking a class â€" meeting others, being part of a group, creating new experiences â€" and also brings the benefits of altruism, and can help you find more meaning in your life, both of which can bring greater happiness and life satisfaction, as well as decrease loneliness. Additionally, working with others who have less can help you feel a deeper sense of gratitude for what you have in your own life. Find Support Online Because loneliness is a somewhat widespread issue, there are many people online who are looking for people to connect with. You do have to be careful of who you meet over the internet (and, obviously, don’t give out any personal information like your bank account number), but you can find real support, connection and lasting friendships from people you meet online. Strengthen Existing Relationships You probably already have people in your life that you could get to know better, or connections with family that could be deepened. If so, why not call friends more often, go out with them more, and find other ways to enjoy your existing relationships and strengthen bonds? Get a  Pet Pets â€" especially dogs and cats â€" carry so many benefits, and preventing loneliness is one of them. Rescuing a pet combines the benefits of altruism and companionship, and leaves you with several loneliness-fighters. It can connect you with other people â€" walking a dog opens you up to a community of other dog-walkers, and a cute dog on a leash tends to be a people magnet. Additionally, pets provide unconditional love, which can be a great salve for loneliness. See a Therapist Research has shown that loneliness and depressive symptomatology can act in a synergistic effect to diminish well-being, meaning the more lonely you are, the more depressed you feel, and vice versa. It’s also been found that people experiencing loneliness tend to feel more lonely than others when with other people, meaning that even when they are with other people, lonely people tend to keep their loneliness to a degree. Because of this, sometimes just getting out there and meeting other people isn’t enough. If this is the case for you, it may be a good idea to seek psychotherapy to help with feelings of loneliness, especially if you also feel symptoms of depression, such as a loss of enjoyment doing things you used to enjoy. Some forms of therapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, can help you to change your thoughts as well as your actions to help you not only experience less loneliness but do more in your life to prevent loneliness.   Whatever you do to combat loneliness, know that you are truly not alone, and there are many things you can do to feel more connected. The 9 Best Online Therapy Programs of 2020

The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills - 1268 Words

In the novel, The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills is trying to present the concept of how an individual’s ability is able to develop reason by using the information surrounding him. Mills explains that the sociological imagination is an important concept because it is what differentiate sociology from other social sciences such as political science or economic. It is the concept that will help people to have a better understanding of our world, to be clear of the connections within society, and know how they still affect us today. That is why we must be able to apply the great events of the world to ourselves and understand their relevance to our life as well as being able to place ourselves within the historic time we are looking back at. When we do so, it will allow us to escape the â€Å"traps† we have set since it will broaden our view of ourselves and the world beyond those immediate, everyday surroundings which we are normally confined to. The sociological imagination is the state of mind that allows an individual to understand or connect himself to social forces and dynamics impacting his life, and to see the links between private problems and social issues, which are the driving forces behind people. To simplify, sociological imagination is knowing that every individual’s life is given significant meaning and form within historically specific cultures and ways of organizing social life. It is freeing yourself from a certain contextand looking at things anShow MoreRelatedThe Sociological Imagination By C. Wright Mills857 Words   |  4 PagesThe sociological imagination is simply the act of having the capacity to think ourselves away from the commonplace schedules of our day by day lives keeping in mind the end goal to take a gander at them with a new perspective. C. Wright Mills, who made the idea and composed a book about it, characterized the sociological creative ability as the clear attention to the conne ction amongst encounter and the more extensive society. The sociological imagination is the capacity to see things sociallyRead MoreSociological Imagination By C. Wright Mills969 Words   |  4 Pages C. Wright Mills defined sociological imagination as the awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society. Understanding and being able to exercise the sociological imagination helps us understand the relationship between the individual and society. Mills focuses on the distinction between personal troubles and public issues. Having sociological imagination is critical for individual people and societies at large to understand. It is important that people areRead MoreThe Sociological Imagination : C. Wright Mills907 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual s life a person will experience what C. Wright Mills refers to as the trap. The trap alludes to a person that can only see and understand their own small scope of life. Their frame of reference is limited t o their day to day life and personal experiences that are directly related to them, they cannot see the bigger picture. They do not yet know that the sociological imagination can set them free from this trap and as C. Wright Mills said, In many ways it is a terrible lesson; in manyRead MoreThe Sociological Imagination By C. Wright Mills1315 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. This is its task and its promise.† C. Wright Mills writes about the sociological imagination in an attempt to have society become aware of the relationship between one’s personal experience in comparison to the wider society. By employing the sociological imagination into the real world, individuals are forced to perceive, from a neutral position, social structures that, inRead MoreThe Sociological Imagination By C. Wright Mills986 Words   |  4 PagesMills Chapter Summary â€Å"Yet Men do not usually define the troubles they endure in terms of historical change and institution contradiction.† Stated from chapter one of â€Å"The Classic Readings in Sociology† which was based on â€Å"The Sociology Imagination† by C. Wright Mills. As our Sociology 131 class study the works of C. Wright Mills, we learn and examine his views. We learn how he view other things such as marriage, war, and the limitations of men. His view of war is that both sides playRead MoreSociological Imagination By C. Wright Mills942 Words   |  4 PagesSociological imagination according to C. Wright Mills (1959) â€Å"enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals† (p.5) Mills in this book of The Sociological Imagination explains how society shapes the people. Mills wants people to be able to use sociological imagination to see things in a sociology point of view, so they can know the difference between personal troubles versus personal issuesRead MoreSociological Imagination, By C. Wright Mills Essay1611 Words   |  7 PagesI SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION CONCEPTUALIZATION As conceived by C. Wright Mills, sociological imagination is the mental ability to establish intelligible relations among social structure and personal biography that is observing and seeing the impact of society over our private lives. Sociological imagination helps an individual to understand on a much larger scale the meaning and effect of society on of one’s daily life experience. People blame themselves for their own personal problems and they themselvesRead MoreThe Sociological Imagination, By C. Wright Mills799 Words   |  4 Pages The sociological imagination, a concept used by C. Wright Mills, is essentially the ability to perceive a situation or act in a much larger social context as well as examining the situation or act from many perspectives. In particular, it plays a paramount role in Donna Gaines Teenage Wasteland. It is a tragic story of 4 teens who together, committed suicide. The teens were deemed as â€Å"dropouts, druggies† [Teenage Wasteland 8.2 ] by newspapers and were still treated with disdain even after theirRead MoreThe Sociological Imagination : C. Wright Mills1822 Words   |  8 PagesC. Wright Mills defines the sociological imagination as, â€Å"what they need, and what they feel they need, is a quality of mind that will help them to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves†. Mills also says that the sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. When I read Chapter One: The Promise from C. WrightRead MoreThe Sociological Imagination, By C. Wright Mills1692 Words   |  7 Pagesentire life, can be determined by examining his or her intellect, high school performance, and talents. However, C. Wright Mills proposes a new approach to this idea in his work, â€Å"The Promise.† Mills presents an idea known as the sociological imagination, which examines society on a larger scale to better grasp an individual’s life circumstances (Mills 2). The sociological imagination examines the role of social forces on the lives of individuals (Butler-Sweet, September 5, 2017). For example,

The Relationship Of Civilization, Nature, And Freedom Of...

The Relationship of Civilization, Nature, and Freedom in The Cherry Orchard In Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, the effects of an emerging bourgeoisie is seen in the lives of an aristocratic family on the brink of losing their home in the Russian countryside. An encroaching industrialization movement on this landscape, where human concept of the civilized world is disrupted and in contrast with the natural world, creates tension. The author asks whether or not these two elements, civilization and nature, can coexist harmoniously. Human perspectives on this matter in the play take many different forms and sides, thus creating the trouble that drives the plot forward to its arguably tragic ending. One major theme in Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard explores the relationship between an old order, which legitimizes itself in having an intimate relationship with the natural world and the noneconomic, and a new one in the framing of a disrupted Russian class system. This clash forces the human perspective of civilization and freedom to change amongst characters as their idea of what is nature is challenged. Chekhov thus suggests that there is no true freedom to be found in society, merely differing lens through which to view oneself and the world around them. Firstly, to understand this relationship, one must understand Chekov’s definition of the new and old orders. His new order, representative of industrialized civilization, is a place of change and tension, where movingShow MoreRelatedTheater As An Actor And Makes You Better?5195 Words   |  21 Pagesunimpeded activity. Pleasure, as such, is neither good nor bad. Even so, pleasure is something positive and its effect is to perfect the exercise of activity. Everything from playing chess to making love is improved with skill. Friendship a person s relationship to a friend is the same as the relation to oneself. The friend can be thought of as a second self. The Contemplative Faculty--the exerc ise of perfect happiness in intellectual or philosophic activity. Reason is the highest faculty of human beingsRead MoreCreativity in Advertising15483 Words   |  62 PagesBy conducting post campaign tests, it is possible to know the effectiveness of advertising campaign. *** CHAPTER 4. *** CREATIVITY IN ADVERTISING â€Å"Creativity is seeing something new when you look at something old; it is all heart of civilization and is the driving force of revolution.† - David Ogilvy. It is an accepted fact that there should be an element of creativity in an advertisement. This creativity is something new, unique, extreme attractive and appealing to the consumers. In

Nationality Differentiation and Its Effect Free Essays

Have you ever been picked on or made fun of because your nationality is different from someone else’s or the color of your skin? If so, then the person who did it was probably a racist person. Racism still exists within all cultures. Some people won’t admit they’re a racist, but their actions and words prove otherwise. We will write a custom essay sample on Nationality Differentiation and Its Effect or any similar topic only for you Order Now Most people won’t directly discriminate other races, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen everyday. Many will argue that their race is superior over another, or that the actions of a few individuals of a certain race determines how that race of people are, therefore making them unequal. I think all people should be treated equally, no matter who they are or what they look like.  However, there is no rights to govern how one person might perceive another person so every one can think or act on how they treat members of another race. Who’s to say that if one group of people believes that they are superior over another group, that they won’t display those actions if they confronted by members of that group or race? Prejudice people think that their way is right and they have the freedom of speech to express how they feel. If you were to ask if they were racist, they would defend their actions by saying it is how it should be and it isn’t wrong.  Racism is broad topic to talk about but once everyone realizes it exists in the U.S. they can take steps to trying to talk to their children about it and maybe even change some of their ways in knowing that racism is wrong. It may not exist where you live, but any place that there will be adults, teens, or children of different races interact together there is a possibility of prejudice.Many other cultures are a target for racism, it isn’t just black and white. Japanese, Indian, and Germans aren’t safe from racism. I witnessed all kinds of prejudice against a wide variety of races. I’ve seen other races mistreat whites, blacks, and even Asians.  Basically, racism affects us all. I don’t think it will go away ever because here in America there is such a wide variety of races, and when they are all mixed together, in the neither How to cite Nationality Differentiation and Its Effect, Papers

Self Assessment Paper free essay sample

I realized that I am a very big visual learner, and I can’t learn if the teacher is standing in front of the class lecturing about how to do something, instead of showing it. Before high school I never knew that I was a visual learner. When the teacher is in front of the class talking for 45 minutes you get distracted easily and not interested in the subject. I think right now I’m comfortable with my singing but still need improvement. In college I do want to continue studying ASL and deaf culture. In continuing my studies I want to improve my signing fluency. I feel like my signing if choppy at sometimes, I have to pause and figure out what I’m trying to say while I’m signing it. Also, I would like to improve on my ASL structure. I find myself singing in English structure rather than ASL sometimes, it’s definitely something I’ll have to improve on because it’s a big part of Sign Language. We will write a custom essay sample on Self Assessment Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I would improve those two things by practicing my fluency at home and during the day, also by practicing singing English sentences in ASL structure and not SEE. I think my strengths are fingerspelling, body language, and facial expressions. I feel the most comfortable signing with friends and people I know. If I’m in a group setting with people I’ve never talked to before I’ll stay quiet and just watch the conversation, not really putting an opinion in, But when I’m with friends I feel more confident in my signing and I’m more open and expressive. I definitely think my shyness comes through my signing sometimes. Some â€Å"life skills† I’m working on is definitely my shyness. Compared to how I was a couple of years ago I’m slowly but surely improving. My attitude over the past three years has changed a lot. I try to be more positive and upbeat as much as I can, being more social and outgoing has affected that in a good way.

Ðœedical model of disability Essay Example

ÐÅ"edical model of disability Essay Example ÐÅ"edical model of disability Essay ÐÅ"edical model of disability Essay Today, the debates about people with various disabilities can be seen to have concentrated around two main departure points: the social and the medical models of disability. Considering the latter point first, it is likely to say that in the traditional style, particularly in UK society, disabilities have been seen as individual medical tragedies (Shakespeare 1993) in which the body and mind are considered as simply failing to meet normal standards of ordinary people. The hypothesis here is that the body of person with disability can be cured by largely medical treatments and technologies. The medical model of disability then is considered as a mechanism by which person with mind and body differences has been categorized by UK legislation and is especially associated with the development of medical science. In recent years, however, disability legislation has put forward a new social model of impairments which endeavours to address these issues, and which has been closely related to political fights for civil rights. At the heart of the new social model have been new definitions of impairment and disability. This work will evaluate the view that UK disability legislation reflects a medical model of disability and assess the current government response towards meeting the needs of people with a disability. To understand this policy, four points need to be considered: the dominant definition of disability, the association of disability with health and able-bodied people, the more important disability policies that have been legislated in the UK, such as the Disability Discrimination Act. Professional definitions of disability vary and generally reflect the diversity of interest in this particular policy area. Psychologists and educationalists consider disability in terms of intelligence testing, while health care workers such as nurses, physiotherapists or occupational therapists associate disability with environmental and physical barriers to performing daily living skills. Oliver (1996) provides a definition of disability that contains three elements: the presence of an impairment the experience of environmentally imposed restrictions self-identification as a disabled person. Disability as an issue of social policy is concerned with all that disables, injures or physically handicaps. This definition in reality provides only a minimal interpretation of the real extent of disability. A disability can range from mild to severe and can be emotional, physical or intellectual. The person with a disability can be a child born with cerebral palsy, a teenager paralysed following a road traffic accident, a mother suffering the severest effects of rheumatoid arthritis or an older person with Alzheimers disease. Interest in disability issues began with the medical professions in the 18th century and gradually philanthropist reformers of the 19th century became more prominent. In the 1970s the disability rights movement, led by disabled people, transformed the traditional perception of the disabled community. They pressured for a change in the focus of services for disabled people and demanded equal access to all aspects of society as a fundamental civil right. The net effect of the movement has been a set of public policies known as disability care policy (Redman 1993). The general public was surprised when, during the 1970s and 1980s, it became clear that there were militant persons with disabilities demanding equality of rights as citizens. Before this the general public assumed that disabled people were either incapable of organised concerted political action or else were content with their lot in terms of welfare and voluntary support. It appeared that if an individual had a problem, then society assumed that professionals (doctors, nurses, social workers) would satisfy her needs. Disability groups wished to highlight the fact that they did not want this form of service to be the only option (Oliver 1996). People with a disability are not a homogenous group. Their strengths and weaknesses differ widely and individual needs vary in complexity and require different kinds of help. In spite of these differences, all disabled people will have an interruption in their pattern and quality of life. If the disability becomes permanent it will cause additional disturbances in relationships and activities. Furthermore a person classified as disabled faces common social problems of stigma, marginalisation and discrimination in many areas of their daily living (Blaxter 1980, Hahn 1993, Szymanski Trueba 1994). Most models that address the needs of disabled people associate the nature and extent of their problems with the limitations that exist as a consequence of disability. The models focus on how they are to lead a life with a physical, sensory or intellectual impairment. The medical and social care professions have been particularly prominent in developing this idea. The medical model has led society to consider disability simply within the confines of the disease process, physical abnormality or personal trauma. This model has sometimes been referred to as the personal tragedy model. This is because societys involvement has been only to express concern and sympathy to the disabled person and her family (French 1994). Within this framework two things happened. First, society was absolved from any responsibility to assist or support the disabled person. It appeared that the association of inequality and incapacity with disability was a roundabout way of blaming the disabled person for the discriminative practices rather than the rest of society. Second, this strategy failed to provide a valuable framework wherein disabled people could try to pick up the pieces and resume their life (Hales 1996). Studies into the area of disability utilise a political strategy that encourages the debate to avoid the traditional personal tragedy model of physical impairment and limitation. Instead the political strategy promotes a consideration of the economic needs of disabled people as any other minority group. For example in being able to access training, education, employment and housing. The minority group argument suggests that persistent inequalities in society relate to social attitudes and negative public policies which, according to disabled groups, are the principal causes of problems for disabled people. It also attempts to reduce the social effects of disability, including the way disabled people interact with the able-bodied population and the negative attitudes that continue to persist (Hahn 1993). This revised political strategy has removed the functional limitation argument with some degree of success. Society now accepts that disabled people are the same as any other minority group who have to face prejudice and discrimination. Within the medical model a boundary exists that separates services that are provided by either social care or health care services. It is an area of professional and policy tension, particularly in the area of caring for people with disabilities. The boundary is not a single element but a series of overlapping differences. These include areas such as payment for care, the nature of care and responsibility between various professional groups. Health care tends to have a high social status because of its link with the medical profession and high tech interventions that promote curing. In contrast, social care has a low status because it appears to be an area from which medicine has, to a certain extent, withdrawn. Social care is considered low tech and includes people with a disability for whom there is little prospect of significant improvement in terms of a cure. In a survey carried out by Thorne (1993) on people with chronic disabilities, she describes how hospital staff gradually distanced themselves from patients. The staff used a range of strategies as a mechanism for withdrawing any long term responsibility for them. These include extended appointment dates, displaying a reduced optimism for progress and referral to support social care services (Thorne 1993, Twigg 1997). Although the person with a disability may initially feel rejected, in the longer term it can be a positive move. It also reflects the wishes of disability groups. They contend that within the social care parameters new relationships can be formed with a focus on empowerment and independence. For a long time disabled groups have expressed concern about the over-medicalisation of what are essentially life problems. This view is supported by critics of excessive health care interventions. They suggest that when this occurs individuals tend to transfer onto health care staff the responsibility for many of societys problems (such as loneliness, family disharmony or isolation). Fox (1990) argues that, as a result of technological progress, people living in the UK unnecessarily defer health care issues to health care professionals. The criticism is not of the technology but its effect on our view of health as something that we depend on experts and machines to provide for us. Social problems are very sensitive for the individual concerned. When this sensitivity combines with the high value that society places on health care it creates an unnecessary demand for health care. This is a demand that in the public mind only health care staff can solve. This is a form of imperialism which is very difficult to oppose. This has perpetuated the mystique of health care and further reduces the potential for society to take responsibility for meeting the needs of people with disabilities. The United Kingdom, along with the rest of Wester Europe, has in recent times had to face the problem of large numbers of people becoming unemployed. The social welfare response can be categorised into three groups: work-based interventions which provide opportunities for further training and branching out into a new career unemployment benefit which provides an income for those in between jobs disability benefit that provides a secure income for those so limited through their disability that they are unable to work. The structures for Disability Working Allowances are described in the Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance Act 1991. Disability Living Allowance is the main source of income for people who have either a physical or psychological disability. To receive this allowance the disabled person must need attention or supervision from someone in order to meet their daily needs. It is a tax free benefit and is additional to other benefits that the disabled person may receive. Disability Allowance consists of two components: one for care needs and one for mobility and individual needs. This benefit replaced Mobility Allowance and Attendance Allowance (for those aged under 65 years) in April 1992. There are a number of physical needs that entitle a person to the care component of the Disability Living Allowance. Lord Denning, in the Court of Appeal, gave a list of bodily functions that includes difficulty with: breathing, hearing, eating, walking, sitting, sleeping and eliminating (Davis 1996). The list does not include cooking, shopping or any of the other things that a member of the household generally does for the rest of the family. There are two key factors about the payment of Disability Allowance. First, disabled people receive payments for potential risk as well as an actual risk of injury. For example in the case of people who have epilepsy, much of the supportive care is potential in that they need assistance only when a convulsion occurs. Second, assessment focuses on the needs of the claimant irrespective of whether supervision already occurs. Thus someone who is not supervised but needs to be would receive benefit whereas someone who is supervised, but does not need to be, would not qualify. Disabled people receive Disability Working Allowance if they are in low paid work. This allowance permits disabled people to participate in work and remain part of the community and avoid the isolating effects of their disablement. At the same time they avoid being penalised financially. There are two distinct types of disability organisation, both of which evolved around the end of the 19th century. These are organisations of disabled people and organisations for disabled people. The control and management of organisations of disabled people is firmly in the hands of disabled people, whereas able-bodied people manage organisations for disabled people. The original organisations of disabled people in the United Kingdom were the British Deaf Association (founded in 1890) and the National League for the Blind (founded in 1898). Organisations for disabled people tended to hold the same political ideals as their sister organisations but were more influential in attracting financial and political support. They usually arose following a disaster or period of political turmoil. The Royal British Legion was a good example. It was set up to meet the needs of those injured and left with long term disabilities following the two great wars. Another similar support group appeared in the early 1960s to help those affected by the drug Thalidomide, prescribed by doctors for women during pregnancy as an antiemetic. As everybody knows, the drug caused catastrophic physical damage to unborn babies. There is similarity in the goals of the disability movement and other minority rights groups. Disabled people are striving to find a social order of equality that engages ideas of acceptance and tolerance. At the same time, underlying the debate, all minority groups accept that they are different and therefore need different treatment (for example, disabled people require structural changes to buildings). The paradox lies in the fact that disabled people require both equality and difference. They need equal treatment most of the time but in special circumstances, where they are genuinely different, they need special provision. The first attempts at putting antidiscrimination legislation against disabled people on to statute began about 1979. The Committee on Restrictions Against Disabled People considered a range of societal factors that created barriers for disabled people. The first of the reports 42 recommendations proposed that there should be legislation making discrimination illegal and that this should encompass every aspect of society (education, employment, transport and services). The delay in the publication of the report coincided with a change in government. As a result the issue was shelved, in spite of the fact that 1981 was set aside as an International Year for Disabled People, in which people with a disability were supposed to receive a special focus in terms of government policy. Nevertheless the momentum and pressure for change in the law increased and eventually resulted in the passing of Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The government recognised that disabled people were discriminated against in that they received different treatment to other people, particularly in areas such as housing, training, education and employment. Frequently the cause of this discrimination was related to either prejudice or a failure by those in authority to discuss the matter with the disabled person. It was simply assumed that an individual could not carry out a particular task or use a particular service. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 began by redefining disability as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on a persons ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Under the law discrimination is said to occur when (Davis 1996): a disabled person is treated less favourably than someone else the different treatment is for a reason relating to the persons disability there is no legitimate justification for different treatment there is a failure to make a reasonable adjustment for a disabled person The Act applies to people with a substantial and long term physical, sensory or emotional disability. Severe disfigurement is also classed as a disability. People who have a disability and people who have had a disability in the past but no longer have one are both covered by the Act. An example of this second group could be people who have in the past suffered from epilepsy. There are a few circumstances in which it is not possible to treat disabled people as favourably as others. They include circumstances of either health and safety or where a person cannot understand the nature of a contract because of their disability. If, however, it is proven that the person is not a health or safety risk or does appreciate the nature of a contract then it is considered to be illegal if they are treated differently. The law does not prevent disabled people being treated more favourably in certain circumstances. For example if a professional football club wished to provide sideline positions for wheelchair bound people it would be able to do so. Similarly, cinema owners may continue to offer hearing impaired people front stall seats at the same price as more expensive seats in other parts of the building. The Disability Discrimination Act has tried to undermine the dominant medical model and its definition of disability and the provision of care within that philosophy. Out of this discontent a new social model has evolved that rejects the singular focus and responsibility of disability on the affected individual. It does not attempt to deny the existence of disability but relocates it within and as a part of society. Within the social model it is not individual limitation that is the problem but societys failure to adapt and move towards providing services that adequately meet the needs of disabled people. The Disability Discrimination Act attempts to disentangle the disempowering elements of the medical model of disability and replace it with a social or collective responsibility strategy. It has two objectives. First, it wishes to reduce the negative features traditionally associated with being disabled. As a replacement it supports new ideas of inclusiveness and integration, where disabled people avoid marginalisation and are made to feel a part of society. Second, the model would like to adjust the negative attitudes of society so that, on the one hand, disabled people will be able to enjoy equal rights and privileges, and, on the other hand, accept their responsibilities to contribute and play their role as good citizens. The Disability Discrimination Act brought in new rules that aim to end the discrimination that many disabled people have faced in the past. The Act gives disabled people new rights in the areas of employment, accessing services and buying or renting land or property. The Act requires schools, colleges and universities to provide specific information for disabled people. It allows the government to set minimum standards so that disabled people can use public transport more easily. In addition, it requires the setting up of a National Disability Council to advise the government on the need for policy changes or of any potential for discrimination against disabled people. The law places a significant responsibility on employers. Following the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act, it will be illegal to treat a disabled person less favourably than someone else because of their disability, without good reason. This applies to all aspects of employment matters, including selection, interviewing, recruitment, training, promotion and dismissal. Furthermore, employers must look at and make changes that could possibly affect the potential recruitment of an individual with a disability. In so doing it is argued that the employer will be able to recruit the best person for the job irrespective of the presence of any form of disability. The law also signalled the end of disabled people registering their disability and the quota system that previously existed. The law affects anyone who provides any goods or service to the general public. This could range from buying a drink in a pub, eating out in a restaurant or doing the weekly shopping in the supermarket. It will be against the law to refuse to serve anyone because of their disability. It will also be illegal to offer a disabled person a service that is not of the same standard as would be offered to everyone else. For example it will be unlawful to ask someone with a hearing problem or disfigurement to sit in a special place in a restaurant. The government anticipates that in time all disabled people will have full access to all forms of public transport. This will include buses, coaches, trains and aeroplanes. The government believes that, for example, all people who use wheelchairs will be able to hire a taxi in the street or at a rank, the same as everybody else. The National Disability Council is responsible for advising the government on all issues related to the employment and training of disabled people. The main objective of the council is to eliminate and reduce the incidence of discrimination against disabled people. The council also has a monitoring role in terms of the full implementation of the Act and has to produce a report each year. The report, which will go before parliament, will outline the activities it has engaged in throughout the preceding year. The council also advises the government on the need for further policy change if this is necessary. Before advising the government they are expected to have carried out an audit and costing of the net effects of implementing their advice. In addition they should have consulted with other relevant bodies that have an interest in the matter that is being proposed. The council is composed of between 10 and 20 members appointed by the Secretary of State for Social Security. The membership must appreciate the needs of disabled people; have a disability; or have experience of business, industry or the professions. Most curricula for health care professionals have expanded to be more inclusive of diverse elements in society. Some of the more common themes pursued by undergraduate programmes address the experiences of different countries health and social care services; the experiences of women; ethnic problems and racial problems. Disability debates rarely achieve the same degree of intensity as these, even though there are far more people with a disability and more diverse needs than other minorities. Some specialised public policy programmes mention disability in the context of health issues, or education, or long term care for the elderly for example. They do not, however, consider disability in the context of civil rights nor do they address the spectrum of need between, for example, those people with physical or learning disabilities. There is a necessity to rethink both the idea of employment and the idea of disability with the purpose to refigure the debate over the disability-employment relation. Legislation has not only to find a sufficient route that deals with the underlying socio-economic cause of disabled peoples exclusion from employment, but also needs to include the experiences and issues of being a disabled person in or out of work. The social model has become central for a useful social and political campaign, most importantly considering the idea of what is a normal person in society and making a difference between impairment and disability. References Blaxter M. (1980). The meaning of disability, 2nd edn. Heinemann, London. Davis K. (1996). Disability and legislation: rights and equality. In: Hales G (ed) Beyond disability towards an enabling society. Sage, London. Fox R. C. (1990). Training in caring competence in North America. Humane Medicine 6(1):15-21. French S. (1994). On equal terms: working with disabled people. Butterworth Heinemann, London. Hahn H. (1993). ‘The potential impact of disability studies on political science’ (as well as vice-versa). Policy Studies Journal 21(4):740-751. Hales G (ed) (1996). Beyond disability towards an enabling society. Sage, London. Oliver M. (1996). Understanding disability from theory to practice. Macmillan, London Redman B. K. (1993). The process of patient education. Mosby, London. Shakespeare, T. (1993). Disabled peoples self organisation: a new social movement? , Disability, Handicap and Society 8:249-64. Szymanski E. M, Trueba H. T. (1994). ‘Castification of people with disabilities: potential disempowering aspects of classification in disability services. ’ Journal of Rehabilitation 60(3):12-20. Thorne S. (1993). Negotiating health care: the social context of chronic illness. Sage, Newbury Park, California. Twigg J. (1997). ‘Deconstructing the social bath: help with bathing at home for older and disabled people. ’ Journal of Social Policy 26(2):193-210.

What Xenophobia Is With Examples

What Xenophobia Is With Examples Xenophobia is as ubiquitous as the common cold. It shapes public policy, drives political campaigns and even sparks hate crimes. Yet, the meaning of this multi-syllabic word remains a mystery to many of the people who adopt xenophobic attitudes or find themselves subjected to them. This review of xenophobia illuminates the practice with a definition, contemporary and historical examples and an analysis of how xenophobia intersects with racism. What Xenophobia Is Pronounced zeen-oh-fobe-ee-ah, xenophobia is the fear or contempt of foreign people, places or things. People with this â€Å"fear† are known as xenophobes and the attitudes they have as xenophobic. While phobia refers to fear, xenophobes aren’t scared of foreign people in the same way that a person with arachnophobia fears spiders. Instead, their â€Å"fear† can best be compared to homophobia, as hatred largely drives their repulsion to foreigners.   Xenophobia can occur anywhere. In the United States, known for being the land of immigrants, a number of groups have been the targets of xenophobia, including the Italians, Irish, Poles, Slavs, Chinese, Japanese and a variety of immigrants from Latin America. As a result of xenophobia, immigrants from these backgrounds and others faced discrimination in employment, housing, and other sectors. The U.S. government even passed laws to restrict the number of Chinese nationals in the country and to strip Japanese Americans from the country’s coasts. The Chinese Exclusion Act and Executive Order 9066 More than 200,000 Chinese nationals traveled to the U.S. after the gold rush of 1849. In a three-decade period, they became 9 percent of California’s population and a quarter of the state’s labor force, according to the second volume of America’s History. Although whites excluded the Chinese from higher-wage jobs, the immigrants from the East made a name for themselves in industries such as cigar-making. Before long, white workers came to resent the Chinese and actually threatened to burn the docks from which these newcomers arrived in the U.S. The slogan â€Å"The Chinese Must Go!† became a rallying cry for Californians with anti-Chinese biases. In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to halt the migration of Chinese nationals into the U.S. America’s History describes how xenophobia fueled this decision. â€Å"In other parts of the country, popular racism was directed against African Americans; in California (where blacks were few in number) it found a target in the Chinese. They were an ‘infusible’ element who could not be assimilated into American society, wrote the young journalist Henry George in a famous 1869 letter that made his reputation as a spokesman for California labor. ‘They practice all the unnameable vices of the East. [They are] utter heathens, treacherous, sensual, cowardly and cruel.’† George’s words perpetuate xenophobia by casting the Chinese and their homeland as vice-ridden and, thus, threatening to the U.S. As George framed them, the Chinese were untrustworthy and inferior to Westerners. Such xenophobic opinions not only kept Chinese workers on the sidelines of the labor force and dehumanized them but also led to U.S. lawmakers banning Chinese immigrants from entering the country. The Chinese Exclusion Act is far from the only U.S. legislation passed with xenophobic roots. Just months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, allowing the federal government to force more than 110,000 Japanese Americans on the West Coast from their homes and into internment camps. He signed the order under the guise that any American of Japanese descent was a potential threat to the U.S., as they could join forces with Japan to commit espionage or other attacks against the country. Historians point out, however, that anti-Japanese sentiment in places such as California fueled the move. The president had no reason to view Japanese Americans as threats, especially since the federal government never linked any such person to espionage or plots against the U.S.   The U.S. appeared to make some headway in its treatment of immigrants in 1943 and 1944, when it, respectively, repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act and allowed Japanese American internees to return to their homes. More than four decades later, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which offered a formal apology to Japanese American internees and a payout of $20,000 to internment camp survivors. It took until June 2012 for the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a resolution apologizing for the Chinese Exclusion Act. Proposition 187 and SB 1070 Xenophobic public policy isn’t limited to the anti-Asian legislation of America’s past. More recent laws, such as California’s Proposition 187 and Arizona’s SB 1070, have also been labeled xenophobic for striving to create a sort of police state for undocumented immigrants in which they’d constantly be under scrutiny and denied basic social services. Named the Save Our State initiative, Prop. 187 aimed to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving public services such as education or medical treatment. It also mandated teachers, healthcare workers, and others to report individuals they suspected of being undocumented to the authorities. Although the ballot measure passed with 59 percent of the vote, federal courts later struck it down for being unconstitutional. Sixteen years after the controversial passage of California’s Prop. 187, the Arizona legislature passed SB 1070, which required police to check the immigration status of anyone they suspected to be in the country illegally. This mandate, predictably, led to concerns about racial profiling. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately gutted some parts of the law, including the provision allowing police to arrest immigrants without probable cause and the provision making it a state crime for unauthorized immigrants not to carry registration papers at all times. The high court, however, left in the provision allowing authorities to check a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws if they have reasonable cause to believe the individuals reside in the U.S. illegally. While that marked a small victory for the state, Arizona suffered a highly publicized boycott because of its immigration policy. The city of Phoenix lost $141 million in tourism revenue as a result, according to the Center for American Progress.   How Xenophobia and Racism Intersect Xenophobia and racism often coexist. While whites have been targets of xenophobia, such whites usually fall into the â€Å"white ethnic† category- Slavs, Poles, Jews. In other words, they’re not white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, the Western Europeans historically deemed as desirable whites. In the early 20th century, prominent whites expressed fear that white ethnics were reproducing at higher rates than the WASP population. In the 21st century, such fears continue to be raised. Roger Schlafly, son of Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the conservative political group Eagle Forum,  Ã‚  expressed his dismay in 2012 about a New York Times article that covered the rise of the Latino birthrate and the dip in the white birthrate. He lamented the growing number of immigrants with little in common with the 1950s American family, which he describes as â€Å"happy, self-sufficient, autonomous, law-abiding, honorable, patriotic, hard-working.†   In contrast, according to Schlafly, Latino immigrants are transforming the U.S. to its detriment. They â€Å"do not share those values, and †¦ have high rates of illiteracy, illegitimacy, and gang crime, and they will vote Democrat when the Democrats promise them more food stamps.† In short, because Latinos aren’t 1950s WASPs, they must be bad news for the U.S. Just as blacks have been characterized as welfare dependent, Schlafly argues that Latinos are too and will flock to Democrats for â€Å"food stamps.† Wrapping Up While white ethnics, Latinos and other immigrants of color face negative stereotypes, Americans typically hold Western Europeans in high regard. They praise the British for being cultured and refined and the French for their cuisine and fashion. Immigrants of color, however, routinely fight off the idea that they’re inferior to whites. They lack intelligence and integrity or bring disease and crime into the country, xenophobes claim. Sadly, more than 100 years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, xenophobia remains prevalent in U.S. society.

Brand Portfolio Project (advertising) Case Study

Brand Portfolio Project (advertising) - Case Study Example In 1964, the first year of its operation, the company sold about1300 pairs of shoes generating revenues of about $8000 dollars. The company acquired a full-time employee in 1965, with an annual turnover of close to $20000. With the increased sales volume and growth in stock, the company opened its first retail store in 3107 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California in 1966. Because of the rapid growth in revenues and demand for the company’s products, the company in 1967 expanded its operations to the East Coast in Wellesley, Massachusetts. As the relationship between Blue Ribbon Sports and Onitsuka Tiger approached its final stages in the year 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports was preparing to launch its new footwear designed by Carolyn Davidson (Frisch 6). In June 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports, branded as Nike first used the Swoosh designed footwear, subsequently registering for a trademark and patents of the products. Over time, the company has grown tremendously due to the extensive us e of television advertising for their products. Getting into a number of partnerships with different individuals such as John Brown and partners and Wilden+Kennedy, the later who has remained the official advertising agency for the company, Nike has successfully managed to transform its operations from a small company to a multi-billion dollar enterprise (Google finance Web). In the fiscal year 2012, Nike managed revenues in excess of US $24.1 billion. With the increase in product quality and focus on customer satisfaction, the once small distributor of athletics wear and apparel currently has a market value of approximately $10.7 billion (Nike Inc. web). This makes Nike the biggest company in the sports and athletics brands, ahead of companies such as adidas. Nike’s Mission The company’s mission statement drives its growth and success, making it a profitable and high performing organization in the sports business. This forms the ultimate goal of its operations, gearin g its management and employees to work in an enthusiastic way. According to Nike inc. (web), the company’s mission is, â€Å"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.† Objectives and Strategies Although initially the company used TV as the dominant advertising strategy, in the recent past a number of strategies drives the advertising campaign of Nike. Among the most significant advertising methods forming the company’s current advertising strategy, include internet marketing, email management technologies and broadcast, methods that the company believes directly influences its target customers. The ability of the company to select reliable media to convey its messages and sell its products to the right people is the main reason for its success. Additionally, the company creatively uses these media forms to complement each other, creating a bigger impact in the market than any other sports company does. As the world started embracing adve rtising and corporations started using internet as an advertising tool, Nike too launched its website in the year 1997 in a bid to market its products. As the company took its products to the internet-advertising platform, it adopted an email management system called EchoMail that integrated its emails into one database center. In order to offer its loyal customers personalized services, the company decided to

Global Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Corporate Strategy - Essay Example In an example, two airline companies might create a strategic alliance through bringing up their resources together to create a strong advertising website in order to develop a more effective marketing process. Strategic alliance is more effective in companies that have closely related products (Vedder, 2008). One of the major differences between strategic alliance and other joint ventures is that the business that forms an alliance remains independent. Alliances involve transfer of technologies, economic specialization and sharing of different expenses and risks. Types of strategic alliances include; Joint ventures, equity strategic alliances and global strategic alliances (Kleymann & Seristà ¶, 2010). Unlike strategic alliances where businesses involved in alliances remain independent, merging involves dissolution of both businesses’ activities to form a single entity. In mergers, businesses combine their transactions and form a single and more powerful business. With increased level of globalization that is being experienced currently, the level of competition has increased tremendously as multinational companies which have a powerful financial base have been able to invest in different countries. Airline industry has been one of the most hit organization an aspect that has made two or more airline industries coming together to form a strong organization (Kumar, 2012). One of the benefits of merging is increased competitiveness of the organization formed due to increased financial resources, technical resources and human resources. In addition, the level of competition between the companies forming a merger makes it easy for the company formed to make effective decision w ithout fear of intense competition. Some of examples of successful mergers include Pan Am and National alliances and Northwest Airline which merged with Delta to form one of the largest airline industry (Hecker, 2009). Acquisitions on the other hand, involve a corporate action by a

Wal Marts Entry Strategy Into China Management Essay

Wal Marts Entry Strategy Into China Management Essay With reference to Porters PEST theory, the paper aims to examine Wal-Mart entry strategy into China, and show whether or not pursuing a joint venture strategy was key to Wal-Marts external growth within the Far East. The paper is situated relative to previous academic research articles and sets out to contribute to the literature, aiming to expand on previous work while giving an insight into business decisions and intent that need to be considered when entering new markets. The paper will aim to answer two questions in relation to Wal-Mart business strategy as seen in the analytical theory section, offering an in depth understanding and critique in regards to Wal-Marts Far Eastern ventures: Did the Political, Economic, Social and Technological incentives favour Wal-Marts strategy into China, and; Based on the findings from the PEST analysis, was Wal-Marts decision to adopt a joint venture entry strategy feasible? Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction Wal-Mart Inc. is ranked on a global scale as one of the largest retail companies worldwide, with a market capitalisation of 192.38billion (www.uk.finance.yahoo.com) and sales in excess of $108 billion and earnings per share of 96 cents (Smith, 2009). This combined with its position within the Top 5 of the Fortune 500 Index and the impacts of the ongoing credit crunch make it a very engaging topic to investigate. In this paper I aim to build on the concepts within the topic of international business strategy, addressing Wal-Marts own strategy in their decision to enter the Chinese Market. Business strategy within many global organisations plays an essential role in attaining a desired level of strategic leadership (intent) and Wal-Mart is no exception. Wal-Mart like many firms is very specific in its business agenda, which Pereira (2002) summarily acknowledged, as establishing dominance in the home retail markets (US), global expansion/leadership and a constructive brand creation (Pereira et al, 2002). Based on Pereiras perception of Wal-Marts strategy, by undertaking Porters PEST analysis looking at Political, Economical, Social and Technological, the findings will be aligned with regards to Wal-Marts policy on joint ventures. It will build on previous academic research articles and theories, listed in the literature review with the aim of understanding the strategic decisions Wal-Mart has undertaken in regards to its global expansion. These decisions underpin the entry strategy Wal-Mart has adopted to enter into the Chinese market, Wal-Mart is exporting its retail savvy east to Asia with stores opening in China (Halverson, 1994, p1). The paper having outlined the general concept of PEST when considering market entry, will then conclude with an overview of the entry strategy taken by Wal-Mart in China based on this PEST analysis. 1.2 PEST Analysis PEST is a business tool that was developed by Michael Porter (1980s). It is used by firms to understand changes within the macro environment focusing on 4 main factors, Political, Economic, Social and Technological. Gathering information based on these four components PEST is used by firms to address their strategic positioning, planning and marketing decisions. The importance of a PEST analysis according to articles written by Glaister and Falshaw, is that PEST considers the integral components of the external appraisal of the company, leading to considered view of the opportunities and threats facing the firm (Glaister and Falshaw, 1999, p112). By contrast other types of analysis, for instance the TECOP model, bring into the commercial and organisational risk aspects into the analysis. (www. siteresources.worldbank.org, p25) However for the purpose of this report a PEST analysis is the most appropriate. The views on PEST, combined with Porters own theories on firm behaviour in relation to the environment, the pressure to change is more often environmental than internal (Porter, 1998, p52) exemplifies why aligning an entry strategy to a PEST analysis is, for many firms, crucial. Wal-Mart is a typical example of this, highlighting the importance of considering all four aspects before making a decision. Wal-Marts development and decisions based on its entry strategy are strongly aligned to the fundamentals of PEST. The template below illustrates this: Chapter 2 2.1 Literature Review There are many previous studies and literature, which use Porters PEST analysis as a tool to understanding entry decisions. This review will aim to expand on these and use the concepts to offer a diverse understanding of Wal-Marts global expansion strategy within China. From a global perspective, the retail sector is one of the biggest and most competitive markets, the amount and variety of forms of international retail operations have increased in recent decades (Dawson, 1994, p39). Having established in 1962, Wal-Mart has been no exception to this pattern, Wal-Mart is both the worlds largest retailer and corporation measured by its revenue (Dobson, 2004, P89). As Wal-Mart has strategically developed, the necessity to adapt and evolve a global strategy and align it to the external environment has been vital. Wal-Marts global expansion and positioning within new markets with the strategic intent of acquiring a competitive advantage against other retail giants such as Tesco and Carrefour in terms of market share, epitomizes this, since 1994, Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer in the world, has been one of a range of American `new format retailers causing havoc in foreign retail markets (Hallsworth and Evers, 2004, p1). The literature gives an insight into why firms exist where they do. PEST is a tool used to gain an understanding of market growth and decline (external to the firm) and as a result helps to determine the ideal strategic positioning for an organisation. As Langlois and Robertson stated, a company when dealing with any business strategy must establish the boundaries of control in relation to their organisations scale and scope (Langlois et al, 1995, p7). If this is not established upfront, any plan around firm positioning becomes problematic and as Lamont has stated in his work, and in particular with reference to Wal-Marts global-regional strategy, this has been the case in some areas. Wal-Mart, Lamont argues has made some mistakes in judging the importance of economic, cultural, and business risks within local countries (Lamont, 2002), which as a result has prevented them from positioning themselves in some countries as a successful retail firm. Many European cities like Germany for instance have stuck with the smaller retailers like Spar and Lidl as their needs and choice are not as diverse as the Chinese demands. Further literature expands on the problems of a lack of understanding of the external environment. For instance, Lamont, Kottoli and Schaefer critique Wal-Marts European entry strategy in relation to the fundamentals of PEST. Lamont picks up on the economic analysis and argues that higher prices and increased competition was a source of Wal-Marts failure in countries like Germany (Lamont, 2002). Kottoli also joins the debate and argues cultural insensitivities became the barrier to Wal-Marts success, which in turn backs up Schaefers theories relating to why Wal-Mart had the problems it did. Wal-Marts inability to adapt its home ideologies to its global goals due to management problems, language barriers (social), market knowledge and political regulation all added to its decision to re-structure and sell off its losses (Schaefer, 2006). This said carrying out a PEST analysis on Wal-Marts Chinese venture becomes an interesting exercise, because, while Kottoli, Schaefer and Lamonts arguments are all credible for Europe, others believe China offers a unique angle. A PEST analysis will give a more in depth understanding of why Wal-Mart chose a certain entry strategy for China. Goldstein in his writing showed how Wal Marts approach to China differed from previous entry strategies and that it has actually experienced an element of success (Goldstein, 2003). It is at least still present expanding and respected in China and Asia, which cannot be said for its development in some European countries like Germany. Kierney compounds this further when stating with regards to China, Wal-Mart is firmly entrenched (Kearney, 2006, p6) within China. Other literature agrees with such a viewpoint and Naughton for instance states that for Wal-Mart, China represents the biggest frontier since it conquered America (Naughton 2006). Having utilised PEST to understand the external environment Wal-Mart had to develop a suitable entry strategy for China. Previously Wal-Mart in Canada, as stated by Govindarajan and Gupta, used an acquisition strategy. The reasons behind such a development were that Wal-Mart faced relatively little need for new learning, and thus, entering through a strategic alliance was unnecessary (Govindarajan and Gupta, 1999). China on the other hand presents a very different emerging market, which at the time of the Wal-Mart venture had remained much untapped. Taking this into account, an alliance or joint venture is the best entry strategy to utilise, as a joint venture allows firms to assess the competitive landscape with more accuracy (Hamel and Prahalad, 1989). Realising this, Wal-Mart entered China on the basis of a joint venture, which capitalised on their previous acquisition experience. Chapter 3 3.1 Analytical Theory From a detailed PEST perspective this section will look at the individual P-E-S-T aspects. It questions whether the underlying concepts of a PEST analysis, the political, economic, social and technological concepts favour Wal-Mart in pursuing an entry strategy based on joint ventures. It will do this by considering two aspects of the entry strategy: 1) Did the Political, Economic, Social and Technological incentives favour Wal-Marts strategy into China, and; 2) Based on the findings from the PEST analysis, was Wal-Marts decision to adopt a joint venture entry strategy feasible? 3.2 Political When considering any business strategy it is important for an organisation to analyse the political environment in which decisions must be made. It should consider regulation, government positioning, trade agreements and policy. Politically, Hallsworth and Evers have examined the barriers that internationalisation of firms like Wal-Mart have frequently encountered, responses from indigenous rivals, the regulatory mechanisms of the governments of host or target nations have often hindered strategies for global development (Hallsworth and Evers, 2004, p1). In China, the political agenda exposed Wal-Mart to such potential barriers in the shape of highly regulated systems favouring domestic firms and preventing a so-called foreign takeover. However, timely changes in government policies meant that Wal-Mart was able to gain a foothold, as China was opened up to investment, and the government eased restrictions on foreign businesses, and encouraged Chinese entrepreneurs to enter joint vent ures with Westerners (Hornblower, 2004). Wal-marts entry strategy at the time clearly benefited from this. Wal-Mart undertook a joint venture with Citic Pacific Ltd (www.articles.latimes.com) with the sole purpose of gaining an established brand in the highly competitive Chinese domestic retail sector. As China continued to develop a more open commercial philosophy, economic growth opportunities started to emerge particularly as the economic climate (growth and investment) was right (the commercial side of the TECOP model not addressed by PEST). Wal-Mart was faced with greater prospects in terms of positioning itself in the market and enhancing its market share. Wal-Mart as a result adapted its strategy around such political incentives. Having established its brand, Wal-Marts strategy evolved to embrace acquisitions and pull out of its original joint venture. Political restructuring and incentives, which included greater leniency of jurisdiction in relation to competition enhanced t he Wal-Mart entry strategy. Wal-Mart expanded as a single entity, increasing its capacity to 89 stores in different cities, beginning to slowly erode the domestic retail sectors market share (www.wal-martchina.com). Chinas goal to achieve political stability and its opening up of policies also acted as an incentive for investment to take place (www.euromonitor.com). The political environment contributing to a new emerging Chinese market, allowed opportunistic businesses such as Wal-Mart to develop joint venture strategies, which gave them easier access and control over distribution channels and supply chains. 3.3 Economic In relation to any retailer considering global expansion, the strategy it bases its actions upon has to be aligned to market conditions. Based on market conditions certain strategy decisions will be developed and in Wal-Marts case, its development of a joint venture strategy in economic terms is understandable. Wal-Marts entry strategies were very much in line with Chinas 5-year plan of economic growth. (www.bw.china-embassy.org). The International Monetary fund (IMF) Statistics are proof of this. Wal-Mart by utilising the economic concept within PEST has strategically positioned itself in correlation to data seen in Table 1. China with a population greater than1,334,296 million and an increasing annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which highlights its economic performance, presented Wal-Mart with a massive opportunity for growth, customer base and profit maximisation (www.imf.org). By aligning its entry strategy to work with those already in the market, Wal-Mart was then able to bu ild foundations to expand its network. Table 1 Country Subject Descriptor Scale 2009 2010 2011 China GDP Billions 12,076,672 12,983,630 14,314,365 China Population Millions 1,334,296 1,354,310 1,374,625 (www.imf.org, Accessed 11th June2009) Economically the US-China Business Council also shows a pattern of growth, which explains why Wal-Mart wanted to expand into China, with political support back in the USA. In relation to retail sales (Table 2) these have increased dramatically over the last 10 years. For instance from 2003 to 2008 the percentage of growth in retail has been 12.5% (www.uschina.org). Such statistics would appeal to any foreign firm looking to strategically position itself within Asian Markets. At the same time the joining of China into the World Trade Organisation in 2001 (www.wto.org: 2001 Press Releases) also presents companies like Wal-Mart with an opportunity to enter a market that is categorically a Free Trade Zone, increasing export led growth (USCBC, 2009). Such economic incentives, established through the Political and Economic (part of PEST) analysis are the reason why the Wal-Mart scale and scope now extends into the Far East. Table 2 Main indicators 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Retail sales 5,251.6 5,950.1 6,717.7 7,641.0 8,921.0 10,848.8 % growth 9.1 13.3 12.9 13.7 16.8 21.6 (General Economic and Financial Indicators, 1999-2008, http://www.uschina.org/statistics/economy.html) By carrying out a joint venture entry strategy, Wal-Mart was able to utilise labour pools already present in the retail field without incurring start up costs. Similarly, the size of Chinas workforce meant that Wal-Mart was able to significantly reduce the cost of capital investment, Chinas abundant labour supply means that companies can choose to use manual processes instead of automated processes and still save money (Huffman 2009). Hornblower also expressed a fundamental aspect of the importance of understanding the economic environment. He stated that Wal-Mart entry strategy was timed to allow others to enter the market first. This allowed Wal-Mart to have a second mover advantage or fastest follower and in so doing minimise its fixed costs. This clearly worked as Wal-Mart was able to cash in on low-wage Chinese labour already present due to previous investors (Hornblower, 2004). 3.4 Social When using PEST to develop a strategy, the social dimension of a country is also very important. Cultural attitudes, country specific product development and language barriers are a few of the issues that have to be considered external to the firm. Wal-Mart, when entering China, has had to develop a strategy around understanding such issues and how to address them. It is therefore not surprising that joint-ventures seemed to be a logical entry strategy for Wal-Mart into China. Through adapting such a strategy Wal-Mart has prevented some of the problems it faced in Europe, namely that of language barriers (Schaefer argument). Through gaining an alliance with domestic firms, Wal-Mart has gained an understanding of the cultural demands of the Chinese people. Using the cultural experience gained from its initial entry, Wal-Mart has started to diversify its strategy to reach out into areas not supplied by the typical hypermarkets, Wal-Mart is now operating 3 convenient stores (Wei and Kwok, 2009). This along with Wal-Marts adaptation of their strategy based around going green and addressing environmental problems (Hennock, 2008), has enabled Wal-Mart to develop a strategy based around longevity and socio-cultural awareness. Such a strategy is considered for a USA firm exceeding rare, but in this particular case was built upon US-China trade agreemen ts. At the same time, Wal-Mart has tried to learn from the problems it experienced when entering Europe. Wal-Marts entry strategy into China takes into consideration the needs of the community. Kottolis argument of cultural insensitivities found in previous ventures, as mentioned within the literature review, have been addressed and Wal-Mart actively participates in community service and charity events and has donated funds and in kind support worth more than RMB 58millon (US$8million) (www.walmartstores.com/factsheets).Wal-Mart has capitalised on the positive effects of being seen within the community as a sympathetic and generous enterprise. In addition, Wal-Mart has developed a strategy, which focuses on upstream measures with the aim of meeting customer demands. Using a strategy of working in partnership with suppliers, Wal-Mart has managed to reduce prices of goods by an average of 20 percent, generating increased customer traffic and turnover (www.walmartstores.com/factsheets). 3.5 Technological Technological innovation is also a factor, which needs to be taken into consideration when developing an entry strategy into an unknown external environment. Wal-Mart on entering the Chinese market sought to gain a competitive advantage over other retailers by introducing innovative measures around marketing and implementing cost reduction methods. For instance taking control of the supply chain and outsourcing. Such a strategy is key to explaining Wal-Mart global expansion, as Technological innovations account for approximately 60% of Wal-Marts growth (Basker and Pham, 2008). At the same time Wal-Mart has also introduced advanced retail technology and experience to China and advanced Chinas retail industry standards and development (www.tradeinservices.com), which has helped it to produce cheaper products, offering innovation, controlling supply chains and meeting the requirements of consumers. An example of this is the Wal-Mart introduction of electronic stock taking and till to back office re-ordering which consequently led to other firms imitating such technological advances supplying the needs of the Chinese customer both efficiently and at the lowest cost possible. Through adapting both internal and external strategies Wal-Mart has been able to gain control over and add value to certain areas that focus on customer communications/awareness as its core competence within China. Chapter 4 4.1 Policy implications Having established the reasons why Wal-Mart chose to enter China through Porters PEST analysis it is important to look at the policy implications Wal-Mart has needed to address and understand. A joint venture strategy, for instance requires Wal-Mart to take into account the risk of exploitation, and bootlegging from other competing firms. At the same time Wal-Mart has to consider its internal policy implication for entering China and whether Chinas policy for foreign direct investment (FDI) supports Wal-Marts entry strategy choice. Policies based around exports and imports (Tax), foreign policy and anti dumping legislation encouraging fair competition must be considered. The Chinese government itself must impose anti dumping legislation making sure price competition is even-handed. Such policy implications are important as without understanding these, retail firms strategies incorporate unnecessary risk and the decisions to enter into certain markets becomes problematic. The theoretical findings within the paper highlight the importance of making sure the correct entry strategy is chosen. The paper shows that Wal-Mart has had to evolve its core competencies to incorporate Chinas demands. The labour force, varying tastes and changing demands exemplify why Wal-Mart entry included a joint venture strategy aligning itself to market requirement. Using a PEST analysis has illustrated how Wal-Mart has evolved its US strategy to meet the needs of Far Eastern Markets. If Wal-Mart had undertaken other entry strategy decisions such as franchising, or even an acquisition strategy, they may have been unable to adapt their home market policy to foreign market policy. As seen in some of Wal-Marts European ventures (i.e. Germany) this would have resulted in a lack understanding and consequently market failure. If one wanted to pursue this paper further, incorporating other tools to assess the theoretical reasoning of Wal-Mart entry into the Far East and in particular China, a SWOT analysis as a business tool could be used. This tool allows firms to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, both internally and externally, allowing decisions to be based on whether or not certain entry strategies are supported by the policies that exist and whether there is a need for the development of new policies. Combining the use of a PEST analysis with other businesses tools like the SWOT into entry strategies will give a much more informed decision and remains fundamental to business development. Similarly other more in depth models could be used to analyse Wal-Mart entry strategy. For instance as mentioned the TECOP model would add another dimension from both a commercial and organisation aspect, perhaps addressing the marketing perception in greater detail. 4.2 Conclusion It is clear that from analysing and using the data from the World Trade Organisation and US Chinese councils that Porters PEST analysis is a useful tool in understanding Wal-Mart strategic motives for developments within China. Europe, on the other hand, in regards to PEST has pressures that were not suited to Wal-Mart entry strategies. Its ideology around discount low prices for instance did not appeal, and politically and economically the competition meant Wal-Mart was unable to gain any market control. Through making mistakes in Europe, Wal-Mart has gathered experience in entering markets significantly different from the American market and as a firm it has been able to establish clear boundaries of control within China. This, combined with a learning strategy based around joint ventures has also been beneficial to Wal-Mart entry strategy within China, particularly when dealing with an emerging market and the domestic competition that existed. At the same time with Wal-Mart acting as a second mover within the Chinese retail market, following a strategy of joint ventures has allowed it to establish itself within the market. Taking into account the policy implications for entry into China as part of its entry decision has allowed Wal-Mart to establish a brand that incorporates the Economic, Political, Social and Cultural factors that is was unable to do in Europe. Having said this however it is imprudent to focus on the external environment as the only factor facing Wal-Mart in decisions to enter new markets. Managerial decisions and core competencies along with other internal aspects also need to be aligned to suit Wal-Marts strategic intent. Keeping success going requires constant attention to the competitive environment. Continuous work on the supply chain, responsiveness to political decisions and influence over these decisions and, last but not least, continued customer and employee focus are all aspects Wal-Mart needs to continue to address.

Civil War Technology Essay

Many technological advancements were implemented during the Civil War. Some of these include the introduction of the ironclad to naval warfare. The use of the railroad to speed armies and supplies around the country, high speed communication via the telegraph, the use of rifles that would change tactical warfare forever and the introduction of new medical practices and ambulance corps. One of the major technological advancements brought on by the Civil War was the introduction of the Ironclad into battle. These new craft were mainly made by encasing wooden vessels with thick plates of steel. These new ships could repel enemy fire as well as ram inferior wooden ship into pieces. One such ship built by the confederates was the Virginia, â€Å"The Ironclad carried ten guns and an iron ram on her prow; she moved slowly and awkwardly, powered by the two old engines of the Merimack, and it took half an hour to turn her around. In the harbor of the Hampton Roads, the Virginia, on her first day at war, attacked five Union ships† (McFreely, 17) â€Å"Five Union ships containing 219 guns guarded the mouth of the James River at Hampton Roads but the fighting this day would make them obsolescent. What day-the worst in the eighty-six year history of the U.S. Navy. The Virginia sank two proud ships.† (McPherson, 375,376) The Confederates were not alone in the building of ironclad although not everyone shared in the enthusiasm of theses new ship† Secretary of navy Welles did not at first want to experiment with new fangled notions. But rumors of rebel activities caused Congress to force his hand with a law of August 3, 1861, directing the construction of three prototype ironclads.† (McPherson, 374) several designs were submitted but John Ericssons was the one the Navy department accepted. † Ericsson’s proposal incorporated several novel feature. A wooden hull sheathed with thin iron plate would be overlaid by a flat deck with perpendicular sides extending below the water line and protected by 4.5-inch armor plating. The propeller, anchor and all vital machinery would be protected by this shell. Sitting on the deck was Ericsson’s most important innovation: a revolving turret encased in eight inches of armor and containing two eleven-inch guns.† (McPherson, 374) This ship was named the Monitor, and while the Virginia reaped havoc at Hampton  Roads the Monitor was on her way to meet her. â€Å"On March 9, the Monitor arrived from Brooklyn, and the two strange ships blasted away at each other, the Monitor circling her opponent. The battle ended in a draw, but it changed naval warfare overnight by making wooden fleets obsolete.† (McFreely, 17) Other technologies that were heavily used during the war were the Railroad and telegraph. The railroads allowed for speed of troop movement and heavy artillery that could only be moved rail. The telegraph likewise sped communications between armies, field personnel, Washington, Richmond, ETC. In 1862 alone the US Patent Office issued over 240 military related patents. The monitor itself had 47 individual patents. Another innovative advancement in weaponry was the rifle. While these weapons were not new to the battle field recent advancements in bullet technology developed in the 1850s, by Claude E. Minie’ and improved upon by James H. Burton made the weapons more practical and cost effective. â€Å"At the beginning of the war both sides were armed chiefly with smoothbore muskets that had an effective range of about eighty yards and took about twenty five minutes to reload. But during 1862 Union soldiers were with new rifles that had spiral grooves cut in the barrels, and by 1863 nearly all infantrymen, Yankee and confederate carried these weapons. These rifles put a spin on the bullet, increasing its range and accuracy. These new rifles meant that assaulting infantrymen in close formation could be picked off with rifles at four hundred yards. The casualty cost for a frontal assault became tremendous.† (McFreely, 17) The impact of the rifle on the battlefield was huge. â€Å"One reason for the high casualties of the Civil War was the disparity between traditional tactics and modern weapons. The tactical legacy of the eighteenth-century and Napoleonic warfare had emphasized close order formations.† (McPherson, 473,474) Some other technological break through brought on by the war were the creation of The Sanitary Commission and improvements in army medical practices. â€Å"The Civil War marked a milestone in the transformation of  nursing from a menial service to a genuine profession. The war also produced important innovations in army medical practice. One such innovation was the creation of special ambulance corps for first aid treatment of the wounded and their evacuation to field hospitals. These non-combat medics risked their lives to reach the wounded in the midst of the battle and evacuate them as quickly as possible to surgeons’ stations and field hospitals. The ambulance corps became a model for European armies down to World War I.† (McPherson, 484,485) Sanitary conditions by our standard today were inhuman but at the time of the war they were a vast improvement from previous wars. â€Å"Diseases was a greater threat to the health of Civil War soldiers than enemy weapons. This had been true for every army in history. Civil war armies suffered comparatively less disease mortality then any previous army. While two soldiers died of disease for everyone killed in combat, the ratio for soldiers in the Napolonic and Crimean Wars had been Eight to one. Only by twentieth century standards was Civil War disease mortality high.† (McPherson, 487) In conclusion the Civil War saw the introduction of the ironclads which made all fighting vessels obsolete in a single afternoon of battle at Hampton Roads. The introduction of better medical practices and ambulance corps. The use of rifles which made the tactics of Napoleonic Warfare’s close order formation a suicide mission. This war also saw casualties on both sides in astronomical numbers due in no small part to the use of these new technologies. In the end the use of these new weaponry and technology would change how all wars there after would be fought. WORKS CITED McFreely, Mary Drake The Civil War Telecourse Study Guide. Virginia: EPM Publications, 1990. McPherson, James M.Battle Cry of Freedom New York,: Ballantine Books, 1989.

Homosexuality and Single-Sex Schools

Unfortunately, for many American students, insults and accusations are part of everyday life. All to often, students, as young as elementary school, are faced with criticism and judgment from their peers, and despite great efforts by many, there are still people in our country who are not the diverse, tolerant people wed like to surround ourselves with on a daily basis. This unfortunate truth means that some students look elsewhere to find supportive and welcoming environments for their middle and high school educations. This is where private school comes into play, as many private schools embrace the many facets of diversity that exist within students, creating vibrant communities unlike what most high school students embrace. However, there is debate among many about the role of single-sex schools when it comes to homosexuality. While some believe that schools that cater to just one gender provide a supportive place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students, others believe that these schools  have a hidden side effect: they promote homosexuality. Scientific Studies Surprisingly, there are few scientific studies available to provide conclusive evidence, but no limit to personal opinions. The debate topics include whether or not single-sex schools promote gender stereotypes, if homosexuality is learned or genetic and, particularly, how single-sex schools may impact students if it homosexuality is, in fact, learned. Debate.com has a page dedicated to whether or not single-sex schools promote homosexuality. The outcome of those who have contributed to date shows a majority of debaters (59 percent) feel that single-sex schools do not promote homosexuality. Many single-sex school graduates claim that their experiences, be it high school or even college, were empowering and helped them grow as individuals. Others agree, but say that they discovered their gender identity in that environment because it was the first time they were allowed to experience something different than the stereotypes they grew up with of only male-female couples being acceptable. Unfortunately, for many children stereotypes are all they see in their daily lives and become what they understand simply because they are not exposed to diverse views. Most certainly, no child wants to be intimidated or ostracized simply because they are different. These difference sometimes mean that students are subject to bullying by peers who dont understand or accept them, and these actions can be especially harsh when adults look the other way or are not present. While some claim that single-sex schools promote gender stereotypes, others adamantly disagree, stating that the single-sex school breaks down the stereotypes and better educates students on a more diverse set of viewpoints. The Value of an Open and Affirming Culture What many people dont know is that boys and girls schools often  play to the strengths of students. These open and affirming cultures can provide better support, counseling, and education, empowering students to embrace who they are more than ever. When students can walk around their school community openly without fear of discrimination or bullying, they are able to grow as individuals and achieve more success. Both boys and girls have to deal with their sexuality, understanding their feelings and inclinations mean and how to handle them. If they havent thought of it themselves, the American entertainment industry will certainly put all those gender debates and discussions right under their noses. What any good private school is able to do is to provide some serious mentoring and discussion of issues like teenage sexuality. The tightly wrapped sense of community which most of these schools have makes young people feel comfortable discussing these and other issues. Teens are under enormous stress under normal conditions. Add to the mix worries about sexuality and grades and you potentially have a recipe for extreme measures of dealing with the stress. For some, this can lead to eating disorders, cutting, or even suicide. Heed the warning signs, no matter how insignificant you think they may be, and talk to someone if there are concerns about the physical, mental, or emotional health of a child. If students feel as though they cannot confront their classmates, they should alert an adult and make sure she follows through. Supporting a peer struggling with an issue often means going against their wishes to deal with issues privately in favor of getting help from a qualified individual.   Edited by Stacy Jagodowski