Vultures and Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes Essay Example for Free

Vultures and Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes Essay At a first glimpse of these two poems you would think that they were very different and about completely opposite things. But when you read each poem and understand each of there messages and meanings you will find that they are, in fact, alike in many ways. Both Vultures and Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes are both comparative poems. Vultures is comparing nature with evil, and Scavengers is comparing rich to poor. The structure of Scavengers and Vultures is different yet alike in some ways. In Scavengers the poet talks about the Scavengers in a truck and then the beautiful people in a Mercedes, similarly the poet of Vultures describes a vulture first and then the Commandant at Belsen second. Both poets illustrate the rich and the poor, evil and nature separately, one after the other. In Scavengers there is an opening stanza, a descriptive stanza then a final closing stanza, throughout this poem in switches from the Scavengers to the beautiful people rapidly, comparing and contrasting them; whereas in Vultures there are four stanzas, the first describing a vulture, the second joining the vulture and commandant together, the forth describing the commandant and the final one joining the two together again and ending the poem. Both poems are non traditional in that neither of them begin every line with a capital letter. Scavengers has no punctuation but some lines begin with a capital letter implying a sentence structure. In scavengers the lines are indented in an irregular manner to create an affect; the affect is to break up the poem on the page, in the same way that the people in the poem are separated by lifestyles. Vultures has very little punctuation and is written in a narrative style. The lines are very short so that on the page the poem looks rigidly set left with two indentations where stanzas begin but without a break on the page as is usual. This is to emphasize the rigid nature of the concentration camp. Chinuna Achebe, the poet of Vultures, uses imagery to create the picture of the ugly bird Bashed in head rooted in a dumb of gross feathers This description give you a vivid portrait of a vulture, the poet also portrays a vulture as a monstrous animal, They picked the eyes of a swollen corpse and ate the things in its bowels These descriptive phrases create an image of an evil bird, which she then goes on to compare to a commandant, saying that this evil man is so much worse than a vulture. This is very effective because the reader already has an awful image of a vulture in their head and then to say that this man is as evil if not more gives great impact to the reader. Likewise the poet of Scavengers also uses imagery to describe the different people in the poem. Grey iron hair and hunched back, like some gargoyle Quasimodo A hip three-piece linen suit with shoulder length blond hair These two descriptions of the different people are very contrasting not just in appearance but the poet also uses these descriptions to show the different lifes these people live. The poet of Scavengers uses repetition to build up effect. In the opening stanza, when describing the beautiful people in a Mercedes, the poet uses the word elegant to describe both the car and the couple. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the poet of Scavengers, uses repetition here to convey how rich and important these people are. In the same way the poet of Vultures uses alliteration. The drizzle of one despondent dawn This is to construct the depressed feeling of the vulture and to set the tone of the poem. Both poets use similes and metaphors to display a vivid image. In Scavengers Lawrence Ferlinghetti uses a simile to describe the older of the two Scavengers, Like some gargoyle Quasimodo The reference to Quasimodo has great effect because people already know the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and he is portrayed as being an ugly creature, so the implication is that the scavenger is of the same nature. In the same way, the poet of Vultures uses similar techniques when describing a vulture, Bone of a dead tree Here Chinua Achebe uses metaphorical images of death to confirm in the readers mind the grotesque bird which she is describing; also the image of death corresponds with the cruelty the commandant imposes upon others. Another example of the effective use of language in Vultures is her use of the idea of the cremated people as being like a roast meal and then going on to pick up the idea by referring to his tender child. The poet of Scavengers uses a powerful metaphor to bring the poem to an end. Across that small gulf in the high seas of this democracy I think that this last sentence is like the key to the whole poem. I believe the poet is mocking the American democracy by sarcastically referring to democracy which implies equality; having shown that these two sets of people can never be equal. He draws attention to the importance of this last sentence by using similar sounding words seas and democracy. I perceive the underlying message behind the political meaning to be one of hope because towards the end he says, As if anything at all were possible I think he means in the future equality may be possible. The point the poet is trying to make in vultures is that while we may not like what vultures do, it is there nature to do those things but for a human to behave in a similar way is inhuman. His behaviour is compared with a normal human in his relationship with his child. The very last stanza invites the reader to think about whether this humanity is good, because even somebody who acts in a monstrous way can also act in a human like way, or bad, because it shows that ordinary people can act in an evil way. I think both poems are trying to show the readers how others live. They describe the different hardships people have to live with, being discriminated against, not having rights or equality. The two poems prove that the world is not a perfect place and that we shouldnt take everyday possibilities for granted, because some people dont get chances.

Social Networking Gone Bad Essay Example for Free

Social Networking Gone Bad Essay Have you even thought about how different society would be without social networking web sites? Many of the social networking web sites today play a huge role with the way we interact with one another in our everyday lives, which include most relationships. Using a social networking web site has many negative effects on relationship. Building insecurity, advertising personal information, and building social media moods are some of the many ways relationship are negatively impacted. First and foremost, many people are building up insecurities in their relationships due to these social networking web sites. The thought of what another person is doing on these web sites or who they are interacting with are affecting the trust bond between relationships which are causing the insecurities. For example, if a couple have had pervious issues with one person going behind another’s and speaking to their ex or person of opposite sex, then the thought of being easily connected with people through these sites can really build up the insecurity in the other persons mind and make them think that their partner is being unfaithful. Since it is so easy for someone to go on their phones and open the internet and begin speaking to people half way around the world. Not only can this destroy a relationship but it can also be unhealthy, causing anxiety and depression. The web being a public place, may not be the best place to be advertising personal information such as phone number, email address, or even photos. Some spouses and significant other may become bothered by the information streamed onto these sites and could possibly anger the person and potentially ruin a relationship. Have a phone number or email address on the sites can cause a person from the opposite sex or even their ex to try and get in contact with them, and that right there can really cause some major issues in someone’s relationship. It could even lead to someone getting harmed physically out of anger, when people out their relationships and personal life on the internet, nothing is secure nor private. Therefore eople are allowing others to have access in their relationship, by making it easier for people to express their opinion or do malicious things to sabotage it Not only can this destruct a love relationship but inappropriate information can ruin a relationship with someones job or business. In addition, as part of any social network experience, becoming networked and involved with each other is what keeps these sites going. Unfortunately, â€Å"a downside of social media relationships is that we’re potentially subject to emotional contagion effects, as illustrated in research by John Cacioppo, a researcher at the University of Chicago†(Jain, Dr.  R, 2010). In other words people with bad thoughts, ideas, or moods can transmit them to other people without ever having any face to face contact with the person. So basically if you have been following someone on one of these social networks and every time you are logged on, that certain someone is just posting negative comments and ideas, chances are that the very person reading this over and over again will begin to adapt these negative thoughts and ideas and then reflect a negative mood towards other people in their own real life, and the people they love. Which ultimately begin to take a toll on a relationship, because if one person is constantly upset the other is going to look at themselves first and feel like they are not wanted anymore. Even though social networking web sites might seem like the most amazing gift of technology, its adverse impact can ruin your strongest relationship and at the end leave you with countless regrets. Online friends, self-centered attention-seeking, short attention spans, distraction, and loss of privacy are what these social networks web sites engage you in, and not having control of it can have a negative impact on you and on your relationships. So be for you consider signing up for one of these social networks web sites or signing back on to an existing account, ask yourself if you are ready to deal with the negative effects the these sites have to offer. Also keep in mind there may be a possibility of ruining any types of relationships you are currently in or at least have an effect on them.

Agile Methodology With Scrum Model For Software Information Technology Essay

Agile Methodology With Scrum Model For Software Information Technology Essay Agile methods may produce software faster but also need to know how they meet quality requirements. This research focuses to make the base of question can agile methods ensure quality even though they develop software faster and can handle unstable requirements?. To show how agile methods achieve software quality, compare the scrum model with agile processes. Present a detailed scrum model showing its software quality support processes. Then show the quality practices that agile methods have integrated into their processes. Finally it is the comparison of agile methodology with scrum model in the environment of Pakistan software industry and proposed the best efficient model in the distributed software environment Introduction: Main idea of this research is to identify the challenges and issues of an agile adoption in an organization and formulate ways to grab with those issues. And also propose a solution for agile scrum limitation Limited support for Distributed Environment [1]. Main Issue in distributed environment is Communication, I am proposing a several ways how we minimize communication barrier in distributed environment. And ensure that agility with scrum model is possible in Distributed Environment. Scrumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is a framework within which you can employ various processes and techniquesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦within which complex products can be developed [2]. Scrum Principles includes Time-boxes ,Cross-functional teams ,Open communications Within team With stakeholders ,Priorities set by Product Owner, Demonstrable results, Responsive to change[3]. Benefits of Scrum Targets Product Owners functions-of-value focus on team communications, frequent and ready access to knowledge, co-location improves communications, frequent demonstrations for early feedback from stakeholders, sense of accomplishment, quality of product. Scrum is a knowledge creating process with a high level of information sharing during the whole cycle and work progress. Its application also generates a strong culture with well-defined roles and relationships[4]. The key to scrum is planing the date of completion for production or release, prioritizing functionalities, Identifying available resources, decision about the architecture. Scrum offers a collection of empirical techniques that assume existence of uncertainties but provide practical and specific techniques to tame Iterative, Incremental and Adaptive Software Development Model. In scrum Project work is identified dynamically and prioritized according to the customers needs and what the team can do. Existing System: In every agile process development methodology there are some limitations with respect to nature of work. Some issues are highlighted in [5] for distributed area, sub contraction, developing large and complex systems, Safety-Critical system development etc.Existing software methodology has many issues in distributed environment. Now a days software development is doing by outsourcing the projects because in advanced countries cost factor is very important but the most important constraint is the communication gap between the owner and developer. To resolve this gap and to enhance the autonomy in distributed environment under the umbrella of agile methodology scrum model is implemented for dynamic development model Drawbacks with existing system Existing system (agile process development methodology) has many issues for for user and developer aspects. Disadvantages with agile: Active user involvement and close collaboration Requirements emerge and evolve Agile requirements are barely sufficient. Incremental approach to development and frequent delivery of product. Testing is integrated throughout the lifecycle. Frequent delivery of product Finally, common feedback is that agile development is rather intense for developers. The need to really complete each feature 100% within each iteration, and the relentlessness of iterations, can be mentally quite tiring so its important to find a sustainable pace for the team [6]. Objective: Numerous works has been done to cover all aspects of Scrum Development methodology but still there are open research areas which need to be covered. In every agile process development methodology there are some limitations with respect to nature of work [7]. Some issues are highlighted in [7] and for distributed area, sub contraction, developing large and complex systems etc, but still there are open areas where no significant research work has been done. Ensure that agile method with Scrum Model can ensure quality even though they develop software faster and can handle unstable requirements. PROPOSED SOLUTION: My Objective of this research is to minimize the issues and challenges of an agile adoption in an organization with collaboration of Scrum Model. So organization can successfully adopt and integrate agile with scrum into their enterprises for greater responsiveness to changing market demands and conditions. Ensure that agile method with Scrum Model can ensure quality even though they develop software faster and can handle unstable requirements. OBJECTIVES OF PROPOSED SYSTEM: The new methodologies should be developed and then it will be implemented in the different software industry with techniques and the results will be compared. New software size estimation methods should be developed. These methods will help in software cost estimation by using the different estimation techniques. These new methods will be better in software cost estimating, particularly for in the environment of Pakistan. There should be easier methods for Software development in the Agile with Scrum Model. It is comparison of old and new technologies. In the environment of Pakistan these approaches will be valid for software cost estimation. FUTURE WORK: Developing the new methodologies for software creation is an emerging trend in the environment of Pakistan. The approaches for software size, code, space and time estimation will be applied on the different software estimation techniques. Basically, the methodology proposes an integrated usage of available all these estimation techniques in different phases of the development life cycle. Application of the methodology in developing software by SD approach is also discussed. As a next step, the methodology should be experimented in various projects and thus will be enhanced. Some applications are also needed for applying the methodology to other software development approaches such as object-oriented development, Jackson System Development Programming (JSD JSP) etc. Also, the tool needs to be ported to UNIX environment. Review of Literature: Artem Marchenko, Pekka Abrahamsson (2008): The authors carried out an ethnographically informed longitudinal case study in industrial settings and closely followed how the Scrum method was adopted in a 20-person department, working in a simultaneous multi-project RD environment. Altogether 10 challenges pertinent to the case of multi-team multi-project Scrum adoption were identified in the study. The authors contend that these results carry great relevance for other industrial teams. Steve Berczuk (2007): Stated main reason that it is difficult to do work in agile with distributed teams is that distribution can reduce communication bandwidth. Co-located teams that dont communicate well can also fail with agile methods. But the rules of agile methods serve to increase communication and feedback. Any team is best served by following the rules of the agile method with as few adjustments as possible. Distribution increases the damage that non-compliance can cause. If the team feels like it owns the process and the tools it is more likely to be able to overcome obstacles and be successfull. Andrew Begel, Nachiappan Nagappan (2006): This paper report on the results of an empirical study conducted at Microsoft to learn about Agile development and its perception by people in development, testing, and management. They found that one-third of the study respondents use Agile methodologies to varying degrees, and most view it favorably due to improved communication between team members, quick releases and the increased flexibility of Agile designs. Barry Boehm, Richard Turner (2005): Their discussions with traditional developers and managers concerning agile software development practices nearly always contain two somewhat contradictory ideas. They find that on small, stand-alone projects, agile practices are less burdensome and more in tune with the software industrys increasing needs for rapid development and coping with continuous change. Wilton, P. and J. W. Colby(2005). Stated that most database management systems these days are relational with implementing agile methodology, termed relational database management system . These systems make storing data and returning results easier and more efficient. They allow different questions to be posed of the database even questions the original designer of the database didnt expect to be asked. Outi Salo (2004): Empirical results are reported from two XP (Extreme Programming) projects where the project teams conducted post-iteration workshops after all process iterations in order to improve and optimize working methods. Andreas Kornstadt and Joachim Sauer (2002) It includes discussion of the diary-driven development lightweight approach to documentation and providing a technique of introspection to help peer-review yourself. The experience reported on also covers what happens when you try to take these techniques successfully applied by an individual and scale them up for adoption by a typical small team. Adding relevance to a non-technical management audience, the presentation looks at these practices from a risk-mitigation viewpoint. It will help validate them as worthwhile for solo developers and debunk the idea that software engineering is only for big teams. Highsmiths J.A.(2000): The research project described in their report is three-pronged effort to investigate the issues associated with Scrum adoption. First, the practices that characterize the Scrum agile method will be stated, along with common variants. Second, projects that have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, Scrum will be surveyed to identify which Scrum practices, or variants thereoff, they have implemented and the perceived value of the method. Third, factors affecting Scrum adoption will be investigated. The objective of this research is to better understand the barriers to adoption and the leverage points that might encourage Scrum to be more widely and efficiently deployed. Boehm. B(2000) l: The paper proposes the component paradigm as a way to bridge the gap between model-driven and agile development. Service-based component concepts applied at the level of modeling, architectural design and development can ensure and strengthen agile development principles and practices. Components provide a way of building simple and flexible software architecture that can easily scale in size and level of details in order to overcome certain limitations of agile development processes. Material Methods This research is an empirical study .The existing published literature and research material, relevant to the Agile and scrum model are the first treasure of knowledge for this research study and provide the baseline to execute the research in proper direction. Online digital libraries and databases e.g. ACM, Springer link, IEEE etc, are the main source of information. Due to the fact that this is relatively a new research domain with insufficient academic research contribution I will also approach the online articles, success stories, case studies and personal experiences, shared by Agile practitioner, through the search engines. I will approach the agile practitioners who have experienced the Agile methodologies in distributed/Offshore environment[10]. And various research groups e.g. Google groups, Yahoo groups etc, relevant to the research topic, for getting the research input. I will also survey different organizations, especially in Pakistan, for getting the multiple responses, close ended and open ended questionnaires will be published to capture the views of IT professionals.. After approaching the wider group of Agile practitioners to get the general view point. In order to become more focused, I identify the group which are very specific and practically working in the particular development environment (Distributed agile)[8]. Structured and semi structured interview will be another tool to refine the respondent findings. The results will be formulated for this empirical study on the basis of theoretical frame work (literature review) and empirical study (survey and interviews with practitioners) The key to scrum is planning the date of completion for production or release, prioritizing functionalities, Identifying available resources, decision about the architecture. Scrum offers a collection of empirical techniques that assume existence of uncertainties but provide practical and specific techniques to tame Iterative [9], Incremental and Adaptive Software Development Model. In scrum Project work is identified dynamically and prioritized according to the customers needs and what the team can do. My Objective of this research is to minimize the issues and challenges of an agile adoption in an organization with collaboration of Scrum Model. So organization can successfully adopt and integrate agile with scrum into their enterprises for greater responsiveness to changing market demands and conditions. Ensure that agile method with Scrum Model can ensure quality even though they develop software faster and can handle unstable requirements.

Adorno and Horkheimers Dialectic of Enlightenment Essay -- Mythology

Adorno and Horkheimer's Dialectic of Enlightenment 'Myth is already enlightenment; and enlightenment reverts to mythology' (Dialectic of Enlightenment XVI) Adorno and Horkheimer's obscure and nihilistic text Dialectic of Enlightenment (DoE) is an attempt to answer the question 'why mankind, instead of entering a truly human condition, is sinking into a new kind of barbarism' (DoE, p.xi). The result is a totalising critique of modernity; a diagnosis of why the Enlightenment project failed with no attempt to prescribe a cure. This is achieved by a historical-philosophical study of the mythic world-view of animism and anthropomorphism and the Enlightenment attempt to dissolve myth through objectification and instrumental reason. DoE also uses Homer's Odyssey as a metaphorical interpretation of this historical change, where Odysseus is the prototype of the bourgeois man. This study reveals for Adorno and Horkheimer the failure of the Enlightenment project. Enlightenment has no claim to being less a myth than the mythology it failed to escape. This new myth is defined for them by the drive to dominate nature at the expense of alienation of man from nature and from his own inner nature. They follow the appearance of the subject as it is objectified alongside nature, and is dominated with it. The subject becomes an object and his intellect becomes instrumental, and all instinct and sensory experience that fails to be productive in the pursuit of domination is repressed, man becomes mechanized. They also assert that class domination is a direct and inevitable consequence of the attempt to dominate nature, and is therefore inescapable. Background to the text. Adorno and Horkheimer, members of the Frankfurt school in Germany, wrote DoE (which was completed in 1944) while Fascism, a kind of barbarism never seen before, was threatening Europe. They viewed this as the epitome of the self-destructive nature of enlightenment, the final evidence that it would never result in 'a truly human condition'. They wrote in the introduction to DoE that 'the indefatigable self-destructiveness of enlightenment†¦requires philosophy to discard even the last vestiges of innocence in regard to the habits and tendencies of the spirit of the age' (p.xi), hence the intensity of their critique. Being part of the Frankfurt school, Adorno and Horkheimer were influenced... ...kfurt school, does not accept Adorno's solution. He believes Adorno is being too nihilistic in [continued next page] allowing no way to escape instrumental rationality. Habermas's main philosophical project has been to resolve this problem, to allow for the possibility of substantive rationality (i.e. rationality that is not aimed at power and domination but, rather, validity) and, thus, to save the project of the Enlightenment. The result is a theory of open communication that is aimed at an 'ideal speech situation', that is, at a discourse not tainted by instrumental aims. Bibliography: Theodor Adorno and Maw Horkheimer: The Dialectic of Enlightenment (Verso: London, 1997). Theodor Adorno: Negative Dialectics (Routledge: London, 1990)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jurgen Habermas: The Entwinement of Myth and Enlightenment: Re-reading Dialectic of Enlightenment, in Jay Bernstein (ed.): The Frankfurt School: Critical Assessments vol.3 (Routledge: London, 1994). Axel Honneth: The Critique of Power: Reflective Stages of Critical Social Theory (M.I.T: Boston, 1991). Gà ¶ran Therborn: The Frankfurt School, in New Left Review (ed.): Western Marxism: a Critical Reader (New Left Books: Norfolk, 1977).

Gender Discrimination at Wal-Mart Essay -- case study, gender, manager

Introduction Discrimination continues to run rampant throughout organizations in both the United States and worldwide. The Supreme Court case, Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., dealt with 1.5 million current and former female Wal-Mart employees that claim that they had been a victim of gender discrimination. The ensuing pages will discuss the specific issues that the plaintiffs encountered, followed by suggestions from a human resource manager’s stand point in rectifying adverse impact within the Wal-Mart organization. Gender Discrimination at Wal-Mart In the case of Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Dukes), the court found that there was a lack of significant proof that Wal-Mart had a general policy of discrimination (Schipani, 2013). The plaintiffs needed commonality to establish uniformed disparity within the Wal-Mart organization, and statistical evidence was deemed unworthy of proving this commonality (Schipani, 2013). The numbers were astounding; seventy-two percent of the hourly workforce of Wal-Mart are women, yet only 10% are store managers, and a mere 4% of female Wal-Mart employees are district managers (Bernardin & Russell, 2013). The numbers seem to reflect a painfully obvious presence of discrimination, and with Wal-Mart’s market power within its industry, it can be frightening to evaluate the impact their practices have on the American employment culture. Wal-Mart maintains aggressively, a distinct and consistent corporate culture through out its operations. The issue is that local managers and supervisors are given unguided discretion on the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of employees (Hart, 2006). These individual managers bring with them their own beliefs, biases, stereotypes, and assumpt... ...e Rights & Employment Policy Journal, 10(2), 355-394. Hoobler, J., Wayne, S., & Lemmon, G. (2009). Boss' Perceptions of Family-Work Conflict and Women's Promotability: Glass Ceiling Effects. Academy of Management Journal, 52(5), 939-957. Ngo, H. Y., Foley, S., Wong, A., & Loi, R. (2003). Who Gets More of the Pie? Predictors of Perceived Gender Inequity at Work. Journal of Business Ethics, 45(3), 227-241. Parcheta, N., Kaifi, B., & Khanfar, N. (2013). Gender Inequality in the Workforce: A Human Resource Management Quandary. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 4(3), 240-248. Rosen, E. I. (2005). Life Inside America's Largest Dysfunctional Family. New Labor Forum, 14(1), 31-39. Schipani, C. (2013). Class Action Litigation After Dukes: In Search of a Remedy for Gender Discrimination in Employment. University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 46(4), 1249-1277.

air pollution :: essays research papers

Air Pollution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Air pollution is a serious problem in many of the worlds large cities. Heavy concentrations of air pollutants, which are often in the form of smog, settle over a city, creating a health hazard for its people. Air pollution occurs when wastes dirty the air. People produce most of the wastes that cause air pollution. Such wastes are usually in the form of gases. These substances result chiefly from burning fuel to power motor vehicles and to heat buildings. Industrial processes and the burning of garbage also contribute to air pollution. Natural pollutants include dust, pollen, soil particles, (100 Words) and naturally occurring gases.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Encyclopedia)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The rapid growth of population and industry, and the increased use of automobiles and airplanes, have made air pollution a serious problem. The air we breathe has become so filled with pollutants that it can cause health problems. Polluted air also harms plants, animals, building materials, and fabrics. In addition, it causes damage by altering the earth’s atmosphere.† In and article published by THE NEWS in New Mexico they warned â€Å"If current environmental protection policies are no unforced, pollutants in city air will increase one million tons annually by year 2010.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Encyclopedia, The News)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Air pollution (100 Words) can have a huge effect on health. When people breathe polluted air, the impurities can irritate their air passages and their lungs. Particles often stay in the lungs and can worsen symptoms such as asthma and bronchitis. Radon can cause lung cancer in inhaled in large quantities. Certain chemical compounds can cause cancer and birth defects also.† â€Å"Air pollution has also been linked to heart attacks† claims an article in the Health Scout News. â€Å"The study adds to the evidence linking particles from automobile exhausts, power plants, and refineries to heart problems.† (Encyclopedia, Health Scout News)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The United States does (100 Words) try to control air pollution. All levels of government federal, state, and local have passed laws designed to control pollution. Congress passed the Air Quality Act in 1967. Under this act, the federal government sets goals called air quality standards for achieving cleaner air. The states must enforce air pollution controls to meet the goals. When states fail to enforce the regulations, the federal government can act against the polluters by imposing fines.

Citizenship Education Essay

About the Citizenship Foundation The Citizenship Foundation is an independent educational charity that aims to empower individuals to engage in the wider community through education about the law democracy and society. We focus, in particular, on developing young people’s Citizenship skills, knowledge and understanding. Our work includes Citizenship resources for a wide audience from teachers to young offenders, national projects for primary schools, active learning initiatives for secondary schools, nationwide training programmes, and community-based projects to develop citizenship education as a collective responsibility beyond school and college boundaries. Theme 1 – Purposes and Values At the Citizenship Foundation we believe that the primary phase presents an important opportunity for children to make sense of the changing society and the shrinking world they live in. While primary school teachers have never found it difficult to think about what kind of citizens they would like their children to become, the opportunities for developing the children’s knowledge have, in recent years, been squeezed by the need to deliver the core subjects and the pressure of SATs. There are, at best, limited opportunities for teachers in English schools to cover social topics such as family or crime because, unlike the situation in many continental countries, there is no tradition of a social studies curriculum for this age group. B. B. 1. B. 2. The findings of the recent UNICEF report i underline the need to attend to pupils’ social well-being. For example the UK had the lowest proportion (43. 3%) of 11 and 13 year olds who described their friends as kind and helpful. We consider it of vital importance to cultivate in primary aged children a concern to act fairly, responsibly and with compassion. B. 3. We believe that Citizenship Education is essential to individual empowerment. Not only should it be statutory, it should be a core element of the primary  curriculum, integrating taught and experiential learning in a coherent way leading towards a full understanding of what it means to be a member of the community with rights and responsibilities. As part of our submission to the Education and Skills Select Committee’s investigation into Citizenship Educationii, we have called for the current joint PSHE and Citizenship non-statutory framework to be accorded statutory status The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007. 1 B. 4. ‘Every Child Matters’iii and the Education Act 2002 make it a duty to consult children. Children therefore need to be systematically taught and given opportunities to develop the necessary skills, language and confidence to enable them to participate fully in decision making processes. Citizenship Education provides an opportunity for broadening cultural, social and political horizons, particularly in respect to developing a sense of identity, and an appreciation of the diversity of our society. These important functions of a broad social education should not be relegated to the margins or the ‘optional’, as they are within the non-statutory programme of study. With the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility, it is important that children have the opportunity to establish a sense of social and moral responsibility and develop a clearer understanding of the nature of their legal and moral rights and responsibilities. Changing societal conditions and the earlier onset of adolescence have made it urgent for primary schools to do more by way of explicit social and moral education. For example, children are exposed to the media, and have access to the internet in a way that was not the case even at the time of the introduction of the National Curriculum. In 2003 the OECDiv placed the UK at the bottom of a league table of young people’s risk behaviours, which included drinking, smoking, bullying and sexual activity. At the Citizenship Foundation we believe that the primary curriculum should be broad enough to provide an intellectual foundation for choice, affording children the ability to make responsible decisions at later stages of their education. Citizenship Education supports children in their personal development, equipping them to investigate the wider social and economic world, and to develop personal aspirations for it. In addition it lays the foundations for their political literacy and promotes the skills of community engagement. It provides them with an early introduction to financial literacy and agencies offering welfare support, providing them with knowledge of where to go for help which is essential, in an increasingly complex world, to the economic well-being, both of the individual and the nation as a whole. B. 5. B. 6. Theme 2 – Learning and Teaching B. 7. We know that spoken language is a vital part of human learning in the first ten years of life, and that it is a strong determinant of children’s ability to handle the written word. Citizenship Education is a vital component in any holistic approach to literacy and oracy, providing children with opportunities to analyse, compare, evaluate, reason, argue and justify. The work of psychologists such as Mercerv demonstrates the educational importance of exploratory talk to address shared problems. Citizenship issues are rich in such potential because they are real and relevant. Dunnvi has shown that attitudes and social concepts are shaped from an early age. From Key Stage 1 Citizenship Education provides an opportunity for teachers to nurture the development of this understanding in the context of a variety of issues salient to the young people themselves, developing understanding and fostering empathy before attitudes become entrenched. B. 8. The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007. 2 It offers a context through which children can develop critical thinking skills and emotional literacy in a coherent, integrated way. B. 9. Current educational practice, and the emphasis on target setting has led to more individualised learning, yet Vygotskyvii has identified learning as a social, interactive process that requires discussion, exchange and the sharing of perspectives. Citizenship learning provides opportunities for participation and active involvement. It is characterised by social thinking, and cannot be isolated or atomistic, as typified by much of the learning that currently takes place. Activities involving teamwork and enquiry skills, using Wallace’sviii TASC (Thinking Actively in a Social Context) model for example, build a sense of interdependence and community. B. 10. Recent research shows that children’s peers can be a powerful influence on their receptivity and motivation to learn. We also know that profound knowledge is acquired through the practical application of knowledge: we learn best through doing. Citizenship is rich in opportunities for discussion and dialogue between young people, and for applying their knowledge to make a difference to the world around them. The most effective Citizenship Education is built around pedagogical approaches that place active learning at the core. B. 11. Researchers such as Margaret Donaldsonix suggest that concepts presented in familiar contexts enable children to grasp ideas more readily than when they are concept free, yet there is still a tendency to teach the core subjects in a vacuum. The notion of curriculum breadth needs to be critically revisited, such that breadth is defined through a range of learning experiences rather than simply a collection of subjects. We also know that children are more likely to recall matters which are important to them. Citizenship Education can satisfy both these characteristics of learning, firstly by presenting a real life framework, or ‘big picture’, to help children make sense of new knowledge, and secondly by tackling issues of relevance and value to them such as fairness, bullying and responsibility for the environment. Indeed, Citizenship Education can provide a meaningful context for much of the primary curriculum, particularly aspects of learning in Literacy, History and Geography. It can also afford children opportunities to demonstrate their abilities across a wide range of intelligences, including inter-personal and intra-personal, which are currently not recognised and assessed through SATs. Theme 3 – Curriculum and Assessment B. 12. At the Citizenship Foundation we believe that primary education should try to achieve ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ x across all subjects. Currently there is a tendency to focus on ‘excellence’ in the core subjects while restricting ‘enjoyment’ to the foundation subjects in the wider curriculum, as tends to be implied by the Primary National Strategy (PNS)xi. A more holistic, coherent and enriched approach is needed, with the children’s personal experiences, and their place and future in society, as a key focus. The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007 3 B. 13. During the primary phase children develop an increasing awareness of social and environmental issues. They are entitled to opportunities to develop more informed, reflective and balanced views on these issues. The curriculum needs to be constructed in a way which promotes a higher level of interaction and cognitive engagement, as opposed to teaching with low cognitive engagement leading to pre-determined answers. Citizenship, with its emphasis on oracy, active learning, and emotional literacy can play an important role in redressing the imbalance of an overly narrow curriculum, and in providing children with the opportunities to apply their knowledge in areas such as peer mediation, school democracy and community involvement. B. 14. Citizenship Education fosters social development and nurtures the social self, thus enriching the school community. ‘Citizenship-rich’ primary schools (where practices such as peer mediation, students as researchers and school councils are embedded) offer social learning activities which are shown to have maturational and behavioural benefits to the individual and for the whole school. These benefits have the potential to become widespread across all schools if Citizenship is made statutory. B. 15. Citizenship Education is currently under-recognised and under-developed in the primary phase. This is especially the case in Key Stage 2 where issues such as bullying, stealing, the role of the police, respect for law, and community cohesion issues are commonly addressed but not always from a Citizenship perspective or in a consistent manner. Yet this is the time when attitudes to authority figures are being shaped. Moreover, the risk is that key issues are overlooked. For example, whilst young people are criminally responsible by age ten, this significant fact and its implications, are not systematically communicated to primary school pupils as part of the statutory curriculum. B. 16. We believe that the core concepts and skills associated with Citizenship should be more precisely mapped and strengthened, and that there should be a clear pathway of progression, with identified cross-curricular links, from the Foundation Stage through to Year 6, bringing Citizenship Education into line with and providing a sound foundation for Key Stages 3 and 4. B. 17. With regard to formative assessment we believe that the most appropriate method of assessment at this stage of learning is one based on ‘success criteria’xii which leads to more focused teaching, and enables and motivates children to judge and improve their own performance in relation to the specific learning objectives which will have been identified above, for example objectives associated with enquiry and communication skills. B. 18. We are currently working with the QCA to develop an appropriate eight point assessment scale to support the teaching of Citizenship across the primary and secondary phases. This will be based as much as possible on the empirical work of developmental psychologists, including their work on concept and empathy development. The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007 4 Theme 5 – Diversity and Inclusion B. 19. In his recent review of Diversity and the Citizenship Curriculumxiii, Sir Keith Ajegbo highlighted the need to promote understanding between communities, and the importance of combating intolerance and religious extremism. He suggests that teachers should be prepared to tackle controversial topics such as immigration and the legacy of the British Empire, and that Citizenship lessons are the appropriate forum in which children can ‘discuss and debate their identities’. Whilst his focus was the secondary curriculum, we believe that this work should begin in the primary phase. B. 20. Indeed, from April 2007, upon the implementation of the Education and Inspection Act (2006), all schools, primary and secondary, have a statutory duty to promote social cohesion. Citizenship Education provides the logical curriculum response to this duty. B. 21. Citizenship Education is the subject which provides the most natural forum for discussion of issues relating to equal opportunities, diversity, faith and culture. Work around topics such as ‘similarity and difference’ and ‘rights and responsibilities’ helps children develop empathy, deepens understanding and builds greater confidence to express personal views. It supports them in developing a sense of who they are, what they can do, and how they belong. Thus it helps create social cohesion, which is essential for our personal well-being, and the maintenance of strong communities. Theme 8 – Beyond the School B. 21. Every staff and governing body needs to reflect on the purpose of their school, and its wider relations with the community. Active community engagement is central to the Citizenship Education programme. Citizenship Education has the capacity for building links between home, school, and the community in which they are situated. Parents and their children belong to the same neighbourhood, national and global communities, and Citizenship Education can promote meaningful intergenerational activities. When children participate in projects aimed at making a difference to their community, or become engaged in research about the views and responsibilities of people from a variety of social strata and professions, they begin to see themselves as active members of wider society Theme 10 – Funding and Governance B. 22. When Citizenship Education is appropriately represented within the primary curriculum, it will need to be resourced and funded accordingly. At the Citizenship Foundation we believe there to be a need for a coherent National Strategy for Teaching and Learning in Citizenship, fully endorsed by the DfES and QCA, and that this can only be implemented with proper training for headteachers and their staffs. This analysis is now supported by the report of the Select Committee. Equipped with the professional expertise, teachers will be enabled to recognise, nurture and develop The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007 5 particular interests, talents and capacities to make it possible for each individual to flourish in our society. B. 23. We recommend that every school be required to establish a school council constituted largely of pupil representatives, and that pupil representatives should be invited to become associate members of their school governing bodies, in line with the new governing body regulations introduced in 2003. C. Conclusion C. 1. Citizenship Education has the potential to create more effective learners by promoting a reflective approach, enabling connection of knowledge, developing greater facility for shared learning with others, and increasing engagement and self-direction. Above all, Citizenship Education can play an important part in developing engaged and responsible citizens. The Citizenship Foundation has always argued that the failure to make Citizenship Education statutory in primary schools was a missed opportunity and results in developmental delay in this area. There are examples of excellent Citizenship practice in the primary phase on which to build but we argue that that current provision (based on a non-statutory joint framework for PSHE and Citizenship) is inadequate, and deserves a much higher profile. We recognise that primary schools and practitioners will need support for the implementation of the above developments, and in the light of this the Citizenship Foundation is campaigning for: †¢ A designated co-ordinator in every school, supported by an LA adviser; †¢ Citizenship to feature in a revised primary SEF form; †¢ NCSL primary programmes to include a primary dimension; We will be pleased to discuss any aspect of this submission with the review team. C. 2 C. 3. C. 4. The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007 6 References: i UNICEF Report on Child Well-Being in Rich Countries (2007) Education and Skills Select Committee Report on Citizenship Education TSO (2007) Every Child Matters DfES (2003) ii iii iv OECD League Table of Young People’s Risk Behaviour. Programme of International Studies Assessment (PISA) (2003) Mercer, N. (2000) Words and Minds: How We Use Language to Think Together. Routledge. Dunn, J.  (1988). The Beginnings of Social Understanding, Blackwell Publishing. Vygotsky, L. S. (1962) Thought and Language Cambridge,MA:MIT Press v vi vii viii Wallace, B. Maher. J. et al (2004) Thinking Skills and Problem Solving – An Inclusive Approach David Fulton Publishers Donaldson, M. (1978) Children’s Minds. Fontana Press ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ DfES (1993) Primary National Strategy (PNS) DfES (2003) ix x xi as advocated by Shirley Clarke in Enriching Feedback in the Primary Classroom. (2003) Hodder & Stoughton xiii xii Ajegbo, Sir K. Diversity and Citizenship Curriculum Review (2007) The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007 7 About the Authors Marguerite Heath is an experienced Primary Headteacher who now directs the Go-Givers programme at the Citizenship Foundation. Go-Givers is a major new resource for teaching and learning about Citizenship in primary schools which is to be launched in June 2007. Don Rowe is Director, Curriculum Resources at the Citizenship Foundation and a co-founder of the Foundation. He has published and advised widely on Citizenship Education in Primary and Secondary schools. Tony Breslin is Chief Executive at the Citizenship Foundation and has published and advised widely on Citizenship Education and in a range of related educational fields. Ted Huddleston is a Project Manager at the Citizenship Foundation, and currently leads on the Citizenship Manifesto programme. He has published and advised widely on Citizenship Education. Elizabeth Griffiths is an experienced primary practitioner working on the development of Go-Givers at the Citizenship Foundation. Contact: Marguerite Heath The Citizenship Foundation, 63 Gee Street, London EC1V 3RS Tel: 020 7566 4148 Email: marguerite. heath@citizenshipfoundation. org. uk The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007 8 The Primary Review submission from the Citizenship Foundation Citizenship Foundation, March 2007 9.