Global Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Marketing - Assignment Example Today the global economy is as turbulent as it gets. The economies of the western developed nations are still felling the wrath of the economic down turn of 2008. Therefore a lot of companies belonging to countries like U.K. or U.S. are looking to set up business in the emerging economies which includes the brics and mitsk countries such as India, China, Mexico, Brazil etc. (Ghauri and Cateora, 2010, p. 141). The present study has been done in lieu to analyze the internationalization process of a product which is actually not present in a targeted or host nations. Such circumstances would provide scope for a thorough understanding about the fundamental yet extremely aspect of setting up a business in an international market. During the course of the study various important concepts related to the international marketing such as the market attractiveness analysis, analysis of potential threats and opportunities and threats, evaluation and selection of appropriate market entry strategy , market segmentation, targeting and positioning has been discussed. Product Choice As per the pre-defined project criteria the company to be discussed has been chosen as Innocent Drinks. The company was founded in 1999 by Adam Balon, Richard Reed and Jon Wright. All of them were Cambridge University graduates. The main product produced by the company includes crushed fruits, vegetables and juices. The fruit juices provided by the company are mainly known as smoothies who are usually provided to the customers in small bottles and big cartoons. The ingredients used include apple, topical, mango, apple, berry, and other vegetables such as carrots, ginger, etc. In 2009, the company announced the decision to sell 10-20% of stake to the soft drinks giants Coca-Cola. On February of 2013 coca-cola increased the stake to 90%. The decision to internationalise Coca-cola becoming the majority stake holder provided a lot of opportunity for the company to global. The company already has internat ional presence in the form of countries such as Ireland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, etc. However, the company does not have any significant presence in Latin America and U.S. Deciding which market to enter While deciding the appropriate choice of the markets come to mind including North American, Latin American countries and also Asian Countries. Among these Asian countries would most definitely be an interesting choice. But it has to be said that while entering the Asian market two diverse factors would be the extreme geographical and cultural differences. Also although the hot and humid conditions of countries like India looks to be tailor made for the launch of such products; idea gets eliminated on the count that the product is already present in India. Hence the next choice to look forward would be the Latin American nation. Among these the top two contenders would be Mexico. Despite of the recent economic downturn the country has witnessed a steady growth in the GDP sinc e 2010 till present by 5.5%. The GDP per capita happens to be $15,782 at the end of the last fiscal year. According to a research conducted by just-drinks, the Mexican soft drinks industry grew by 3.7% in the last year and is expected to reach a value of $15.18bn by 2014. From 2008 to 2012 there also happens to be a steady growth in the disposable income of the people in Mexico. The demand for

Drama and audience Essay Example for Free

Drama and audience Essay Reverend Hales role in the play is to originally cure of find the illness of Betty. But instead he is described as stiring the witchcraft cauldron that is brewing in Salem Village. Arthur Miller uses words and phrases such as; narrowing his eyes, holding up his hands, surprised, quickly, grasping, rising exhilaration, kindly ect. This describes Reverend Hales character well, as he is a do-gooder within the village. Miller emphasises his importance, by making his character loud, expressive yet good hearted. He makes sure the audience is aware of Hales importance, by making him a figure to look up to, someone that people can see God in, and by making people confess to him he is showing the power he has. Parriss status within the community should be an example to others, but is slowly withering as the accusations of witchcraft within his village and family drag him down. The farmers Proctor, Putnam and Giles, are all below Parris in society. They are the main male characters in the play and because Parris is higher up in society, he remains the loneliest out of the four; this is significant as he knows he cannot cope with all the stress as a single parent and guardian, and a reverend Salem relies on. As previously written, Hale was confessed to by Tituba. She confessed to seeing Satin towards the end of Act 1. Her confession was dramatic and Miller emphasised this well by using language such as; weeps, sobbing in terror, falls to her knees, frightened, suddenly bursting out, in a fury ect. Influenced by the forgiveness given to Tituba, this is significant as she is setting an example and giving ideas to the girls. Abigail copies calling out accusations, as assumed and for example she shouts; I saw Sarah Good with the devil! ect. Scared and confused girls followed in Abigails actions and began calling out accusations as well. The girls soon figure that lying, pretending and accusing others, will take the limelight from them and they will soon be seen as victims and witnesses of Satin. In conclusion, Arthur Millers stage directions in the play, The Crucible, create drama and inform the audience about the nature of the society in Salem. He uses them effectively to create instant excitement and effect as well as defining the characters in detail. The characters are however Millers own creation and through his direction they add drama to the story. The language used in the play highlights the lack of communication in its simplicity and distances itself from the twenty first century. The people in Salem lived solely by their religion and were unable to accept anything that may defy their beliefs. It also showed the lies and deceit that people created to protect their own name and standing in society. Arthur Miller has managed to skilfully tell the story according to historic facts whilst adding his own portrayal of characters to attract audiences today.

Impact of Congestion Growth in Muscat

Impact of Congestion Growth in Muscat CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW Statement of the problem Most of the countries experienced significant increases in car ownership over the past two decades, resulting in rapid increases in total travel on the roads, and declining absolute market shares for public transport. Bonsall (2000) notes that, in the UK, car ownership rose from 30% of households in 1960 to 70% in 1995. In the US, by 2000, car ownership had exceeded an average of one car per licensed driver in many urban areas. Similar patterns are evident in many other countries around the world. With this burgeoning of car ownership has come the obvious consequence-escalating road congestion. As a result, policy makers have become increasingly focused on the idea of reducing congestion (Stradling, 2000). The mechanisms for reducing congestion are several. Included among these are increasing ride sharing (a mainstay of Transportation Demand Management policies in the US, for example), increasing the use of public transport, providing high occupancy vehicle lanes on various roadways, etc. Initially, Singapore, and then several cities in Norway experimented with introducing congestion charges for central cities. Most recently, London has introduced congestion charging for the central area, in an effort to reduce central Londons congestion levels. Following on the heels of that, many other cities around the world are now seriously considering similar congestion. Therefore, Muscat as the capital of Sultanate of Oman, the increasing of car ownership is one of the higher growths per household. In 1999 the passenger cars estimated 174 per 1000 people by comparing Muscat with wealthy Asian cities car ownership 123 per 1000 people (Nicholas Low and Brendan Gleeson,2003). 42 percent more than Asian wealthy cities, in the same time the population of Muscat is much lower than any of Asian cities. Therefore, Muscat is one of the cities, which suffering from congestion in this world. Current traffic situation Past trends Many factors influence the travel behaviour and cause disturbances through unexpected external effects, such as oil prices, economic recession etc. (Known as explanatory variables). Thus if one understands these factors, one can forecast future behaviour on the basis of projections of these variables. However, it is conventional to base travel forecasts on past trends described by time series data over a period of years. In Muscat, the principal weakness is a lack of reliable traffic flow data to identify trends in past growth. It is reasonable to assume therefore, that increases in population and economic activity will result in increased road traffic and land use development. Land use development relates to the need to house population increases and to new employment opportunities created by economic growth. Analysis of available data from 1980 to the present showed that: The population of Oman has increased at an average rate of about 10 per cent per annum. The national economy has grown at rates varying between -3 and + 17 per cent per annum. The national vehicle stock has increased at an average rate of 12 per cent per annum (the national car stock has grown even faster, at an average rate of 15 per cent per annum). Current conditions and characteristics Local conditions need to be thoroughly examined before any remedial measures can be taken. The study has observed and identified many problems and characteristics concerning the traffic and road network conditions. It has been estimated that the total AM peak. hour flow over the whole of the network is about 35000 vehicles, out of which 8000 vehicles on Sultan Qaboos street alone (two way flow) which constitute 23% of the total network flow. Comparing this with the car ownership (estimated to be 11 0 per 1000 population) implies that there is significant travel. demand on the network. The Stage I identified the following characteristics and problems, all of which will be exacerbated by future traffic growth: The road network in Muscat modern but depends, to a great extend, on the satisfactory operation of a single main road: Sultan Qaboos Street. The demonstrably high (but unqualified) traffic growth rates of recent years mean that this spine route is reaching its operational limits at times of peak demand. Peak period delays are occurring at important junctions (Such as Al Khuwair, Al Ghubra Roundabout etc..) and on the highway. There are no alternative routes at present, until express way open, which be expecting in the end of 2010. Traffic signal equipment in the important commercial centre of Ruwi is not exploiting the full potential of the existing road system. All parking is free of charge and demand in the CBD is reaching levels that are creating supply problems. The operation of the road system is adversely affected by on-street (verge) parking in a number of locations. Public transport services (buses) are provided by the Oman National Transport Company. It is understood that the scheduled ONTC services are subsidised by profitable charter services. The overall financial performance of ONTC, which is a state owned company, is just profitable. This performance is forcing modernisation of the bus fleet not to take place hence, reducing its appeal to potential customers. The average age of the bus fleet is increasing thus reducing the attraction of public transport. Bus services are supplemented by minibus and taxi services. Public transport is rarely used in preference to a private car. This applies particularly to scheduled bus services. The future role, ownership and organisation of ONTC were supposed to be the subject of a separate study. Coordination between the development of land use and transport policies at a local level is limited and could be improved. Operational road safety and traffic control are the responsibility of ROP. Traffic control is to an acceptable standard although the manual control of some important signalised junctions in Ruwi should be reviewed. As in all countries, there is scope for improved standards of road safety through established driver education programmes. The economic cost to the community of road accidents is not systematically quantified in Oman. In countries where such costs are quantified, they are found to be large and are used to justify traffic and safety management investment programmes often concerned with junction improvements to reduce accident risk. Purpose of the study In scientific research the purpose statement indicates why you want to do the study and what you intend to accomplish (Locke, Spirduso, and Silverman, 2000). According to this; The purpose of this sequential, mixed methods study is to first explore the impact of congestion growth in Muscat city as well as determining the percentage growth over the last ten year. Then based on the experiences and needs defined, the second phase will be to develop a solution that suits and match the requirement of transport provision needs based on the previous information as well as information collected in this phase; namely observation of both modern and professional ways of improving traffic demand management Potential significance This research study are important to different sectors. Because, the congestion is not only effecting the road users, but also society, economic, environment, and human. However, its important to consider externalities from congestion by implementing traffic demand management and improve public transport as one of the holistic solution in Muscat city. Statements and rationale for mixing methods This research is intended to follow a mixed methods research design. According to this, the aim of this section is to define and give a rationale for using this specific research design for this specific study. Mixed methods research design is defined as the collection or analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study in which the data are collected concurrently or sequentially, are given a priority, and involve integration of the data at one or more stages in the process of the research (Creswell, 2003). Historically mixed research method is relatively not a new idea. It probably originated in 1959, when Campbell and Fiske used multiple methods to study validity of psychological traits. Their encouragement to others to use their multimethod matrix prompted others to examine using mixed methods in their enquiry (Creswell, 2003). Recognizing that all research methods have limitations, researchers felt that biases inherent in any single method could neutralizes or cancel the biases of other methods another advantage of using mixed research methods design is that it allows researchers to simultaneously generalize results from a sample to a population and to gain deeper understanding of the phenomenon of interest (Hanson, Creswell, Creswell, Plano Clark, Petska 2005). In this respect, this study will mix different research methods, for the purpose of being able to generalize research results that will be obtained, from a representative sample, but at the same time give insights and understanding of issues tackled through quantitative techniques. This will ultimately be achieved through the use and integration of data in the various research stages namely; data collection, data analysis and discussion and reporting of findings. One rationale is that, in order to generalize weather road congestion in Muscat city have implications to the road users and public transport, a quantitative tool need to be used and applied. At the same time, the in depth of such suffering needs to be qualitatively addressed. As well as describing the processes of managing congestion by local authority. Another rationale for using mixed methods research is to convey the needs of supportive bus services and thus this research is intending to explore their issues, which are related to road congestion Although there are many challenges in using mixed methods research design, such as; the researcher should be familiar with both quantitative and qualitative research methods, also the need for extensive data collection (Creswell, 2003). But the growth and the developments of using this method proved the successful and the advantages of using this specific design, as stated earlier. In conclusion, for the purpose of this study a mixed methods research design will be used in order to achieve its stated purpose. Research questions This research will attempt to answer the following questions: What are the challenges faced by road authority in Muscat? What coping strategies for congestion growth? Is there any improvement in public transport in regard to coping congestion? What type of traffic demand management and technique used in Muscat? Is there a clear vision of improving public transport? Literature review Sustainable transport systems A sustainable transport system is one in which fuel consumption, vehicle emissions, safety, congestion and local and economics access are of such levels that they can be sustained into the indefinite future without causing great or irreparable harm to future generation of people around the world Richardson(1999). To achieve sustainable transport system, it should balance socio-economic and environmental consideration in recognition of the following: Economic: A sustainable transport system is one that is affordable, operates fairly and efficiently, offers a choice of transport mode, supports a competitive economy, as well as balanced regional development; Environmental: A sustainable transport system limits emissions and waste within the planets ability to absorb them, uses renewable resources at or below the rates of generation, and uses non-renewable resources at or below the of development of renewable substitutes, while minimizing the impact on the use of land and the generation of noise; and Social: A sustainable transport system allows the basic access and development needs of individuals, companies, and society to be met safety and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, promotes equity within between successive generations. Transportation facilities and activities can have significant Environmental issues Surface transport accounts for approximately 25% of all C02 emissions globally, and transport is the only sector where emissions are increasing. While there are significant advances being made in reducing C02 emissions from other sectors such as industry and construction, technology has so far failed to find a solution for transport. Any technological advances in reducing C02 emissions have been more or less cancelled out by the increasing number of trips we are making. There is a fairly simple correlation between increasing GDP and higher trip levels. At the same time, developing countries are fast adopting the private car as their preferred mode of choice, and this is impacting on global C02 levels. This is set to increase with the introduction of the ultra low cost cars, such as the Nano car from Tata Motors in India, which has a price of about $3800. In addition to C02 issues, there are also issues related to noise and air pollution. Increasing traffic levels lead to increased visual intrusion, noise, and polluted air. Monitoring stations are already set up in many world cities to measure the impact of traffic on noise and air. However, these issues are not solely related to the private car. There are also significant environmental issues related to freight, whether this is by road or by sea. Traffic alone is responsible for breaching air quality standards in Muscat City The hot climate is very important influence of travel behaviour Key sensitive environmental areas are in close proximity to Muscat City (wetlands) Globally, there have been several important decision making meetings set to resolve global warming, which have included discussions on the role of-transport. The Kyoto Protocol was agreed in December 1997, and was in operation by February 2005. The Protocol requires industrialised countries to reduce their total emissions of greenhouse gases by about five per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2012. Each country that signed the protocol agreed to their own specific target. Developing countries were not required to meet quantitative emission goals. The world is now working towards a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, but one that can be agreed by all countries. Economic issues In Europe time wasted while delayed on traffic congested roads costs close to 1 % of the European Unions GDP. This high cost explains the desire to improve European transport networks, and reduce reliance on road based vehicles. The Middle East is increasingly experiencing similar. issues to Europe in terms of traffic congestion, and this is expected to result in a similar impact on GDP. With the rapidly growing economies of the Middle East, China, India, and Russia, there is an ever increasing demand for transport, and much of this is being planned for by road. However, for these counties and regions to realise their full potential, there is a need for fast and reliable transport links that are not subject to congestion or delay. These links are required between their raw material suppliers and manufacturers, and ultimately to their customers, i.e. a national, regional, and worldwide network. An efficient transport system will be vital to achieving Plan 2020 economic goals Need to effectively involve private and public sector provision Governments and developers understand the importance of transport as a catalyst for regeneration, improving productivity, and creating profit, but are reluctant to invest the high infrastructure costs, particularly when delivery of this is likely to be in the long term. Roads are often seen as a lower cost solution, but this is only related to construction and maintenance. The cost to the environment and to the social well being of the people is rarely included. New economic solutions to investing in new schemes are also being devised, particularly for high cost infrastructure schemes such as new rail lines. These are developed to maximise the success of implementing a new scheme. One solution gaining favour is a property transport levy, whereby affected businesses, residents, and developers pay a lump sum for new transport infrastructure on the basis that property values and rents will increase as a result of the new transport scheme. An example of this is the Crossrail scheme in London, which is partly funded by contributions from private businesses in the financial districts. Social Issues We have already noted that on a global scale, car use is increasing, while public transport, walking, and cycling are in decline. It is becoming common place for children to be driven to school rather than walk, cycle or use public transport. Workers are increasingly using the private car for their commuting trip, and short leisure and shopping trips are driven rather than walked. For example, in suburban London it has been recorded that 32% of car trips are less than one mile. There is also strong evidence of worsening global health in the form of increasing levels of obesity, childhood diabetes, and heart disease. If healthier options for travelling were introduced globally, and people were encouraged out of their cars, this could provide a strong boost to health worldwide. Walking 20 minutes a day is one way to incorporate exercise into a daily routine to maintain a minimum level of fitness, but if there is no infrastructure to allow this, then car use will be preferred, even for the shortest trips. Road traffic accident rates in Muscat amongst the highest in the world Pedestrian accidents (at 40% of total) are a particular concern Muscats city road network leads to major severance issues Road network is very pedestrian and cycle unfriendly Unique social mix makes provision of public transport more challenging For a country to maximise its economic performance, it is important that its citizens have access to jobs, services, and goods. For a fully functioning global world class economy, this access should not be restricted to only those who are able to afford access to a car. Access for all is promoted in many countries around the world, with the provision of public transport. infrastructure, and walking and cycling routes. Countries without this level of access tend to find they have disconnected communities, with reduced opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. The other movement issue related to transport is the severance effect of building new transport corridors, whether these are road or rail based. Given their longitudinal nature, they tend to split and divide communities, where only selected crossing points are provided for pedestrians and cyclists. Linked to the risk of overcoming transport barriers is the connection between vehicular movements and road traffic accidents. These are either vehicle vehicle accidents or vehicle  ­pedestrian I cyclist accidents. One of the reasons for road traffic accidents is the provision of corridors which encourage speeding, through the creation of what is known as a canyon effect. This is when drivers feel separated from their environment, through the incorporation of pedestrian barriers and banning of the other users. This lead driver to have little regard for other more vulnerable users. In contrast, the safest streets tend to be those which either have limited or no access to private car. Effects of congestion The current literature is very limited especially with respect to Arab countries. Therefore, I will use literature from Europe and state as well as some of the experience of development countries. The first problem with congested traffic conditions is that these conditions are inherently unstable. That is, vehicles may flow quite well at speeds that are only modestly reduced from free-flow speeds, but flow may also easily break down, with the formation of queues, stop-and-go conditions, and average speeds that are very low. This instability produces one of the negatives of congestion- travel time unreliability. A second negative of congestion, is that extra time is required under these conditions, time that may be considered to be non-productive time. For those who are caught in congested conditions and who are driving outside normal working hours, it is questionable as to whether the time losses from congested conditions have an economic impact. Redmond and Mokhtarian, (2001) show that many commuters do not perceive congestion as necessarily an evil of their daily commute. Based on their study, Nasser (2002) notes that, in these modern times, many people can find complete pri vacy in only two places-the car or the toilet. For many, there is actually peace and relaxation commuting alone. For many, its the only time they have to read (by listening to books on tape), enjoy music they like, catch up on the news, smoke without being chastised or make personal phone calls in total privacy (Nasser, 2002). Such attitudes do not bode well for carpooling, which is often seen as one of the alternatives to reduce congestion. New road to reduce congestion Anthony Downs (1992), argues that building our way out of existing traffic congestion problems doesnt work because of triple convergence.; When a road is widened to reduce traffic congestion, three responses occur over time to reduce the benefit of increased capacity. First, drivers who previously used alternate routes will switch to the newly expanded facility. Second, drivers who previously traveled on the congested facility during off-peak hours will switch to the peak period. Third, many people who car pooled or used public transit to avoid the hassle of stop-and-go traffic during the peak period will choose the convenience of driving alone on the newly uncongested link in the transportation system. The cumulative effect of the three types of individual behavioral responses to increased capacity ends up forcing equilibrium traffic flow on the expanded facility back toward its initial congested state. This scenario exactly happening in Muscat, government continuously focusing to improve road infrastructure to solve a congestion problem, but within certain of time traffic volume build up by moving road users from congested routes to the new road and encouraging people to use their own private transport. Recent studies show that building or widening highways induces more traffic, called induced travel. Shortly after the lanes or road is opened traffic will increase to 10 to 50% of the new roadway capacity as public transit or carpool riders switch to driving, or motorists decide to take more or longer trips or switch routes. This is short-term induced travel. In the longer term (three years or more), as the new roadway capacity stimulates more sprawl and motorists move farther from work and shopping, the total induced travel rises to 50 to 100% of the roadway ¹s new capacity. This extra traffic clogs local streets at both ends of the highway travel. The following table summarizes these studies. Accessibility and mobility Accessibility can be defined as the ease of reaching destinations (Levine and Garb, 2002), whereas mobility may be defined as the ease of movement. While these two concepts are clearly related, they are not the same thing. If a person lives in an area where there are many possible destinations close by, accessibility may be very high, even though mobility might be constrained, as in a CBD. On the other hand, if a person lives in a relatively remote area, accessibility may be poor because considerable travel time and cost is required to reach any destination, although mobility may be high. In 1960, world inhabitants travelled an average of 1820 km by car, bus, railway or aircraft. Three decades later, the annual distance travelled had increased to 4390 km. In light of a 75% world population growth, absolute motorised mobility rose by a factor greater than four( Schafer, 1998). As Levine and Garb (2002) point out, mobility and accessibility are measured in different ways. Mobility is measured as a generalised cost of travel (time plus money) per kilometre; accessibility is measured as the generalized cost of travel per destination. Generally, mobility is closely related to the level of service provided on the transport system. Higher levels of service represent lower costs per kilometre of travel. Thus, increases in capacity of the system will almost always lead to an increase in mobility, at least in the short term. Accessibility, however, is related to destinations, and therefore, requires attention both to land use patterns and to the quality of destinations. Miller, (1999). Increasing congestion is likely to produce decreases in both mobility and accessibility. Longer travel times and increased monetary costs of travel, as a result of congestion, obviously increase the travel cost per kilometre. At the same time, these increased travel times may also result in reduced accessibility, by making potential destinations more expensive to reach. However, different methods for tackling congestion will be likely to have quite different effects on each of mobility and accessibility, as is discussed subsequently in this paper Increasing public transport use Public transport has an important role to play within most urban areas. There still remain significant groups of the population who either cannot afford to own and operate a car, or who make a conscious choice to avoid the car. There are also specific movements within the urban area to which public transport is better suited than the car, under virtually any circumstances. This is particularly the case for work trips going to the central business districts of many cities. It is also an important means of travel for the elderly who can no longer drive or no longer wish to, and for young people who are not yet old enough to hold a drivers license, or who cannot yet afford a car. In modern history, and perhaps in all of transport history, there has never been success in shifting people into public transport at the rate that is called for in many contemporaneous policy statements. This alone, however, does not mean to say that such shifts into public transport are not possible. It may just be that no one has come up with the appropriate policy mix (carrots and sticks) to produce these sorts of market shifts. It is also possible that there has not existed previously the political courage to implement what must be done if such large shifts in public transport markets are to occur. It is, however, important to look at the magnitude of what is required. Demand Management Toolbox Demand management is playing important factor to solve traffic growth. There is a broad range of TDM measures, including: Transportation Management Associations: leverage public and private funds to increase the use of ridesharing and other commuting options that reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality Including or improving pedestrian-oriented design elements, such as short pedestrian crossings, wide sidewalks and street trees. Requiring users of parking to pay the costs directly, as opposed to sharing the costs indirectly with others through increased rents and tax subsidies. Including and improving public transportation infrastructure, such as subway entrances, bus stops and routes. Subsidizing transit costs for employees or residents. Bicycle-friendly facilities and environments, including secure bike storage areas and showers. See Bicycle transportation engineering Providing active transportation (AT) facilities including bike lanes and multi-use trails. Flex-time work schedules with employers to reduce congestion at peak times Congestion pricing tolls during peak hours. Road space rationing by restricting travel based on license plate number, at certain times and places. Workplace travel plans Road space reallocation, aiming to re-balance provision between private cars which often predominate due to high spatial allocations for roadside parking, and for sustainable modes. Time, Distance and Place (TDP) Road Pricing, where road users are charged based on when, where and how much they drive. Some transportation experts believe TDP pricing is an integral part of the next generation in transportation demand management Sustainable Mobility The common strategy of sustainable mobility should contain the impact on the environment, while allowing transport to continue to fulfill its economic and social function, particularly in the context of the single market, and thus ensure the long term development of transport in the community. It should also contribute to social and economic cohesion in the community and to the new opportunities for the peripheral regions (Banister,2000) Our sustainable strategy in Muscat focusing on economic issues only. However, we will end up by heavily a congestion road, and we cant be coping with the economic growth. Unless we prepare green transport strategy, which provide better integration of land use and transport, and taking serious consideration of social and environment as well as economic concern. The Intuitional Issues Urban Policies and Development The institutional issue refers to how the country, society and private agencies define and implement transport -related public policies. Several public policies influence socio-spatial organization, including urban development, land use, housing, transport and traffic. For my research topic three main areas are relevant: Urban planning; Transport planning; and Traffic management These are associated with three objectives: land, circulation of structure and means, and circulation patterns. The urban planning and transport planning are considered to be most important public action. Traffic management is often considered to be secondary importance, related more technical, simple objectives that should be dealt with engineers. While urban planning is mainly concerned with land use provision of public services, transport planning involves of definition of circulation infrastructure and means. Urban planning The Higher Committee for Town Planning government body responsible for implementing plans of economic and social development in the Sultanate in the fields of physical and spatial, and through the preparation of detailed plans at the regional and urban areas. Has been formally established by Royal Decree No. 27/85, dated the twenty-fourth of February 1985, was rebuilt more than once on the requirements of the public interest. The main tasks of the Commission: policy-making of urban planning at all levels of in accordance with economic considerations, social and environmental development strategy of urban development so as to achieve overall development goals and sustainable development in all provinces and regions of the Sultanate approvals planning the allocation of land for various purposes in establishing controls and propose the necessary legislation to regulate and direct the work of the establishment of the Urban Planning an integrated system for geographic information includes databases and maps for

Music Industry Essay -- Music, Lyrics

People listen to music for a variety of reasons. Some listen to music to relax in which it serves as a sort of escape from everyday life, some because they are a fan and follow a certain artist, and others because they can relate the lyrics to their own personal experiences. Whichever the case may be, music has and continues to serve an important role in people’s lives. Music has been circulating the air across many cultures for centuries; however, in the last 50 years, the music industry has become an important global industry and an vital area for economic activity on many geographic scales (comp. 45). Over the years, music consumption has grown and spread across many areas. Music consumption has become â€Å"more of less.† This contradictory idea alludes to the fact that individuals are listening to music of many different artists rather than to an entire album by a singular artist. This causes people’s music collection to become more diversified. Likewise, more people are listening to music because it has become so accessible. Technology has undoubtedly changed the music industry and is perhaps the main reason why individuals no longer consume an entire album. Previously, people were required to buy an entire album or CD even if they only wanted a few specific songs. With new technological advancements, music consumption has become more fragmented. Individuals can instead purchase their favorite song by each artist while eliminating all others from their collection. Due to technological advancements such as the Internet, there is now a wider variety of music because a greater diversity is more accessible. An individual no longer has to leave his house and drive down the street to a store to purchase music. Instea... ...mething more. This is evident through a rise in concert attendance and prices. The prices of a tickets have increased dramatically over the past decade and fans continue to pay the cost of admission. Listening to an album no longer is the experience it once was, but fans crave the concerts which fill that void. As a CEO in charge of a record label, I would mainly focus my attention on concert promotion and production, as well as innovation. With the rapid development of technology, it is difficult to see too far into the future of the music industry. It seems that the best option is to focus on what works in the present, but being ever aware of change in the industry. It is impossible to tell what is far down the road, but taking advantage of the present while constantly adapting to changing times is what it takes to survive in such a tumultuous industry.

Today’s Society That Effect Teenagers

There are many things in today's society that effect teenagers. Throughout high schools students mindset are not very stable and they are willingly to follow the crowd. These messages can come from not only other students but from music videos,magazine advertisement television commercials, talk shows and sports. When you were a little kid, your parents usually chose your friends, putting you in playgroups or arranging playdates with certain children they knew and liked. Now that you're older, you decide who your friends are and what groups you spend time with. It's natural for people to identify with and compare themselves to their peers as they consider how they wish to be (or think they should be), or what they want to achieve. People are influenced by peers because they want to fit in, be like peers they admire, do what others are doing, or have what others have. Teenagers face many acts that pressure them to act or try to look a certain way. Peers are a powerful force in the life of a teenager. Negative peer pressure can persuade a teenager or child to shoplift, drink alcohol, take drugs, smoke cigarettes, cheat at school, vandalize property, bully other students, skip school and participate in racist and discriminatory behavior. When it seems like everyone else is doing something-dressing a certain way or acting a certain way-teens feel a tremendous pressure to go along with the crowd and be like everyone else. Most teenagers don't want to stand out as being different. Everyone wants to fit in. No one has to say anything to a student but just observing their peers will create peer pressure to be like them. Teen magazines have a high impact on the mindset of the teens and they seem to be very influenced by the information that is provided. For example,a magazine that is personally one of my favorites seventeen a world wide magazine has a section thats dedicated for tips on teen dating. They no longer give the right message of how you should wait for the right person to come along to take the plunge but instead they teach you how to attract the â€Å"hottest† guy and how to keep him. All this talk puts a lot of pressure on the teen girls to have a guy who's in which leads to other problems such as disease,pregnancy, and even rape. Although their are many things that pressure teenagers in negative ways,there are also positive things that are being held and can be done in the world today. So many things such as girls/boys convention, clubs, and Internet logs can be formed to help shape teenagers mindset in positive ways so they can grow into young adults that are needed in the future. the person they need to be. All teenagers face some kind of peer pressure whether it's something extreme as doing drugs to fit in or as little as picking on the class dork. Either way the outcome of peer pressure is never good and a small helping hand can change not only a single person's entire life but a society. † we are the future,so why not start preparing for tomorrow. â€Å"

Public Budgeting- Revenue Sources Essays

Public Budgeting- Revenue Sources Essays Public Budgeting- Revenue Sources Essay Public Budgeting- Revenue Sources Essay Three revenue sources in public budgeting Property Tax: Property tax can be defined as a levy that the government issues on a person’s property. The value assessed to the property is taxed. Revenue of local governments like cities and counties are derived from property taxes. The revenue is used for administration in government and expenses concerning law enforcement, paramedics etc. ; and also to fund courts in local governments and helps for the payment of services which include civic centers, community programs, libraries, parks and recreation, and schools. Property taxes are also often used to pay some state programs such as Medicaid (in New York for example) and also to provide public assistance such as assistance to needy family (TANF), child welfare services and other social services such as supported employment, adult protective services, domestic violence and personal care assistance. This revenue can also be tracked in public safety like in juvenile detention, probation services and other mandates (corrections/ county jail, law library in county jail, staffing for state and county court, prosecution services, community colleges etc. ). Property tax revenue can be tracked in many ways, it depends on each state but all states generally use these revenues to fund almost the same programs. Intergovernmental Revenue: Intergovernmental revenue is the funds obtained from other governments. These funds usually include grants, taxes which are shared, and contingent loans and advances. Here, funding emanates from all governments (federal, state and local governments). â€Å"Financial arrangements for funding and delivering intergovernmental services can be complex according to the variability of government structure, organization, roles and responsibilities. For example, government support concerning elementary and secondary schools includes direct funds from the federal government that are passed through state and local governments to local educational agencies† (www. gao. gov). There are also funds allocated to cover costs for elementary and secondary education, these funds include the rent on school buildings for example. Charges for services: Charges for services are defined as customers’ charges and others charges coming from governmental and business activities. Charges for services within the governmental activities category include items such as licenses and permits (for example, business licenses and building permits), fines and forfeits, and operating special assessments sometimes charged for services provided outside the normal service area or beyond the normal level of services. Charges to other governments for services such as incarceration of prisoners also are reported in the Charges for Services column† (Kattelus Reck, 2007). These charges include various services rendered within the states for example park entrance fees, document fees, court-filling fees etc. It also implies any government which purchases, uses or benefits from goods and services provided. References Wilson, E. R. , Kattelus, S. C. , Reck, J. L. (2007). Accounting for governmental and nonprofit entities. (14th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. gao. gov/special. pubs/longterm/state/intergovrevenue. html

Anna Karenina novel essays

Anna Karenina novel essays The main theme of this story is that love is one of the most powerful things in the world. It can make people do things that they would not usually do. Love can overcome many obstacles. The people in this story are always making sacrifices in the name of love. Anna sacrifices her reputation, her family, and pretty much her entire life because she is in love with Vronsky. Anna and Vronsky gave up their social statuses just to be together. In the end Anna pretty much sacrifices her life because she knows that she will never be able to live with Vronsky and have the life with him that she really desires. Karenin was still in love with Anna and he allowed her to be with Vronsky even though he knew about her affairs. He was willing to divorce her in order for her to be happy. He loved her so much that he forgave her and Vronsky both for all that had happened. Dolly gives up a lot as well just to stay with her husband. Even though he has committed adultery in order to keep their family tog ether and to have him she remains married to him even though she was devastated. Love can get you through tough times when nothing else will work. Love was what made Levin keep on going, he loved Kitty and so he was willing to be with her no matter how she had felt about Vronsky before. This love also came into play when Kitty decided to take care Nicholas through his death. Levin loved Kitty enough to stay in Moscow with her through her pregnancy even though he hated being in the city. Vronsky lived the crazy life of a wealthy bachelor but once he met Anna he realized that he could live with one woman for a long period of time. Throughout this story no matter what kind of trouble the adults were having the love for their children was above all else. Dolly was almost on the verge of a breakdown when she found out about Oblonskys affair but she put herself back together for her childrens sake. Anna possessed a great love for her first born s...

10 Exploratory Essay Topics on #8220;The Kite Runner#8221; by Khaled Hosseini

10 Exploratory Essay Topics on #8220;The Kite Runner#8221; by Khaled Hosseini The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, revolves around the history of Afghanistan and describes the story of two boys growing up there. While both these boys share the same household and wet nurse, their fathers are from two different worlds. It’s been one of the New York Time’s bestselling books and is an interesting book that everyone should read. Since you’re writing an exploratory essay on The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, we’re assuming that you have already read the book. If you haven’t, however, there is nothing to worry about. We’ve helped hundreds of students like you write fascinating and engaging essays on various topics and we’re here to help you too. This is the first of our three manuals, where you will learn 10 facts on The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. These facts will not only entertain you with interesting tidbits about the book, but also be of great assistance when you are writing. In our second manual, we’ve included 20 topics on the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, to get you started right away. This is because most students have no idea where to start, since they have so much information on a particular topic and often don’t know how to put it to good use. It also includes an exploratory essay on one of the 20 topics – a perfect sample to take assistance from. Finally, in our third manual, you’ll find an Informative guide on exploratory essay on The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This serves as an ideal manual for you to write a better and more concise exploratory essay on the book. Without further ado, here are 10 Facts on The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: The book tells a story of two boys, Amir and Hassan, who are raised in the same household and even have the same wet nurse, but are different by family and status. Amir is the son of an affluent and well-known man, whereas, Hassan is the son of a servant who works for Amir’s father. During the Soviet Union invasion, Amir and his father decide to leave Afghanistan and start a new life in California, leaving Hassan behind. The Kite Runner starts from 1973, when Zahir Shah was overthrown by the Army due to the monarchy led by him. Later, Daoud Khan, cousin and son-in law of Zahir Shah, declared himself president of the republic. Daoud claimed to be honest in his revolution and swore to eradicate corruption from Afghanistan. However, once he gained power, he changed his regimen due to which he was overthrown by the same army that brought him into power. The Kite Runner introduces a bully in its story, Assef, who’s a notorious character with violent, mean and sadistic tendencies. He is older than Amir and Hassan and tries to blame Amir for socializing with the Hazara people; i.e. Hassan, who, according to him, is from an inferior race and should only live in Hazarajat. In the book, he tries to confront and attack Amir with his brass knuckles, but Hassan plays a heroic role in defending Amir with his slingshot and threatens to shoot out Assef’s left eye. In the book, Hassan is a saint-like figure. Amir, on the other hand, is shown as a cowardice and jealousy-prone character. There are events when both these characters show pomp in their behaviors: Hassan defends Amir’s kite while he is being raped by Assef – as a means of revenge. When Amir witnessed Hassan getting raped by Assef, he doesn’t take any action. Due to his cowardice on that occasion, sheer jealousy and utter frustration due to Hassan’s saint-like behavior, and him getting more love from father than Amir the latter frames Hassan as a thief in order to get rid of him. Hassan falsely confesses – demonstrating again his saint-like characteristics. Amir is then seen to live a life of guilt within the shadows, haunted by such horrible events of the past. In Part II of the book, The Kite Runner, which takes place five years later, Amir and his father had struggled when they moved to California due to the invasion of the Soviets in Afghanistan. Before Amir’s father dies, he requests General Taheri, who’s in contempt of Amir’s literary aspiration, to let Soraya (Taheri’s daughter) and Amir marry, which General Taheri accepts without hesitation. Shortly after Amir marries Soraya, his father dies. When he settles down with his wife, he learns that they cannot have children. When Amir becomes a novelist, he receives a call from Rehan Khan, who is dying from a disease. Rehan directs Amir to meet him in Pakistan where he learns a secret that Hassan was actually his half-brother and Hassan’s father was actually not his real father, after all. The main reason Rehan Khan called Amir was to convince him to go to Kabul and rescue Hassan’s only son, Sohrab, who was being kept in an orphanage. Amir is convinced by Rehan and goes to Kabul so he can rescue Sohrab from the Taliban. In Part III of the book, it is revealed that Sohrab wasn’t in an orphanage; however, he was held captive by Assef, Amir’s childhood nemesis. Sohrab was made to dance, dressed like a woman and his statement reveals that Assef might have been raping him. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini has one of the best, yet very childish endings, where Sohrab gets to fulfill his father’s wishes by shooting out Assef’s left eye with his slingshot. This event takes place when Sohrab, in his father’s image, saves Amir from Assef – when he cruelly beats Amir as a price for keeping him captive. In the end of the book, Sohrab is seen to be emotionally damaged as he attempts suicide upon learning that Amir would not be able to keep his promise; i.e. to take Sohrab with him and eventually adopt him. Amir breaks his promise because the U.S. authorities demand paperwork which proves Sohrab’s orphan status. Eventually, Amir takes him back to the United States where Sohrab’s frozen emotions are thawed by his father’s reminisces found in Amir. Interesting facts, aren’t they? These informative facts will help you create a strong understanding of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, so you can write a perfect exploratory essay on it. Next up, we have our second guide, 20 exploratory topics on the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, to give you a headstart and a sample essay to assist you in writing it. Also look out for informative guide for an exploratory essay on the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini for a guide on how to write the same. References: N. Shamand, 2010 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: Historical, Political and Cultural Contexts UGC, Academic Staff College, University of Kerala  http://arabicuniversitycollege.yolasite.com/resources/Faculty/NS/Dissertations/The%20Kite%20Runner%20-%20Historical,%20Political%20%20Cultural%20Contexts.pdf Azad, F. (2004). Dialogue with Khaled Hosseini. Lemar-Aftaab, 3(4), June.  http://afghanmagazine.com/2004_06/profile/khosseini.shtml Sadat, M.H. (2004). Afghan History: kite flying, kite running and kite banning. Lemar-Aftaab, 3(4), June.  http://afghanmagazine.com/2004_06/articles/hsadat.shtml The Kite Runner. (2007). Directed by Marc Forestor. Dreamworks Sherman, Sue. Cambridge Wizard Student Guide: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. (Cambridge University Press, 2006). Sadat, Mir Hekmatullah. The Afghan Experience. (Claremont Graduate University, 2006) Claremont, California. Kaplan, Robert D. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Vintage Books, 1990).

Organization and Managing People Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organization and Managing People - Term Paper Example Organization and Managing People When the launch of consultation tactics within the organization involves requesting for the other party’s assistance in the matter or altering the proposal so as to convince them that their consultation on the matter is invaluable and thus, required. Empowerment is the key to promoting employee motivation and launching power distribution to reaffirm an employee’s belief that the organization trusts his/her skills, knowledge and decision-making abilities. An example of this measure is a Finance Manager granting the Assistant Finance Manager the right to authorize daily sales reports which previously required the former’s signature. Participative management allows employees to adopt a more direct role in the entire decision-making process by setting goals and resolving organizational issues to achieve the identified objectives. It allows managers to distribute power in the company through the promotion of autonomy. A manager needs to consider the following factors to make delegation effective: providing appropriate training to employees to ensure that they are able to manage tasks, encourage managers to delegate work, boost a system of participative management in the organization. By using rational persuasion on the basis of logical argumentation and evidence a manager can ensure that his employees commit to health guidelines in a company. The same could also be achieved through the tactic of pressure as a result of which constant reminders are placed in the company to promote compliance.

Bureaucracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bureaucracy - Essay Example In the preeminent conditions, this distinctiveness allows a bureaucracy to function efficiently. Workers in a specialization bureaucracy carry out specific responsibilities that call for teaching and proficiency. Nevertheless, the downside to specialization is that bureaucrats frequently cannot take up a chore that is external to the range of their job description. In hierarchical organization bureaucracy, the organization is called a hierarchy; a series of stages from the nearly all basic worker in the institute to the premier director. Each stage has openly distinct influence and responsibilities. On the other hand, in formal rules, bureaucracies are designed with the purpose of functioning under prescribed rules. These guidelines affirm how all tasks in the organization are being carried out. These guidelines are frequently referred to as standard operating procedures and are formalized in measure manuals. The bureaucrats waste no time by way of following these rules (Berger 20-34 ). There are negations in the operation of a bureaucracy, nevertheless. The hierarchal system somehow may create a situation whereby staff finds it hard to question the judgment of supervisors. Sociologists use numerous plans and techniques to examine society and social behavior. Most sociological behavior engages ethnography designed to represent the distinctiveness of a population as entirely as possible. There are three research models, including longitudinal, cross-sectional and cross-sequential. These three models are all seemingly distinct in their own way. In cross-sectional research model, scientist examines a number of persons of varying ages who have similar characteristics of significance at a single time. On the other hand, cross-sequential model the scientists test persons in a cross-section taster more than once over a particular period of time. Lastly, in longitudinal design, the scientists analyze the same persons or community repeatedly over a particular period of t ime (Mills 50-77). A section of sociologists carry out research by using data that other existing social scientist. The use of openly available information is recognized as secondary analysis. This model is mostly common in circumstances in which gathering fresh data is unworkable or needless. The other way in which a sociologist can analyze data is by studying an individual with abnormal condition. For this case, the clinical sociologist may be compelled to use self-report measure to obtain quantifiable data on the issue. This is usually the case with case studies which are used in obtaining useful data about persons and small groups. However, case studies have a tendency of only applying to individuals with similar traits rather than to the wide-ranging population. The other way a sociologist can analyze data collected is by examining the information collected from surveys. Ideally, the nature versus nature debate deals with the relative significance of a person’s innate tr aits. This hypothesis is used independently to discuss the influence of heredity and environment upon social advancement. As we see it, the argument is based upon the comparative contributions of genetic heritage and environmental features to human progress. Some thinkers such as Plato and Descartes propose that certain things are innate despite the environmental influences. Conversely, Locke suggests that the lot that we are and all our wisdom is established by our skills. Recently, many specialists are of

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Public Relations - Essay Example Wilcox (2011), stated that public relations might comprise the following activities, training of a company’s employees, conservation of the environment, compensation of damages or lives lost because of a tragedy caused by the activities of an organisation. Public relations in BP plc BP plc is a British multinational oil and gas company that has faced constrained public relations over the past years. According to studies by Reed (2011), BP plants have had the highest number of industrial accidents among gas and oil companies, which have resulted in the loss of lives and severe environmental pollution. The most memorable industrial accident that BP suffered was the DeepWater Horizon oilrig explosion that further resulted to oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in the year 2010. Reed (2011) further pointed out that the DeepWater Horizon explosion resulted to loss of lives and injuries. Because of these recurring accidents, the company has suffered negative publicity, which has amounte d to doubts being raised about how BP handles its industrial accidents. With the aim to correct this negative publicity, the organization is bound to build a mutual co-existence with the locals in the areas that the company operates. Secondly, the company should employ compensation measures as a public relations strategy and focus on enhancing its internal organizational image, that is to say, how the workers view and feel about the company (Seitel, 2010). BP’s public relations measures from the organizational perspective . In order to maintain positive working environment and efficient working relationship between the workers and the organization’s management, the company should consider compensating the victims and family members of any person who lost his or her life during any accident involving the company. In order to maintain a good organizational image, BP should establish a special compensation department whose sole mandate is to assess the extent of loss or i njuries suffered by workers while performing their duties. According to Seitel (2010), the compensation granted should not necessarily amount to monetary payments only but it can also be negotiated on the nature of the compensation to be granted. The workers could agree with the company that in case one losses his/ her life because of industrial accident while on duty, the company could alternatively offer an employment opportunity to any member of the deceased family who is eligible for that position or any other vacancy in the organization. With such public relations program arrangement with the staff, the company is bound to enjoy healthy relationship with its workers and further have a flexible means of compensation in case of any industrial accident occurring. BP’s societal public relations measures Apart from building a positive organizational public relation with its staff, the company also has a duty to present itself as part of the solutions to the society’s p roblem and not the problem. According to Wilcox and Cameron (2011), the company should engage in activities that promote the well-being of the immediate society within which the organization operates. In the events of the oil spillage in the Gulf of Mexico, BP faced public outrage from environmental conservatist and the community members who were anglers in the area. The impact of the oil spillage was devastating to the marine life within the location of the spillage. Most notably

Harmful Effects of Anti-Shia Discrimination Assignment

Harmful Effects of Anti-Shia Discrimination - Assignment Example The most agreed upon cause for the prejudice can be traced to the dispute that arose after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, which led to a split among the Muslim community into two fundamental sects: the Shi’a and the Sunnis. The Sunnis also referred to as the followers of the way, decided on following the caliphate maintaining that any Muslim, who is devout in the eyes of his peers, has the potential of being a successor of the Prophet. However, the Shi’a believe that only a person who is elected by Allah can succeed the Prophet after the Prophet has declared him his successor, deciding on Imam Ali as their religious authority. Following this split, the Sunni Muslims have over the centuries perceived their rival sect as a threat to their religious authority, and politically as well. Sunni leaders, especially under the Umayyad, began a systematic marginalization of the Shi’a, who formed a minority of the Muslim community, while the Abbasids also turned on the S hi’a, killing, persecuting, and imprisoning them (Walker 18). The Shi’a community to this day remains marginalized and persecuted sect in the majority of Muslim states. This discrimination has harmed the Shi’a by ensuring that they are less educated than Sunnis, cannot practice their religion, and cannot get work in their countries. Discrimination against the Shi’a has led to their inability to practice their religion, which has caused resentment towards their Sunni counterparts, as they are denied their right to worship. For example, Chehab in Sunni vs. Shia: All You Need to Know claims that â€Å"Jordanian tribes have banned Shi’as from paying homage at the historical grave site of a prominent Shi’a imam† (13).  This led to protests in which over fifty Shi’a members either were killed or went missing. The Shi’a Muslims are also disallowed to access religious centers such as mosques, forcing them to perform their pray ers on Friday in their houses (Chehab 13). This means that Shi’a Muslims, despite being part of the broader Islam family, are second-class religious citizens in most Muslim dominated countries. They are treated no differently than Christians, who are discriminated against in the same way and might as well be without religion. This has all the hallmarks of an irreversible religious war if unchecked. In addition, all able-bodied Muslims are required to visit Mecca at least once in their lifetime, which is one of Islam’s five pillars, to perform the Hajj. Although this event is supposed to count as one of the most intense religious times in the Muslim calendar, a group of Shi’as who were on a pilgrimage was arrested in 2009 by the Saudi religious police. This was part of Sunni Muslims,’ particularly the Wahhabi sect’s, aim to â€Å"purify Islam of any innovations or practices that deviate from the seventh-century teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions† (Giritlioglu 1). The incident resulted in one of the pilgrims, a fifteen-year-old boy, being shot in the head and chest, while a Shi’a sheik was knifed by an unknown person in the back for being what he termed as a rejectionist. Allowed to continue, such actions can only lead to reprisal attacks in Shi’a majority countries, resulting in a never-ending cycle of violence.

The Expert Witness Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Expert Witness Controversy - Essay Example One of the initial problems with expert testimony is that it is used by both the prosecution and the defense. The two experts must necessarily be at opposition in an effort to help their side's case and one of them must be wrong. This is further complicated by the vast number of "Expert Testimony Services" that have cropped up in recent years as lawyers and investigators pursue an expert-for-hire strategy. Some of these firms have been criticized for advertising that they will be paid only if they win the case. This is contrary to science and removes the neutrality of the scientific method. This attitude extends itself into the prosecution as government and police labs exaggerate claims or suppress evidence. In the case of Bromgard vs. Montana, Jimmy Ray Bromgard was convicted of raping an 8 year old girl based on a forensics expert who testified that the hair found at the scene had only a 1 in 10000 chance of not being Bromgard's. This expert testimony was fraudulent as there were n o means to statistically match hairs through microscopic inspection. Another problem with expert testimony enters the courtroom by way of new technology that may be unproven and unreliable. Termed "junk science", it is sometimes used by the defense to instill reasonable doubt, and more often by the prosecution to sway a jury in their favor. The 1993 case of Daubert vs. Merrill Dow Pharmaceutical set strict guidelines that lower courts must use to determine the admissibility of scientific evidence. It mandated that expert testimony be proven valid, reliable, peer reviewed, and generally accepted by the scientific community (Junk science, 2005). However, as new technology arises, it finds its way into court cases and is only upheld or overturned after years of appeal. When first introduced, fingerprint enhancement was labeled by defense attorneys as "...junk science, unreliable, and easily manipulated" (DeMarzo, 2003). Though the appeals process eventually upheld this technique, it runs the risk of alienating a jury and may result in a guilty verdict be ing overturned on appeal. The American Medical Association has been proactive in protecting the credibility of its profession by setting standards for medical testimony. In 1998 they adopted a policy that states, "... expert witness testimony is the practice of medicine subject to peer review" (Reardon, 1998). Medical malpractice suits and the questionable ethics of a Doctor receiving a contingency fee upon winning the case should arouse a sense of trouble in all involved. Expert testimony as it pertains to psychiatry is equally as troublesome as was seen in the case of John Hinkly. More recently, the case of Andrea Yates was overturned and ordered a new trial because of inaccurate testimony given by a leading forensic psychiatrist for the prosecution (Hausman, 2005). Further complicating the case was the controversial "Postpartum

Case Study 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study 4 - Research Paper Example There is need to embrace analytics in the health care sectors with the intention of shunning medical experts’ diagnosis opinion without statistical learning approach. The predictive analytics is accurate, and has an arithmetical learning approach because one only needs to acquire knowledge on how to use the analytics (5th European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Forum, 2010). Question 2 The predictive analytics plays a significant role in the provision of intelligent decision support that helps in lowering the healthcare treatment costs. Combination of effective DSS and smart analytics can help in preventing costly diagnostic errors because many sources of data can be processed and changed into meaningful information with time (Chih-Lin, Nick & David, 2000). This is especially vital in the current world where the demand for health care is higher than the supply. This means that the DSS helps improving the efficiency of health process. For examples, it helps in reducing test duplication and unfavorable events. ... Question 3 The DSS has played a vital part in the EuResit projects in various ways. First, the project deals with huge patient and therapist data. Besides, the DSS combined with predictive analytics has been helpful in the projects because they help in the faster data processing. This has helped is saving time consequently shortening the projects duration. Through this system, the medical experts could easily compare subjects’ data in the project. Additionally, DSS has been helpful in the projects since it has helped in reducing the project costs. Reduction of costs occurs due to the shortening of the data processing time. DSS is also used in the ViroLab in the projects to prevent the researchers from conducting the same tests twice (Michael, Kai, & Rema, 2007). The DSS has been valuable in determining the right combination of drugs in the projects. This is vital since it prevented the overdose of patients that could lead to drug resistance. The system did this by creating sta ndard datum. The use of the DSS has also been helpful in providing immediate feedback, and conducting diagnosis in the project. This has been supportive in preventing the medical errors that result from poor diagnosis that eventually leads to drug related toxicity. However, the DSS has enabled the researchers to create precise patient model that has been helpful in reducing the occurrence of the toxicity. Additionally, the prevention of toxicity has also been achievable in the projects because of the DSS’ ability to predict the response of patients to the treatments used in the project (Peter, Mark, Brent, Swarna, et al, 2001). Question 4 The EuResists might face resistance from both medical expert and patients. Many

Harmful Effects of Anti-Shia Discrimination Assignment

Harmful Effects of Anti-Shia Discrimination - Assignment Example The most agreed upon cause for the prejudice can be traced to the dispute that arose after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, which led to a split among the Muslim community into two fundamental sects: the Shi’a and the Sunnis. The Sunnis also referred to as the followers of the way, decided on following the caliphate maintaining that any Muslim, who is devout in the eyes of his peers, has the potential of being a successor of the Prophet. However, the Shi’a believe that only a person who is elected by Allah can succeed the Prophet after the Prophet has declared him his successor, deciding on Imam Ali as their religious authority. Following this split, the Sunni Muslims have over the centuries perceived their rival sect as a threat to their religious authority, and politically as well. Sunni leaders, especially under the Umayyad, began a systematic marginalization of the Shi’a, who formed a minority of the Muslim community, while the Abbasids also turned on the S hi’a, killing, persecuting, and imprisoning them (Walker 18). The Shi’a community to this day remains marginalized and persecuted sect in the majority of Muslim states. This discrimination has harmed the Shi’a by ensuring that they are less educated than Sunnis, cannot practice their religion, and cannot get work in their countries. Discrimination against the Shi’a has led to their inability to practice their religion, which has caused resentment towards their Sunni counterparts, as they are denied their right to worship. For example, Chehab in Sunni vs. Shia: All You Need to Know claims that â€Å"Jordanian tribes have banned Shi’as from paying homage at the historical grave site of a prominent Shi’a imam† (13).  This led to protests in which over fifty Shi’a members either were killed or went missing. The Shi’a Muslims are also disallowed to access religious centers such as mosques, forcing them to perform their pray ers on Friday in their houses (Chehab 13). This means that Shi’a Muslims, despite being part of the broader Islam family, are second-class religious citizens in most Muslim dominated countries. They are treated no differently than Christians, who are discriminated against in the same way and might as well be without religion. This has all the hallmarks of an irreversible religious war if unchecked. In addition, all able-bodied Muslims are required to visit Mecca at least once in their lifetime, which is one of Islam’s five pillars, to perform the Hajj. Although this event is supposed to count as one of the most intense religious times in the Muslim calendar, a group of Shi’as who were on a pilgrimage was arrested in 2009 by the Saudi religious police. This was part of Sunni Muslims,’ particularly the Wahhabi sect’s, aim to â€Å"purify Islam of any innovations or practices that deviate from the seventh-century teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions† (Giritlioglu 1). The incident resulted in one of the pilgrims, a fifteen-year-old boy, being shot in the head and chest, while a Shi’a sheik was knifed by an unknown person in the back for being what he termed as a rejectionist. Allowed to continue, such actions can only lead to reprisal attacks in Shi’a majority countries, resulting in a never-ending cycle of violence.

Case Study 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study 4 - Research Paper Example There is need to embrace analytics in the health care sectors with the intention of shunning medical experts’ diagnosis opinion without statistical learning approach. The predictive analytics is accurate, and has an arithmetical learning approach because one only needs to acquire knowledge on how to use the analytics (5th European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Forum, 2010). Question 2 The predictive analytics plays a significant role in the provision of intelligent decision support that helps in lowering the healthcare treatment costs. Combination of effective DSS and smart analytics can help in preventing costly diagnostic errors because many sources of data can be processed and changed into meaningful information with time (Chih-Lin, Nick & David, 2000). This is especially vital in the current world where the demand for health care is higher than the supply. This means that the DSS helps improving the efficiency of health process. For examples, it helps in reducing test duplication and unfavorable events. ... Question 3 The DSS has played a vital part in the EuResit projects in various ways. First, the project deals with huge patient and therapist data. Besides, the DSS combined with predictive analytics has been helpful in the projects because they help in the faster data processing. This has helped is saving time consequently shortening the projects duration. Through this system, the medical experts could easily compare subjects’ data in the project. Additionally, DSS has been helpful in the projects since it has helped in reducing the project costs. Reduction of costs occurs due to the shortening of the data processing time. DSS is also used in the ViroLab in the projects to prevent the researchers from conducting the same tests twice (Michael, Kai, & Rema, 2007). The DSS has been valuable in determining the right combination of drugs in the projects. This is vital since it prevented the overdose of patients that could lead to drug resistance. The system did this by creating sta ndard datum. The use of the DSS has also been helpful in providing immediate feedback, and conducting diagnosis in the project. This has been supportive in preventing the medical errors that result from poor diagnosis that eventually leads to drug related toxicity. However, the DSS has enabled the researchers to create precise patient model that has been helpful in reducing the occurrence of the toxicity. Additionally, the prevention of toxicity has also been achievable in the projects because of the DSS’ ability to predict the response of patients to the treatments used in the project (Peter, Mark, Brent, Swarna, et al, 2001). Question 4 The EuResists might face resistance from both medical expert and patients. Many

Book binding Essay Example for Free

Book binding Essay OBJECTIVES:2. OBJECTIVES:The term ‘binding’ is sometimes used to describe the cover of a book. For example, you might refer to a book as having a binding of leather, or being bound in linen. But binding also means the act of attaching many pages to one another to produce a book. Bookbinding is a very old craft and the techniques used in hand-binding have hardly changed over the centuries. Mechanization has changed the way most books are made but hand-bound books still use the same the techniques and equipment. As a craft, bookbinding plays an important role in the production of artists books, the preservation of antique books, and in training for fine arts students. As a commercial process, bookbinding plays a role in the lives of any consumer who picks up a book or magazine. Advances in commercial bookbinding techniques have greatly improved the cost, and therefore accessibility, of printed material all over the world. IT: 3. WHAT DID YOU DO TO ORGANIZE IT:A prior permission has been taken from the Teacher-in-Charge of our institution to perform the work. Eight students of class VIII, Sec A are selected to participate with me. The Biology Laboratory of this institution has been selected as the working place. I first told the students the procedure of book binding:†¢ Stapling and Sewing – The collected papers exactly the same sized are piled them up. Then staple down/sewed along one edge. †¢ Gluing A white paper paste, or library paste, is good for most purposes. †¢ Covering Any book will be enormously improved if it has some kind of a cover. The cover doesnt have to be cloth or cardboard or particularly heavy. [emailprotected] com 1 BOOK BINDING CONTRBUTIONS:4. CONTRBUTIONS:†¢ MINE – I directed as well as helped the students how to prepare for such works. †¢ MY HEAD TEACHER – He encouraged and motivated me to perform the work. He also helped me by inspiring the students also. He also helped me by granting a fund for that. †¢ MENTOR – The Principal, Prof. D. P. Nag Chowdhury of the College, Shimurali Sachinandan College of Education was the mentor who helped me mentally as well as providing printed materials to do the work. The Director of the workshop, Prof Trishna Goswami as well as the Coordinator, Prof. S. R. Adhikari of the College, Shimurali Sachinandan College of Education, P. O. – Shimurali, District – Nadia also helped me in many ways. A book binder of that locality also helped various ways to make successful this work. CTIVITY: 5. OUTPUT OF THE ACTIVITY:Students can bind books at home following these simple instructions. This is so simple that the students themselves can make them for the joy of learning science. It can encourage them in publishing business. PERSONAL:6. YOUR PERSONAL:†¢ OBSERVATIONS – Students shortlisted the materials from their book or as directed that are needed to perform the work. Sheets of paper for binding into a book, Bone folder, Studio Tac double-sided adhesive, Heavyweight papers for end pages, Pencil, Jade glue, Paint brush, Headband tape, Craft knife, Binders board (acid-free), Book canvas, Iron-on transfer paper (optional)are collected by the students from their homes and market. Then [emailprotected] com 2 BOOK BINDING they started the work following the book binding procedure as stated. My students enjoyed this very much and many of them tried this on their own. †¢ EXPERIENCES Teaching children about the publishing business entails more than writing stories and creating characters. In fact, you can turn any English lesson into a crafts project by introducing children to bookbinding activities. †¢ DIFFICULTIES Manipulatives and experiments are teaching aids that the children are allowed to play with and touch. Hence it was a time consuming process. FROM:7. FEED BACK FROM:†¢ STUDENTS The participants were fully satisfied and wished such programme to be of more and more so that they could update their knowledge activity. This is the spirit of teaching and learning. With hands on activities they acquire first-hand knowledge which inspires them to pursue the field of publishing to become successful who is the wealth of a nation. †¢ COLLEAGUES – They highly appreciated such activities more and more so that the students can easily understand their lessons. The students can test these works without any fear of cost or breakage. This is so simple that the students themselves can make them for the joy of learning science. Teaching children bookbinding is a way for them to become part of this long tradition of book arts in a fun and imaginative way. †¢ MENTOR – He thanked me so that I have done the work accordingly in involvement with my students in my institution. This will be proved very useful in rural and urban schools as well. ************* [emailprotected] com 3

Young People: Leaving the care system

Young People: Leaving the care system Literature reviewed for this study has included articles from academic journals and textbooks, government policy, guidance and briefings and other guidance produced by non-statutory organisations such as the National Care Advisory Service. Key themes within the literature reviewed have included the experiences of young people in care that contribute to their leaving care experiences, the effectiveness of services aimed at care leavers, social work practice with care leavers and the views of young people themselves on how prepared they feel when leaving the care system. Background Studies about young people leaving care point to the different life experiences that many care leavers have in contrast to their peers and argue that these have an impact on how prepared young people are to leave care. Whilst in the care system they face disadvantage plus a greater risk of social exclusion and poor outcomes such as low educational achievement and homelessness, unemployment and mental health problems (Stein et al 2000, Courtney et al 2000). Particular groups of care leavers can also face specific types of discrimination and disadvantage. Black and ethnic minority care leavers face identity problems due to a lack of contact with family and community (Barn et al 2005), young disabled people in care may encounter problems with poor planning in relation to their housing in the transition period from care (Priestly et al 2003) and young women in care are at greater risk of teenage pregnancy and the associated risks of poor outcomes (DfES 2006). Jones (2002) noted significa nt qualitative differences between young parents who have family support and those living away from home. The life history of looked after children also plays a part in their preparation to leave care. Many looked after children can have complex needs that are related to their earlier childhood experiences. These experiences can impact on how they settle into their looked after placements and the level of educational achievement that they reach at school. Their educational achievements will affect how they manage in life after care. Looked after children often have a number of social, emotional or behavioural difficulties such as challenging behaviour, low self-esteem and poor concentration skills, which again can affect their transitions into adulthood (Soan and Lee 2010). Transition Everson-Hock et al (2009) attempted to analyse the effectiveness of transition to adulthood support services (TSSs) to leaving care and their impact on outcomes including education, employment, substance misuse, criminal and offending behaviour, parenthood, housing and homelessness and health (Everson-Hock et al, 2009). The study, based largely on US quantitative studies found that young people leaving care were more likely to complete compulsory education if they received TSSs; that there was moderate evidence that TSSs improved employment prospects and; moderate evidence that TSSs lessened the likelihood of negative impacts from substance misuse, offending behaviour, homelessness or early parenthood (Everson-Hock et al 2009). Whilst accepting that US based studies could not simply be transferred to UK experiences, the study conclude that TSSs do have a beneficial effect on the adult outcomes of looked after young people, in particular for education, employment, parenthood and housi ng (Everson-Hock et al 2009, p52). A study in Scotland identified planning transition to adulthood as important and noted that leaving care at an early age can be a concern. Moving from residential care to supported carers and then allowing young people to move in a planned manner that allows them a say in when they leave care is also important (Kendrick 2008). This study also identified failures by local authorities to make adequate preparations. Many care leavers did not receive a programme of preparation, particularly those in foster homes or being cared for at home. It was also identified that 60% of the young people surveyed had not received a formal leaving care review (Kendrick 2008). Evidence elsewhere also suggests that care leavers are often hurried out of care with the Director of the Office for Childrens Rights commenting a common theme among those young people consulted was in their having remarkably short periods of notice to leave, together with their sheer lack of preparation to do so(Morgan and Lindsa y 2006). Stein found that since the 1990s there has been more of a focus on outcome studies (Stein, 2006). Nonetheless, the wide variation in both research and the collection of statistical outcome data by the government has been highlighted by international leaving care work (Stein, 2006). Likewise Simon and Own (2006 citied in ibid) stated that the information base for those in care and leaving care has immensely enhanced since 1998. However, they have also found three existing weaknesses. Firstly, the dates mainly have short follow up times. Secondly they focus only a small parameter of young peoples lives. And finally, they are mainly available for England. Stein differentiates that the transition itself, is crucial to getting young people ready for the risk of society, by giving them the time for independence, discovering, thinking, risk taking and character exploration (Stein, 2006). He says that coming across danger is possible through chance, so in order to identify valuable and harmful effects, by the revelation to these problematic situations, it allows for opportunities emerge for both problem-resolving skills and emotional coping skills are provided (Newman and Blackburn, 2002, cited in Stein ibid). Steins study analysis significantly shows that care leavers as a group are more likely to be socially excluded and that there are still huge gaps in research knowledge, particularly nothing in terms of using experimental and quasi-experimental methods (Stein, 2006). Therefore, there is a high demand for the usage of cohort experiments in giving a refined understanding of risk and protective elements over time. Furthermore, he openly shows that there is also a high demand to develop connections between empirical and theoretical work, this is because most of the studies do not involve research from theory in regards to context, theoretical investigation and theory making. In view of the concerns and increasing awareness of the poor outcomes of young people leaving the care system, the Government produced a consultation paper (Care Matters: Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care 2007). Care Matters (2006) detailed a number of government initiatives to assist the transition into adulthood for care leavers. Included in the proposals were a pilot scheme to allow young people to live with foster families until they were 21; establishment of a capital investment fund to improve supported housing options; top-ups of Child Trust funds for young people in care and national bursaries for young people in care that go onto higher education. One of the key principles of Care Matters echoed research elsewhere into transition that young people should enter adult life when they are ready rather than when a local authority social worker decides that they should do so. Most young people are supported by their families until their early twenties ye t those in care often lack that sense of security they should expect no less from a corporate parent in terms of help in the transition to adulthood than their peers who live with parents (Care Matters 2006). Rainer (2007:2) states The DfES Green Paper Care Matters, and the Next Steps document, set out a range of extremely promising proposals to improve services to young people as they move through and out of the care system. However, there is evidence that when it comes to housing support care leavers are not yet consistently receiving the service they are entitled to under current legislation. His reports analysed the scale of the issues and highlights the terrible conditions in which some care leavers are expected to set up their first home. Similarly, Broad (2005 cited in Stein, 2006) found that for young parents, young accompanied asylum and refugee seekers and young people remanded, their services were mainly described as staying the same since the introduction of the Children Leaving Care Act 2000. The DH (Department of Health, 2003) found that some young people are drawn to the concept of independence and will have a strong drive to leave, however that urge is driven by various factors, these including a placement breakdown, the limited placements available, issues with challenging behaviour management, traditional expectations and tight transitions. DH (ibid) realises that inconsistent planning for adulthood is common for young care leavers, furthermore, the specific needs have not been consistently given to certain groups like ethnic minorities or single parent. However, having said that, some young people do have positive experiences whereas some experience hardships, this sometimes even included high risk of homelessness. Stein (2006) debated that a holistic approach needs to be considered when preparation is made for leaving care, that it each element needs equal amount of importance, practical skills are equal to emotional wellbeing as well being equal to interpersonal s kills. Housing Support with accommodation is also identified as an important issue for care leavers and they should have access to appropriate housing options. For many leaving residential care or foster placements, issues such as coping with finances, shopping and self-care were challenging and practical support in developing life skills is something that will help better prepare care leavers for adulthood (Kendrick 2008). The National Care Advisory Service (NCAS) also stresses that suitable and stable accommodation for young people preparing to leave care will enable them to develop their skills and options in other areas such as education, employment and social networking (NCAS 2009). NCAS identified the importance of pathway planning and highlighted an example of good practice in Barnsley where pathway assessments have a specific section relating to accommodation which considers things such as a young persons current arrangements; their practical knowledge; awareness of tenancy rights and respo nsibility to be a good neighbour; budgeting skills and the care leavers ability to access housing advice (NCAS 2009). Care matters (2006) highlighted the negative consequences of frequent changes in foster care. In 2005/6, of 23,000 children under 16 looked after for more than 2.5 years; 65% had been living in the same placement for at least two years or were placed for adoption. While this is 1% higher than the previous year, unless the rate increases dramatically the government is unlikely to achieve their target of 80% by 2008 and currently 12% of children in care still experience 3 or more placements (Care matters, 2006). Care Matters made a number of proposals about commissioning; increasing choice and training and support for foster carers and residential workers. While these are all positive steps they will not necessarily address the issues of shortfall in foster carers and the poor status of residential work as a positive option for staff. (Barnardos,2007,p4) ref:bernardos.org.uk Lack of stability was also highlighted as a barrier to social bonding and support, emotional well-being, and educational success. The social worker would be responsible for the budget of each child. Care plans need to be revised. In interview with children in care, one placement was top on their list of what they desired (Morgan, 2007). Employment, Education and Training The educational under achievement of children in care up to year 11 is well researched and documented, but despite the long standing recognition of this issue there appears to have been no substantial improvement in recent years. Care Matters recognises the importance of stability in education, particularly in years 10 and 11, but does not go far enough in outlining a schools responsibilities to ensure looked after children are not denied access to their education through temporary or permanent exclusion. Given looked after children are disproportionately more likely to have their education disrupted through exclusion we are concerned about the degree of discretion in individual schools as to the interpretation of last resort. (Barnardos,2007,p7). While 56 percent of all children attained 5 good GCSEs of A to C in 2005, only 11 percent of children in care attained these levels (DfES, 2006); this level was 12 percent in 2006 (DfES, 2007). A study of care leavers in the UK found that only 23 per cent were in full-time or part-time education (Everson-Hock 2009). The age that young people leave care can be a factor that leaves them ill-prepared for independent living. Many do so between the ages of 16 and 17, at a time when they also manage the move from education into training, work or unemployment. Their peers go through this transition most often whilst living at home with family support and the advantages of a stable home environment (Jones 2002). The importance of attempting to achieve positive educational outcomes is stressed by a number of commentators as crucial in effective preparation for leaving care. Newman and Blackburn (2002) and Sinclair et al (2005) emphasise that having positive experiences at school and reaching an adequate level of educational achievement is strongly associated with resilience in young people in care and in getting them ready for adult life. From a wider perspective, it makes sense for local and central government to invest in the future of care leavers and in England there is evidence in recent years of a change in philosophy so that supporting children and young people that are at risk of poor outcome is desirable so that that can maximise their potential in future (Stein 2008). Providing education and training focussed on future employment is crucial to this. Health Health services have an important role in supporting young people leaving care. Low levels of care leavers report seeing health professionals and high number report engaging in unhealthy behaviours such as smoking (Everson-Hock 2009). As part of effective partnership working, Directors of Childrens Services should ensure that health services, particularly mental health services are on hand to work with social workers and accommodation providers to assist care leavers (NCAS 2009). Young people with mental health needs especially might need help in locating suitable places to live. A further important health issue is for social workers to help young people to understand the importance of healthy living and have access to suitable cooking facilities (NCAS 2009). Unfortunately, young care leavers are at a disadvantage here. For many 16-17 year olds, parents take on responsibility for arranging medical consultations, promoting a balanced diet, identifying ill health and discussing the dangers of smoking and drinking local authorities as a corporate parent often take a less proactive role in this area (McLeod and Bywaters 2000). Added to the poor housing and deprivation that many care leavers experience and a consistent picture often emerges of malnutrition, infections, mental illness, drug use and susceptibility to physical attack (McLeod and Bywaters). Being a young parent can have a great impact on people as they leave care. The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among looked after girls in England is around three times higher than that their peers under 18 in England (DfES 2006) and a study carried out by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit (2001) found that a quarter of looked after young people had a child by the age of 16 and nearly half had a baby within 24 months of leaving care. These young people in general are exposed to a number of risk factors associated with teenage pregnancies, including educational failure, socio-economic deprivation and involvement in youth offending (Kirton 2009), all of which have a negative impact on their preparation for independent living after care. Quantitative research into young mothers leaving care was completed by Maxwell et al (2011). The studied acknowledged that the likelihood of pregnancy increases significantly in care leavers and used interviews and diaries kept by young mothers to try and identify how they were prepared to leave care as a parent. The study identified that young women wanted to provide a better childhood than they had experienced to their own baby and found motherhood as something that helped build a positive image (Maxwell et al 2011). Again, the research highlighted that the earlier lives of care leavers and the subsequent low esteem that they have can be a significant hurdle in preparing for life outside of the care system Care matters (2006) propose that local authorities provide free access to sports and clubs, as well as opportunities for personal development and volunteering. The Healthy Care Programme supports this pledge, stating, This supports the National Healthy Care Standard entitlement for looked after children to have opportunities to develop personal and social skills, talents and abilities and to spend time in freely chosen play, cultural and leisure activities (DfES, 2006b, p. 3). More than 50 percent of the children who responded to the Green Paper reported having problems gaining access to such activities. (DfES, 2007).156 children in care rated the governments ideas for what councils should promise to them. A right to do leisure and sports activities and a chance to do a volunteering activity were fifth and sixth on their list, respectively (Morgan, 2007, p. 33). Support Biehal et al (1995) also studied the impact of different leaving care services on the young people involved. This study found that specialist leaving care services were most likely to have an impact on those who came into care from the most disadvantaged starting point. Biehal et al found that many young people were unprepared to leave care, but that this could be affected by their earlier family relationships and housing experiences. Like other studies, it was identified that the best leaving care services should include making a contribution to improving accommodation options and helping young care leavers with life skills such as budgeting, negotiating and self-care (Biehal et al 1995). Stein (2008) examined how to promote the resilience of young people in care and better preparation for adulthood, suggesting that this could be better achieved through provision of stability in care, a holistic preparation for transition and the provision of comprehensive services throughout their time in care which promoted a positive sense of identity. Stein also developed a theory that carer leaves fall into three distinct groups which can be shaped by their level of preparation to leave care young people moving on, survivors and victims (Stein 2008). Qualitative research into the views of young people on their preparations to leave care was undertaken by Morgan and Lindsay (2006). This identified that the assistance they were given in preparing to leave care varied greatly. Some identified good practice such as young people preparing to leave care gradually by spending a couple of days a week living independently in their new accommodation, and the rest of the week back in care. Support to learn practical skills such as cooking, doing laundry and housework was also seen as important but support in helping them learn these skills varied. Morgan and Lindsay also identified that practical help received from local authorities when leaving care was often lacking. Only 52% received support for education and accommodation, 53% were offered continued support from social services and only 33% offered practical help with training or benefits and grants (Morgan and Lindsay 2006). There is evidence that many young people feel largely unprepared for leaving care. Morgan and Lindsays study identified extremely short notice periods given to young people for leaving care, or young people being forced to leave care at a time when they did not feel ready to do so. In some of the worst examples, young people were given only 24 hours to leave a placement, they had no plan for the future, they had no home-keeping skills and little choices as to where they would move onto (Morgan and Lindsay 2006). Many saw a leaving care worker as important but some saw their leaving care worker as unhelpful and unsympathetic. Young people were able to identify what they wanted from leaving care workers often simple things such as to be there to support but not to interfere, and to offer support in finding adequate accommodation. Again, a key point is that provision of effective leaving care support appears to vary greatly Morgan and Lindsay summarise the overall impression conveyed was distinctly that of a lottery, with some young people enjoying excellent preparation and support, whilst others received little or no help at all (Morgan and Lindsay 2006, p22). Mentoring groups or peer mentors i.e. former care leavers to assist care leavers have also been identified as useful in preparing young people to live independently (Clayden and Stein 2005). Young people leaving care can need support from different sources at different times and a range of support networks can be useful in helping them overcome the disadvantages that they face. KEY FINDINGS The key findings from the literature review have been firstly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The accelerated process and young age of care leavers as opposed to other peers is a result of push factor such as placement breakdown, limitations in the supply of placements, problems in managing challenging behaviour, traditional expectations and personal choice. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Limited housing resources and the unsuitable allocation and condition of various accommodation provisions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ LA as a corporate parent take a less proactive role compared to the parents of young people who are not in care in regards to their health which continue patterns of instability were particularly vulnerable to poor housing outcomes and were more likely to experience post care instability and homelessness. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Young people who have left care are over-represented amongst young homeless people, including those who are sleeping rough. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Entering the care system can prove to be highly problematic by disrupting a young persons education progress due to placements complexities and the personal negative experiences of young people pre and post entering care. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The lack of practical experiences and skills present during the transitions to independence presented as one of the main difficulties in conjunction with the issues of budgeting and housing as a main factor effecting a successful and stable transition. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The research reviewed emphasised that young people would prefer and benefit from gaining support and experience in undertaking practical tasks prior to leaving care. It is important to note that that the provision of leaving care services across the UK varies and young people in different areas will have different experiences and levels of support. Most commentators agree that the experiences of young people both before they come into care and whilst in care can have an impact years later when they are preparing to leave care and that effective leaving care services are important in preparing care leavers for independent living. Support with accommodation emerges as one of the most effective ways to prepare young people to leave care along with provision of help and information on basic life skills such as budgeting, organisation and self-care. There is certainly room for further research in this area, particularly based on the experiences of UK care leavers at this point there is relatively little qualitative research into how young people feel about their preparations to leave care. The period before people leave care allows is an important period where carers and statutory organisations can make a positive impact on their lives fully understanding the impact of TSSs can be a valuable tool in delivering better outcomes.