Review of Financial Statements Essay

Financial statements are essential accounting tools which include balance sheets, cash flow statements, and income statements that provide information on a company’s past and present financial history. Information on financial statements can be used by any number of public and private entities to determine if an organization’s financial status is healthy. Burger King and McDonald’s are two organizations that use financial statements in conducting business. Further, this paper will discuss the financial statements of each company, the firms which audit each companies financial statements, and define accounting concepts, terminologies, and transactions used in the financial statements. Additional information will provided regarding when McDonald’s and Burger King were established and what product and services they provide to the public. Overview of Organizations McDonalds first opened its doors in 1940 introducing the concept of the â€Å"speedee service system† offering french fries, hamburgers, and shakes to satisfy the hungry customer quickly at a low price. Over the next 65 plus years the McDonalds menu has changed from just french fries and hamburgers to salads, wraps, chicken nuggets and many more items which cater to the ever changing tastes of consumers. McDonalds has been criticized over the years as being a major contributor high obesity rates, in part due to the speedee service concept. These criticism have caused McDonald’s to rethink menu items and helped the company to enact numerous changes to the menu which now offers nutritional guides for each menu item and healthier choices such as salads, fruit, and milk. McDonald’s has changed the oil used to fry foods to make the fries healthier and includes a choice of meal sizes and most recently started a new line of coffee drinks, which offers the desired Starbucks taste for a fraction of the cost. â€Å"The fast food chain currently has 31,000 restaurants worldwide and operates in 119 countries and serves approximately 47 million customers daily. McDonalds is also highly associated with the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) that has donated money and services to families and communities for over 35 years to approximately 37 million children and families.† (McDonalds, 2009). The McDonald Corporation pays for most of  RMHC’s global administration cost so that all donations go directly to the community and families. The charity is in such high demand that RMHC plans to expand their programs by 37% by 2010 to better help those in need. Burger King started in 1953 first known as Insta Burger King offering hamburgers to consumers that was cooked on a small cooker called an Insta-Broiler oven; the concept proved to be successful. â€Å"In 1954 the name changed to Burger King, the broiler oven first used was replaced with the flame broiler and soon became popular for offering their flame broiled hamburgers and what is now known as the Whopper burger.† (Burger King, 2009). The next 60 plus years for Burger King began suffering the same criticisms as McDonalds. It seemed all fast food chains were being blamed for the increased obesity rate in the U.S. Burger King followed suit and began making changes to their menus adding chicken, salads, fruit, food nutritional guides, smaller sizes, choice of drinks such as tea, milk, and changing the oil used to fry French fries as well as additional changes. Burger King Corporation is associated with a few charity organizations such as â€Å"Have It Your Way† which works to alleviate hunger, disease, and promotes community education through scholarship programs; the McLamore Foundation provides scholarships and is associated with several charities for When Organizations Were Established Burger King was founded in 1954 in Miami, Florida by James McLamore and David Edgerton. â€Å"McLamore and Edgerton, both of whom had extensive experience in the restaurant business before starting their joint venture, believed in the simple concept of providing the customer with reasonably priced quality food, served quickly in attractive, clean surroundings.† (New York Job Source, 2009), thus, the invention of the Whopper which was an instant success. Today Burger is found in all 50 states and 74 countries and territories throughout the world with more than 11,700 restaurants. In 1967 the Pillsbury Company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota purchased the company and its employees and the company went public in May 2006 at $17 a share. Today the company remains majority-owned by an equity group comprised of Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital Partners and the Goldman Sachs Funds. (New York Job Source, 2009). McDonald’s was founded by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald of San  Bernardino, California. Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine distributor happened on the brothers’ restaurant as he was curious to discover why such a small establishment would need 10 milkshake machines. Kroc was impressed by the speed with which these two brothers were able to provide service in their busy hamburger stand and he asked the brothers for a briefing on their â€Å"McDonald’s Speedee System† and after the briefing he requested and â€Å"secured the rights to duplicate the system throughout the United States. â€Å"Ray Kroc opened his first outlet in Chicago in 1955, 50 years later the number of McDonald’s locations had expanded to over 31,500.† (Albrecht, Stice, Stice, & Swain, 2008, pg. 76). Today McDonald’s averages over 100 million dollars a day and is located in 121 countries around the world. Both companies had meager beginnings and have grown into fas t food superstars. Accounting Organizations Providing Audits Both McDonald’s and Burger King offer burgers, fries, and creamy shakes. However, the differences between McDonald’s and Burger King are far more than golden arches and golden crowns. McDonald’s has both and internal and external audit committees. The internal audit committee is composed of five Directors, each of whom meets the independence and other requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (Santona, 2009). The committee abides by a charter which states all its responsibilities and is reviewed annually. Ernst & Young LLP (Ernst & Young), the Company’s independent auditors, is responsible for performing an audit of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and for issuing a report on those statements (Santona, 2009). The Burger King Corporation also has both internal and external audit committees. The internal committees perform quarterly internal audits that are published for investors, but these audits are indicated as unaudited by an external entity. KPMG LLP is the external organization the Burger King Corporation uses for its external audits. Financial Statements Used and Terminology As a publicly traded company within the United States Burger King Corporation (BKC) has taken all the necessary steps required to abide by the regulations set forth the Sarbanes-Oxley Act  of 2002. â€Å"The annual report for FY2008 includes information such as business information, risk factors, physical assets, legal proceedings, stockholder matters, and finally a comprehensive financial statement.† (Burger King Corp, 2009). This section of the annual report begins with management reports on internal controls which are in place regarding financial reporting which explains in detail the understanding of both the CEO and CFO and their obligation to take full responsibility for the content of the annual report. The report of the independent registered public accounting firm (KPMG) is and additional statement of responsibility from the independent accounting firm which states the firm has reviewed the information. Paged within the reportcontain the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of stockholders equity, and statement of cash flows for FY2008 compared to 2007, 2006, and 2005. While BKC’s annual report was presented in a standard no-frills format, McDonald’s Corporation’s 2008 annual report included graphics and photos as the driver of the information. Along with the financial statements, â€Å"McDonald’s annual report focused on highlights from the menu to the money along with letters of welcome from the Chairman, Andy McKenna and CEO, Jim Skinner.† (McDonalds Corporation, 2009). The financial reporting still included the management’s report on internal controls, the report of independent registered public accounting firm (Ernst & Young, LLP), the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of stockholders equity, and the statement of cash flows. In both instances a dedicated effort was made to satisfy the requirements regulated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Basic Accounting ConceptsIn 2008, McDonalds’ financial report shows annual total revenue at 23,522.4 million dollars compared to Burger King’s 2,455.0 million dollars; a difference of 21,067.4 million dollars; McDonald’s clearly having earned more revenue (MSN Money, 2009). However, prior to 2003, the difference between McDonald’s profits and Burger King’s were even greater. â€Å"From 2001 through 2003 Burger King was losing money, but has made a steady annual gross profit since.† (CNN Money, 2006). Transactions In 2008, Burger Kings’ annual profit was 1,452.0 million dollars and in 2007 the profit was 1,317.0 million dollars, a growth of 135 million dollars. McDonald’s has also encountered gross profit over the past two years, however, at a much greater scale. In 2008 the gross profit recorded was 8,639.2 million dollars and in 2007 a gross profit was recorded of 7,905.2, an increase in profit of 734 million dollars. Accounts Affected by Transactions While the two fast food restaurant chains are no where near comparable in revenue, both chains are increasing revenue year after year. Since 2006, when Burger King became a publicly traded company; like McDonald’s, they both worked to maintain a profitable growth for share holders which has increased the amount of profit each year (MSN Money, 2009). Both companies have cash assets as well as land and property, rental fees, food, supplies, salary responsibilities, and advertising. Financial Statements Affected by TransactionsEach of the transactions listed for Burger King and McDonald’s are provided in detail on a number of the financial statements. Specifically, the profit can be followed on the balance sheet, the statement of income, and the statement of cash flows located in each annual report. In addition these figures are compared to the previous years’ numbers on each of these statements. Conclusion McDonald’s and Burger King have been in business for decades and each company has established its respective company in the hearts of the American people and consumers across the globe when they expanded into global market. Both companies use reputable accounting firms and the same types of financial statements in order to assess the health of their financial status. This paper has shown how important understanding the concepts, terms, and transactions listed on financial statements are in order to better gauge how a company is faring financially on a year to year basis. References Albrecht, W.S., Stice, E.K., Stice, J.D. & Swain, M.R. (2008). Accounting: Concepts and applications, (10 ed). Cengage Learning Center, Mason, Ohio. Burger King Corp. (2009). Company Info. Retrieved June 20, 2009 http://www.bk.com/Companyinfo/corporation/fact.aspxCNN Money. (2006). The King Meets his Public. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/03/06/8370602/index.htmMcDonalds. (2009). Our company. Retrieved June 18, 2009 from http://www.aboutmcdonalds. Com/mcd/our_company.htmlMcDonald’s Corporation (2009). 2008 annual report. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://www1.mcdonalds.com/annualreport/index.htmlMSN Money. (2009). McDonalds Corporation: Financial Statement. Retrieved June 18, 2009,from http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statement.aspx?Symbol=MCD&1stStatement=Income&stmntView=AnnMSN Money. (2009). Burger King Holdings Inc.: Financial Statement Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statement.aspx?Symbol =BKC&1stStatement=Income&stmntView=AnnNew York Job Source. (2009). Burger King: World’s second largest food chain. Retrieved June 19, 2009 from http://www.nyjobsource.com/burgerking.htmlSantona, G. (2009). McDonald’s: 2009 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and Proxy Statement. Retrieved June 20, 2009, from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/etc/medialib/aboutMcDonaldsinvestor_relations.Par.58.686.File.tmp/2009%20Annual%Shareholders%20Meeting%20Proxy %20Statement.pdf

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold Blog Response Essay

Revenge is an intriguing part of humanity because it is often a judge of character. The spontaneous reaction of someone towards the person who wronged them, whether to seek revenge or choose to turn the other cheek, reveals one’s character. Situations in where we are mistreated can also be viewed as some sort of test because although everyone is capable of revenge, in a moment of rage it is much more difficult to have restraint. Francis Bacon states that while revenge may be justifiable, it is unwise. In his essay he says: â€Å"That which is past is gone, and irrevocable; and wise men have enough to do with things present and to come; therefore they do but trifle with themselves that labour in past matters.† Bacon thinks is wiser to move on with life and look ahead instead of being stuck in the past, wasting one’s time. Sometimes revenge is necessary to stand for rights or beliefs, an example of this could be a revolution, but we need to learn to pick our battles sensibly. In terms of practicality, I agree with Bacon’s opinions of revenge; I think it is wiser to let someone pay for their wronging than to try and take matters into your own hands. But in reality the world is not all that practical; taking revenge is such a natural emotion that often times if revenge is not accomplished, it feels like a failure. But encouraging revenge is dangerous because of its uncanny ability to snowball and become an evil habit. I agree that we need to be wary of revenge as it can lead to ruining your own life. Bacon appeals the idea in his essay: â€Å"This is certain that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well.† Instead of allowing revenge to take over our lives I think that we should allow the action to suffer the consequences; taking the pa th of justice instead.

Almost. Maine Test (Play) Essay

True or False: 1) Phil and Marci are married. 2) The setting for the play is Eastport, Maine. 3) Steve is Marvayln’s boyfriend. 4) Randy and Chad are a couple. 5) Gayle and Lendall are married. 6) Rhonda and Dave went snowmobiling. 7) Pete is left alone at the end of the play. 8) Jimmy is Sandrine’s ex-boyfriend. 9) Chad works as the mill. 10) Randy’s ex-girlfriend’s face broke while they were dancing. Multiple Choice: 11) What is Marvalyn doing in the beginning of her scene? a) Washing dishes b) Folding clothes c) Ironing clothes d) Reading a book 12) What is inside the tiny bag that Lendall gives to Gayle? a) Chocolate b) A ring c) Flower d) A card 13) Where does Marci’s second shoe come from? a) The sky b) Phil finds the shoe for her c) Under the bench d) The car 14) What is Danny’s wife’s name? a) Ginette b) Hope c) Suzette d) Glory 15) Why is Sandrine at the Moose Paddy? a) She is a waitress there b) She came to meet Jimmy c) She is there for her bachelorette party d) For a drink 16) Dave and Rhonda are ____________: a) Brother and sister b) Married c) Boyfriend and girlfriend d) Friends 17) The waitress’s name at the Moose Paddy is __________: a) Sandrine b) Villian c) Hope d) Marci 18) All of these characters are in the play Almost, Maine except ________: a) Sandrine b) Pete c) Michael d) East 19) Jimmy’s tattoo says _________: a) Sandrine b) Villain c) Waitress d) Villian 20) Where does Hope take a taxi from? a) Boston b) Baltimore c) Bangor d) Easton

Funeral Cosmetic Surgery

Cynthia Grosse,Kunkel English 11 Beauty is your funeral Cosmetic surgery is defined as, â€Å"surgery performed to improve the appearance, rather than for medical reasons† (Collins English Dictionary). Cosmetic surgery is a dangerous procedure because some people acquire lifelong scars not only that, death could be in the equation. On the other hand, many women get cosmetic surgery due to physical deformation or certain birth defects in efforts to cover up their embarrassing scars.Even though some cosmetic surgery can be beneficial, the fact that death could be involved, is it worth it? Cosmetic surgery should be illegal because the number of death and deformation in the person’s character are too great to risk any possible enhancements. We should not be allowed to get plastic surgery, implants, and liposuction because these things cause a person to become sick and then eventually die. Therefore we should warn the person about the harm of cosmetic surgery is. According to Dr.Darshan Shah, a Mayo Clinic-trained board certified surgeon, â€Å"Cosmetic Surgery itself actually carries very minimal risk if you put yourself in the hands of a qualified, certified cosmetic surgery specialist – someone who has trained and devoted [his or his] career to the misrepresentation and inexperience of certain surgeons†. (California Health and Beauty) This article is saying that people are dying because there not looking up facts and information about the surgeon, but how much is of this idea is true?I believe no matter who performs the surgery; it’s always dangerous and has many life threatening consequences. Whether or not the surgeon is ‘’good’’ or ‘’bad’’ the procedures should not be done and are unethical. First of all, cosmetic surgery costs a great deal of money. Breast augmentations are 3,797$, Tummy Tucks are,332$, Butt Lifts are $7,904, Collagen Injections are $673 and Eyelid surge ry is $2,912, To me no amount of money is worth risking your life for. Not only that, I believe that people are beautiful the way they are, and that they don’t need surgery to boost their self esteem.Individuals seek to conform to the social norm, and it’s apparent that they will go to any cost to make that happen. When comes to unethical issues such as transgender cosmetic surgery, no it should not be allowed. In Fact, when they get these procedures they can die from anesthesia. In conclusion, when come to cosmetic surgery its dangerous overall even though you’re getting medical reasons or even though you get Butt Lift or Tummy Tuck or Collagen injection , Overall cosmetic surgery is a dangerous ,harmful procedure that should be banned.

Classification of Milk Essay

Ultra-high-temperatureprocessingClassification of milk products based on the manufacturing process Milk is important for both children and adults because it is a source of minerals, calcium, protein and phosphorus. Currently, there are different kinds of milk products in the market. Here are some types of milk based on the manufacturing process: -UHT Liquid Milk UHT is stands for Ultra High Temperature Processing or Ultra Heat Treatment. It is a way to sterilize food through to high heat process about 24 seconds at 135-140 degrees Celsius which the spores of milk is destroyed completely in that temperature. The high temperature pasteurization processes was first discovered in the 1960s by used with the milk know as UHT milk. UHT milk can be stored at room temperature for 6-10 months compared with pasteurized milk. UHT milk free of preservatives because the package is made in six layers to keep the milk remains in a sterile condition within a specified period without other chemicals. Milk Pasteurization Pasteurized milk is raw milk that passed through the heat of not less than 60 Celsius for at least 30 minutes or uses the heat of not less than 73 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds. Pasteurized milk is only lasted for 14 days if not stored in the refrigerator with a temperature of 5-7 degrees Celsius. Pasteurized milk has fresh taste and features as the natural milk. -Milk Sterilization The milk will be sterilized by high heat at 120 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes and caused the whole bacteria die but the spores will still be growing. The sterilized milk is not suitable for children because some nutrients like Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2 and Vitamin C disappear during the heating process. The sterilized milk is usually packed in sealed metal cans so it can be kept up to 1-2 years and should be stored in the refrigerator after you open it to maintain the quality of milk. -Sweetened Condensed Milk 80 degrees Celsius warming conducted over three hours. It is condensed milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added. It can last for year without refrigeration if unopened. Sweetened Condensed Milk is used for cooking rather than drinking. And it contains very high sugar so it should not to use to feed the baby. -Milk Powder It is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness with a spray dryer or roller dryer is 200 degrees Celsius for two hours. The purpose of drying milk is to preserve it. It can be kept longer than the liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated.

Ottoman and Safavid Empires Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ottoman and Safavid Empires - Essay Example Powerbase The solid powerbase is an important factor that legitimized the rule of the Ottoman and Safavid empires. They owed much of their power to the empire created by the Mongols previously as well as the political institutions that allowed for the achievement of the "military patronage state" wherein government functioned like a great military family that serve as protector of the country and its culture. The Ottoman Empire is the greater beneficiary of these Mongol legacies. Nonetheless, what can be seen here is that the prevailing political environment was already stable, systematic and influential. All it took was strong leadership to take advantage of all the policy network available as well as the existence of an effective bureaucracy that has been established long before. This last factor is particularly helpful in the case of weak Sultan who is incapable of protecting his subjects by himself. The bureaucracy assumed great powers and centralized authority that a weak leader could rule just effectively, taking authority and power from the many branches of his government (Karpat 2002, 400) Holy Mandate Another important legitimizing force for the powerbase of the Ottoman and the Safavid empires was religion - the Islamic values and laws. ... The Safavids also benefited from religion in this manner. In fact, Islam is their primary claim to authority. The primary authority of the Safavid rulers was based on the claim that the they were descendants of the seventh imam, and therefore were quasi-divine persons (Lapidus 2002, 445). Unlike the Ottomans, who benefitted in combining religious and secular approach in governance, the Safavids went as far as establishing a religious establishment that eventually used to eliminate opposition to the government and the ruler. For this purpose, Shah Ismail founded Shi'ism built up the ranks of the Shi'i ulama, which ruthlessly suppressed rivals of the state and the religious order. Shah Ismail successfully made his subjects think that he and his heirs, being descendants, of the Seventh Imam, Muza al-Kazim, were his reincarnations on earth (The Empire of the Heartlands reference 64). This cemented the authority of the Shah, becoming the head both of the state and of religion, being the T welfth Imam, in the flesh. In addition, the Safavid rulers also carefully cultivated historic images of previous glorious Persian past such as manuscript illuminations, architecture, and court literature of Iranian kings of kings (Khoury and Kostiner 1990, 36). This recall of past glory and Persian forms of monarchy strengthened the religious authority of the Safavid leaders so that they were able to consolidate power and maintain it without significant opposition from the people. In the 13th century, for example, the leadership encouraged the theory that the Safavid founder Husain married the daughter of Yazdigird III, the last Sassanian king, effectively linking the house of Ali to the Iranian monarchical tradition (Empires of the Heartland reference, 47). The Ottomans also organized

One of the most important battles to fight is the right to know what Essay

One of the most important battles to fight is the right to know what is in our food - Essay Example The reason for the knowledge is imperative for determining a good well balanced life. Well-being is strongly supported by mental conditions. When one acknowledges food content, they ingest, a harmonization of psychology conditions together with the biological process following the food attribution to good health (Food Labeling - Consolidation Directive Agreed 1). Whether the food produced is organic or not should be captured in the label. Diseases and human health conditions are another reason manufacturers should label food. Allergies and reactions affect human with varying degrees and dietary supplements, and people should fight to push for labeling as a granted right. To avoid illness and stress setting into one’s life understanding content before they take is paramount. Moreover, financial constraints are becoming a must consider concern in acquiring the food people eat (Gatenby 350). Many eateries do not mind of the side effects of using given spices, components and supplements on the food prepared. Hence, a more reason people should demand to know what they pay for. Finances will be employed in the treatment or paying for food one may never use upon realizing the contents are not enough for their ingestion later (Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum Food Labeling Policy 1). Eating food is a daily must activity in order to be healthy. Business classes have not perceived the need to label the food. Consumer should not purchase food does is not labeled to send a clear message to manufacturers. Being the heart of the production by consuming, human beings should demand their right to understand what they are eating. It will prevent disease spread, financial planning, and psychological satisfaction. Doctors may help keep a tab of health improvement from what is eaten. Should the right to know the content supersede the act of consuming what

Curruption in Russia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Curruption in Russia - Research Paper Example It has been reported that $35 billion were stolen from government funds in 2010. Corruption in Russia has put a massive burden on the economy and the society and is badly affecting the country as a whole. It has slackened the growth of the economy, and has devalued the government’s efforts to establish a strong infrastructure and a social welfare system. It is mostly fueled by Russia’s weak control over the government sectors and the judiciary system as a whole. Unfortunately, this phenomenon cannot be controlled without threatening the lifestyle and regime of the influential people in the country, who control a large share of the country’s economy. A well-governed lawful state is the only hope to reduce corruption in the country, but it cannot be established without the support of the elite society in the country. The fact that a new system of government has to be formed by breaking the old structure has daunted all past presidents of the country, and has made t hem even more reluctant to bring changes in the country. (Corruption Grows in Russia) Foreign investors have concluded that Russia is a very risky place to invest their money, which has come as a big blow to the country’s economy. Foreign investors are continuously being cheated and plundered, which has made them ever more reluctant to invest. Hermitage Capital Management, one of the largest investors in the Russian stock market, was occupied in a case that showed the ever-increasing corruption in the Russian justice system, and the level its credibility. Hermitage has accused the Russian judiciary and the police force, to have taken bribes from local gangsters, in order to sell three of Hermitage’s Russian subsidiaries. Furthermore, these subsidiaries were used to steal $230 million from the Russian budget. Hermitage has also informed the Russian State Audit Chamber, of other cases where similar fraud has occured with other companies, which ultimately cost the Russian budget a loss of $240 million. Hermitage has also declared that all these frauds were interlinked, and the police, judges and organized criminal groups, were all involved in the conspiracy. (The Hermitage case and corruption in Russia). There have been numerous other corruption cases regarding the Russian government. In 2010, The U.S. Justice Department revealed documents, which accused the German carmaker Daimler to have paid the Russian government officials, millions of euros in bribe. This was to seal the sales of patrol cars for the police and sedans for the presidential motorcade. For some time, there was no reaction from the Russian government, and things remained quiet. At last, Russian Ministry of Interior, declared an investigation regarding car sales and purchase in the recent year. Although, some government officials, who promised to solve it, met this Daimler case with much vigor the case remains one of the foremost examples of the corruption existing in Russia, and how vulnerable the government officials are to bribes and other forms of corruption. In addition, in 2007, prosecutors in Germany, who were accused of taking bribes from the multi-national company, Siemens, revealed numerous names of Russian government officials. (Russia Slow to Pick Up the Lead in Bribery Cases) Corruption in Russia is not only affecting the economy, but is also slowing down the country’s transition from communism to capitalism. Russia is still recovering from its communism policies, but the

Performance and Talent Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Performance and Talent Management - Essay Example c. Incremental progression - academic staff – unless staff are have reached the maximum point for their salary level, they are eligible for incremental progression after a year’s tenure provided their performance is satisfactory. d. Study support, provision to be released from duties to pursue study and skills development programs that would enhance the capability of the academic staffs. II. Limitations While the remuneration package at UTS seems impressive, a close examination of the parameters of satisfaction of its academic staffs reveal that there are two areas that the university performance system scored dismal. The result of the of UTS academic staff satisfaction rate that can be considered dismal scoring below 50% are the career development opportunity dimesion at 42% and cross-unit cooperation, especially across different areas of UTS scoring a mere 42%. Interpreting this scores meant that UTS academic staff perceives their career development at UTS to be bleak and that they are uncooperative lacking the capacity to do teamwork. This can be considered as a curious case because the dismal figure of 42% in career development is already considered progressive as it already increased by 2% since 2009. This gives no reason to tap the management of UTS at the back because taking this figure objectively meant that it came from a a very negative base that a slight change is already considered an improvement. Cooperation is at 42% which surprisingly is 16% higher compared to other universities. This does not however mean that UTS should already congratulate itself because it still mean that UTS is underderperforming though it is not alarming compared to the career development opportunity dimension which can directly impact the academic staffs stay and performance in the university. Close investigation through the interview details of the survey revealed the reason behind the dismal career development perception of academic staff in UTS. It reveale d that the performance system of UTS is designed for minimum compliance and does not appeal to achievers. An excerpt of the interview revealed; (What kind of elements of UTS performance and development planning are you NOT happy with?) Our system does not mean anything if the performance is NOT poor. Just surface administrative system that in align with compliance. (Specific question) Do you think that UTS performance and development system are in align with UTS strategic goal and vision? Yes, they are on the system. But just focus on implementing. We think the systems is just showing what we should do minimally. From this statement, the dismal figure of UTS career development score is better understood that the academic staffs does not findt the UTS Performance System to be challenging enough to motivate them. Analysis To better understand the case, it has to be understood that UTS is an academe and the subject of analysis are the academic staff who are intellectuals whose jobs req uire cerebral work rather than manual labor. This is important to cite because the nature of work has bearing on performance system implemented that would motivate the workforce. Motivation is important because a motivated workforce â€Å"can handle a variety of assignments, work autonomously,

Beggaining of catholic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beggaining of catholic - Essay Example Jesus of Nazareth was an itinerant preacher in Jerusalem during the Common Era’s early 30s. Catholicism is strongly founded on the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. In this regard, the proclamation of Catholic Church is that the death of Jesus Christ was for intended for this church. In addition, Catholicism was built and established on by the apostles through Peter who is believed to have been given the Keys to Heaven’s Kingdom. Peter was also given the power to loosen and bind that which is bound in Heaven. At this point, the Catholics believe that Jesus gave Peter the obligation to serve as the head of the Church under the authority of Jesus (Norman, p.8). After Jesus’ resurrection, His mission of bringing salvation to man was complete. However, one would only obtain salvation through encounter with Jesus in baptism and becoming a disciple. This way, the church would be established. Holmes and Bicker reveal that with Peter as the church’s head, the other disciples assisted in the mission of disciples making in the world as Jesus had commanded. Through this mission, the word Catholic was used to mean universal, which also means the Catholic Church reaching around the world. The Pope and Bishops head the Catholic Church congregation. The roles of the Pope originated from Peter the church head, while the disciples were replaced with bishops. The Pope is considered to be the successor to have succeeded Peter whose grave is in Vatican City today. At first, the Roman Catholic Church in the Roman Empire was prohibited. In this empire, Christians were under terrible prosecutions. These conditions lasted for about three hundred years until the reign of Emperor Constantine (Vidmar, p.10). The conversion of Emperor Constantine into Catholicism made it legal and eventually recognized as the religion for the empire officially. Constantine legalized Christianity in A.D.

Jeremy Bentham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jeremy Bentham - Essay Example Utilitarianism is probably the greatest work by Jeremy Bentham. The ethical foundations he laid down are still widely accepted by the general public. Bentham based his moral philosophy of Utilitarianism in public good and happiness. He argued that people should act in a way so as to maximize public good for the maximum number of people (Bentham, 3). The moral philosophy of Bentham became famous because it was representative of human nature. Before Bentham moral philosophy was based on complex principles and there was a divide between moral philosophies and the general public. Bentham brought moral philosophy and ethics within the grasp of the general public. The concept of maximum good for the maximum people is quite easy to understand and this is one reason why people still discuss and apply this theory when facing ethical dilemmas. Jeremy Bentham got his bachelors and masters degree from The Queen’s College, Oxford. He was from an educated family therefore he got all the necessary training and education from his family. Bentham presented many social reforms related to prison system, women, and economic freedom. He was an ardent proponent of women’s right and thought that women should get equal right to men. The aim of Bentham’s philosophy was to maximize the public benefit and minimize the pain of the people. All of the social reforms and changes in the legislature suggested by Bentham were based on the principle of maximum utility of the society. He thought that laws should be aimed to benefit the public in general so that overall happiness of the society can be increased. Pleasure and pain according to Bentham were the main motivators of human action therefore his ethics is based upon increasing pleasure and reducing pain of the maximum number of people in the society. Contribution of Jeremy Bentham to the subject of ethics is great because his theory of utilitarianism is stills studied in every ethics related course all over the globe.

People on organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

People on organization - Essay Example Before the actual date of the meeting, participants have to be selected appropriately. A meeting within an organization should not contain all the members of the organization but only the members that are affected or required to impact the meeting. The selection of members of a meeting will depend on the type of meeting. For instance, a meeting to negotiate terms and conditions of work between employer and employees does not necessarily require attendance of all the employees. Instead, members can be drawn from the membership of employee unions. This selection will limit the possibility of waste of time from irrelevant input and lack of concern in the meeting. Setting the objectives of the meeting or the agenda is another preparatory process. Here, the person or group that calls the meeting will develop a set of concerns that the meeting will address. The main consideration here is given to the type of meeting. If the meeting is to address a dispute, then the objectives are limited to the scope of a dispute of resolution and the stakeholders are duly informed. The agenda is then distributed to the stakeholders before the meeting to allow time for the stakeholders to gather high-quality information on the subject matter. It also gives the participants time to make their schedules comply with the timeframe of the meeting (Gamage 2006). Giving each stakeholder time for preparation sets the time for each member to gather the relevant information on the subject of the issue. The importance of this subject is already discussed that it makes the subject limit the preparation of the issues at hand. For distributive negotiations, this point is a s pecial one. This is since it makes the preparing partners have a wide variety of their options. For integrated bargains, the process is not as useful as it engages the formal partners in a wit engagement that will engage in unproductive negotiations. A meeting should start at the stipulated time on and

EMBA 530 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Discussion initial post Essay - 1

EMBA 530 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Discussion initial post - Essay Example On the other hand, many new ventures provide generic services such as restaurants, barber shops or beauty salons, car repair shops, and similar common (versus radical) products. The fact that ventures tend to fail more than succeed is evident in the tendency of venture capitalists to be more confident in predicting the failure rather than success of proposed ventures (Landstrom, 2007). This myth states that most successful enterprises are serendipitously born from some revelation of a revolutionary new product or technology. Far from the truth, because all enterprises set out with much risk and doubt, and the business owners would have endured several setbacks and would have changed their plans multiple instances before they would have achieved success in their business. In fact, corporate ventures (set up by large incumbent firms) are more successful at pursuing radical innovations than are small entrepreneurial ventures, because of the more advanced technical support and steadier financial assurance from the large corporation (Czarnitzki, Dick & Hussinger, 2010). It is necessary to keep tax rates low so entrepreneurs could reap rewards that would keep them motivated in their enterprises. Actually, this is true to some extent because entrepreneurial profits are lower in states with higher marginal tax rates (Ortmans, 2011). What is not true, however, is that high tax rates are the only disincentives to entrepreneurs. There are many other factors that tend to discourage entrepreneurs or cause enterprises to fail. One of these is complex accounting methods and reporting requirement. Another is the bureaucratic bias against enterprises that compel the firm to hire specialists and professionals to duly advise them. But probably the most important disincentive is the thousands of regulations, such as employment and health-care regulations by federal and state agencies, which erode the scarce capital and investment resources of the small business. These and a

International financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International financial management - Essay Example Foreign exchange market makes it possible for both private and commercial transactions including loans, investments, and foreign trade. The existence of a foreign exchange market is a result of economies employing national currencies rather than a common currency (Kumar, and Mukherjee, 2007; Butcher, 2011). If the world economy was to use a single currency, foreign markets could not be a necessity. The foreign exchange market is exceedingly active, and it is largely an over the counter market. Although the exchanges trade futures and option, a number of transactions are over the counter (Brigham, and Houston, 2009). The future expected spot price is the market's belief about an asset’s spot price in the future (Poniachek, 2012). This leads to a question of whether or not one can use the current forward price to predict the particular future spot price. A number of hypotheses have been in place to try clarifying the relationship between the expected future spot price, and the c urrent forward price (Wang, 2009). In the field of financial economics, there has been intensive examination by researchers on the â€Å"Forward Rate Unbiased Hypothesis† (FRUH), as Kumar (2011) indicates. ... This means that organizations can look upon a future exchange rate that is prevailing today as the spot rate of the future date (Sharan, 2006; Carbaugh, 2011). In the case of an assumption that the forex market is rational or efficient, the spot rate that is common at the future date should be in tandem with the future rate for that date established in the market today. Contrary to this belief, scientific evidence indicates that there are significant variations between the forward market rates and the spot rates (Kumar, 2011). In addition, the studies have not been able to produce any material evidence to prove that forward market rate can predict the future spot rates. Some forecasters hold the believe that foreign exchange markets for the principal floating currencies are efficient, and that forward market rates are an unbiased indicators of the future spot exchange rates. Unbiased prediction implies that the forward exchange rate will, on average, underestimate and overestimate th e actual future spot exchange rate in equivalent degree and frequency. There is a probability that the forward market rate may not be equivalent to the future spot exchange rates. This relationship’s rationale is founded on the assumption that: a) There is a quick reflection of all relevant information in both the forward exchange markets and spot exchange markets b) Instruments that are denominated in the various currencies are perfect alternates for each other c) Operation costs are minimal 3. The future spot rate and the forward rate One can make out the relationship between the forward market rate and the expected future spot rate on the unbiased forward rate theory. This theory claims that the forward exchange rate is the superlative, and a balanced,

Politics of the knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Politics of the knowledge - Essay Example The two scientists strongly contest the objectivity of the contemporary knowledge and advocate new model of knowledge acquisition that encompasses feminist constructivist views and thereby delineating gender biases. Harding (1986) asserts that feminist theorists are objective in their hypotheses which are ‘free of gender loyalties’ (p. 138). At the same time, they also tend to ensure that women’s activities are fully represented within the broader scope of the social relation with the existing environment. The Marxist’s analysis of bourgeois labor becomes contentious as it ignores women’s experiences and therefore, need to be redefined to include women’s contribution to social life at all levels of interaction. Harding says that while subjectivity is inherent in the feminist epistemologies, the cultural production of gender identity necessitates greater understanding of changing social structure that ‘resists the continuation of the distorting dualities of modernism’ (p. 161). She emphasizes that feminist empiricism is pertinent as it challenges the androcentric biases. Indeed, women as enquirer considerably enhance objectivity of science. Haraway (1988) posits objectivity at the center of her arguments as male dominancy at all levels of scientific knowledge promotes biases in social constructions of not only identities but also in the social activities. She believes that feminist objectivity would help to translate knowledge across communities and power differentiated groups in a bias free manner. She says that more critical theories are required to construct meaning in order to ‘build meanings and bodies that have a chance for life’ (p. 25). The feminist objectivity highlights ‘situated knowledges’ (p. 26) that encourages paradoxical perspectives within scientific enquiry. She insists that there is no room for relativism within knowledge as it blurs the

Dissemination evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dissemination evidence - Essay Example Consequently, it will contain elaborately detailed nursing experience and nursing workplace value, concise topic and audience as well as definite publishers (Logsdon, Eckert, Beck & Dennis, 2012). Elaborately simple guidelines of the use of screening tools which will be presented in laminated posters will ensure that mother, the key stakeholder, are proficient in the identification of symptoms of postpartum depression (Logsdon, Eckert, Beck & Dennis, 2012). The communication between mothers and nurses will play a substantial role in enhancing the knowledge adoption by mothers as the nurses will elaborate on the precise use of the various tools of screening PPD to the mothers. The knowledge presented from the research will be communicated to the larger nursing community through two channels. First, there will be a publication of the knowledge gathered by the research in a single publication which will be published at the American Nurses Association. This will enhance the access to this knowledge by nurses thus advancing its benefit to the nursing community. Secondly, quality improvement articles will be useful to communicate effectively to specific nurses in different geographic locations which have different culture that need specialized knowledge and skill in order to identify symptoms of postpartum depression in them. In common, these two channels of communication will contain the key measures and strategies for improvement of efficacy of early detection and intervention of postpartum depression (Logsdon, Eckert, Beck & Dennis, 2012). In addition, they will present the impacts of the change and next steps planned to overcome the barriers to early detec tion and intervention of postpartum depression. Logsdon, M. C., Tomasulo, R., Eckert, D., Beck, C., & Dennis, C. L. (July/August, 2012). Identification of mothers at risk for postpartum depression by hospital-based perinatal nurses. Mcn. the American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 37,

Phase 3 Discussion Board (LOG676) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phase 3 Discussion Board (LOG676) - Coursework Example The paper will compare the involvement of the United States in humanitarian supply chains and that of Kenya. In 2004, the earthquake and tsunami claimed close to 230000 lives while displacing 1.7 million other people. In the United States, the response was unprecedented and unequaled mobilizing over US$565 million, in both cash and kind. Kenya has been involved in hosting refugees drawn from the neighboring war-torn Somalia and Sudan as well as providing soldiers under AMISON. In any disaster response management as pointed out by practitioners, and researchers, the effectiveness of any emergency drill rely entirely on logistic speed and efficiency. While both countries face the same problems like the impact of political and decision makers in the humanitarian supply chain, other factors such as certainty as well as challenges in the supply of materials, are unique to either. With disaster management efforts measured in terms of uncertainty and complexity, the United States is better equipped with rapid response materials. The main humanitarian arms in the U. S government are the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, USAID, which work with the intergovernmental organizations like the UNHCR CARE and the Catholic Relief Services. While in Kenya, the Kenya Defense Forces, and the Red Cross standout. In my opinion, what makes the response of the United States more concerted is the almost seamless organization in the structure of disaster management as compared to Kenya. Companies involved in roles such as donors, collectors, and providers seem to be well synchronized. It explains why most interventions such as those in Afghanistan and the Iraqi were successful. Companies also offer technological support and staff who are tasked with ensuring efficiency. Thus, the technological advancements help the staff access remote and almost inaccessible areas (Lee, 2003). The United States, as opposed to Kenya, has also ensured that there

Clyfford still Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Clyfford still - Essay Example The artist’s feelings are also on the surface as it is clear that Still sympathized with those people and he is also very sad that some people had to live in such conditions. It is also possible to assume that the artist feels that the American society cannot be called a just one, as there are so many poor people who do not enjoy equal rights and do not have equal opportunities with the rest of Americans. As far as I am concerned, the painting made quite a strong impression on me. The first thing that caught my eye was the hands (as well as feet) of the man and the woman. It is clear that very poor people are depicted. The hands can be regarded as a symbol of hard work and large feet can symbolize distances that these people have to cover. I felt sorrow for the couple who had to work very hard day after day. My sad feelings were enhanced by the posture of the couple. The man and the woman are absolutely devastated. I almost felt their weariness. I assume that these two people are not only tired of the work, they are also tired of their lives. The man and the woman are dreaming and I feel they do not have any dreams as they have no enough powers to create any images in their heads, since they are too tired. Finally, one element attracted my special attention. The horseshoe, which is the symbol of good luck, can be regarded as a symbol of hope in the painting. The couple could hope that they might someday overcome their difficulties and live a happy and prosperous life. However, I do not feel that there is any hope for the two people. Unfortunately, when I am looking at the painting, I can only see despair and endless suffering of the couple as well as millions of other people all over the

Gender Role in Triffles Essay Example for Free

Gender Role in Triffles Essay The roles and rights of women in the Victorian era up to nineteen hundreds differ drastically from where women stand today. In the play â€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell, females are portrayed to be an insignificant part of society compared to the importance of males. Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles is a murder mystery type of play that discovers and analyzes gender roles and corrupt relationships due to the Victorian time period. The typical stereo type for women in the nineteen hundreds was being nothing but a housewife. A good house wife in this time was considered to have children, take care of the children and clean the house, and there not much more to it. In the nineteen hundreds women did not have many career options, they had almost none. Women’s education was not seen as an important thing to promote. Stated by Helen Nickson in the article Life of Women in the Victorian Era, â€Å"The only role of women in the Victorian era was to get married and look after the homely chores The ladies did not do things themselves but told others what to do. They were just supposed to marry and raise children. The women of lower class worked in the factories, garment industries, laundries or various other jobs to support themselves.†. Women were treated more like an object or a servant rather than a person or spouse. One of the main characters in the play Trifles named Hale states a short simple statement that when looked into, states a strong opinion. Hale states to another male in the play, â€Å"Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.†. This statement shows how the men in this day thought women lacked common sense or intelligence. When trying to investigate the murder in this story, the men took no part of the women’s opinions. Women’s rights have come a long way since the Victorian Era. Women had little say in just about everything whether it had to do with marriage decisions or political things. Set up marriages were a common thing women had no say in. In today’s world women can vote, support themselves and choose who they marry. Some people wouldn’t believe the simple rights women have today were fought for way back when even in the nineteen hundreds. Women had little almost no career options in the Victorian Era. The few career choices were only for single women who needed to support themselves, if one was a house wife that was there life. Men had high expectations of their own wife’s classiness and manners in public places in the nineteen hundreds. Many males were very judgmental, much in like the play Trifles, of any opinion from a women back in the day. In an online article by Rachael Hurvitz, she states â€Å"For Victorians, divorce was not only extremely expensive, it was very hard to do. Women and men stayed in unhappy marriages for numerous reasons. Many stayed away from divorce because of the stigma attached to divorced women. It was also considered a societal taboo†. Women feared divorcing the one they were married to strictly due to the opinions of others in society. In Trifles a woman ends up murdering her own husband, rather than divorcing. The investigators don’t suspect her at first strictly because she is a wife and a female. When another female suggests that the husbands wife could be a possibility, the men just laughed to each another. Before women had fought for their rights, they lacked respect from society. Women have come a long way today, now having equal rights to anything men can do, including career choices and political voting. Works Cited Glaspel, SusanTrifles Literature: Eleventh Edition Nickson, Helen. Life of Women in the Victorian Era. Web.: http://ezinearticles.com/?Life-of-Women-in-the-Victorian-Eraid=2359711 Hurvitz, Rachael â€Å"Women and Divorce in the Victorian Era† http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/agunn/teaching/enl3251/vf/pres/hurvitz.htm

Harry Potter And The Order Of the Phoenix Essay Example for Free

Harry Potter And The Order Of the Phoenix Essay J. K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter books series that began with the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone while Warner Bros. owns the rights to produce the movies based upon the book series. The latest outing of the movie version of the book series is the adventure filled â€Å"Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix†, movie number 5 of a 7 series film outing. Released in the year 2007, the CGI heavy film stars Daniel Radcliffe in the titular role together with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint portraying the highly important support characters of Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley respectively. The now more light colored movie setting, when compared to the previous directorial jobs of Chris Colombus and Alfonso Cuaron, was imagined and crafted by the imagination of first time Harry Potter director David Yates. In order to be able to follow the story as it unfolds throughout the movie, one must be an avid Harry Potter book or movie follower for the storyline of the movie is not for the uninitiated and will leave any viewer without a background in the story series feeling frustrated and left out of some of the seemingly inside jokes being thrown around in the movie (e. g.  Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger? ) The film picks up the story from where the prior movie, â€Å"Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire† left off. Harry is coming to terms with the death of Cedric Diggory at the end of the previous movie while also trying to figure out who he really is as a person. Is he a bad person trying to be good or, as his Godfather Sirius Black told him â€Å"just a good person to whom bad things happen? † All of his personal doubts make him choose isolate himself from even his closest friends because of the way most of the school views him as a liar. As a character, Harry develops like any normal teenage boy. He dabbles in the typical first love, first kiss, and often rebellious streak that his main nemesis, Lord Voldemort, portrayed in the film by the superb British actor Ralphe Fiennes, often takes advantage of. I observed this particular movie to be, in a a way, the coming of age for the students of Hogwart’s School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although the screenplay writer Michael Goldenberg took tremendous amounts of liberties in the retelling of the book, the main plot and lessons from the book still managed to translate well to the big screen. After all, it is no joke trying to translate an 870 page book to the big screen with a running time of almost 3 hours. Die hard fans of the book will probably scream â€Å"Sacrilege! † at the way certain key elements that were perceived in the book, such as the magic mirror Sirius gave to Harry on Christmas Day, or the jinxed DA coins that Hermione gave to the member of their little organization in order to prevent the members from telling about what they were up to in the Room Of Requirement. But I guess that one will realize that all the key elements were retained within in one way or another. The fans will also most likely not appreciate the way certain duties in the book seemed to have gotten reassigned in the movie. For example, in the book, it was a member of the DA who told Prof. Umbridge about where their organization meets, not Cho Chang. What did help the story to move along quite well on film is the total cutting out of the minor subplots in the book that really had no place in the movie version. The real magic of the Harry Potter movie series seems to lie in the way that author J. K.  Rowling has managed to write a book series that mirrors the problems facing teenagers in such a way that the readers and the movie viewers who grew up with the story will be experiencing the same things almost simultaneously in real life. The movie has real lessons to teach, such as standing up and fighting for what one believes in, believing in yourself and accepting the consequences of your actions, and finally, knowing that there is always an easier way out of things but that may not always be the right path to take.

Developing a Nursery That Meets the Needs of a Child

Developing a Nursery That Meets the Needs of a Child Foundations to Psychology This essay will look into how the designs of nurseries, in light of relevant research will contribute to meeting the cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs of children aged three to five years old. The aim of this essay will be to provide a range of activities that nurseries could in cooperate into their timetable to meet these needs. Cognitive The key elements of the cognitive theory is to try and explain the method and processes by which an infant, and then a child will develop into an adult, who can think and reason using hypotheses (simplypsychology.2009.) Cognition consists of the development of perception, attention, language, memory and thinking. As children develop they acquire the cognitive structures that stay with them throughout their lives. Psychologist Jean Piaget viewed cognitive development as maturational process which focuses on childrens interactions with the physical word, and how they view it in their mind. He suggested that children think differently than adults and that they actively try to explore and make an understanding of the world. (simplypsychology, ND.) There are four stages to Piagets cognitive theory, but the one that is most relevant to a nursery caring for three to five year olds is the preoperational stage. This is the idea that children cannot conserve because they like to please people (psychologyabout,  ND.) To test if children were egocentric, Piaget used the three mountain tasks, where children were shown a mountain that had snow on it and a hut on the other side, they were then asked what could be seen from a different perspective (simplypsychology,  ND.) A child of age three to five is beginning to think with numbers and symbols and develop memory strategies. An activity relevant to developing this would be placing counters in front of a child and asking them how many counters they have, this is encouraging them to think logically. Piaget believed that each child moves from stage to stage at their own pace, and that in the classroom you have to look at what stage each child is, to move them forward. So ones who are at a further stage would be able to do more complicated counting tasks. Another activity would be mouse trap, children would have to work together to keep the mouse from being trapped, making the children having to see someone elses point of view and developing their inability to conserve according to Piaget. (littlechildren,  ND.) Lev Vygotskys theory for cognitive development relies on the zone of proximal development. The three different levels are what I cant do, what I can do with help and what I can do. This is known as Vygotskys scaffolding theory and it was to try and explain that social interaction is important for cognitive development. (simplypsychology,  2007.) Vygotsky suggested that having interaction with older people would be an effective way to develop skills. So nurseries could pair up a five year old child with a three year old child and they could work together to complete a puzzle, this would give the three year old the help from an older peer which could help them to complete the puzzle on their own eventually (simplypsychology,  2007.) Piagets contributions to cognitive development in children are not flawless. Piaget didnt take into account who he was talking to, children of that age like to say whatever would please someone, so if a child is asked what is two add two, the child will answer four, but then if they are asked now what is two add two the child will think that they have answered the question incorrectly and will give a different answer. Physical The key elements of physical development in children is the physical maturation of an individuals body up until it reaches the adult stage. A childs physical and measurable growth such as weight and height are taking place. Physical development concerns the development of our bodys structure and processes during life and how these developments help of hold back how we think and behave socially and emotionally. Everyone develops physically at roughly the same age but the physical changes that occur may vary from one person to another. (psychologyabout,  ND.) According to theorist Mary Sheridan, at three years old, a child will be able to walk up the stairs, cut with scissors and turn while running and pulling toys, so they are able to multi task. At four years old, a child can turn sharp corners, they can run, push and pull, and they can hop and climb. Then at five years old, they can skip and dance and hop (childdevelopmentchart,  2013.) Sheridan also suggests that in terms of other physical developments a child of aged three to five years would be able to give their name and address, they can help with dressing themselves, use their fork and spoon, be able to draw a person and be able to speak roughly 1500 words. (childdevelopmentchart,  2013.) Sheridan says that children between aged three and five should be able to draw figures, so nurseries could cater for this type of physical development by having art sessions where children can draw or paint family portraits. This would also improve their fine motor skills such as fingers and hands. Another theorist Arnold Gesell identified the importance of the role of nature and heredity in childrens development. There is a psychology debate about whether our nature (biological heritage ) or our nurture (the environment we are brought up in.) Gesell believed that a timetable could be used to outline the developmental growth of every child. (ehow,  ND.) Gesell indentified the typical behaviours of children through their childhood. He categorized these behaviours into different areas which he called the gradients of growth. The ones that would be mostly used at a nursery would personal hygiene, motor characteristics, school life and play and pastimes. (education,  ND.) In terms of physical activities to help a childs development and to help work on their gross motor skills (arms and legs,) nurseries could provide a playtime, where children have the chance to interact with each other, play games and have a run around. This would be part of the play and pastimes section on Gesells timetable. (developmentalpsychology,  ND.) Gesells theory of development has been accepted as it is still used today, however there are criticisms of his theory because his timetable only went up to the ages of five, so there is no developmental stages for the childhood beyond that age (ehow,  ND.) Emotional Emotional development is how an individual develops emotional competence, for example how they deal with emotions and how their identities develop. For a child, hints of their personalities will start to show, so if they are upset of angry they may kick and scream as a way of dealing with that emotion. How a child is treated and their relationships contribute to their emotional development. Psychologist Wolcott believed that if a child brings in a toy that reminds them of home and their mother they will still have this attachment. This toy would be the mother substitute because they are recognising it as something from being at home. So if the child became upset from missing home which children tend to do when they are going to nursery for the first time, they have something to remind them of home. (psychologytoday,  ND.) A more interactive activity that would strengthen a childs emotional development would be a persona doll. A persona doll is a puppet and could be used at nurseries to put on a show where different situations are created and the children would be asked how they would feel if such a situation happened to them. This would help a child to understand emotions and how they might feel. (personadolltraining,  ND.) Michael Rutter believed that you have to have a mother or a mother substitute in the first five years of life. Rutter conducted a study on children at an orphanage of whom had suffered emotional deprivation. He looked at adopted children and how when they were adopted into families their weight and their IQs had improved dramatically (pbworks,  ND.) Michael concluded that if a child doesnt develop an emotional attachment this is privation whereas deprivation is the loss of an attachment. (simplypsychology,  ND.) John Bowlbys attachment theory looked at the attachment relationship between parents and their children. Bowlby believed that if an infant was unable to develop a warm relationship with their mother, the child would have difficulty forming relationships with other people (bowlbyattachmenttheory,  ND.) Bowlby was convinced that the mother and baby bond was formed on a biological basis and that the baby is born with the need to form their bond and the mother has the instinct to form this bond. Bowlby suggested that a child would form only one attachment, normally their mother and this figure would act as their secure base when they explore the world. This one attachment acts as a starting relationship for future relationships that the child may have. (simplypsychology,  ND.) In light of what Bowlby and Rutter say about the importance of having the mother of the mother substitute, nurseries could assign carers or teaching assistants to groups of children or to each child if there is enough. Bowlby in particular said that consistency is important, so by assigning a carer to each child, there would be the mother substitute always there for that child. (littlechildren,  ND.) The implications of Bowlbys theory are that he suggested that the mother should be the constant carer therefore implying that the mother should not go out to work as she should be at home looking after the children and keeping this consistent bond (simplypsychology,  ND.) Social The key element of social development is socialisation, how individuals develop social abilities by building relationships and how they form friendships. For a child they will develop same sex relationships known as vertical relationships, and they will form friendships by playing with other children. Social development looks into our moral development, groups and peer group influences. Theorist Erik Erikson developed the psychosocial theory. Erikson had eight development stages, but the one that applies to a child of aged three to five is initiative vs guilt, this is where children start to understand purpose and the meaning of different things (currentnursing,  ND.) During the initiative vs guilt stage, conscience and imagination develops, children begin to understand what people expect of them whether it be at home or at school. Children can begin to assert some kind of power and control through direction of play which can include fantasies. (childdevelopmentchart,  2013.) The best way to in cooperate Eriksons psychosocial theory would be with indoor activities. At a certain time of day at a nursery, children could have the chance to have a play time indoors where there are sandpits, a play kitchen and a play house. The children would be in groups and they would rotate so that they could have the chance to play with each thing. This would give the children a chance to interact with each other and use their imagination to play restaurants or mummys and daddys with the play house or kitchen (jubed,  ND.) Albert Banduras social learning theory emphasized the importance of observing behaviour. Most human behaviour is learned through modelling by observation. The social learning theory explains that human behaviour is interaction of different influences; behavioural and environmental. Bandura believed that an individual is more likely to adopt behaviour if it results in outcomes that are valuable to them. (instructionaldesign.ND.) Banduras theory is supported by the bobo doll experiment. Children observed an adult attacking a bobo doll to try and knock it down, the children then imitated this behaviour (simplypsychology,  ND.) When meeting childrens social needs in light of Banduras experiment on the bobo doll in which behaviours are learned, a nursery would ensure that children behave correctly, and that no violent or aggressive behaviour is tolerated. Also children would learn to put their hand up when they want to speak. This way they are learning how to behave when they are at school. Criticisms of the social learning theory are that they rejecting the differences in individuals such as genetics, brain and learning differences which could affect how they perceive and respond to behaviour. With the bobo doll experiment, critics have argued against saying that children manipulated into responding to the attack on the doll. Children were further teased because they could not knock the doll down (criminology,  ND.) This is the way to go about creating a nursery that would meet the cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs of children aged three to five years old. There is a lot of evidence from doing experiments such as Piagets three mountains experiments and observations like Rutters orphanage study that supports the theorists and their theories, therefore strengthening the ideas on how a child develops in each criteria. Essentially every child develops differently and at a different pace, but looking collectively at children aged three to five years, there are certain activities that nurseries could use to help children thrive emotionally, socially, physically and cognitively. Reference List bowlbyattachmenttheory.(ND). Retrieved from http://explorable.com/bowlby-attachment-theory instructional design. (ND). Retrieved from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/social-development.html childdevelopmentchart.(2013). Retrieved from http://pgcegroup3.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/child-development-chart.pdf psychologyabout.(ND). 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Retrieved from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/theory_of_psychosocial_development.html psychologytoday.(ND). Retrieved from http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/state/VT/Wolcott.html personadolltraining.(ND). Retrieved from http://www.persona-doll-training.org/ukhome.html education.(ND). Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/arnold-gesell-child-learning-development-theory/ ehow.(ND). Retrieved from http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8593772_criticisms-gesells-maturation-theory.html childdevelopmentchart.(2013). Retrieved from http://pgcegroup3.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/child-development-chart.pdf criminology.(ND). Retrieved from http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/bandura.htm

Pirate Radio Music

Pirate Radio Music Pirate radio station is a station in UK. It is a site delivering pirate radio culture and music which is straight from the heart of London. It is also served through web server and screening real audio. It has played a crucial role in forming the Britains musical test. Today, the waves of the pirate radio station in the cities are so much crowded to the extend that the pirates are been pushed to the suburbs and the country side. It is through these that the people from the rural communities have been in a position to access these services which most of the radio stations have not achieved. Today the members from the rural communities can now have the opportunity to listen on what is happening all over the world through the many programmes which are made by this radio station. As a result most of the people have named it a nerve center and its headquarter is of Essex top pirate radio station. What was crucial for the growth of the pirate radio station was the incorporation of the new technology in the performance of its many activities. This radio station has used the new technology and these are some of the factors on how this new technology has made the pirate radio to prosper. You find that the transistors were now abit hugly smaller and also for the first time, these transistors were transportable. It was doe to the new technology that there was a drop in the hardware price. It was due to the drop of the hardware price that most of the activities could be done effectively hence leading the company to realize its competitive advantage. You find that for a company to grow, first it needs to maintain its costs since when costs are more than the profits, then definitely the company will lead to losses. But here we see that the hardware could be sold at a cheap price hence meaning that its costs were less than the profits leading to the realization of the competitive advantage. The introduction of the clearer and the cheaper FM brand is also another way by which the pirate radio has benefited from the new technology. Once the microwave technology came in to play, it means that this transmitter was in a different location which was different from where the pirates broadcasted from and this is a cheap hardware which can be easily got and replaced when stolen. (Jo Tacchi, 2001). If you tune around that FM band in London, you will find a large number of pirate radio stations. These stations are highly recognizable since they have differentiated themselves from the other stations so that then can realize their competitive advantage. One of their distinctive features is there distinctive sounds. You find that at the pirate radio station, they usually play different sounds which are so different from the other stations. Often you find them playing certain musical styles such as House, UK garage, Drum n Bass, reggae, Grime plus other numerous old skools genres. All these are personal but try to catch so many people hence you find that most of the people usually try to tune in to the pirate radio station so that they can listen at the music playing which is so much attractive. Most of these musics which are played are usually aimed at certain societies and communities so that the can be in a position to learn from them. It is in this music that most of the communities can have the chance to listen songs from their own languages. Many people tend to enjoy these types of songs since most of them are usually more of traditional and telling them about there own culture hence many people can not avoid listening to them. (Jo Tacchi, 2001). Impacts of the pirate radio station in the United Kingdom Pirate radio has done a great deal for the house music and this is done by feeding the public with all the latest underground music despite the fact that it has not been in a position to get the credit it really deserves. You find that this is one of the most entertainment stations in the United Kingdom in the sense that it has been in a position to keep most of the people here fully involved in most of their free times. Music industry is one of the growing sectors not only in the United Kingdom but also in other countries. It is through music that people have been in a position to utilize most of their free times hence leading to less criminals in the society. So you tend to find that its through the pirate radio station that most of the people can spent most of their free times listening to music, news and other records which are produced by the radio station. You find that most of the music usually carries important messages and most of the people can learn from this particular mu sic. Most of the people can change their behaviors through listening to these musics and pirate is a good example since most of the people in united kingdom usually like listening to radio pirate simply because it is well organized. It has a good schedule of doing its activities hence you find that most of the people like listening to its since its so much convenient. They have a variety of programs and these programs always have their set time hence people can be in a position to fix themselves on the p[particular program they really want to listen. It is also not biased like other radio stations. So you find that there is a lot of fun in radio pirate since its not biased at all and it has good music and entertainment which is liked by so many people. People are then in a position to benefit from pirate radio through its many programs, music, entertainment and also news. The whole of the house in the music industry also benefits from the pirate radio since in pirate radio, they pum p out all the current tunes along with all the music favorites and this can be seen as helping keep the scene more alive and also helps by selling huge amounts of new records and also by increasing the total number of DJs in this industry. (Colin, 1996). Promoters benefited through advertisements Many companies and organization have been in a position to benefit from the station since you find that most of the new events or even new products and services which have been produced in the market can be advertised through the radio station hence making the potential customers to be in a position to access them. One a company has produced a new product; the only way it can get this product to the potential customers is through advertisements. The radio advertisements are usually so cheap and available to everyone that why most of the people have preferred this radio station in advertising this product. As a result many people will be in a position to get to know the new product which has been introduced in the market. You find that most of the new events by these promoters are advertised through the pirate radio hence leading to the growth of the economy. The pirate radio station will also benefit in that it has received so many clients who wish to advertise their many products in that particular station hence they have been in a position to record huge profits. Many people also benefit from the pirate radio station in that it tends to help the less fortunate in the society. Not everyone in the many societies we come from has been blessed with wealth. There are a few elements who are termed as poor simply because they can not help them and a good example is the disabled, orphans and the elderly in the United Kingdom. The pirate radio station has taken the initiative to help most of these people out of the many profits which they record. So its through this that even the less fortunate in the society have been in a position to have improved standards of living. (Colin, 1996). Record sales The pirate radio has had a big impact on the record sales. There is a symbiotic relationship between the pirate radio and the record sales industries. You find that the radio pirate has grown hand in hand with the recording industry in that most of these recorded usually use the radio to advertise their new songs among other things. As a result, you find that these people have been in a position to increase their sales in that they usually advertise them through the radio. They too charge few charges as when compared to other radio stations hence meaning that it has been giving good services and that is why most of the people in the United Kingdom use this particular radio. It is also not biased. Many of the Djs in UK have been in a position to excel in this industry through the radio pirate. You find that most of the DJs have been in a position to play their mixes over air. Most of these DJs market themselves through these stations since many funs in UK usually listen the pirate rad io. So when they are marketed, then they are in a position to sell more records hence increasing their living standards. Most of the Djs have become millionaires through this industry and this is out of the many record sales they get. They have been in a position to have increased standards of living which is the basic goals for most of these musicians. Due to the large number of people who usually listen at this particular radio station, it has been in a position to benefit a lot from it. (Sian, 1996). Job creation This particular radio station is one of the employment industries in most of the people in UK. Here you find that most of the young and the youth have been in a position to secure good jobs from this particular radio. It employs so many people so that they can be in a position to meet the growing demand of people. This is because most of the people like the business men, musicians, and government activities have relied so much on the radio pirate when advertising its many activities or even the new products which are produced in the market. It is as a result of this growing demand that many people have been in a position to get jobs through this industry. At the end of the day you find that the economy has been in a position to grow so much since unemployment is one of the leading factors to poverty in a country. You find that when there is a large number of people who are not employed, then it will mean that most of the countries resources will be used to help these people not worki ng. This is because the employed get the unemployed benefits so when they have a job, it will mean that the government will use these resources on other sectors which can be beneficial to all people and a good example is the education sector. So with this, the pirate radio has played a big role in occupying these people in the many roles which are available in this sector. This is because the radio station has so many departments and it is in these departments that many people have been in a position to secure good jobs. So you find that the society too benefits from this a lot. (Paddy, 1996). Increased economic growth Its through the pirate radio that the economy has been in a position to grow. This is because the music industry is one of the growing sectors not only in UK but also in other countries. So you find that due to the many profits which are got by the pirate radio station, the government has been in a position to get high revenues from highly taxing them. This is out of the many profits which they get. So you find that its through taxing these radio station that the government has been in a position to increase its economic growth. The money which is collected as tax can then be used in other important sectors like in the provision of free health services to the needy people in the society. Also it is out of the many profits which it gets that the members of the public have been in a position to benefit from the same through the selling of many shares. Since this particular sector accrues so many benefits, the members of the public have been in a position to benefit from the advantages of this company. This is through buying of the companies shares which are usually sold. Its through buying these shares that they have been in a position to have increased standards of living since this is a form of investment in that its through buying these shares that they sell them when there prices are high hence leading to huge profits from them. So you find that the members of the public have been in a position to benefit from the resources of the pirate radio and the many profits which are got by it. (Colin, 1996). Community development The pirate radio has benefited the communities so much through the various programmes which people listen from them. They usually introduce a number of programmes that are already having a number of impacts to the members of these societies. One of the programmes in this case in the community focus groups. This is one of the programmes which basically focus on the community activities hence its through listening these programmes that the community has been in a position to develop. The farmers plus other interest groups are usually asked by the radio station to identify key issues which they need to be aired to other people. A good example is the farmers in that they usually have a programme which is supposed to encourage farmers so that they can have increased production. Some of the successful farmers are usually brought in to the studio whereby they usually tell people how they have succeed through farming and the best tools and strategies which farmers can apply so that they can be in a position to succeed in farming. Its through these that most of the farmers in the communities can take time and try to learn from this particular radio station. Also some of the government officials are also invited to respond to the concerns which were raised by the various groups. So you find that when an issue has been brought by the particular interest group like the case with the farmers, then a government official who is specifically concerned with that sector is invited in the studio and tries to answer the many questions are asked by the interest groups. So this is one of the ways in which the pirate radio has brought the members of the community in to close contact with the government and they can air their grievances to them whenever there are matters which need to be discussed. As a result, the community has been in a position to benefit in that they can get the correct advice and the basics which they require from the government hence leading to community develop ment in return. (Kevin, 1998). Despite the advantages the pirate radio station has had, it also has some disadvantages to the people who normally watch at these stations. You find that most of the programs which are watched by people especially the young people could have some negative impacts on them. For example they have certain songs which can mislead most of the young people. So you will find that most of the young children usually spent most of their times listening to radio and this can have an impact on their performance in education. So when it comes to the young children in the society, the children will learn both the good and the bad languages which are in the music most of the musicians usually sing. At the end of the day you will find that the community will have so many deviants hence leading to immoral society. Another disadvantage is that is sometimes biased in that it tends to favour that government. So during times like during elections, the government will tend to use this particular media so that it can get most of the people in the society. These people are usually paid so that they can side with the government hence meaning that the members of the public will be misused through this particular radio station and tends to manipulate people to be on the side of the government. (Kevin, 1998). Conclusion Radio stations usually have a great impact to the members of the public. This is out of the many roles in which these radio stations have. Most of the radio stations usually have differentiated ways in which they present their activities and this is important in any organization since its one of the main ways by which an organization can realize its set goals and objectives. People would like listening to radio stations that have a diversified range of activities and programmes which would benefit people and the society at large. For instance they play the role of educating most people in the societies. For example the pirate radio station has taken the initiative of a good leader and hence does this through enlightening people on the society. It is through this initiative that the members of the public will tend to benefit through the many programmes which are facilitated. So the radio stations are very much crucial in ones life and one can imagine a world without a radio station. I t can as a result of the new technology and its one of the cheapest technology which most people can afford as when compared to other Medias like the television, the internet among others. As a result its through it that many people have been in a position to benefit through the education and the type of entertainment they get from them. So pirate radio station has made a difference in many people lives since they are not the same again. They have improved their living standards through listening the many programs which are found in this radio station. Reference Jo Tacchi, J. (2001): ‘Who listens to Radio? The role of Industrial audience research. No News is Bad News: Radio, Television and the Press .London: Longman, pp.137-156) Colin, S. (1996): The British press and broadcasting since 1945. 2nd edition. Blackwell. Martin, S. Cindy W, (2002); On Air: Methods and Meanings of Radio .Arnold, 2002. Sian, N. (1996): The Echo of War: Home Front Propaganda and the Wartime BBC 1939-45. Manchester University Press, 1996. Sian, N. (2002): ‘All the News thats fit to Broadcast: the popular press versus the BBC, 1922-1945, in P.Cattterall, C.Seymour Ure and A. Smith, eds, Northcliffes Legacy: Aspects of the British Popular Press, 1896-1996, (Macmillan, 2000), pp.121-148 Paddy, S. (1996): Radio, television and modern life: a phenomenological approaches Blackwell, 1996. Paddy, S. David, C. (1991): A Social History of British Broadcasting. Volume One 1922-1939. Serving the Nation. Blackwell. Colin, S. (1996): The London press and broadcasting. Manchester University Press, 1996. Michael, T. (1998): The Decline and fall of Public Service Broadcasting. OUP, 1998. Kevin, W. (1998): Get me a murder a day! A history of mass communications in Britain Arnold, 1998.

Different theories of ageing

Different theories of ageing One of the most significant achievements of modern society is the rise in human longevity. Since 1800, life expectancy at birth has gradually increased over the subsequent two centuries, from forty years to nearly eighty years (Bongaarts 2006). These remarkable changes in human biology have produced challenges for scientists, doctors, sociologists and policy-makers. Over the last century, the growing realization of the changing demography of ageing has provoked sociological and biological research to explain the effects of these changes on society. The aim of this essay is to discuss how different theories of ageing have tried to approach older people and their circumstances. The study of ageing as social gerontology took root in the late 1940s, at a time of great social and demographic change. After World War 2, society in Europe and the United States of America (USA) had palpably changed, prompting sociological research into changes in ageing amongst other sociological phenomena (Vincent 1996). The modern political and economic environment viewed ageing, for the first time, as a problem for society (Jones, 1993). This view of ageing was at odds with the prevailing functionalist sociological theories of the time. Talcott Parsons was a key proponent of general functionalism, and viewed society from the macro perspective of needing functioning parts in order to maintain its well-being. The analogy was with the body of an organism just as the body has many specialized organs which are required for the body to function, society is also the sum of its parts: youth, family, education, labour force, professionals, religion, government etc. Society required these parts to be working together in order for society to function with equilibrium (Giddens 1993). The biology of ageing had been actively researched since the days of Darwin and Mendel, yet the interaction between ageing and society remained unexplored. Indeed, the Social Science Research Council in the USA concluded in 1948 that the scientific community had paid little attention to the interaction between biology and society (Achenbaum and Bengston). The first psychosocial theories on ageing and society took shape, and were published a decade later. Social scientists Elaine Cummins and William Henry published the first important study of aging in 1961. They advanced what they called the disengagement theory of aging. This theory was based on data from the Kansas City Study of Adult Life, in which researchers from the University of Chicago followed several hundred adults from middle to old age. The authors concluded from this study that growing old was a process of disengagement, whereby the tendency of ageing adults was to withdraw from society and live out their declining years with as little interference with others as was possible. Whilst these findings reflected the social practice of the day such as the granny flat or retirement home environment, the authors also proposed that this theory had advantages for the individual and society. According to Cumming and Henrys model, the major shift in interaction between the aged and the rest of society occurs when older people begin to realize their declining physical and cognitive functions and their mortality. They propose that this leads to removal, both consciously and subconsciously, from social networks. Simultaneously, society distances itself from the elderly, and the roles and responsibilities of these elderly members of society are passed along to the younger ones. From a sociological perspective, it has been suggested that disengagement has theoretical benefits (reference?). For the elderly, disengagement facilitates gradual withdrawal from society, whilst preserving social equilibrium. Ageing removes the capacity for older people to function as parents, professionals or working members of society, and therefore it promotes self-reflection for the elderly who are freed from roles of responsibility within society (ref?). Ultimately, it prepares the elderly for a decline in health and death. From the perspective of society, disengagement allows knowledge, responsibility, wealth and power to be transferred from the older generation to the young. The roles of the old and the young in society evolve, such that disengagement from roles of responsibility ensures that the younger population have jobs and roles into which to develop. It makes it possible for society to continue functioning after valuable older members die. Clearly, disengagement theory must be viewed in the context of the era in which it was developed. Largely, the theory of Cummings and Henry reflected the practice of the day. Elderly people in industrialized nations in the 1960s were encouraged to live out their declining years without interfering with progress and development. In rural settings, elderly people may still have contributed through the use of learned practical skills, although during a time of rapid technological advancement these skills were less valued than by earlier generations. This is a form of role discontinuity, whereby what is learned at one age may be useless or conflict with a subsequent period on ones life. This contrasts with contemporary views of ageing, whereby aged populations are more familiar with the technological advances of the second half of the last century. Retirement and disengagement in this context may not be to the benefit of society or the individual. Moreover, until recently few positive role models for elderly individuals existed. Those in the public eye and the media have tended to be youthful in appearance, hindering the socialization to old age. However, with the demographic growth and visibility of the elderly population has come more role models of active and healthy ageing. In this setting, disengagement of individuals before they reached the stage of imminent mortality, whilst they are still able contribute to roles in society, may cause both social and financial isolation and lack of self-worth. Loss of role through loss of spouse, divorce or retirement can lead to an erosion of identity and self-esteem (Rosow 1985). This, coupled with the relentless improvement in healthcare for the elderly, suggests that disengagement theory may be a product of the post-World War 2 era rather than universally applicable. These problems with the universal validity of disengagement theory were recognised within a few years. Activity theory can be viewed as a counterpoint to disengagement theory. Activity theory views old age as an extension of middle age, rather than a separate psychological and biological stage of life as proposed by disengagement theory. Activity theory actually pre-dates disengagement theory. In the 1950s Havighurst and Albrecht (1953 cited in Katz 1996) insisted ageing can be lively and creative experience. Any loss of roles, activities or relationships within old age, should be replaced by new roles or activities to ensure happiness, value consensus and well-being, and that this approach has benefits for the individual and society. The theory builds on the principle that the biological process of ageing can be modified by modern healthcare, and therefore the only differences between and old age and middle age are these modifiable biological processes, not societal wants and needs (schulz and rockwood). The basis of the theory is that there is a positive relationship between activity and life satisfaction, and the greater the role loss the lower the sense of self-worth or satisfaction (Lemon 1972). Therefore, a persons sense of self-worth is related to the roles held by that person i.e. retiring may not be so harmful if the person actively maintains other roles, such as familial roles, recreational roles, volunteer and community work. However, early research failed to substantiate a psychological benefit of continued engagement and activity. Lemon, Bengston and Peterson examined key elements of activity theory in a cross-sectional sample of future residents of a retirement community. In this study little connection was found between activity and satisfaction. However, this study suffers from similar criticisms as the Kansas City Study of Adult Life. The study group consisted of Caucasian, middle-class, married individuals interested in pursuing an active retirement. These issues ref lect a common problem with sociological research into the theories of ageing limited diversity of populations and the presence of confounding factors such as attitudes towards activity and engagement, limit the universal applicability of findings and determination of causality. A further problem with both these theories is their macro approach to the sociological phenomenon of ageing. Activity theory neglects the individual issues of inequality and heterogeneity between age groups. It is clear both activity theory and disengagement theory may be suited to certain individuals or groups on society, and may not be universally applicable. Whilst Phillipson (1998) sees these functionalist schools as important in shaping social theory, such functionalist theories may impose a sense of causality on aging by implying that an aged person will either disengage or will be active. Thus, it can be argued that these arbitrary social theories are a form of academic imperialism, whereby the activities of individual elderly people are dictated by macro-orientated theories rather than taking account of individual experiences or using inductive reasoning. Continuity theory incorporates aspects of activity theory and disengagement theory within the functionalist framework. Continuity theory maintains the social-psychological that were developed from the Kansas City Studies. The basis of continuity theory is that individuals maintain a consistent pattern of behaviour as they age, by replacing lost roles of adulthood with similar ones, and by maintaining a constant attitude of adaptation towards the social environment. Life satisfaction is determined by the consistency between current activities or lifestyles with ones lifetime experiences (Neugarten, Havinghurst, Tobin 1968). This consistency in behaviour implies that central personality characteristics and core values become more pronounced with age. That is, that people who have always been passive and withdrawn are unlikely to become active upon retirement, and vice versa. Therefore, this theory does not advocate significant psychological change with age, unlike the other two macro theories. It is a micro-level theory, encompassing individual experiences and adaptations. However, micro theories suffer from the limitation if not being generalisable, and therefore not being able to be empirically tested on a broader scale. Moreover, by focusing on the individual, micro-theories may overlook the role of social factors in modifying the ageing process (you need references for these points). By contrast, the theory of political economy of old age is a macro-level theory that emerged as a reaction to functionalism, and focuses on social factors modifying ageing. The theory draws upon Marxist views of the capitalist nature of modern society and how old age was socially constructed to meet the needs of the modern economy (Estes 1979). This grew out of a wider move towards modernization in sociology, attempting to explain the changes in society as consequences of population ageing, industrialization and fertility decline. Therefore, socioeconomic and political factors, not individual factors, are the primary determinants of the experience of ageing. These include age and class, as well as gender, sexual orientation and race. As Phillipson (1998) points out, in the UK huge forms of social expenditure were allocated to older people. Consequently, not only were older people viewed in medical terms but in resource terms by governments. This built upon the idea of ageing as a burden to modern society, as Phillipson (1998: 17) states: Older people came to be viewed as a burden on western economies, with demographic change seen as creating intolerable pressures on public expenditure. The major focus of the political economy of ageing was an interpretation of the relationship between aging and the economic structure. In the USA, political economy theory was brought to prominence by the work of Estes (1979), and Estes, Swan and Gerard (1982). Similarly, in the UK, the work of Walker (1981), Townsend (1981) and Phillipson (1982) contributed to understanding age and ageing in modern British society. In the USA, Estes, Swan and Gerard (1982) state that the class structure is the major determinant of the socio-economic position of older people in society. Estes justifies this position by using a Marxist view of society to explain how a individuals social worth is dependent on their productivity. All subsequent policy towards age and ageing can be explained from this premise. Negative attitudes towards older people, and their impoverished position, can be explained by their loss of social worth brought about by their loss of a productive role in modern society. Estes (1 979) also claims that political economy theory highlights the role of the state in contemporary society. Since the state dictates the allocation of resources, this determines the allocation of retirement and pension schemes, and is therefore a further key determinant of social worth of elderly people. Phillipson (1982) builds on this point of view, ad goes on to state that retirement is linked to the timing of economic reduction of wages and enforced withdrawal from work, and hence many older people in the UK in a financially insecure position. Therefore, the state can determine the social position and future of its elderly citizens, and indirectly shape prevailing social and cultural attitudes to the elderly. Indeed, any discussion about change in the welfare state leads to further legitimisation of the burden stereotype of the elderly in society. Echoing this point of view, Townsend (1981) states that society creates the social problems of old age through structured dependency embedded in institutional ageism, through lack of material resources due to poverty, retirement policy, the negative consequences of residential care, and poor structure of community care. Townsend puts forward the idea that there is a structural perspective of rules and resources governing older people in modern society. Townsend claims that the approach is: one whereby society is held to create the framework of institutions and rules within which the general problem of the elderly emerge or, indeed, manufactured. In the everyday management of the economy and the administration and development of social institutions the position of the elderly subtly changed and shaped. (Townsend 1981: 9) Similarly, Walker (1981) argues for a theory of political economy of old age in order to understand the position of older people. In particular, Walker (1981: 77) builds on the idea that the structure of modern society propagates dependency among groups such as the elderly a social creation of dependency. Phillipson (1982, 1986) writes in a similar vein, and considers how capitalism helps socially construct the social marginality of older people in key areas such as welfare. The key argument of these writers within the Marxist school of thought is inequalities in the distribution of resources should be understood in terms of the distribution of power within society, rather than in terms of variation between individuals. In addition to the argument that social and governmental policy contributes to the socializing and marginalizing of old age, political economy theory criticizes the emphasis on community engagement and the consequent social devaluing of elderly people who cannot or choose not to engage in these activities. Activities such as participation in volunteer programmes and social work may be viewed as a way to meet public service gaps created by reduced public funding. Although the benefits of volunteering have been proposed by activity theory, from the point of view of political economy it is social and structural factors that influence the individuals decision to volunteer or participate. For example, elderly individuals who are also carers for their spouse or their grandchildren may not be able to take on additional social roles, and may leave the individual vulnerable to social criticism. Indeed, it has been noted that a paradigm of ageing that only values productivity and civic-engagem ent can stigmatise and disempower elders who cannot contribute to society because of illness, disability or limited time and resources (reference?). The life-course perspective is not necessarily a theory, but a framework of ageing as a lifelong process. It attempts to explain how ageing is shaped by earlier events, including social structure and history along with interactions with family and culture. Individual development of personality and cognition interact with these other factors affecting life-course. Time is the key variable, since it influences relationships in three ways: life experiences influence relationships, family events and family transitions influence individuals and interactions, and events in a broader social historical context also influence social role and values. Social context interacts with individuals and influences them and their relationships. This framework takes account of the diversity of roles and role changes across lifespan, since it views development as occurring at all stages and not just any one stage of life. It takes into account the gains and losses that occur through life-course, rather than viewing development as a linear process. Therefore, development is considered multidirectional, with stability or development in areas, and decline in others. For example, ageing may lead to impairment in short-term memory but not in creativity or social function. Therefore, this approach takes account of micro and macro levels of development and provides a framework to shape further sociological research into ageing. In conclusion, sociological theories of ageing have evolved alongside changes in demography and economics since the early 20th century. The functionalist theories of activity and disengagement approached ageing in the context of the prevailing view of the time. Although based on empirical evidence the observational studies from Kansas city these studies were limited to middle-class Caucasion populations and yet were extrapolated to macro-level theories. As such, both these theories suffered criticisms for their lack of generalisability, and newer theories were developed as an immediate reaction. In the context of economic troubles during the 1970s, the sociology of ageing began to be viewed in an economic perspective. The view of structural aspects of society interacting with healthy or unhealthy ageing has advanced sociological thought in this area, and laid the foundation for contemporary views of ageing. Current demographic issues such as the prevailing economic climate, declining fertility and improvements in healthcare have changed the sociological view of ageing. As such, these issues must be addressed as further research attempts to view life-course influences on ageing at both a macro- and micro-theoretical level.