Research Ethics

A research study is defined as an activity involving collection of data with an aim of solving a specific selected problem. The above is followed by recording of the data then subsequently its analysis so as to arrive at meanings. Finally the results are generalized so as to make the findings applicable to whole populations and therefore deductions as well as suggestions also known as recommendations. Finally the researcher makes conclusions which are an opinion which expresses the researchers stand concerning the research problem. A researcher should ensure that the suitable data collection instruments and methods are used. The suitable data analysis techniques should be employed so as to enable the researcher draw the relevant conclusions of a study. A research study involves costs, which are incurred in various ways including data collection, carrying out interviews as well as costs associated with data analysis. In any given research study there is usually an involvement of usually three or more groups of participants. The participants include the researcher, the respondent and the sponsor. For a marketing research, the sponsor is usually the supplier. Research studies require that some ethical norms be considered to ensure that the research being carried out is meets ethical standards as well as regulations guiding various professions. These ethical norms are usually observed with reference to the rights and obligations of each participant in a research. In any given study, the researcher is supposed to adhere to ethical norms something aimed at ensuring that, the research does not interfe with peoples fundamentals rights no harm the research subjects in any way. All particiapants in a research are required to adhere to the given regulations in their interactions amongst themselves as well as in their interactions to the public in whose midst the research is conducted. When handling the respondent a researcher should apply certain ethical norms in order to observe and guarantee the respect of respondent’s rights. Such respondent’s rights in an interview can include amongst others: (i) Informed consent – it’s the right of the respondent to be informed about a certain research to be carried out and that the respondent is supposed to be a participant. The researcher is obliged to respect the respondent and give details of the research study. With an informed consent, the relationship between the researcher and that of the respondent is enhanced something which results into a good working rapport hence contributing to the success of the research study. Incases of lack of consent before a research begins co-operation lacks in the data collection process and therefore chances that the data gathered may be unreliable become high. (ii) Confidentiality – Ethical norms dictate that the respondent should be treated with a sense of confidentiality in handling the respondents’ information. The respondents’ information should not be exposed to third parties or used for purposes other than those for which consent was sought for. The information obtained from the respondent should be given to the right person. Incase of a marketing research the supplier should get the information. The researcher should make sure that he/she remains truthful and ensure that he /she does not expose the respondents’ information (Dooley, 2002, P160-170). (iii) Anonymity – It is the right of the respondent to maintain his or her anonymity. Anonymity refers to the concealing of the respondent’s identity. It is the right of the respondent to decide about his identity hence the researcher should respect that decision. The researcher should not disclose the identity of the respondent when the instructions demand so. The researcher should posses the value of promise keeping so as to succeed (Emerson 1990, P89-103) The researcher should be able to be responsible when handling the respondents’ identity. He/she should not be able to misplace any documents containing the respondents details this would contravene the respondents right to immunity. The researcher should be honest to the extent of involvement of respondent in the research study. The researcher should inform the respondent whether there is any risk of harm involved. This will help the respondent in preparing himself or herself. This honesty should not be compromised. This point to the obligation of the researcher in taking into consideration the respondent’s safety. The researcher has the obligation towards the research staff. Ethical issues will enable him or her handle the research team as per the ethical norms (Gray 2003 p 67-83) The researcher should be honest towards the research staff in terms of their remuneration. The researcher should also consider the safety of the research team. He or she should ensure that no acts of negligence or carelessness should occur which might cause safety risk of the research team. The researcher should also ensure that he or she practices patience while handling the respondent, the research team and also the sponsor (incase of a market research study; the supplier) Patience will be required in negotiations and discussions since a research study mostly involves teamwork. Each participant in a research study usually has a set of obligations to be taken care of. The researcher usually has an obligation towards the supplier who is the sponsor of a research study. The researcher is supposed to achieve these obligations through the guidance of ethical norms. The obligations of the researcher to the sponsor executable through application of ethical norms include: (i) Obligation to submit a conclusive research study worthy of the cost paid. The sponsor usually takes more of the research cost; therefore the researcher has to submit research work, which is worthy the amount paid for. To succeed in these obligations the researcher should remain honest. The researcher should be ready to account for the research project to the satisfaction of the sponsor; In the case of a marketing research the supplier ***** (ii) The researcher has the obligation of submitting the researcher has the obligation of submitting the research work within the specified time frame. This obligation requires that the researcher posses the quality of commitment. The researcher should be truthful in giving the expected time for completion of the research work. (iii) The researcher has the obligation of submitting research work of the right quality. The supplier or sponsor will expect the researcher to carry out a research study, which serves the purpose. This will include use of the suitable data collection methods, proper analysis and reasonable conclusions drawn. The supplier (sponsor) will expect the researcher to provide him or her with the suitable data evaluation techniques so that he may be able to understand well the research work (flick 1983 p 10-26) We must be aware of the fact that the sponsor who is usually the supplier in a market research study has an obligation towards the researcher. The sponsor has to be honest towards the researcher in terms of the scope of the research work required. He should not exaggerate on details required in a research study, which might be out of scope. Failure to be honest the researcher will definitely submit irrelevant information upon research (Johnson 1985 p 17-36) The supplier (sponsor) should remain truthful about the research costs. The sponsor should clear the costs of research and also remunerate the researcher. The supplier should not create complications after the research work has been completed. This would contravene the researcher’s right of remuneration. CONCLUSION Research studies are aimed at alleviating certain problem or learning more about a specific problem. For any research study to be successful the participants should be able to co-operate well towards attainment of the research objective. This co-operation will be brought about by each participant playing his or her role under the guidance of the ethical issues required in a research study. The ethical issues shouldn’t be largely dependent on the specific participants’ rights and obligations.

Black Codes Essay

‘Black~Codes’ were legal statutes and constitutional amendments enacted by the ex~Confederate states following the Civil War that sought to restrict the liberties of newly freed sIaves, to ensure a supply of inexpensive agriculturaI Iabor; and maintain a white dominated hierarchy. However; the history of Black Codes did not begin wIth the coIIapse of the Confederacy. Prior to the Civil War, $tates in the south enacted Slave Codes to regulate the institution of slavery. Furthermore, northern, non~slave holding states enacted laws to limit the bl@ck political power and social mobility. For example~ in 1804, Ohio enacted Iaws prohibitin black people from immigrating into states. In 1813, the State of lllinois enacted a law banning free BIacks outright from immigrating into the $tate. Black Codes adopted after the Civil War borrowed elements from the antebellum slave laws and from the laws of the northern states used to regulate free blacks. Some Black Codes incorporated morality clauses based on antebellum slave laws into Back Code labor laws. For example, in Texas, a morality clause was used to make it crime for laborers to use offensive language in the presence of their employers, his agents, or his family members. Borrowing from the Ohio and Illinois codes, Arkansas enacted an ordinance banning free blacks from immigrating into the state. In the end, the Black Codes were largely extinguished when Radical Republican Reconstruction efforts began in 1866-67, and with the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment and civil rights legislation. Though the statutory lives of the Black Codes were short-lived, they are significant in that they served as precursors to the Jim Crow laws and social segregation among whites and blacks. For example, Arkansas passed a law prohibiting black children from 1attending school with children. The Texas legislature enacted a law requiring railroad companies to set aside a passenger car for black passengers. While each ex-Confederate state enacted its own set of Black Codes, all of them shared certain features. First, they defined the term â€Å"person of color. † Second, they prevented blacks from voting, holding office, or serving on juries. Third, they prevented blacks from serving in state militias. Fourth, they mandated for poor, unemployed persons (usually blacks) be arrested for vagrancy or bound as apprentices. Fifth, they mandated and regulated labor contracts between whites and free blacks. Sixth, they prohibited interracial marriages between whites and blacks. All of the Black Codes defined what it meant to be a â€Å"person of color. † However, these definitions were far from consistent. The Virginia legislature decreed that any person with onefourth Negro blood in their veins was a person of color. Georgia set the limit at one-eighth. Still yet, the Tennessee legislature declared anyone having any Negro blood at all made an individual a person of color. The leaders of the ex-Confederacy made no qualms about their desire to keep blacks out of the political process. To this end, all of the ex-Confederate states prevented blacks from voting, holding political office, or serving in the state militias. This view had some measure of support in the North. In an article appearing in the New York Times, an author wrote, â€Å"The denial of suffrage to the freedmen, we believe, cannot be made a bar to admission of the Southern representatives, for the reason is that it is no real denial of justice. No man, white or black, has title to a civil power which he has not the intelligence to exercise. † The Black Codes also prohibited blacks from serving in state militias. A principle reasons for these laws was probably a concern for insurrections and armed violence. However, a 2corollary concern was that the presence of armed black soldiers encouraged undesirable attitudes in blacks. For example, in Florida, the state legislature drafted resolution requesting that black Union Army troops be withdrawn from their lands because their presence alarmed whites and encouraged insubordination among blacks. Florida also passed laws prohibiting blacks from carry fire-arms or weapons. If blacks wanted to own a gun, these laws often required blacks to obtain a license from the county judge and to have witnesses, usually white, vouch for their nonviolent temperament. The vagrancy statutes were particularly harsh on freed blacks. While these statutes did not specifically target blacks in their language, they were predominately applied to blacks because of their impoverished condition. In general, vagrancy statutes stipulated that any person a law enforcement officer or judge deemed to be unemployed and not owning property could be arrested and charged as a vagrant. It was easy to arrest blacks for violating vagrancy laws because the freed blacks lacked wealth and land owning to their previous condition of servitude, and to a lesser extent because the federal government reneged on its promise to deliver forty acres and a mule to 40,000 freed slaves. Once arrested and convicted of vagrancy, a person would be forced into conditions nearly identical to slavery. They were either hired out to private individuals or forced to work public projects. They were not paid for their labor. In Florida, disobedience, tardiness, or running away could be punished by imprisonment, standing in the pillory or stockade, or flogging. Punishment by flogging usually consisted of receiving 39 lashes, a number frequently used when flogging slaves. Apprentice statutes functioned along with vagrancy statutes to ensure a steady supply of inexpensive labor. Under apprentice laws, minors of poor parents, or parents deemed to be 3vagrants, could be taken as wards of the court and bound out to a master for varying lengths of time. Males were usually bound until the age of twenty-one, females until the age of eighteen. Apprentices frequently had no choice in the trade they would be required to learn, however, masters were required to teach the apprentice a trade, provide for the apprentice’s living expenses, and provide the apprentice with a basic elementary level education. Some states even required the master to provide the apprentice with a monetary gift when the apprenticeship expired. Apprentices who violated apprentice laws by running away being disobedient to their master could be imprisoned, flogged, or forced to pay damages. The regulation of labor contracts with blacks was another hallmark of the Black Codes. In article appearing in a popular magazine of the time, a Southern author wrote of black people, â€Å"We should be satisfied to compel them to engage in coarse, common manual labor, and to punish them for dereliction of duty or non fulfillment of their contracts with such severity, as to make them useful, productive laborers. † Under the Black Code labor regime, blacks were free to work for any one they chose, but they were required to sign contracts that bound them to the employer at least a year. Once the contract was signed, blacks could not get out of the contract unless a court first declared the master violated the contract first. This deprived blacks of the opportunity to accept better paying jobs if they arose, and insured landowners had a steady supply of cheap labor. Punishment for blacks who broke their labor contracts included payment of damages, imprisonment. In states like Florida, it also included standing in the stockade or floggings. In Florida, behavior that constituted a breach of the contract included laziness, failure to appear for work, using offensive language with the employer, or running away. Most of the slave codes also made it a criminal offense for anyone to entice or encourage a black laborer to break an existing labor contract. Criminal laws also played an important aspect in the Black Codes. To varying degrees, ex-Confederate states passed criminal laws that prohibited petty that blacks were more likely to commit due to their immediate condition. For example, the Louisiana Penal Codes specifically criminalized trespassing on plantations. Because free blacks often had no place to live other than on their previous master’s plantation, they were more likely to be arrested under these statutes. Penal Codes also specifically targeted blacks by inflicting harsher punishments for some crimes than whites convicted of the same crime. Unequal punishment was important for keeping blacks in a condition of servitude. For example, a North Carolina statute made it a capital offense for a black person to assault a white woman with intent to rape. Finally, the Black Codes uniformly prohibited interracial marriages between blacks and whites. For example, in Texas anti-interracial marriage laws called for the punishment of both spouses with a fine, imprisonment or both. It was a criminal offense, as it was in Georgia, for anyone to knowingly marry a white and black person. And frequently county clerks were required to record marriages of blacks and whites in separate registries. Conversely, the Black Codes also uniformly recognized black marriages and the legitimacy of children born to black parents. However, many Black Codes made it a criminal offense under adultery and fornication laws for blacks to live together without getting married or registering as a married couple with the county clerk. These statutes were frequently applied to blacks living in rural areas who were living together as result of their impoverished condition.

The needs of the various populations served in the criminal justice Essay

The needs of the various populations served in the criminal justice profession - Essay Example The prosecutors notify the victims about trial proceedings. On top of this, the prosecutors represent the interests of the crime victims during court appearances. Similarly, the criminal justice profession provides services to the suspects under trials. During the prosecution phase, the criminal justice profession ensures that suspects enjoy the rights of legal representation and speedy trials (Neubauer & Fradella, 2013). In addition, the profession ensures that the alleged offenders receives information pertinent to the proceedings, and exercise the right to be heard. The judges oversee the trials to completion. The criminal justice profession caters for the needs of the inmates. The correction officers provide legal services to the inmates. Notably, the officers ensure a maximum security in the facility, supervises the inmates, and offer educational and counseling services (Cole, Smith, & DeJong, 2014). On top of this, the criminal justice profession has the mandate of providing quality medical care to the inmates. Moreover, the correction officers process the names of inmates intended for release from the institutions either on parole or after serving maximum term. The parole officers supervise the parolees. In this regard, the officers set conditions that control parolees while in the community. The staff has the responsibility to notify the parolees of their status, as well as upcoming release (Neubauer & Fradella, 2013). Moreover, the parole officers have a duty to inform the parolees about hearing dates and allow them to testify during the actual hearing. A section of the public does not know the mandate of the criminal justice profession. The profession is confusing, intimidating, and overwhelming to many people who work outside the criminal justice system. A huge percentage of the public holds that the sole mandate of the criminal justice profession is to deter any act of criminality

Modern Europe Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Modern Europe - Research Paper Example The issue of whether or not the NATO is still a relevant organization can be resolved by assessing the organization’s ability to protect and ensure security and peace when it is most needed. With the global reach of activities which disturb the peace and security, the efficacy of the NATO seems to depend on the degree to which a more extensive application of its overall goals can be established and supported (Michta, 2007). Even as the NATO is considered an organization of equal states (with equal authority) who apply a consensus in their decision-making processes, the organization seems to function based on the extent of United States participation in these decisions. The security policy objectives of the US are important policies for the NATO (Michta, 2007). Its future efficacy largely depends on whether the European members will consider sharing common priorities with the Americans and whether these members will accept the related risks to such sharing. In the contemporary scene, it is important to consider the extent to which NATO supports such goals and the extent to which it has failed. NATO’s current dilemma exemplifies the looming issues in the current operations, mostly in the continuing armed issues with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. (Michta, 2007). The questions on NATO’s efficacy come from its failure to implement similar expansion activities it implemented during the 1990s in terms of military capability. Such a failure also comes from the missed opportunities after the September 11 attacks and the intercontinental political gaps over Iraq. Despite the shared contempt for any and all terrorist attacks, the US and the European states have still not agreed on how to respond to terrorist and other forms of attacks (Daalder and O’Haanlon, 2001). Attempts to resolve these differences in perceptions have not been successful. As a result, countries like France, Germany, and other European states still have differing opinions with the US in terms of methods which address the terrorist issue and other securi ty problems. The NATO is currently unstable because the end of the Cold War threat in the 1990s caused a gridlock on what the organization’s main mission should then be (The Economist, 2011). NATO established that it needed to consider partnerships, expansions, and enhancement of capabilities; however, the organization cannot seem to act as a united organization in terms of what its main security mission today is. The visions for NATO seem to be competing with each other, and these competing visions are not likely to be settled or resolved via the Continental security approach being advocated by France, Belgium and Germany (Michta, 2007). While the European members have supported NATO’s operations, the scope and the quality of the missions seems to be vague. Moreover, the EU’s goals to establish the European Security and Defense Policy have also impacted on the NATO’

A Dialogue between Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay Research Paper

A Dialogue between Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay - Research Paper Example Before embarking upon the dialogue, it would be advisable to present a brief introduction of both the personalities under discussion. Andrew Jackson serves as one of the most influential statesmen the USA has ever produced. By dint of his talent, wisdom and foresight, he achieved the height of triumphs against his political opponents and was elected to be the seventh and eighth President of America. Jackson adopted courageous strategic policies and combated with several internal and external challenges in a successful manner. However, his economic policies are aptly criticized by the opponents to be inadequate ones. Similarly, Henry Clay is also regarded to be a considerable personality in the early history of America, who served as senator, speaker of the House of Representatives and US Secretary of State, who demonstrated his diplomatic skills while serving at the same position. He entered into conflict with President Jackson, and was among the most dominant personalities laying th e foundation stone of a new political group under the title Whig Party in 1833, which was to become an important political faction against the Jacksonian Democracy. The Dialogue: Jackson: As you know it very well sir that I had won the popular votes during 1824 elections, though I had not obtained majority votes (Nye & Morpurgo, 1955: 214). However, instead of supporting me on bagging electoral votes, you put your weight in favor of John Adam, who was not a popular leader, you see. You just gave him support for personal gains, as President Adams would appoint you as the secretary of state in order to return your favor subsequently. Clay: Mr. Jackson! It is right that I had voted in favor of President Adams, which was my right actually to let the candidate elected which I considered to be the most apposite one for this key position. However, I did not cast my vote for personal gains; rather, my appointment as the secretary of state was actually the acknowledgement of my talent and se rvices as statesman. It is therefore there appeared many diplomatic achievements in my career as secretary. I voted against you due to your unauthorized invasion on Spanish West Florida in 1818, during which you exercised cruelty and even did not hesitate to set the houses of the British and Spanish to fire as you thought that both these groups were involved into providing the Indians with financial and moral aid (Watson, 1998:31). Thus, targeting me by applying false allegations of selling my political position for personal benefits does not appear to be an appropriate way of criticism altogether. Jackson: Invasion on Spanish Florida was not my personal decision; rather President Monroe had appointed me as military governor in order to crush the revolt raised by the traitor Indians and slaves of Florida backed by the British and Spanish enemies of the country. I had the powers to crush the revolt that could put the solidarity of my country at grave jeopardy. It is therefore I appli ed all the methods that I felt inevitable for purifying the region from traitors and foes at large (Remini, 1999: 286). Since no serious revolt launched by the enemies of the country could be tarnished by applying kind and considerate measures, use of force and some cruelty was essential for gaining control over the area. Had I not dealt with this challenge in a rational manner, the USA could have lost the entire area subsequent to the revolt, you see.  

Fiscal policy and regulation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fiscal policy and regulation - Term Paper Example The scope of Fiscal policy is wide and involves several government functions all of which are aimed at ensuring spending is contained and restricted to those areas cum sectors where they have the greatest and positive effect on the economy. (Creel et al pp.8) The main entities for the fiscal policy are government revenues, government expenditures and debt management. Fiscal policy is usually as a result of a well thought process mainly involving the best economic minds that a country may have who are organized as Public Service Program or Capital Improvements Program. This paper will examine the various aspects of Fiscal Policy and its use by the government to achieve its various economic milestones. (Weil pp.1) Besides these, we will look at the main proponents of the Fiscal policy and the main reasons that fail the working of the policy. At the end of this essay, the reader should be able to understand fully the workings of the Fiscal policy and its various aspects. In the end, one maybe able to give an indication of why Fiscal policy may not work as intended. It is important though to note that though the impact of economic changes are felt by certain groups in the economy such as family units especially when the government offers tax cuts, the disposable income of this family increases. (Mont pp.75) The fiscal policy is not aimed at an examination of such mild changes or impacts but is focused on the effects of changes in the government budget as a whole. Fiscal policy is usually looked one sided but a study of it reveals two types of fiscal policies which are not necessarily founded on different bases but are as a result of budget movement. These budget movements on the other hand are determined by the finances available to the government for the purpose of meeting its budgetary requirements. (Creel et al pp.32). These are either budget deficits or budgetary surplus

Implementing and evaluating my e-Learning design model in my workplace Assignment - 1

Implementing and evaluating my e-Learning design model in my workplace 2 - Assignment Example As a producer of information, every professional is expected to be able to share the information and ideas they have produced in their course of work. As consumers, they expect to have an easy way to access the information that has been produced by others in the same profession. This applies to all types of professions. Teachers are no except from this need of information production and sharing. In fact, this need to produce share and information and collaborate is highly necessary for teachers, regardless of the subject they are teaching (Cowen, 2014). As part of the Arabic teachers’ community, I have identified a need to have collaboration and sharing system for Arabic teachers. As a result of this, I have in the past come up with the design which when implemented will help in teaching Arabic teachers to share their ideas and to build each other. The following is an implementation and evaluation of the design I have designed in the past. The system is designed to aid learning and sharing of ideas. The system is geared towards helping teachers who are engaged in teaching Arabic to high school students. The system must be able to meet some pedagogical principles in order to aid in helping the teachers to not only share the knowledge but also to be able learn from the system. It must be able to motivate the teachers in using the system to enhance the system. The system is not going to be useful unless and until the system is used by the teachers. For this to be a reality, the system should be easy to use, and must prove it’s self-useful to the users in order for them to find it useful. This means that the system must be intuitive which means that the users must be find it easy to learn how the various components work and how they can navigate the system (Klopotek, 2002). It must also be able to act as a knowledge management system which means that it will be able to

Accounting and Non Accounting Case Analysis Essay

Accounting and Non Accounting Case Analysis - Essay Example This can be done only if the information received by the decision makers like Chancellor Brown will not be poor, lacking or far from the actual figures. One very good strategy is the United Kingdom government to make most government transactions with its constituents and other nations TRANSPARENT. One very good government strategy is the United Kingdom’s efforts to sell some of its idle assets which are recommended by the different departments. The different departments of the government is given a free hand to determine whether to maintain, reduce or increase the next accounting period’s budget.The government must continue its budgeting process by prioritizing its expenditures to health, infrastructure and the educational system, among other priority projects. Each department of the United Kingdom Government must be thrifty in its purchases and payments. This means that all unnecessary wastes of office supplies, electricity, light and water, telephone and other expense s must be minimized to the level of â€Å"necessary† and not â€Å"regular† expenses."necessary" and not "regular" expenses. The golden rule of government spending is for the United Kingdom government to limit the output or expenses to the inputs or resources. The government must also be complacent and continue its present sustainable fiscal policies. One of the major government moves is to target the annual inflation rate. There are many factors that affect inflation. Ordinary lay people interpret inflation as the monthly or even weekly increase of daily needs of man like food, clothing, and shelter. It is generally a persistent and readily felt rise in the prices of prime commodities. This rise in the prices of daily commodities results in the lower value of the monetary currency. The inflation rate can be triggered and increased by other factors like the unemployment rate, the gross domestic product, and other factors. The government now has to print more paper money because now the ordinary lay people need more paper currency to pay for the once lower priced basic goods like milk, fish, and others. The present rapidly expanding United Kingdom economy(Wormell, 2000) has contributed much to affect the inflation rate of the state. In an inflationary situation, the man on the street will have to spend more money to get the same quantity of basic needs they consume during the previous years. The United Kingdom must therefore constantly watch and take necessary steps to keep the prices of basic necessities or goods at stable, if not permitted to be lowered, prices. The present open policy of the United Kingdom government has helped much in alleviating the tight economic situation prevailing within its territories. The present increase in the unemployment situation has contributed to the inflation of goods. The daily moves of the Parliament and Chancellor Brown will also trigger the increase or decrease of the inflation rate. The present government is presently implementing the four principles of macroeconomics(Fleetwood, 1999) of the government which are (a) Principle of stability through constrained discretion, (b) Principle of credibility through sound long term policies, (c) Principle of credibility through maximum transparency and (d) Principle of credibility through commitment. Statements and Budgets The budget for the fourth quarter of the coming year 2007 is shown in Exhibit A below. The fourth quarter 2007 budget is based on the third quarter 2005 actual data taken. For the 4th quarter, 2007, the Gross Domestic Product at current market prices is 333.52 billion pounds whereas the households have 209.88 billion pounds. The

The American Dream in the 1960's Research Paper

The American Dream in the 1960's - Research Paper Example The impression of the American Dream stays rooted in the U.S. Pronouncement of Independence that declares all men got created equal and endowed by their maker with certain, absolute rights including Liberty, Life and the pursuit of Joy (Ward 13). To bury the entire American Dream with the 60’s would be a lot, but a substantial share of it certainly appears to have gotten lost with the bright new leaders assassinations, the violent suffocation of political scandals, protest movements, and the long strained out Vietnam war. As it became apparent that the movement had eventually failed in its efforts to make a change, the American Dream absconded a little further from the people who fought to implement it (Cullen 6). This paper aims at producing an understanding of the relocation of the American Dream and played a significant in establishing a new way of life to avoid the fear of the previous generation’s traditions. Since its establishment in 1776, the US has regarded and endorsed itself as an empire of prosperity and liberty. The implication of "American Dream" has transformed over the progress of history. Historically, this Dream originated from the New World mystique especially concerning the accessibility for farm ownership low - cost land. As the Virginia Royal governor noted in 1774 that the Americans for ever envisage the Lands further off remain still better than those which stay already settled. He further added that if they achieved Paradise, they would go on if they perceived of an improved place farther west (Hochschild 34). Today, the ethos simply indicates the aptitude through participation in the economy and society, for everyone to achieve success. According to this dream, all included the opportunity for the individual’s children to grow up receiving a suitable education and career deprived of artificial barriers. It is the occasion to make individual choices with the void of the prior restrictions that restricted people acco rding to their caste, religion, race, or ethnicity and class. Immigrants to the US sponsored ethnic papers in their language; the editors normally promoted the American Dream (Olson 34). The politics in 1960s reflects revolution in the Martin Luther King Jr. life. He changed lives of blacks for countless years to come. Martin Luther Jr. did this once he began to advocate for blacks from 1955 to 1968. His efforts ended in 1968 since he got assassinated while he led a demonstration in Tennessee. Even though, he got assassinated, his dream lives on nowadays. Martin Luther Jr. influenced the 1960s in many perspectives. He fought sturdily against racism and protested several times against it. He remains one of the leading reasons why the US remains the way it stands today (Olson 112). Another changing politics element in the 1960s stood the John F. Kennedy presidential term. He remained one of the four American presidents who got successfully assassinated. The John F. Kennedy assassinati on eventually led to the establishment of a police force which protected the president. However, before his death, he got involved in three key events in US history; the construction of the Berlin Wall, American Civil Rights Movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis. The presidential term of John F. Kennedy has changed America and prepared it the way it stands today (Olson 113). A third constituent of change in 1960s politics remained in the war at Vietnam. It stood a time for change because of several motives. One of the many motives stood because of the draft;

Neurophysiological and Evolutionary Theories of Learning Essay Example for Free

Neurophysiological and Evolutionary Theories of Learning Essay In the study of learning, learning theories are categorized into paradigms or schools of thought based on viewpoints shared by scientists that provide a framework for research. Three of the major paradigms of learning theories include the cognitive paradigm, the neurophysiological paradigm and the evolutionary paradigm. The first paradigm is referred to as cognitive because theorists place their emphasis on the cognitive nature of learning. According to Hergenhahn and Olson (2005), the second paradigm is called neurophysiological because it attempts to isolate the mental and physiological correlates of things such as learning, perception, thinking and intelligence. The third paradigm is termed evolutionary because theorists attempt to explain learning processes based on an organisms evolutionary history. DiscussionThere are several theorists whose ideas are predominately cognitive. Theses theorists include the Gestalt psychologists Kurt Lewin and Kurt Koffka, as well as Jean Piaget, Edward Chace Tolman, and Albert Bandura. Wertheimer, Kohler and Lewin were founders of the Gestalt movement. According to Hergenhahn and Olson (2005), Gestalt theorists believed that we experience the world in meaningful wholes and do not see isolated stimuli but stimuli gathered together into meaningful configurations (p. 264). Kurt Lewin proposed a field theory of human motivation. He believed that behavior and cognitive processes are determined by various psychological facts that a person is consciously experiencing. The psychological facts are interdependent and any change in one can affect all the others, therefore influencing our behavior. Kurt Koffka, another Gestaltist falling under the cognitive paradigm defined the law of Pragnanz in Gestalt Theory. The law of Pragnanz states that, all mental events tend toward completeness, simplicity, and meaningfulness (Hergenhahn and Olson, 2005, p. 473). Followers of Gestalt theory used this law as a guiding principle when studying learning. Another cognitive theorist was Jean Piaget. Jean Piaget contributed several theories including intelligence, schemata, assimilation and accommodation, and interiorization. According to his theory of intelligence, intelligence  is any act that creates optimal conditions for the organisms survival under the existing circumstances (Hergenhahn and Olson, 2005 p. 295). Intelligence effects how one adapts to the ever-changing environment. In Piagets schemata theory a persons schema is a cognitive structure that allows a person to act and respond to the environment. A schema can be either overt or covert behavior. The theory of assimilation explains how a person can respond to the environment using existing cognitive structures. The theory of accommodation explains how an organism adapts to the environment by modifying cognitive structures. Piagets concept of interiorization is described by Hergenhahn and Olson (2005) as the gradual decreased dependence on the physical environment and the increased utilization of cognitive structures (p. 299). Through this process, organisms can respond to more complex situations by thinking about them. Edward Chace Tolmans ideas were also predominately cognitive. He believed that organisms develop a mental picture of the environment which he referred to as a cognitive map. The cognitive map develops when mental expectations are confirmed by experience. When an organism is faced with a problem, it utilizes the cognitive map and chooses the best solution requiring the least amount of work according to Tolmans principle of least effort that will result in satisfaction. Albert Bandura, another cognitive theorist suggested that behavior is learned through observation. He theorized that learning is influenced by four processes. The first process, the attentional process, involves the observer attending to the model. The second process is called the retentional process. This process involves the observer retaining the information gained from the observation by storing it cognitively. The third process is the behavioral production process which requires the learner to have the physical capabilities or behavioral abilities to perform what is learned. The final process, the motivational process provides incentives that motivate the learner to actually perform what has been learned. Bandura also theorized that peoples behavior is also determined by reciprocal determinism. Hergenhahn and Olson (2005) summarize Banduras concept of reciprocal determinism by stating that, behavior, the environment, and  people (and their beliefs) all interact (p. 349). Falling under the neurophysiological paradigm is the theorist Donald Olding Hebb. Some of his theories included that of restricted environments, enriched environments, cell assemblies, phase sequences, and sensory deprivation. In Hebbs theory of restricted environments, Hergenhahn and Olson (2005), explain that if an environment lacks stimulation or experience, it can have a negative impact on the growth and development of nervous system. A restrictive environment can disrupt normal intellectual and perceptual development. In contrast, an enriched environment full of stimulation and experience can enhance development. Hebb also believed that each environmental object we experience stimulates a complex pattern of neurons called cell assemblies (Hergenhahn and Olson, 2005, p. 379). The cell assemblies provide the basis of a thought. When cell assemblies become interconnected they form phase sequences. Phase sequences allow us to have streams of thoughts. According to Hergenhahn and Olson (2005), Hebb concluded in his theories that not only is sensory information necessary for proper neurophysiological development, but it is also necessary for the maintenance of normal functioning (p. 384). When an organisms experience sensory deprivation, severe cognitive disorientation, stress and fear can occur. Hebb believed that the environment had a direct effect on mental and physiological processes which influenced behavior and learning. The final paradigm is the evolutionary paradigm. Attempting to explain the learning process using evolutionary principles was the theorist Robert C. Bolles. Hergenhahn and Olson (2005) state that Bolles believed that learning involved the development of expectancies (p. 425). Expectancies are when an organism learns that one event leads to another. Bolles believed that organisms had innate predispositions for behavior and that motivation restricts response flexibility. Hergenhahn and Olson (2005) explain that an organisms natural reaction in a situation may make it difficult to learn a new response. Using the niche argument, Bolles argued that an understanding of learning must be accompanied by an understanding of the evolutionary history of the organism (Hergenhahn and Olson, (2005), p. 427). According this argument, organisms have to learn certain behaviors that they are  predispositioned for and not learn others depending on their niche and how they fit in the big picture. This can determine whether the organism is successful or not in adapting to its environment. Conclusion Although learning theorist in the various paradigms have attempted to explain learning and its processes, many questions are still unanswered. One of these questions is how does learning vary as a function of maturation? If learning occurs differently in different stages it would be beneficial to conduct research on how maturation affects the learning process. The information yielded from such research could be very beneficial in regards to education. Another unanswered question is how does learning vary as a function of species? If some organisms have the biological ability to learn certain behaviors and some do not, how can research involving different species be beneficial? If psychologists want to learn more about the learning process in humans, they should study humans rather than making generalizations across species. Other questions that remain unanswered involve learning and personality characteristics, learning as a function of the total environment, learning and associations, as well as learning and instinctive behavior. It is imperative that more research be conducted in an attempt to answer these questions about learning to give people a greater comprehension of learning. The more knowledge we have about the learning process and what affects it, the better we will be at making learning successful. References: Hergenhahn, B.R., Olson, M. (2005). An Introduction to Theories of Learning. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

History and Concepts of Human Rights

History and Concepts of Human Rights A. HISTORY + CONCEPTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS 1. What were the major conceptual and historical influences on the drafting of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights? The major conceptual and historical influences on the drafting of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights had began at the beginning of the Second World War then the prominent scholars of that time started writing about the importance of Human Rights. The prominent British utopian writer H. G. Wells launched a campaign to bring Human Rights to the attention of the public at large. In yearly 1940s Wells, had written a lot of works concerning with the issue of Human Rights. Hence he entitled one of his books The Right of Man or What Are We Fighting For? He spoke or corresponded with any leading figures of the time, including Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Jan Masaryk, Gandhi and many others, who at the end of the war would draft the preamble of the United Nations Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Right. Many other individuals and NGOs added their contributions, such as the journalist Clarence Streit published his book Union Now: A Proposal, urging all democra tic nations to unite on behalf of individual freedoms and what he called â€Å"the rights of man.† (Paul Gordon Lauren, 2003). Freeman (2002, p.32) points that the period from French Revolution to the Second World War was the dark age of the concept of human rights.. So, one can say that, at the end of the Second World War, the people had realized the importance of the concept of Human Rights. 2. What were the main contemporary events influencing the drafting of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The campaign reminds us that in a world still reeling from the horrors of the Second World War, the Declaration was the first global statement of what we now take for granted the inherent dignity and equality of all human beings.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2008) From his words one can say that the main event which had great influence on drafting of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the Second World War. The horror of the Second World War made international community to act towards human rights and to prevent future wars. 3. How would you describe the competing conceptions of rights that existed during the period of the Cold War? In 1976, the two conventions finally came into force with thirty-five states ratifying them. The two conventions were the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Why two covenants? The Cold War was still firmly in place, and the focus of the two political blocs (U.S. and the USSR) had very different emphases on what counted as human rights. The U.S. bloc focused on civil and political rights, while the Soviet bloc focused more on economic and social rights. The Commission wisely drafted two separate conventions to reflect this difference in focus (Centre on Law Globalization n.d.). 4. With reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the concept of ‘dignity, outline the human rights perspective on torture. Article 5 of the UDHR states that â€Å"[n]o one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment†, and the prohibition against torture and abuse is now codified in a number of international and regional treaties to which many countries are a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention Against Torture. The prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment is absolute and non-derogable. Unfortunately, violations of this most prized human right occur routinely in many prisons, although they are sanctioned by official policy (Human Rights Watch 2009). 5. Outline and characterize in not more than 75 words the relationship between religious freedom and gender equality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  To resolve conflicts between the two sets of rights, we need balancing approach based on facts. The factors that she highlights as important to consider when the rights clash include: the relationship between the equality right and the goal of gender equality, the importance of the religious practice to the right of religious freedom, the degree of infringement, the relation of other human rights to the conflict, the cumulative effects of religious limitations on womens rights, and the proportionality of restrictions on religious laws (NYU of Law 2009). 6. Why does Donnelly (Donnelly 2003, pp.22-37 204-224) argue that individuals, rather than groups, are the proper subject of human rights? Donnelly (2003 p.25) argues that if human rights are the rights that one has simply as a human being, then only human beings have human rights; if one is not a human being, by definition one cannot have human rights. Because only individual persons are human beings, it would seem that only individuals can have human rights. 7. Identify and discuss in no more than 75 words the impact of TWO events on the expansion of human rights in the last ten years. From my point view one of the events is the end of Cold War Era and second is Terrorism. The end of Cold War had opened new borders for spreading the concept of Human Rights. The second event which had an impact on the expansion of human rights is Terrorism. Nowadays Terrorism is the most threat to anyone, and this â€Å"word† is everywhere and lots of people are suffering. So these two events had a great impact on the expansion of human rights. B. INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY 8. Explain the difference between a declaration and a treaty. A treaty is a legally binding convention, coming into force upon ratification by a certain number of States. A declaration is not legally binding but carries moral weight because it is adopted by the international community (UN 2009) 9. Which international treaty has the most ratifications, and how many? More countries have ratified the Convention than any other human rights treaty in history-192 countries had become State Parties to the Convention as of November 2005 (UNICEF 2009). 10. Which rights are non-derogable under the ICCPR? What does this mean? According to the Article 4, section 2 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) no derogation from articles 6, 7, 8 (paragraphs I and 2), 11, 15, 16 and 18 may be made under this provision. Well this means that sates can not ‘take measures derogating from their obligations []‘ (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966) 11. Identify a case under the ICCPR Optional Protocol where the Committee has found in favour of the petitioner. Supply the citation for the case and summarise the Committees view in not more than 75 words. Article I of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976) states that a State Party to the Covenant that becomes a Party to the present Protocol recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from individuals subject to its jurisdiction who claim to be victims of a violation by that State Party of any of the rights set forth in the Covenant. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State Party to the Covenant which is not a Party to the present Protocol. Well, Optional Protocol allows individuals to complain to the Human Rights Committee about violations of the Covenant. 12. In 100 words state what in your view was the most significant issue raised by the UN Human Rights Committee in its recent review of Finland and why. Finlands State Secretary of Political Affairs, Dr. Teija Tiilikainen (2008), said that despite progress the country still struggles with cases of racism and intolerance. Looking through the Universal Periodic Review, I made a conclusion that Finland still facing problems like discrimination, racism and xenophobic attitudes. In my opinion the most significant issue raised by UN Human Rights Committee is racism and intolerance. The issues of racism and intolerance were raised by UN because, from the history we can see that all these destabilisations within the country like racism, intolerance were bringing the country to the humanitarian crisis. 13. How does the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child define a child? Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) defines child as, [] every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier. 14. What has to happen before the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People enters into force? Before the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People came into force, the UN established an Ad Hoc Committee â€Å"to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, based on the holistic approach in the work done in the fields of social development, human rights and non-discrimination and taking into account the recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission for Social Development.† (ENABLE 2007). 15. What reservation has Argentina made to CEDAW? What is the impact of this reservation? The Government of Argentina declares that it does not consider itself bound by article 29, paragraph 1, of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Bayefsky 2008). 16. Who is the current United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons and when was she appointed? The current United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons is Ms. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo from Nigeria. She was appointed in June 2008 (United Nations Human Rights 2009). C. REGIONAL MACHINERY 17. Who is entitled to submit individual complaints under the European, American and African regional human rights systems and to which particular regional bodies? According to the Article 34 of the Convention for the protection of Human Rights (2003) the court may receive applications from any person [] claiming to be the victim of violation by []. Article 19 of the same Convention states, to ensure the observance of the engagements undertaken by the High Contracting Parties in the Convention and the Protocols thereto, there shall be set up a European Court of Human Rights, hereinafter referred to as the Court. It shall function on a permanent basis (European Court of Human Rights 2009). So basically, other regional human rights systems are established almost in the same way of European. 18. How many States are currently members of the Council of Europe? Which State is the most recent member? Which States special guest status has been suspended due to its lack of respect for human rights and democratic principles? Cite your source(s). Currently members of the Council of Europe are 47 countries. The most recent member is Montenegro, which joined the Council of Europe on 11th May 2007 (Council of Europe 2009). In January 1997 the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly decided to suspend the special guest status for the Parliament of Belarus. As a result, the consideration of Belarus application for membership in the Council of Europe was suspended, and the bilateral Cooperation Programme was frozen (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus 2009). 19. What Conventions has the Council of Europe adopted which offer specific protection for minorities? There are several Conventions adopted by Council of Europe for the protection of minorities, such as European Convention on the repatriation of minors, European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Council of Europe 2009). 20. When did the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture come into force and how many States are currently parties to it? What monitoring and/or enforcement machinery did the Convention establish and what does it do? European Convention for the Prevention of Torture came into force on 1st March 2002 and it is ratified by 47 states. The Convention operates in relation to persons who allege that they are victims of violations of Article3 and the main purpose of the Convention is to protect people from torture (Council of Europe 2009). 21. When did the Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons come into force? How does it define forced disappearance? The Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons came into force on May 28 1996 (The Secretariat for Legal Affairs n.d.). Article second of Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons (1994) defines that forced disappearance is considered to be the act of depriving a person or persons of his or their freedom, in whatever way, perpetrated by agents of the state or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of the state, followed by an absence of information or a refusal to acknowledge that deprivation of freedom or to give information on the whereabouts of that person, thereby impeding his or her recourse to the applicable legal remedies and procedural guarantees (The Secretariat for Legal Affairs n.d.). 22. Under what authority can States denounce the American Convention on Human Rights? When did Trinidad Tobago denounce the ACHR and why? According to the Article 78 of the American Convention on Human Rights (1969), The States Parties may denounce this Convention at the expiration of a five-year period from the date of its entry into force and by means of notice given one year in advance. Notice of the denunciation shall be addressed to the Secretary General of the Organization, who shall inform the other States Parties. The Denunciation of Trinidad and Tobago was notified in May 26, 1998, and denunciation was because of death penalty (The Secretariat for Legal Affairs n.d.). 23. When was Algerias 3rd and 4th periodic reports (submitted in September 2006) examined by the African Commission? To whom does the report say capital punishment does not apply in Algeria? Algerias 3rd and 4th periodic reports were examined by the African Commission on it 42nd Ordinary Session from 15th to 28th of November in 2007 (African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights 2009). Capital punishment is not applicable to minors aged 13 to 18.Article 50 of the Criminal Code provides that â€Å"should be decided that a minor aged between 13 to 18 must be given criminal sentence []. (Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria. African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, Third and fourth periodical reports, 2006, p.13) 24. What instrument established the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights? What jurisdiction does the Court have? Is it operational? The African Court of Human and Peoples Rights was established by African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights (African International Courts and Tribunals n. d.). The Court has the competence to take final and binding decisions on human rights violations perpetrated by AU Member States. The competence of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights is based on its jurisdiction and the law that it will apply when exercising this jurisdiction (African Court on Human and Peoples Rights n. d.).The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Establishing the ACHPR entered into force on January 25, 2004 upon its ratification by fifteen member states. The statute of the ACHPR has not yet been promulgated and a seat for the court has yet to be determined, therefore much of the data regarding its functioning is not yet available (African International Courts and Tribunals n. d.). But the main functions of the Court has been set up, As mentioned above The Court has the competence to take final and binding decisions on human rights violations perpetrated by AU Member States (African Court on Human and Peoples Rights n. d.). All together one can say that it is operational but not all of its functions have been set up. 25. When was the Arab League established? List its current membership. Why was Egypts membership suspended in 1979? What happened as a result? When was Egypt readmitted? Arab League was established in 1945. The current members are 22 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (Al-bab n. d.). The membership of Egypt was stopped, because in 1979 Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel. As a result the headquarters was moved from Cairo to Tunis. Egypt was readmitted to the league in 1989 and the leagues headquarters was moved back to Cairo (Pan Arab n. d.). Bibliography Books Donnelly J 2003, Universal Human Rights in theory and practice, 2nd edn, Cornell University Press, New York, USA. Freeman M 2002, Human Rights, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK Lauren P G 2003, The evolution of international human rights: visions seen, 2nd edn, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, USA. Electronic Sources African International Courts and Tribunals (n. d.) The African Court on Human and Peoples Rights. Available at: http://www.aict-ctia.org/courts_conti/achpr/achpr_home.html (Accessed: 15 November 2009) African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (n. d.) General information. Available at: http://www.african-court.org/en/court/mandate/general-information/ (Accessed: 15 November 2009 ) African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (2009) Status on Submission of State Initial/Periodic Reports to the African Commission. Available at: http://www.achpr.org/english/_info/statereport_considered_en.html (Accessed: 16 November 2009) African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (2009) Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria. African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, Third and fourth periodical reports, 2006. Available at: http://www.achpr.org/english/state_reports/Algeria/Algeria%20report_eng.pdf (Accessed: 16 November 2009 ) Articles by Brian Whitaker (n. d.) The League of Arab States. Available at: http://www.al-bab.com/Arab/docs/league.htm (Accessed: 15 November 2009) Bayefsky (n.d.) the United Nations Human Rights Treaties. Available at: http://www.bayefsky.com/pdf/argentina_t2_cedaw.pdf (Accessed: 16 November) Centre on Law Globalization (n. d.), Human Rights Fail During the Cold War. Available at: http://clg.portalxm.com/library/keytext.cfm?keytext_id=121 (Accessed 18 November) Council of Europe (2009), European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 26 November 1987. Available at: http://www.cpt.coe.int/EN/documents/ecpt.htm (Accessed 18 November) Council of Europe (2009), Complete list of the Council of Europes treaties. Available at: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ListeTraites.asp?CM=8CL=ENG (Accessed: 16 November) Council of Europe (2009), Council of Europe in brief. Available at: http://www.coe.int/aboutCoe/index.asp?page=47pays1europel=en (Accessed: 16 November) Enable (2007), Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities,. Available at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/adhoccom.htm (Accessed: 18 November) European Court of Human Rights (2009), Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as amended by Protocol No. 11. Available at: http://www.echr.coe.int/NR/rdonlyres/D5CC24A7-DC13-4318-B457-5C9014916D7A/0/EnglishAnglais.pdf (Accessed: 16 November) Human Rights Watch (2009), Special Comment: A Human Rights Perspective on Segregating the Mentally Ill. Available at: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/05/18/special-comment-human-rights-perspective-segregating-mentally-ill (Accessed 18 November) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (n.d.), American Convention on Human Rights 22 November 1969. Available at: http://www.cidh.org/Basicos/English/Basic3.American%20Convention.htm (Accessed: 16 November) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2009),International organizations. Available at: http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/multilateral/int_org/ref/e02a9ab26c54c943.html (Accessed: 16 November) New York University of Law (2009), Journal of International law and politics (Volume 24). Available at: http://www1.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/24/24_2_Sullivan.html (Accessed 18 November) Pan Arab (n. d.) Members of the Arab League. Available at: http://www.arabji.com/ArabGovt/ArabLeague.htm (Accessed: 15 November 2009) The Secretariat for Legal Affairs (n.d.), American Convention on Human Rights â€Å"Pact Of San Jose, Costa Rica† 22 November 1969. Available at: http://www.oas.org/Juridico/english/Sigs/b-32.html#Trinidad%20and%20Tobago (Accessed: 16 November) The Secretariat for Legal Affairs (n.d.), Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons 09 June 1994. Available at: http://www.oas.org/juridico/English/sigs/a-60.html (Accessed: 16 November) United Nations Human Rights (2009), Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children. Available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/trafficking/index.htm (Accessed: 16 November) United Nations Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm (Accessed: 18 November) United Nations Radio (2009), Finland and Indonesia undergo human rights review. Available at: http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/37298.html (Accessed: 18 November) United Nations Human Rights (2009), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm (Accessed: 18 November) UNICEF (2009), Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30229.html (Accessed: 18 November) UN (2009), Human Rights at your Fingertips. Available at: http://www.un.org/rights/50/game.htm#28 (Accessed: 18 November) University of Minnesota (2009), Human rights Library. Available at: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/b4ccprp1.htm (Accessed: 18 November) 60th Anniversary Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2008), Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 1948-2008. Available at: http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/udhr60/index.shtml (Accessed: 18 November)

The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle :: Snatcher Stevenson Speckled Doyle Essays

The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle In the two stories tension and suspense is created through many different methods. Weather and time of day are very popular scene settings to make the perfect moment in a tension story. Thunderous skies and pelting rain on a dark night has more of a chilling feel to it than a sweet summers day with sunflowers and butterflies flapping around. Of course there are times and places for such story writing, but it would not fit the mood for a Sherlock Holmes story. In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the drama and suspense begins immediately, and the reader is given almost a description of what he or she is in store for. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes it known directly that Sherlock Holmes only accepts cases to solve that seem out of the ordinary, and he is about to be prompted into quite an unordinary situation. This places the reader in a quizzing state of mind, so already the reader's attention has been grasped, and throughout the story like a detective the reader will pick at each detail of the story. The obviousness of a strong, suspenseful story unravels when Holmes disturbs Watson from his slumber at a very unsuitable time in the morning, according to Watson. It brings tension to the story once again so early on, for we realize that to be up at such a time in the morning, would only be for a special case for the two to attempt to solve. When the detectives interview the woman at their office, we are told of her state, she is shivering, and is said to have pre-maturely gray hair. This itself does not bring spine tingling suspension to the reader, but when we are told that she shivers not from the cold, but from her fear, it begins to become a lot clearer. We also find out that the woman is quite young, but has gray hairs, the only reason I thought of for a woman to have gray hairs prematurely, was because of Stress or trauma of some kind. This creates tension by making us want to find out what was so disturbing or so stressful to cause her premature grayness, and we suspect the most probable cause to be her fear. Shortly afterwards we lean that Helen's cause for the distress she has been put through is her step father, who is described to have quite a nefarious attitude at times. We learn from Helen that he has before

The Good Earth: Summary Essay -- essays research papers

The Good Earth: Summary Wang Lung was the son of a peasant farmer. When it came for him to marry, his father chose a slave girl from the house of Hwang who was hardworking. O- lan, Wang Lung's wife was a good wife for Wang Lung. She did not waste anything, and made items such as shoes for the family so Wang Lung could save his money for other things.. She worked endlessly for Wang Lung and his father, and even helped Wang Lung plow the field. One day while helping on the field, O-lan went inside and bore their first child. Luckily, it was a boy. Girls at that time were always slaves, or married to other family's sons. They named him Nung Wen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before leaving the house of Hwang earlier, O-lan promised to bring their first child to pay respects to the house. That year, the harvest was good, so Wang Lung bought new clothes for O-lan, the baby, and himself. After paying their respects, Wang Lung made a deal with the house of Hwang and bought a plot of good land just outside the house. One year later, another boy was born and was named Nung En.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wang Lung's third child was a disaster. Not only was it a girl, but she was born retarded. That summer, a drought hit the area where Wang Lung lived, and it did not rain for months. There was little harvest, and soon all of the wheat was gone. Starving, Wang Lung had his ox killed for food, but could not bear to watch because the beast had been so faithful to him. Not having any money, Wang Lung sold the furniture in his house for a few silver pieces. His fourth child was born in the drought, and was born dead. The family was forced to move South to find food, so with the money he made from selling the furniture, Wang Lung paid train fare to go down south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the train, Wang Lung spent some more money to buy material so they could build a hut when they reached the city. At the city, they built their hut, and discovered a kitchen where for almost no money at all, a person could eat all of the rice they wanted. Wang Lung bought enough rice for his family, and they ate it heartily. Now, Wang Lung needed money again, so the next day he rented a ricksha to transport the rich around the city for money, and O-lan and the children begged for money. After paying the rent for the ricksha, Wang Lung did not make a lot, but it was enough to sup... ...e opium, and began to annoy Wang Lung's older son's wife by talking dirty and walking around with his robe open. Seeing this, Nung Wen became very angry and Wang Lung rented a portion of the house of Hwang. The uncle and his wife were left in the country with their opium, and the uncle's son left to join the army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Ching died, Wang Lung stopped farming and rented out his land, hoping that his youngest son would tend the land, but when he took a girl that his youngest son liked, his youngest son ran away from home and joined the army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Wang Lung's death came near, he moved back to the country to be with his land. He brought only his slave Pear Blossom, that his youngest son loved, and his first daughter that was simple. One day as he was looking at the fields with his sons, he heard them talking about how they were going to spend their inheritance and what they would do with the money they would make from selling the land. Wang Lung cried out that they must never sell the land because only with land could they be sure of earning a living. But Wang Lung did not see his sons look at each other over his head and grin.

Experiences in the Writing Center Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

Experiences in the Writing Center When I started to work at the Writing Center, I had about eleven years of experience in tutoring English as a foreign language to non-native English speakers in Germany. The experience I had gained from that proved to be very helpful. Before you can address the problems in writing, like any other problem, it is very important to get to know the writer. If you can build a bridge between the two individuals, who should work together in a tutoring session, it is a lot easier to discuss problems and find solutions. As some of the problems might have personal reasons or it might be difficult for the writer to discuss the reason for some obstacles in writing well, a more personal basis supports any work in that way. Looking back at the sessions I tutored in this quarter, I would like to focus on the problems of one student. The student brought three papers to the center, and his papers showed problems in constructing complete and correct sentences, as well as defining paragraphs, and some of his sentences sounded awkward. These problems occurred in all his papers. After a brief introduction and some questioning about the content of each paper, it became obvious that the writer was able to tell me exactly what he wanted to talk about and in what order paper should appear. Yet, he had the problem of bringing his thoughts onto his paper. We started to discuss some sentences of his first paragraph, where he concentrated almost only on the content of what he wanted to say, but never on the way HOW he could express his thoughts clearly to a reader. To him the fragmented sentences, put together piece after piece, containing a lot of information, made completely sense, because he KNEW what he w... ...hod to make writers aware, that an essential part of their sentence is missing, is to use symbols that refer to the parts of the sentence. So far, I have had quite some good results in explaining it that way: The writer has to pay attention! The sentence ends with an exclamation mark -- put together with the symbols square, upward triangle, and ellipse (). The three symbols put together on top of each other resemble an exclamation mark (). If these three parts are separated again, they have the following meaning: = square = 's' like in SUBJECT = "V" with top = 'v' like in VERB = "O" = 'o' like in OBJECT. If the writer draws these symbols around the corresponding parts in the sentences, then it becomes visually clear which part is missing. A lot of people learn easier this way and find a way to memorize the essential parts of any sentence easier.

Building Rock Types in Nottingham City Centre

The purpose of this investigation is to identify and visually examine the various rock types used in Nottingham city centre buildings.Table 1. General information Question AnswerBriefly explain why the rock types used in the buildings are given specific, local names (e.g. â€Å"Ancaster Stone†, â€Å"Bulwell Stone† and â€Å"Portland Stone† are three different types of limestone used in Nottingham buildings). Rock types used in buildings are given the local name of their origin. Rocks of the same type will have variations depending on their geographical background. Therefore by naming rocks after their origin, it is easy to confirm that they come from the same place and so have less variations.Dolomitic limestone was the most common building stone in Nottingham from Victorian times onwards. Briefly explain what â€Å"dolomitic limestone† is (as distinct from â€Å"limestone†).Dolomitic limestone is limestone that has up to 50% dolomite content. The Kentucky geological survey describes the stone often exhibiting a sugary texture and commonly weathering to a brown colour.Table 2. Nottingham building information & observations Building Feature Notes(1) Arkwright Building Describe the rock material (including the form of the blocks) for the limestone used in the buildingThe limestone used in the Arkwright Building is Ancaster stone. It is a sedimentary rock with a typical layered look. It is a pale yellow and has a medium grain size. The blocks of limestone are roughly 750mm x 250mm.(2) St Andrews Church Describe the rock material (including the form of the blocks) for the limestone used in the buildingThere are mainly two types of limestone used in the church. The first is called Bulwell stone. It is a coarse dolomitic limestone with a honey-brown or red tint. The blocks of stone are approximately 200mm x 150mm. The other type of limestone is Barnstone. It is a grey, fine grained rock with a rough texture.(4) Newton Building Desc ribe the contrasts in appearance of the limestone and sandstone used in the Newton buildingThe limestone (Portland stone) in the newton building is white in colour unlike the sandstone’s golden colour. The limestone has a smooth texture whereas the sandstone has a rough, grainy texture. Grain size is generally bigger in sandstone. Limestone blocks also contain shell debris unlike the sandstone.(5) Guildhall Describe the contrasts in the appearance of the sandstone used on the entrance steps to the sandstone used for the main buildingThe sandstone (Coal Measures Sandstone) used on the entrance steps is a bluish grey compared to the red-tinted sandstone (Millstone Grit) used on the main building. The Millstone Grit has medium grained rock whereas the Coal Measures Sandstone has a fine grain size and a smoother texture. (37) Express ChambersWhat is the name of the architect who designed this building (and when was the building constructed?) The Watson Fothergill website states t he architect who designed the Express Chambers was Watson Fothergill. The construction of the building began in 1875 and was completed in 1876. (30) Nottingham and Notts BankDescribe the rock material (including the form of the blocks) for the larvikite used in the buildingThe Pelham Street frontage is made from Larvikite. It is bluish grey in colour. It has coarse inter-locking grains and a pearly lustre. The sheet used are roughly 1500mm x 1000mm. (29) Nottingham Journal BuildingNot including the flooring, name the different types of rock used to clad the exterior of the ground floor of the buildingThe ground floor faà §ade is clad with three different types of (Igneous) rock. The bottom layer course is a dark grey Gabbro. Next is a thin course of Rapakivi Granite. The main panels are a greenish grey Magmatite. (78) The former Gala Casino buildingA partially resorbed xenolith can be seen in the right front, grey granite panel. What is a â€Å"xenolith†?The National Geograp hic states that a xenolith is a piece of rock embedded in a different type of rock. Xenoliths are usually trapped in cooling magma and so most commonly found in igneous rocks. (68) Enfield ChambersDescribe the rock material (including the form of the blocks) for the limestone used in the exterior of the ground floor of the buildingThe Cross-bedded limestone is a dark yellow colour. The rock consists of fine sized grains and small crystals. The blocks of limestone are approximately 1000mm x 450mm and have a smooth texture. (67) PrezzoThe front columns are a porphyritic type of igneous rock. What does â€Å"porphyritic† mean, and can this feature be seen in the columns?The Geology class website explains that porphyritic means an Igneous rock made up of both large and fine crystals. This texture can be seen in the columns. Larger silver crystals are embedded in the finer black crystals.

Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Essay

1) Rock solid, unshakeable confidence You can see from Martin Luther King’s body language that he was calm and grounded as he delivered his speech. Although you can’t see his feet as he’s speaking, I’d imagine him to be heavily planted to the ground, with a solid posture that says â€Å"Here I am. I’m not budging. Now, you come to me.† As a speaker, Martin Luther King had the solidity that is surely only found with those who have completely aligned their actions with their firm commitment. The 200,000 people at the Washington rally could not have pushed King off-track if they’d tried, so solid was he in his convictions. Self-belief from a beyond-personal source gives this sort of power – and you can see the impact. Martin luther king with this faith 2) The Voice It would always take a commanding voice to inspire thousands and Martin Luther King’s booming voice was well practiced in his capacity as a Baptist preacher. His cadence, his pacing and his preacher-like drama bring real passion to the speech. Martin Luther King used powerful, evocative language to draw emotional connection to his audience, such as: â€Å"Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.† â€Å"This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.† â€Å"We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities† Martin luther king let freedom ring 3) Rhythm & Repetition The intensity of King’s speech is built through bold statements and rhythmic repetition. Each repetition builds on the one before and is reinforced by Martin Luther King’s ever increasing passion. â€Å"We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. â€Å"Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.† â€Å"Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.† As the speech comes to a close the pace of Martin Luther King’s repetition increases, helping to build to a crescendo. 4) Ditching the Script If that wasn’t dramatic enough, Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I have a dream† speech was never meant to even include its most famous sequence and climax. Originally penned under several names, such as the catchy â€Å"normalcy speech† and â€Å"A Cancelled check†, King put aside his script ten minutes into the speech. Few would dare risk it at such a moment, but King was said to have responded to the cry of Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson â€Å"Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin!† and ad-libbed what came next. This is what gave â€Å"I have a dream† its raw power and edge – King was living the words that he spoke. 5) With, not ‘at’ his people It’s thought that King ditched the script so that he could connect more with his audience. And it worked. â€Å"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations,† he begins. King goes on to talk to his audience and their personal situations directly, â€Å"Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.† King is with the people, fully connecting to them with his eyes and delivering a powerful rhythm in his speaking. Martin Luther King’s script writer, Clarence B Jones reflected, â€Å"It was like he had an out-of-body experience.† So often it is the speaker who is flexible and vulnerable enough to connect with their audience who has the most powerful impact.

African Literature Essay

Despite the ignorance of most so called â€Å"literati† to the domain of African literature, African literature in fact is one of the main currents of world literature, stretching continuously and directly back to ancient history. Achebe did not â€Å"invent† African Literature, because he himself was inundated with it as an African. He simply made more people aware of it. The Beginnings of African Literature The first African literature is circa 2300-2100, when ancient Egyptians begin using burial texts to accompany their dead. These include the first written accounts of creation – the Memphite Declaration of Deities. Not only that, but ‘papyrus’, from which we originate our word for paper, was invented by the Egyptians, and writing flourished. In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa feature a vibrant and varied oral culture. To take into account written literary culture without considering literary culture is definitely a mistake, because they two interplay heavily with each other. African oral arts are â€Å"art’s for life’s sake† (Mukere) not European â€Å"art’s for art’s sake†, and so may be considered foreign and strange by European readers. However, they provide useful knowledge, historical knowledge, ethical wisdom, and creative stimuli in a direct fashion. Oral culture takes many forms: proverbs and riddles, epic narratives, oration and personal testimony, praise poetry and songs, chants and rituals, stories, legends and folk tales. This is present in the many proverbs told in Things Fall Apart, and the rich cultural emphasis of that book also is typically African. The earliest written Sub-Saharan Literature (1520) is heavily influenced by Islamic literature. The earliest example of this is the anonymous history of the city-state of Kilwa Kisiwani. The first African history, History of the Sudan, is written by Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi in Arabic style. Traveling performers, called griots, kept the oral tradition alive, especially the legends of the Empire of Mali. In 1728 the earliest written Swahili work,Utendi wa Tambuka borrows heavily from Muslim tradition. However, there are little to no Islamic presence in Things Fall Apart. The Period of Colonization With the period of Colonization, African oral traditions and written works came under a serious outside threat. Europeans, justifying themselves with the Christian ethics, tried to destroy the â€Å"pagan† and â€Å"primitive† culture of the Africans, to make them more pliable slaves. However, African Literature survived this concerted attack. In 1789, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustava Vassa was the first slave narrative to be published. Kidnapped from Nigeria, this Ibo man wrote his autobiography in Great Britain in English, and like Achebe used his narrative as a platform to attack the injustices of slavery and cultural destruction. Back in Africa, Swahili poetry threw off the dominating influence of Islam and reverted back to native Bantu forms. One exemplar of this was Utendi wa Inkishafi (Soul’s Awakening), a poem detailing the vanity of earthly life. The Europeans, by bringing journalism and government schools to Africa, helped further the development of literature. Local newspapers abounded, and often they featured sections of local African poetry and short stories. While originally these fell close to the European form, slowly they broke away and became more and more African in nature. One of these writers was Oliver Schreiner, whose novel Story of an African Farm (1883) is considered the first African classic analysis of racial and sexual issues. Other notable writers, such as Samuel Mqhayi and Thomas Mofolo begin portraying Africans as complex and human characters. Achebe was highly influenced by these writers in their human portrayal of both sides of colonization. Emerging from Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, the negritude movement established itself as one of the premiere literary movements of its time. It was a French-speaking African search for identity, which ofcourse took them back to their roots in Africa. Africa was made into a metaphorical antipode to Europe, a golden age utopia, and was often represented allegorically as a woman. In a 1967 interview, Cesaire explained: â€Å"We lived in an atmosphere of rejection, and we developed an inferiority complex. † The desire to establish an identity begins with â€Å"a concrete consciousness of what we are–†¦that we are black . . . and have a history. . . [that] there have been beautiful and important black civilizations†¦that its values were values that could still make an important contribution to the world. † Leopold Sedar Senghor, one of the prime thinkers of this movement, eventually became president of the country of Senegal, creating a tradition of African writers becoming active political figures. Achebe was doubtless familiar with the negritude movement, although he preferred to less surrealistic and more realistic writing. In 1948, African literature came to the forefront of the world stage with Alan Paton’s publishing of Cry the Beloved Country. However, this book was a somewhat paternalistic and sentimental portrayal of Africa. Another African writer, Fraz Fanon, also a psychiatrist, becomes famous in 1967 through a powerful analysis of racism from the African viewpoint – Black Skin, White Masks. Camara Laye explored the deep psychological ramification of being African in his masterpiece, The Dark Child (1953), and African satire is popularized by Mongo Beti and Ferdinand Oyono. Respected African literary critic Kofi Awoonor systematically collects and translates into English much of African oral culture and art forms, preserving native African culture. Chinua Achebe then presents this native African culture in his stunning work, Things Fall Apart. This is probably the most read work of African Literature ever written, and provides a level of deep cultural detail rarely found in European literature. Achebe’s psychological insight combined with his stark realism make his novel a classic. Post-Achebe African Literature Achebe simply opened the door for many other African literati to attain international recognition. East Africans produce important autobiographical works, such as Kenyans Josiah Kariuki’s Mau Mau Detainee (1963), and R. Mugo Gatheru’s Child of Two Worlds (1964). African women begin to let their voice be heard. Writers such as Flora Nwapa give the feminine African perspective on colonization and other African issues. Wole Soyinka writes her satire of the conflict between modern Nigeria and its traditional culture in her book The Interpreters (1965). A prolific writer, she later produces famous plays such as Death and The King’s Horseman. Later, in 1986, she is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. African Literature gains more and more momentum, and Professor James Ngugi even calls for the abolition of the English Department in the University of Nairobi, to be replaced by a Department of African Literature and Languages. African writers J. M. Coetzee, in his Life and Times of Michael K. written in both Afrikaans and English for his South African audience, confronts in literature the oppressive regime of apartheid. Chinua Achebe helps reunite African Literature as a whole by publishing in 1985 African Short Stories, a collection of African short stories from all over the continent. Another African writer, Naguib Mahfouz, wins the Nobel Prize in literature in 1988. In 1990 African poetry experiences a vital comeback through the work I is a Long-Memoried Woman by Frances Anne Soloman. African Literature is only gaining momentum as time marches onwards.

Ecco Sets Store Chain Management Standards in Russia

24/11/12 GMCS – ECCO sets store chain management standards in Russia using Microsoft Dynamics AX for †¦ C urrent page U RL: http://w w w . gmcs. ru/en/press/new s/4447/index. php Print this page HOME / PRESS-CENTER / NEWS / ECCO SETS STORE CHAIN MANAGEMENT STANDARDS IN RUSSIA USING MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX FOR RETAIL Events 19 July 2012 News ECCO-ROS, an exclusive distributor of Danish shoe brand ECCO in Russia deploys Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail in order to come to a new quality level of customer service, improve management performance and develop the retail store chain.This project is unique because for the first time based on Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, a uniform solution for the automation of geographically dispersed chain of the ECCO stores in Russia will be made to replace intermediate cash accounting software that is currently being used. This will enable ECCO-ROS to reduce costs for operation of the systems and management of the company as a whole, optimiz e business processes in the retail stores, improve merchandise flow management, and improve reliability of information flows inside the chain.In addition, the distributor expects to increase sales for the account of the offered Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail expanded opportunities for marketing activity management, and implementation of a new customer loyalty bonus system the deployment of which will be supported by the implemented system. â€Å"Activities of ECCO-ROS are based on the ECCO reference models and general management principles, including the key principles – innovativeness and manufacturability.These ideas also find reflection in management of the IT-infrastructure of our company. Today, we implement a non-trivial project in Russia, and we believe that the implementation experience will be of interest in the retail business†, says Sergei Prokhorov, IT-Director at ECCO-ROS. â€Å"For instance, one of the features of the implemented solution is that we wi ll get an opportunity for complete synchronization of the POS-terminal operations even in case of absence of communication or failures in the communication channels.It is an important criterion for retail business†. GMCS is a project partner, a winner of the competitive tender for the implementation of the project on the automation of the ECCO-ROS retail chain, which expertise in the field of retail is presented by successful projects for the leaders of this market. One of the key decision-making factors in the selection of the partner was the quality of projects implemented by the partner, and the partner’s focus on customer satisfaction†, explained Sergei Prokhorov.At present, the GMCS specialists completed creation of a solution concept model for customer accounting and service. According to the proposed model based on Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, the following processes will be automated: acceptance, shipment, return, and selling, including selling of goo ds on credit and via ECCO Internet Shop, payment and cash services, product range and stock management, inventorying and adjustment of entries of stock changes under wrong heading, warehouse.The system will enable to control personnel performance including opening and closing of shift, strict accounting of labor hours of the employees through a biometric authorization system, as well as accounting of visitors. The auxiliary processes will also be automated such as accounting of corporate clothes and footwear, and consumable materials. Emphasis is placed on the automation of marketing activity processes and loyalty management program. Based on Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, the processes of management of advertising campaigns, handling of saving discount cards, bonus and gift cards will be automated. The final project objective is to create a conceptually new, innovative and scaling solution for retail that will be able to replace front office software (disconnected, as a rule) fo r integrated customer accounting and service system that will form a uniform information space from cashier to manager. The Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail tools enable us to accomplish all tasks stated by a customer†, comment Sergei Kotov, Retail Solutions Department Director at GMCS. – â€Å"We specially focus on the quality of the future solution, simplicity and flexibility of its use.ECCO-ROS will be able to independently customize the system later in case of any change or occurrence of new business-processes thereby reducing costs for support and development of the system†. The system is scheduled to be put into operation in the pilot regions (stores in Moscow and Saint Petersburg) in December 2012. In future, the uniform customer accounting and service system is expected to be deployed in all remaining stores of the retail chain that is presented today by more than 300 stores in Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.E CCO-ROS is an exclusive distributor of Danish shoe brand ECCO in Russia. Since 1991, the company offers to Russian consumers the world’s popular ECCO shoes. As at 2012, the ECCO chain comprises of more than 300 stores in Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and continues to actively develop. The company’s office is located in Moscow; management of the proprietary stores in the regions and interrelation with regional partners is performed from the office. Back to list Feedback  © 1997 — 2010 â€Å"GMCS† All rights reserved. Made in agency www. gmcs. ru/en/press/news/4447/? print=Y 1/1