Essay on Pest Anaylsis Nordea - 1443 Words

Pest Analysis on Nordea Political 1. Legislation/law for information systems 2. Effectiveness of law v internet 3. Monopoly legislation 4. Trading from investors Economical 1. Economy of information systems in Scandinavia 2. Economical trends 3. Trade and industry 4. Competition of cost outside Europe Social 1. Wide demographic 2. Applying decent pricing to customer’s needs 3. Innovative idea to suite customer trends 4. Security Technical 1. Using different sites to their advantage 2. Challenges of integrated systems 3. Innovative ideas 4. Competitors Political – ‘Political systems can exert significant pressure on the development and use of information systems in organisations’ (Beynon-Davies, 2004). This normally†¦show more content†¦Social One of Nordea’s goals is that the ‘website should be designed in a way that would be easy even for 65-year-old customers to understand’ (Jelassi Enders, 2008) They aim to address a large demographic, to hold as many customers as they could. This achievement was shown in 2002 when they had 10.6 million private customers (Jelassi Enders, 2008). Deitel et al pointed out that people are less trusting of banks and the public now see banks as power and money hungry institutions who messed up society. Nordea previously removed their basic charges for their customers and customers that want to do equity trading pay various amounts. However Nordea’s competitors still tend to be cheaper. An example of this is E*Trade that charge 50% less than their trade (Jelassi Enders, 2008). Nordea have an innovative media view which is TV banking. This allows customers who are not computer literate, or purely don’t like using the internet to check their balances via the TV. With this as an example of one of the new benefits using remote mechanisms, it is important for stakeholders to be interested for their purposes. Margetts and Dunleavy (2002) (cited in Beynon-Davies, 2004) argue that for people to change their conventional way of interacting with organisations over to new technology mechanisms there is a substantial and immediate set of

Essay on Government Spending, Deficits, and Keynesian...

A growing government is opposite to America’s economic interests because the various methods of financing a government - taxes, borrowing, and printing money have harmful effects upon the economy. There are many reasons why there is a high deficit in the United States such as extensive spending. This is true because government spending is often economically destructive, regardless of how it is financed. There are many causes of the steady growth in U.S. trade deficits. There are many people are against the high deficits especially economists. â€Å"Economists define government intervention in the foreign exchange market as the buying or selling of foreign exchange for the purpose of manipulating the exchange rate. â€Å"(Case, pg. 398)†¦show more content†¦Yes, the reason for the high budget deficit matter because many economists feels as though this will eventually affect our children and/or even our grandchildren. Not only that we must know how to budget the money. The government needs to know if they need to offer higher interest rates to attract enough buyers of government debt. Excess amount of borrowing adds to the National debt which means the Government has to spend more each year. Another reason why it matters we need to cut out and/or investigate where the wasteful spending is going and if we need to cut back on public sector spending or by raising the burden. There are few programs I think that we could cut to help in our financial situation right now such as public assistance. I am all for help ing people in need especially children, senior citizens, and disabled. However, I am not willing to offer or give assistance to a person who abuses the system. I know several people who receive public assistance and they are perfectly stable enough to work, but they rather not. If you have been on the program more than 5 years you should be released. We have allowed some people to take advantage and it has put a minor dent into the United States spending.Show MoreRelatedKeynesian and Monetarist Economic Theories1732 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Keynesian and monetarist economic theory: Budget deficits, supply-side economics and trade deficits Keynesian economic theory arose first in opposition to classical economic theory during the 1930s. Keynes developed his philosophy as a way of remedying the aftereffects of the Great Crash, which had spiraled into a great, world-wide depression. According to classical economic theory, the ups and downs of the business cycle are to be expected. Eventually, prices become so low that peopleRead MoreEssay about Monetarist and New Classical theories1452 Words   |  6 PagesUniversity of Chicago, and Edmund S. Phelps of Colombia University. It was later more fully developed by Robert E. Lucus Jr, of the University of Chicago. Based on the idea that households and firms lack the full set of information needed, to make their economics decisions. Based not on imperfect information, but on shocks to technology and supply conditions (Case, p. 553). The New Classical macroeconomic has industrial from two different but related sources: the theoretical and the practical critiques ofRead MoreKey nesian Theory During The Great Depression949 Words   |  4 PagesSince the establishment of the Keynesian theory during the Great Depression, there was a continuous rivalry between Keynesians and monetarists. The ongoing debate was about which model can most accurately and correctly explain economic instability and which theory provides the best suggestions on how to achieve constant and steady economic growth. 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They are opposites on the economic policy field and were introduced in the 20th century, but are known for their influence on the economy in the United States both were being used to try and help the economy during the Great Depression. John Maynard Keynes a British economist was the founder of Keynesian economic theory. Keynesian economics is a form of demandRead MoreKeynesian Economics1016 Words   |  5 Pagestoday John M. Keynes’ ideas remain crucial to the most important debate of our time: how can we escape from the economic crisis? Should governments borrow and spend their way out of trouble or slash spending and reduce the national debt? Despite Keynes’ avid support for the free market, his theory is one strongly based on the mixed-market economy. â€Å"Keynes said it was possible for governments to come in and make markets work better... Keynes saved capitalism from the capitalists.† - Prof. Joseph StiglitzRead MoreThe United States Economy: Recession Policy Recommendations651 Words   |  3 PagesThe United States economy: Recession policy recommendations According to classical Keynesian theory, the best way to deal with a recession is for the government to spend at a deficit to stimulate demand. Waiting for the business cycle to rectify itself, at least during a very severe economic downturn, shows little understanding of real world economic and psychological wisdom. When people are worried about losing their jobs, they spend less and hide money under the mattress. They do not buy consumerRead MoreFiscal Policy And Its Effects On Economic Growth1260 Words   |  6 PagesFiscal policy is a tool that is used by the government to correct fluctuations in the economy. Fiscal policy involves the government manipulating the level of government expenditure and/or rates of taxes to affect the level of aggregate demand (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 2001, p.633). The business cycle is inter-linked with this policy as it illustrates the short-term increase and decrease in the economy, noted as periods of recession and expansion. The idea of fiscal pol icy is simple when the economyRead MoreMacroeconomic Theories Of Macroeconomics And Classical Economics999 Words   |  4 PagesMacroeconomics is a branch of economics dealing with the performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of an economy as a whole, rather than individual markets. This includes national, regional, and global economies. With microeconomics, macroeconomics is one of the two most general fields in economics. There are two major macroeconomic theories that economists use to describe the economy. Those theories are Keynesian and Classical. Each theory has a different approach to the economic study of monetaryRead MoreBudget Deficit1183 Words   |  5 PagesBudget Deficit For many decades, there has been a concern for the deficit within the United States. Many politicians, authors, newscasters, and citizens have expressed their distress in order to resolve or control the issue. Keynesian economic theory states that running a budget deficit is okay, as long as the deficit is not exorbitantly large and is not carried for a long period of time. Even though many experts agree with this notion, having a deficit at all is important to the present and

Management Theory And Practices Organizations Obligation

Question: Describe about the Management Theory And Practices for Organizations Obligation. Answer: Social responsibility is the activities that the organization undertakes to facilitate a positive relationship between the organization and its stakeholders. The activities may or may not necessary generate any profits to the organizations. It is also the responsibility or the duty of the company to improve and protect the body welfare and the stakeholders that surround it. Organization must have a good relationship with the stakeholders to avoid disputes arising which may hinder it from achieving its targets (Schermerhorn et al. 2014). The organization do not exist in isolation and therefore, social responsibility looks at the interaction between the organization and its stakeholders. Stakeholders are the people who relate or interact with the team in the process of reaching its set goals or targets. Growth and development of the organization are determined by the interaction with its stakeholders as they indicate its actions, objectives, and policies they make. Active interaction leads to the success of the business while the negative relationship can result in failure of the firm. The business has both internal and external stakeholders. The internal stakeholders include the managers, employees, the board of directors, etc. while the external stakeholders are the consumers, regulators, creditors and the suppliers of the company (Carroll, 2015, pp. 87-96). Social responsibility enhances the business ethics and avoidance of corruption. Business ethics stipulates that business should determine what is good and not good to help in dealing with the stakeholders to ensure that their needs are satisfied. The company should avoid shady deals or engage in illegals business activities to achieve its goals. The managers in the strive to ensure that the organization is competitive they should make sure that they work as prescribed by the laws of business. The responsibility of the company may include its obligation or duties, human reaction, social responsiveness and its proper behavior (ArAs, 2016). Policymaking in the organization by the management should ensure that they make policies which will create harmony between the organization and its stakeholder. Some the things the team should put into consideration are; Ensure equity and transparency when dealing with the stakeholders Protect the rights of the consumers who are the market of the body products. Carry businesses by the accepted market practices in the industry. Ensure that they observe the health and the safety of all the stakeholders. Facilitate Legal and Ethical relationships with the consumers. Have policies which will enhance Community development. Environmental protection and welfare Observe code of ethics which are fair to all parties. Observe Government relations when setting up the business policies. The ethical decision must be made by the organization to ensure that the stakeholder's needs are satisfied and also the organization meets its set goals. Theories have been developed to help the organizations in making decisions (Cornelissen, 2014). They include; The social responsibility curve It compares the objectives of the business and the social goals. These are the objectives of the owners of the business and the objectives of the stakeholders. To explain this adequately, it uses two variables which are egoism and altruism. Egoism states that represents the owners of the business and suggests that a right decision is the one that ensures that the organization achieves its targets and becomes profitable at the expense of the stakeholder or through the exploitation of the stakeholders. Altruism, on the other hand, states that a right decision is the one that ensures maximum benefits to the stakeholders at the expense of the owners of the business. The two variable when used in organizations results to conflicts and therefore, the only possible solution was to ensure that any decision made by the group satisfies both the stakeholders and the interests of the organization without exploitation of any party. The legal and ethical matrix This pattern has four quadrants; legal/ethical, legal/unethical, illegal/ethical and illicit/wrong. The most appropriate quadrant is the legal/ethical. It means that for a decision to ensure good relation between the business and the stakeholders must put into account the accepted standards of the interested parties in that environment and also be by the set rules and regulation. The pyramid of corporate social responsibility This theory stipulates that the business objectives are four. They include; Economic goals- the business core business is to ensure that it means its goal and objectives and make profits. Legal objectives- any organization must make decisions which adhere to the set rules and regulations. Ethical goals- business must make a decision by the norms and standards which are accepted by the stakeholders. Philanthropic goals- businesses have to give back to the society through building schools, hospitals, etc. to help the community as a whole. These are acts of charity by the organization. The above theories explain all the ways the business can make the decision that will make it have a productive relationship with the stakeholders. They ensure no disputes can arise among the speaker and business as the interests of each part are out into consideration. According to Andrews (2016). Achieving the social responsibility for any organization is not easy, and it has a lot of challenges (pp. 9-17). They include; Organization participation in social responsibility is very expensive as it requires professionals to check the relationship between the company and its stakeholders. The main aim of the business is to get maximum profits and thus there is an argument against the company looking after the stakeholders as sometimes it may not benefit. To ensure that the relationship among the both parties is right, it requires constant checking which may make the organization not achieve its goals as it may concentrate more on the stakeholders rather that its core business. Perception of the shareholders may lead to conflicts no matter how the business tries to ensure proper relationship among both parties. The management may just be selfish and focus on its goals and assume the stakeholders, and this can result in conflicts. Organizations may find it very had checking among the stakeholders who benefits than the other and it may cause conflicts of interest among the parties. Decision making by the management is a problem as they fear not to collide with the stakeholders and this may cause failure of the business. Stakeholders must be made aware of their rights and duties from the companies, and this may not be possible, and therefore the firms may use a lack of knowledge by the interested parties to oppress. Dealings between the organization and the stakeholders involve many parties, and therefore conflicts must arise no matter the effort to avoid as the parties have different interests. Finally, the group exist and relates to many individuals in the environment. Decisions made must be done carefully to avoid any disputes that may arise from any part. However, any disputes which might arise the management should take fast actions to ensure they are solved. These would ensure that the business continues with the primary objective of making profits and being competitive in the market (Bowen, 2013). References Andrews, N. (2016). Challenges of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in domestic settings: An exploration of mining regulation vis--vis CSR in Ghana. Resources Policy, 47, 9-17. ArAs, G. (2016). A handbook of corporate governance and social responsibility. CRC Press. Arnold, D. G., Valentin, A. (2013). Corporate social responsibility at the base of the pyramid. Journal of business research, 66(10), 1904-1914. Bowen, R. (2013). Social responsibilities of the businessman. University of Iowa Press. Carroll, B. (2015). Corporate social responsibility. Organizational Dynamics, 44, 87-96. Cornelissen, J. (2014). Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice. Sage. Jain, T., Jamali, D. (2015). Strategic approaches to corporate social responsibility. Development-Oriented Corporate Social Responsibility: Volume 2: Locally Led Initiatives in Developing Economies, 71. McWilliams, A. (2000). Corporate social responsibility. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management. Popa, M., Salanta, I. (2014). Corporate social responsibility versus corporate social irresponsibility. Management Marketing, 9(2), 137. Schermerhorn, J., Davidson, P., Poole, D., Woods, P., Simon, A., McBarron, E. (2014). Management: Foundations and Applications (2nd Asia-Pacific Edition). John Wiley Sons.

To Help Us With Our Study Of Origins, We Will Use Two Main Sources Th

To help us with our study of origins, we will use two main sources: the Bible ? as God's direct revelation of life, and science ? a way to interpret the Bible using scientific knowledge. In his book Biology Through the Eyes of Faith, R.T. Wright (1989) states: "It is an important conclusion of faith that both science and Scripture are sources of knowledge of God's works and that, when properly understood, should not lead to conflicts." I agree with this statement, believing that God created the original species. I also uphold a belief that a series of natural processes lead to the formation of other species thereby increasing the diversity of life on earth. By carefully studying both science and Scripture, I believe that we will be able to find truth about God's creation. Genesis 1 clearly states that God created heavens, earth, and their organisms. It doesn't indulge, however, in explanations of how or when God created them. As the result of that a variety of view appeared on how to interpret Genesis 1. Old-earth creationists believe that the Bible shouldn't be taken literally, referring to various problems associated with the order of creation and the "obvious" old age of the universe. They base their beliefs on various studies such as paleontology, astronomy, biology, genetics; and the list goes on. Young-earth creationists, on the other hand, believe that the Bible should be taken literally, telling a story of 24-hour day creation. Theistic evolutionists presume that God used evolution to create living species. However, biblical creationists argue that this could not be the case because the Bible says: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them..." (Exodus 20:11), and He created species "according to their kind" (Genesis 1:11,12,21,24,25). This paper will analyze the worldviews of young-earth creationists and old-earth creationists, pointing out that both the Bible and science can agree on the issue of origins of species, and reveal which worldview I agree with more. Exodus 20:11 says that God created the universe in six "days." Many people, however, still wonder whether or not the modern scientific belief that the earth and universe have existed for billions of years can be harmonized with a literal interpretation of the Bible. Some Christians believe that the word "day" in Genesis doesn't mean a literal 24-hour day, but rather that a "day" is a long period of time. In Hebrew, where every word has three basic letters and vowel sounds are not included in a written language, the historical and literary time become a dominant factor in determining the meaning. Some commentaries have estimated that there may be as many as a hundred different meanings in the Bible for the word "day." These include the non-literal interpretations implying periods or epochs (Zabilka, 1992). However, when the phrase evening and morning is coupled with a numbered modifier and the word day (yom), there is no stronger way of specifying a normal day (Bebber, 1995). Others m aintain that "morning" and "evening" should also be taken figuratively. The Bible doesn't specifically state that "day" in Genesis 1 is a 24-hour day. No one, except God, can know for sure that Genesis is describing six earth rotations and not an unspecified period of billions of years. Another argument for old earth comes from the study of fossils. Many scientists believe that it took millions of years for the rock layers to form. They reason that many fossils seem to be more than 10,000 years old. Geologists today hold that the earth is approximately 4 to 5 billion years old. Others have found different explanations for the old age of the earth. According to a scientist Dalrymple (1991), The best value for the age of the earth is based on the time required for the isotopic composition of lead in the oldest (2.6-3.5 billion years) terrestrial ores, of which there are currently only four [235U to 207Pb to 238U to 206Pb], to evolve from the primordial composition, recorded in meteoritic troilite, to the composition at the time (measured independently) the ores separated from their parent rocks in earth's mantle. These calculations result in ages for the earth of 4.42 to 4.56

1000 Posts, And A Favor To Ask

1000 Posts, And A Favor To Ask 1000 Posts, And A Favor To Ask 1000 Posts, And A Favor To Ask By Daniel Scocco Last week I was browsing through the control panel of our blog and I noticed a curious fact: we are already over 1000 published posts! To be precise, this one is post number 1011. I was pleasantly surprised to find that out. The main challenge of any blog or website is to persist over the long term, as the first year is probably the hardest. We managed to do that, and the blog is going quite well. We receive around 250,000 unique visitors every month. On top of that there are over 30,000 subscribers who receive our posts via email or RSS. If you are one of those visitors or subscribers, thank you! I also wanted to ask a favor. If you like our tips and think that other people could benefit from them, we would love if you could recommend the blog. If you have a blog or website of your own, for instance, you could write about Daily Writing Tips there. If you have a Twitter or Facebook account, you could share our link there. You could even recommend us verbally to friends and relatives. We would really appreciate it, and this kind of support keeps us motivated to improve the blog and provide as much value as possible through our posts. We have some good things planned for 2010, so stay tuned! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsDawned vs. Donned1,462 Basic Plot Types

Marketing Basics The 101 Guide to Everything You Need to Know

Marketing Basics The 101 Guide to Everything You Need to Know Marketing is complex. It encompasses tons of different disciplines, strategies, and tactics. As a result, developing a basic understanding of how it works can be difficult. Learning the trade can take years of dedication and honing your craft, oftentimes in a handful of specific areas (such as strategy, copywriting, or analytics). Like a lot of things, though, future success starts with solid fundamentals. And if you’re looking to learn, you’ve come to the right place. This post will cover everything you need to get started on your marketing journey. Think of it like the ultimate 101 guide, packed full of actionable advice you won’t learn in the classroom. It’s also laid out to be easy to understand, turning complicated concepts into easily digestible chunks of information. Bookmark this page, then get down to learning. Marketing Basics: The 101 Guide to Everything You Need to Know by @Ben_via @Download Your Free Marketing Resources Bundle Since this is such an enormous topic, it’s tough to cover everything within a reasonable amount of space. That’s where these additional resources come in. Grab this bundle and you’ll get: Marketing Strategy Guide (PDF): Get an in-depth education on strategy. Marketing Calendar Template: Your all-in-one project planning and scheduling tool. Beating Makeshift Marketing: When it’s time to build your marketing tool stack, see what makes the best option for getting organized. Get all three for free (it only takes a few moments), then continue with the rest of this post.What is Marketing? In simplest terms, marketing is the act of driving profitable customer action. It spans the full scope of strategies and tactics organizations use to position products and services in the marketplace, and motivate target audiences to make a purchase. Recommended Reading: How to Document the Marketing Process in Six Steps Understanding the Marketing Mix and the 4 P’s of Marketing For all its complexity, at its core, marketing revolves around four things: product, price, promotion, and place. Tactics and channels change, but these are the concepts everything else revolves around, and they’re principles that never change. Some models expand these basic principles to 7 P's, or another variation. But, for your purposes, these four should be sufficient for developing an understanding of how marketing works. Product This is what a company sells, whether that means a physical good, or a service (such as consulting, a subscription, or something else). From a marketing perspective, the following would need to be determined: How many different product variations or lines should be sold?  For example, a car manufacturer might strategize on which vehicle categories to build (such as family cars, SUVs, crossovers, or pickup trucks). How should they be packaged or presented?  To make another example, if a company made replacement car floor mats, should they come in a box? A bag? Something else? How will it be serviced? This could include warranties, handling returns, and so forth. Marketers might even have some involvement in determining how products are designed and which features they might include (here at , for instance, marketers and product developers communicate closely). Marketing works best when marketing teams communicate with product teams.Price This is just â€Å"how much stuff costs,† right? Well, sure. But there’s more to it than that. Price means more than just what stuff costs.If marketing is all about driving profitable action, then prices need to be set at a level the market will support. Here are some marketing considerations with prices: What is the market rate per unit of a product? This requires some market analysis and competitive research to determine what’s a fair price for a product, given its cost to produce, and what people are willing to pay. How should discounts be timed and applied? Should the product be put on sale at certain times of year? Does it make sense to give customers options for payments?  A car dealership might offer financing options, rather than expecting people to pay the full price up front. Promotion If a product launches but no one cares, does it even exist? Well, yeah, technically it does, but it’s just taking up space if no one’s buying it. Once a product is out there, it needs to be promoted so people know it exists. Which channels will be used to promote the product? This includes online and offline channels. Where will it be promoted? Online? Offline? In stores? At events? What message needs to be communicated?  What copy and verbiage will tell audiences what the product is all about, and encourage them to buy it? Place The right product needs to be in the right place for people to find it and buy it. Where is the product distributed? Online? Offline? Will specific locations get the product?  For example, if you sell cold weather clothing, you might not distribute as much to Florida and you might in Minnesota. 10 Key Areas of Modern Marketing to Understand Spend a little bit of time researching marketing online and you’ll find references to all different areas of marketing. Here are some that are most likely to be relevant to your work. Content Marketing The hype around content has been building steadily for years, and with good reason: people want to be helped and informed more than they want to be sold to and interrupted. The main idea behind content marketing is creating content that helps inform your audience and solve their problems. This achieves a few important goals: Building an audience. Establishing authority. Driving sales. The â€Å"content† part of content marketing spans a lot of different things. Primarily, this means blogging and website content, but it can also include email, social media, video, ebooks, or any other type of digital content used for marketing. It can also include print collateral, like brochures or magazines. Recommended Reading: How to Build a Content Marketing Strategy You'll Actually Use (Free Template) How to Make Content Strategy More Effective With User Psychology The Best Annual Content Calendar Template to Get Organized All Year Email Marketing When it comes to driving conversions, it’s tough to beat the return on investment of email marketing. Different studies cite different figures, but it’s generally accepted that it drives around 3,800% to 4,200% ROI (meaning that for every dollar spent, it produces $38 to $42 in revenue). Recommended Reading: 40 Actionable Email Marketing Tips That Will Boost Results The 9 Free Email Marketing Templates You Need to Execute Everything The Best Way to Organize an Effective Email Marketing Strategy Social Media Marketing Organic reach on popular social networks is declining on popular platforms like Twitter and Facebook, but social media marketing is far from dead. It’s effective for building brand awareness, developing community, and getting your content and products in front of new people. Recommended Reading: The Best Way to Plan a Social Media Strategy in 5 Steps (Free Template) 50 Social Media Best Practices Every Business Should Follow What 23 Studies Say About the Best Time to Post on Social Media How to Organize a Year of Posts With an Annual Social Media Calendar Online Video Marketing Did you know that over 400 hours of video gets uploaded to YouTube  every minute? That’s incredible. So is the fact that it’s the world’s second largest search engine  (second only to Google, which owns YouTube, and even bigger than Bing and Yahoo combined). It’s not the only video platform out there for marketers to know about, either. Wistia is practically the industry-standard for hosting embeddable web video, and Vimeo is a fantastic place for creatives. Plus, social video on Facebook (and to some extent, Twitter as well) is also becoming increasingly important. Recommended Reading: How to Do Facebook Video Marketing the Right Way How to Write a Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000 (Free Kit) How to Make a Video Marketing Strategy That Will Engage Your Audience Advertising and Pay-Per-Click Have you ever seen those ads at the top of search results? Those are pay-per-click (PPC) ads. PPC advertising offers marketers excellent opportunity to sell products directly to searchers. It’s also great because it makes it possible to see exactly how much you’re spending vs. how much revenue your advertising efforts are generating. Recommended Reading: How to Manage Your PPC Campaigns in Adwords How to Make the Most of Facebook Advertising to Reach New Audiences Search Engine Optimization Few, if any, tactics or channels drive more traffic on average than search engine optimization. Few digital marketing tactics drive more traffic than search engine optimization.It’s the process of structuring content and executing other tasks that help improve your site’s search engine rankings, pulling in an audience that’s interested in the topics your site covers, and the products your company sells. Recommended Reading: The Most Massive SEO Copywriting Guide That Will Make Your Traffic Soar SEO Content Strategy: How to Skyrocket Your Traffic By 594% Your Ultimate Content Marketer’s Guide to Keyword Research Public Relations Even in an era packed with new and flashy channels and tactics, good old-fashioned relationship-building remains essential for effective marketing. PR is all about managing perceptions and relationships, ensuring people think positively about your brand. Recommended Reading: How to Build a Modern PR Plan That Works With Your Marketing How to Write the Best Press Releases With 21 Examples and 7 Templates How to Monetize Your Content Marketing With Gini Dietrich From Spin Sucks Influencer Marketing Why talk up your products yourself when you can have trusted folks promote them for you? Why talk up your products yourself when you can have trusted folks promote them for you?That’s the crux of influencer marketing, which involves working with popular people within a given niche or industry to put your products in front of their audiences. Recommended Reading: Instagram Influencer Marketing: How to Get It Right in 6 Steps How to Boost Engagement With Micro-Influencers the Right Way How to Use Instagram Stories the Best Way for Successful Social Media Campaigns Developing a Marketing Strategy Marketing can be boiled down to the following: Who are you trying to reach? What do you want them to do? How will you encourage them to take that action? How will you measure marketing’s impact on influencing that action? This framework is simple to understand and yet difficult to master in actual execution. Success starts with sound strategy, though, and getting it right is essential. Take a look at some important stats that illustrate its importance: So, why is strategy important? Think of marketing like taking a trip. Sure, you could just hop in the car, and take off with no sense of direction. But, you’ll probably just waste time, burn gas, and never end up anywhere meaningful. If you had a map and an itinerary though, you would have been prepared to make the most of your time, and actually accomplish something. That’s what strategy gets you. A sense of direction, so you can use your time effectively, understand why you’re doing your work, and increase the odds of achieving your goals. Recommended Reading: How to Create a Marketing Strategy That Will Skyrocket Your Results By 9,360% Getting to Know Your Audience First things first, companies exist to serve customers. Simple enough, right? Well, figuring out exactly who those customers are, and what problems they need solved, is easier said than done. Recommended Reading: How to Find Your Target Audience and Create the Best Content That Connects Figuring Out What You Want Them to Do Once you’ve determined who you need to reach, the next step is figuring out what’s required to move them toward a sale. For some companies, this is simple: convincing customers to grab a product and buy it at the store. But, there may be actions you drive them toward before reaching that step (such as getting onto a mailing list or becoming a social media follower). For others (for example, service-based companies), you might want to get leads (potential customers) to place a phone call for a demo or a consultation before they commit to purchasing. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Call to Action in Six Steps With a Template Understanding the Marketing Funnel When determining actions you want your audience to take, it’s useful to understand how the marketing funnel works. Funnels help illustrate where customers are at in the buying process, from being unaware of a product (or having a problem), to researching different options, down to making an actual purchase. Here’s a simple illustration: While there are different ways to illustrate funnels, they typically map out customer buying stages to the following phases: Top of Funnel (TOFU): The customer is unaware of a product or company. Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): The customer is actively researching products. Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): The customer is ready to buy. Recommended Reading: How to Map Content to the Marketing Funnel and Boost Conversions By 69.77% Determining Your Tactics Part of an effective strategy is narrowing which tactics you’ll implement to achieve your goals. When you’re just starting out, this can seem daunting. There are always more thing you can do, than what you actually have time to do well. So, where do you start? According to a survey of 1,500+ marketers, here were their most popular content types: Notice that blogging, social media, and email marketing round up the top three. For most companies doing content marketing, those are the three most obvious places to start. But, determining which tactics may work best for you may be another story. Maybe you’re doing marketing, but not content marketing specifically. Maybe you’re in an industry or role where marketing means doing things like securing partnerships, hosting events, or doing â€Å"traditional† marketing (like producing print collateral). Consider following this process: Know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? Figure out where those people hang out. Where can you reach those people? Think on which tactics and channels could reach those people, in those places. Which marketing activities could be used to reach the right people, in the right places, at the right time? That’s an open-ended question, but whatever the answer may be, that’s where you should start. Recommended Reading: How to Determine Your Marketing Tactics Nailing the Execution Once the strategy is in place, it’s time to put it into action. Once marketing strategy is in place, it’s time to put it into action.This requires: Having the right skills. Once you know what to do, you need to know how to do it. Having the right staff. Putting the right people in the right place is key to success. Having the right tools. A professional always uses the best available solution to tackle a given task or problem. What Are Some Common Marketing Skills? The skills a marketer needs depend on their role. Some basics that apply to lots of different types of roles include: Verbal communication. Marketing is all about communication. Being able to express your ideas clearly is key. Writing. You’ll be doing a lot of writing, whether creating content, or emails to stakeholders. Research. The more granular, often the better. Analytics. Understanding how to spot trends in data is essential. Recommended Reading: The 48 Most Essential Marketing Skills You Need to Be Successful in 2018 How Are Marketing Departments Usually Structured? The way teams are built depends on the company’s size, industry, budget, and a lot of other factors. Some companies have teams of one, while others might span multiple marketing teams across multiple departments or business units. Recommended Reading: How to Structure Modern Marketing Departments for Success How Are Marketing Tool Stacks Typically Built? The tools those teams use to execute their work might vary depending on tactics and personnel. Some common tools practitioners use include: Project management tools: Needed to keep teams organized and projects on track. Social media scheduling tools: Because manually scheduling posts at scale is nearly impossible. Editorial and marketing calendars: Used to set deadlines and map publish dates. Email marketing platforms: Important for managing email lists and delivering newsletters. Marketing management platforms: Tools like , which consolidate several of the tool categories listed above, while integrating with other popular tools. Analytics tools: Used to measure performance. SEO tools: To monitor keyword rankings, do competitive research, track incoming backlinks, conduct keyword research, and more. Marketing automation tools: Used to automate processes, such as email flows. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software: Powerful platforms used to store customer data and maintain relationships with consumers. Recommended Reading: The 110 Best Marketing Tools to Consider When Building Your Toolstack Understanding Measurement and Analytics If you can’t measure the impact of your marketing activities, then you may as well not be doing anything at all. Every action should always be connected to specific metrics, in service of achieving a specific goal. Recommended Reading: Email Marketing Metrics: How to Measure and Report on the Most Important Metrics Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Analytics to Smash Your Goals Social Media Analytics Tools: How to Choose the Best One For You Analytics From : Make Smarter Decisions Additional Learning Resources One of the best things about marketing is you’re never done learning. And in effort to support your learning, (and a lot of other great companies) are committed to helping you develop your knowledge and skills. Academy: Find exclusive educational content and level up your skills. Blog: Enjoy this post? You’ll find tons more here (plus fresh content each week). Actionable Marketing Podcast: Features new interviews each week with leading marketing experts. The 10X Marketing Formula: Comprehensive book from co-founder and CEO Garrett Moon. Make learning marketing easy with this guide + tons of extra resourcesThat’s a Wrap There’s a lot of information to process in this post. But, now that you’ve covered most of what you’ll need to know as a marketing practitioner (both on the surface level, and with links to deeper reads on tons of sub-topics), you’re now better prepared than ever to continue your marketing education and level up your career. Is there anything we missed? Let us know below.

Final Field Experience Summative Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Final Field Experience Summative Report - Essay Example The first day offered education and training in making the apple crisp, the second day’s lecture was upon the food and food safety with some Nutrition activity (Puzzles). Third day involved sewing the 2 hall button and preparing to make pillows while the fourth day involved sewing. B. Description of instruction observed On the first day, the students were asked to make the apple crisp. To make sure that all students participated in the activity, the teacher arranged all students in the groups. Roles assigned to the members of the group included measuring oats, mixing margarine and cleaning apples. As the students performed these tasks, the teacher kept a close eye upon the students to ensure complete participation and cooperation by the students. The second day’s lesson was more theoretical than the first day’s lesson. On the second day, the teacher delivered lecture on food and food safety. He required the students to make notes so that they would pay attention throughout the lesson. The teacher did not permit any discussions among the students in this lecture. The teacher made the students pay attention towards the lectures by asking them questions randomly or asking them to repeat what he had just said. Students that would not be able to do that felt embarrassed. Thus, the teacher controlled the students psychologically. No student wanted to become prominent as a bad student, so everybody paid attention. C. Teacher transitions A teacher uses transitions to build up the students’ concepts and help them identify the links among the various lessons. Once the teacher starts the lesson there maybe need to transition either between topics or different subjects. To make the transition smooth from one lesson to another, the teacher first gave a recap of... On the first day, the students were asked to make the apple crisp. To make sure that all students participated in the activity, the teacher arranged all students in the groups. Roles assigned to the members of the group included measuring oats, mixing margarine and cleaning apples. As the students performed these tasks, the teacher kept a close eye upon the students to ensure complete participation and cooperation by the students. The second day’s lesson was more theoretical than the first day’s lesson. On the second day, the teacher delivered lecture on food and food safety. He required the students to make notes so that they would pay attention throughout the lesson. The teacher did not permit any discussions among the students in this lecture. The teacher made the students pay attention towards the lectures by asking them questions randomly or asking them to repeat what he had just said. Students that would not be able to do that felt embarrassed. Thus, the teacher c ontrolled the students psychologically. No student wanted to become prominent as a bad student, so everybody paid attention. A teacher uses transitions to build up the students’ concepts and help them identify the links among the various lessons. Once the teacher starts the lesson there maybe need to transition either between topics or different subjects. To make the transition smooth from one lesson to another, the teacher first gave a recap of the previous lesson. This way the students remembered what the last lesson entailed.

Separation of powers political science class questions Assignment

Separation of powers political science class questions - Assignment Example and better born have authority and are few." For example, regarding offices one would have elections (an oligarchic element) but no property assessment (a democratic element). Montesquieu agrees in part with Aristotle’s ideas of combining a democracy with oligarchy. He terms them â€Å"executive† and â€Å"legislative† branches, but they are in effect the same as Aristotle’s â€Å"democracy† and â€Å"oligarchy†. Montesquieu echoes Aristotle’s arguments that having the mixture of the traditional governing bodies would balance the power and authority. Further more, he references Aristotle in his book by saying; â€Å"The inhabitants of a particular town are much better acquainted with its wants and interests than with those of other places; and are better judges of the capacity of their neighbors than of that of the rest of their countrymen. The members, therefore, of the legislature should not be chosen from the general body of the nation; but it is proper that in every considerable place a representative should be elected by the inhabitants† (Montesquieu). Aristotle, Montesquieu, and Locke all support the notion that civil society originates when, for the better administration of the law, men agree to delegate legal functions to certain officers. They are all against a â€Å"monarchy† government as it does not support a civil society. It by definition corrupts the individual who is given all of the power. Both Aristotle and Montesquieu allow for a balance between the oligarchy/monarchy and the democracy by allowing an â€Å"executive† element who’s function is to balance that of the legislative/democratic element. 2) Aristotle believed that there were three classes. At the bottom were the farmers, laborers, and poor. As this class of people did not have the leisure time to pursue education, they would make a meager ruling class. The ruling class Aristotle argued should be comprised of the leisured classes, and the â€Å"middling element†. He clarifies that the

WRAPUP 1 Bullish U.S. manufacturing construction data bolster growth outlook Essay Example for Free

WRAPUP 1 Bullish U.S. manufacturing construction data bolster growth outlook Essay America has always wanted to see growth within its system. Therefore with the growth in the manufacturing sector, the citizens are expected to benefit from it. The article has three points which in my opinion will be able to ensure that the country’s economy changes in a positive way; for instance, the ideology of the manufacturing activities rising from 2011 means that the global market will be bombarded with the goods from America. It also means that the workers in the manufacturing sector will have to benefit from this rise. At the same time, the rise in new orders will have to give room for the innovators to come up with new products to be manufactured. Therefore, the construction sector will also have to employ more people meaning that the country will have to curb unemployment. Why Main Street isnt creating jobs For a very long time the main street had been seen to be the leading sector in job creation. However, the small businesses are fighting for better market making it impossible for growth in the sector. The market is also flooded with the small businesses making the competition to be stiff. The entrepreneurs have also been made not to create more jobs with the rise of healthcare cost, red tape and minimum wages debate. For instance, the government has set up policies of minimum wages while the business might not be able to attain the threshold making it impossible to employ people in accordance to the policy. Fed keeps record-low rates for now, but investors, consumers, businesses face the inevitable The Fed has insisted on keeping these low records in the market while the people who are having problems are the employers and business owners. For instance, the market enjoys a growth within the construction and manufacturing sectors whereby people expect the employment rate to also be on the rise. Therefore it is expected that the job market should be high and layoffs should be low. This is why the middle class cant get ahead The middle class society has the highest number of individuals across the globe. However, during the recession they were the individuals who felt the pinch and it has been difficult for them to recover. At the same time, there are some of them who have not been able to recover citing that they are still facing recession. Downturn has made it impossible for business ideas to be implemented as majority of the people are yet to recover. This means that it would be impossible for median household income to sustain families or even give room for recovery. US job growth is rising solidly, so why isnt pay? From the look of things, individuals expected to have a lifestyle change after it was reported that the hiring rate in the United States was on the rise. However, after being employed things have been worse since the wage is minimal. One thing that the people need to understand that the five years of recession has made it difficult for companies to recover. At the same time, the companies are not capable of hiking the pay since it would interfere with their budget of running their businesses. The problem might not be hitting the employees alone, but rather also the government as the trend does not give room for the economy to strengthen. Investors gird for scarier days in markets Business individuals always have the best forecasting techniques for the market. This time their predictions might be right as the market has become volatile for them to withstand it. Their worry is related to the stock market that indicates weakness. As the stocks lower, the other regions might take advantages of the loopholes and beat the U.S. market. The hazardous nature of the market has made it impossible for the more investors to venture into the market or even new products. This would mean that the market will remain stagnant with the same products and lack of innovation. World economies warn of global risks, call for bold action It is important for bold action to be taken in aid of bolstering the global economy. The main aim is to ensure that there is a smooth recovery in the different economies across the globe. This will make government to have budgets that will be able to sustain their people and their businesses. The International Monetary Fund declared the call for action after it had realized that the governments were running under tight budgets that might not sustain their economies. Low budgets for the governments makes it impossible for governments to maintain some of its infrastructures, health sectors and better governance. The tight budgets are also associated with the high levels of poverty within a country. Why deflation is so scary The only individuals who are scared with the rise of deflation rate are the investors and the business owners. The prices of goods are seen to be dwindling. The consumers have a lot to celebrate but the entrepreneurs are afraid that soon they would be counting their losses. On average, majority of the goods in the market are having their prices lower to fit the budget of the buyers. Individuals should not be happy with the whole idea of deflation, as it would interfere with their economy. The price for production would have to be lowered making the companies to come up with goods that are not of good quality. Top economist looking for Fed to surprise market The Fed has been known to come up with policies, which strengthen the country’s economy. However, the entrepreneurs have seen it fit to give everything to the Feds. This might be a bad thing for the feds, as they will be held accountable if the economy goes the wrong way. The economists have seen it fit to put the blame on the feds incase the business does mistakes. They had noticed that there is a looming inflation rate and they needed someone to blame. Chinas October factory growth unexpectedly hits five-month low: official PMI From the look of things, it seems that all the economies around the world would have to come with different strategies to fit the market. For instance the drop in the manufacturing sector in China might be a big blow for their economy. The country is known to have the biggest market around the globe when it comes to having products in the market. However, the biggest reason as to why the growth is not being felt is due to the nature of the products they bring into the market. There have been numerous complains indicating that the goods from the region are not standardized. However, it is essential for the manufacturers to look at the market and know the type of goods required by the consumers. Annual China trade growth slows in October in further sign of fragility If the second largest economy is dropping in growth, then their strategy would have to change. It is understandable if Chinas imports reduce but a bad sign if the exports reduce. The reason for this statement is that, the country has been known to innovate and manufacture products that they acquire from other countries. The domestic demands for their own products is on the rise making it impossible for the export market to hit the region. Therefore, the policy makers venturing into china are supposed to come up with a product that the region does not have. Falling inflation a worry for Europe but also the world The European market has always been understood to be a mature market. This would mean that if it is hit by inflation then the global market would also have to suffer. The European Central Bank would lose in taxes and fall of the property market. Therefore, if inflation is curbed in Europe than the rest of the world will be at ease. U.S. crude down seven percent to May 2010 low on OPEC, new low likely The traders in the crude oil business estimated that their output had fallen by 7 percent. This might be true since the market has experienced emergence of other producers who have lower prices. Another reason for this is the decision by Saudi Arabia to block the United states to sell their products to the U.A.E. the only regions benefitting are the African and Arab nations that deals in crude oil. References http://www.cnbc.com/id/101963506#. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-main-street-isnt-creating-120034955.html http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/fed-signals-it-plans-to-keep-key-interest-rate-at-record-low-for-considerable-period-275482001.html http://finance.yahoo.com/news/this-is-why-the-middle-class-is-still-reeling-170441453.html http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-job-growth-rising-solidly-180238861.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/investors-gird-scarier-days-markets-012706729.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/imf-warns-global-economy-risk-175450932.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-deflation-is-so-scary-202724649.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-economist-looking-fed-surprise-205358922.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-october-official-pmi-edges-011829371.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-october-exports-11-6-023116488.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/falling-inflation-worry-europe-world-093023683.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-steadies-near-four-low-162038436.html?soc_src=copy Source document

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded - Sexuality and the Morally Didactic Novel :: Pamela Virtue Rewarded Essays

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded - Sexuality and the Morally Didactic Novel We have difficulties as a modern audience appreciating the social anxieties reflected in Pamela, especially those surrounding morality and valuation of individuals within the social framework. The radical stance of even using phrases such as virtue and 'fortune' to denote Pamela's virginity are themselves loaded with a questioning of the social stratification in which she resides. The term 'Fortune' is perhaps the most playful but problematic. In it the issue of the commodification of Pamela's virginity is implicated, while at the same time gaining its authority within the framework of the novel through a Protestant ethic of internal individual worth apart from social stratification. Complicating this issue of commodification is the range of Marxist or Weberian readings of the novel that place it within a conflict between the working and aristocratic classes. Pamela is explicitly placing value in her 'protestant ethic' rather than her social standing, it being "more pride to [he r] that [she] come of such honest parents, than if [she] had been born a lady" (Pamela 48) and in the same letter looking disparagingly on her fellow 'servants.' My analysis will take as central the moral issues in Pamela, but this is done with a cognizance that how we reflect on Pamela's morality is also closely related to how we read the economic and social aspects of the novel. There have been many works written in response to Pamela, some attacking the eroticism of the novel and others the social deconstruction it implies; however, the most emphatic is likely to be the Marquis de Sade's literary response in Justine (1791) and Juliette (1797). As we've already seen in "Fantomina," the erotic novel is not something new to the 18th century, and examples such as John Cleland's Fanny Hill (1748) provide explicit materials to demonstrate that the pornography and sadism of the day were as explicit as our own. As Shamela illustrates, this erotic aspect of Pamela cannot be overlooked, especially with the physicality of aspects of the letter writing and the reader's 'view' of Pamela's body through this. David Evans describes this as the prurience of its pre-occupation with sex disguised as moral guidance, and the travesty of Christian morality involved in showing 'virtue rewarded' to mean materially rewarded in this life, not spiritually in the next one.

Costume Design Essay

Creative collaboration among the costume designer, the director and the set and lighting designers ensures that the costumes are smoothly integrated into the production as a whole. Stage costumes can provide audiences with information about a character’s occupation, social status, gender, age, sense of style and tendencies towards conformity or individualism. As well, costumes can: reinforce the mood and style of the production distinguish between major and minor characters suggest relationships between characters change an actor’s appearance suggest changes in character development and age be objects of beauty in their own right. Costume designs also need to include any accessories such as canes, hats, gloves, shoes, jewelry or masks. These costume props add a great deal of visual interest to the overall costume design. They are often the items that truly distinguish one character from another. The designer’s work Costume designers begin their work by reading the script to be produced. If the production is set in a specific historical era, the fashions of this period will need to be researched. To stimulate the flow of ideas at the first meeting with the director and the design team (set, costume, lighting and sound designers), the costume designer may want to present a few rough costume sketches. This is also an appropriate time to check with the director on the exact number of characters needing costumes, as any non-speaking characters the director plans to include may not have been listed in the script. It is the costume designer’s responsibility to draw up the costume plot. The costume plot is a list or chart that shows which characters appear in each scene, what they are wearing and their overall movement throughout the play. This helps track the specific costume needs of every character. It can also identify any potential costume challenges, such as very quick changes between scenes. When the director and production team have approved the costume designer’s preliminary sketches, she or he can draw up the final costume designs. The final designs are done in full color. They show the style, silhouette, textures, accessories and unique features of each costume. Once the show opens, the designer’s work is essentially complete. Now it’s normally the job of a wardrobe assistant to make sure that every aspect of the production runs just as the designer intended, time after time, until the production closes.

Using “Too much punch for judy” as a stimulus

In the second lesson we had to act out ‘A night on the town’ in the form of still images, we did this in a group of four (myself, Luke, Reece and lee). Our stimulus for this task was our own visualisation from reading the script. In the first two scenes we had a split stage, showing two men and two women getting ready for their night out, in doing so we wanted to create juxtaposition; so the audience can clearly differentiate between the two groups of people in the still image. In the third scene we had to show a still image of the two men watching the two women in the bar we (me and Reece) had to enhance our facial expressions and body language to seem attracted to the women (Luke and Lee). What we did to show that we was interested in the two girls was have our line of sight directly on them, and our bodies had to be very ‘masculine’ and facial expressions were inquisitive, we made this possible by raising our eyebrows and having wide eyes, and our heads were leaned back at an angle, to show that we are ‘checking them out’. Lee and Luke had to close themselves from the audience, and have them facing the floor, to show shyness. We did this to show a typical night out in a bar, it was a convention. Towards the end of the lesson we had to develop the still images into a role play, using chat up lines and other explorative strategies. In the first scene we had both groups getting ready for their night out, at the same time, but this time we added movement, and speech. Myself and Reece playing the two men, was from east London, so we had a typical cockney accent , and slow and heavy movement, to create a sense of presence. To make the two women to start acting, we marked the moment by using the line ‘come on mate, it’s not like we’re ’gonna’ crash. After that line was said that was the cue for Luke and Lee to start their performance, they were two typical women from Essex; with their role play they enhanced the women by having feminine movements and doing typical gestures for example putting on make-up and asking ‘if this outfit looks nice? The next scene involved us in the bar, we stared with the men entering the bar before the women, and they’ve already settled with a drink. With our characterisation we had created two typical men looking for women to chat up to in a bar, we had a calm and smooth tone to our voices to signify this. Once the two women entered the bar, we froze with a still image that we used in the first exercise, to continue the performance I pretended to whisper in to Reece’s ear ‘I’m having the one on the left. We had a spilt stage where the two groups spoke between each other, while the other group mimed in the background. This was done so the audiences could understand what the men and women’s intentions were. Each group talked about their feelings for the person they want to ‘chat-up with, we did this engage the audience as we are revealing our purposes in this performance. To end our performance Reece walked up to Lee and used a ‘cheesy chat-up line’ so we can finish off with a bit of comedy; the line was ‘Hey babe, I’ve got the pencil; and you’ve got the sharpener! Just after that line we went straight into a still image, to show the shock on all our faces as if to say, that was the worst chat-up line used. In another lesson we had to watch a short advertisement about drink driving, and the effects on alcohol on people. We had to create a short awareness advert that shows the effects of drunk driving, and a way to stop driving while intoxicated with alcohol. Our group consisted of, me (driver), Brandon (passenger), Binte (passenger) and Tyrell (passenger). We came up with a basic outline for a performance. The story was the four of us went on a typical ‘night out’ and got drunk and decided to drive home, as soon as I put the key in the ignition we froze, symbolising that I was having a vision, but was unaware of it. We then used realism to imitate us driving along in a key, by doing standard protocols, or missing them and then realising what happened, we did to show the audience that drinking can slower your reaction and thinking process . Then suddenly Brandon announces that he has another drink in his pocket, this causes a brawl in the car as we fight for the drink, then Tyrell, who is the front seat passenger , reaches around and kicks the steering wheel, causing the car to go astray and collide into a tree, to portray the crash we threw our bodies in different directions as if we got thrown out, we did this as it was naturalism, as it’s natural to get throw about in car crash and go in a completely different direction . Then we re-wound the whole journey, including the crash, this was us using physical theatre and cross-cutting, we did this to enhance and engage the audience as it would be much more interesting to watch instead of simply just cutting back to the firs scene. When we got back to the first scene when I put the key in the ignition we stopped, and then we cut out all sound and I had a quick thought track, while the others were miming in the background, I talked about my vision and what is about to happen, we returned to the performance by Tyrell hitting me and saying ‘hurry up lets go’ like he did the first time, to show that this was the real world now. I suddenly said ‘No! We’re not driving’ then suddenly we pictured another car hitting a tree, which would have been us, this was the repellent from driving.

Principles of marketing The WritePass Journal

Principles of marketing Introduction: Principles of marketing . Wood, L. (2000). Brands and brand equity: definition and management. Management Decision, 38(9), pp.662 – 669.

A Complete Guide on a Persuasive Essay

A Complete Guide on a Persuasive Essay A Complete Guide on a Persuasive Essay You will hardly find a more common task, which is given to students of all academic levels. A persuasive essay is by right called the quintessence of college writing and can become your strength or a terrible headache. It requires a variety of skills: lexical and grammar knowledge, critical approach, ability to gather and analyze information, and much more! However, don’t think that it is impossible to write an outstanding persuasive essay if you lack some of these skills. Just go on reading and we guarantee that you will be able to write such an essay without any efforts. So what is a persuasive essay? It is a written task, which aims to persuade the audience that the author’s point of view is the most valid and informative one. The writer needs to not only explain the matter but also provide arguments and explain every issue, backing it with credible sources. Using logic and evidence is the key to a persuasive essay, so you should always spend enough time on a proper research. How to complete a persuasive essay In most of the cases, you will be given a persuasive essay topic, so take your time to understand it and decide what side you are on. You can make notes and write down your thoughts on the subject, deciding whether you agree with the matter or not. Don’t think about your tutor’s or classmates’ opinion: this task aims to show your personal approach and critical thinking, so it is crucial to provide original thoughts on the subject. You need to be ready that in most of the cases you will be given a controversial topic, which may stir up a hot discussion. However, you don’t need to be nervous and should concentrate on your arguments to be able to protect your point of view. Get started Any written assignment should start with a research. Especially when you need to persuade the reader to take your side! Make sure you have enough time not to do anything in a hurry and collect data from multiple sources. Remember that you should use only credible articles, books or websites. Your tutor may even ask you to redo the whole essay if you use forums or social media pages as the basis for your evidence. Once you have completed the research, you need to create an outline. Many students neglect this stage, considering it not important. However, an outline helps to organize your thoughts and your writing style becomes more structured and clear. You won’t have to wander from one argument to another, and will always be able to stick to the point. An outline of the persuasive essay Your outline should consist of three main parts, each of which can have a different number of subsections: introduction, body paragraphs and conclusions. As all of you know, the main purpose of the introduction section is to grab interest of the audience and make it go on reading. The best introduction always consists of three key parts: a so-called ‘hook’, definition of the audience and a thesis statement. The ‘hook’ is the part, which contains a catchy phrase, a fact or a quote to interest the reader. Then you need to explain why the topic is important for a particular reader. You need to give the audience a clear explanation why the subject matters. Finish your introduction with a thesis statement, where you state all the matters and arguments you are going to discuss in the text; Main paragraphs. There are no clear recommendations on the quantity of arguments and paragraphs you need to include, as everything depends on the topic and the word count. However, you should always remember that one arguments equals one paragraph. If the word count allows, you can also give a description of opposing ideas to prove that they are wrong; Many students neglect this section but it is equally important and summarizes all the points you have stated before. Your conclusions should contain information on the topic, the benefits it can bring and prognosis for the future. If the topic allows, you can provide possible solutions and why they are important for the society. Finish your persuasive essay with a call to action or a ‘hook’ sentence. Format of a persuasive essay The number of words greatly depends on your tutor but usually a persuasive essay should be 500, 1  500 or 2  000 words long.   You need to use readable fonts, for example Arial or Times New Roman, in 12-points for the text and 16-points for a title. The spacing should be double if other is not indicated. Structure: Introduction (the hook, the audience and thesis); Main paragraphs (paragraphs number 1,2,3 – topic sentence and evidence); Conclusions (summary, benefits, prognosis); Call to action. Topics of a persuasive essay Here is a list of topics you may use if you are given a chance to choose: How Trump policy can influence the democratic world; Should there be different classes for male and female students? Should teachers obtain grades from students? Is it ethical to keep animals in cages? Can secure cameras protect our privacy? If you want to cure yourself, write a personal diary; Availability of social communities for teenagers; Physical activity is good not only for health but also for mental abilities; Sports should be compulsory at schools; How sexual exploitation influences the world; How can science and religion coexist? Should we invest in space exploration? Who rules social media? Should IQ testing be compulsory to have a voting right and a chance to have children? Examples of a persuasive essay One of the most popular problems of completing a persuasive essay is that we don’t always have inspiration and proper ideas to complete an outstanding paper. In such cases, we only need a push and some help to see which direction to go. The solution is simple: you can download examples of persuasive essays and use them to get fresh ideas and understand how your own work should look like. Help with a persuasive essay There are different types of solutions for those, who need help with a persuasive essay. Here are only some of them: Writing services. Even if you decide to complete an essay on your own, you may still need help with proofreading and editing. Unfortunately, not all students can provide mistakes-free essays, so it is important to use services of professional writers, editors, proofreaders and managers to provide an outstanding paper. When you contact us, you get a full package of first-class services at a reasonable price; Essay samples. It is always important to create original and plagiarism-free content. However, not everyone has enough time and imagination. In such cases, we have created a database with examples to give you inspiration and motivation. Just upload examples and get all the information on the structure or topic you may need; Generator of the topic – when you need to choose the topic on your own, you may easily get lost among thousands of hundreds of ideas. Just go to our section of topic solution, indicate the essay type and choose the best topic immediately! Paper checker. For those of you, who are not sure whether they have completed an essay properly, there is a great solution. Our software allows correcting all the mistakes, including plagiarism, structure of the sentence, lexis, grammar, readability and much more! Just upload your essay, wait a minute and get a full analysis of your work. As you see, writing a persuasive essay is quite simple if you know all the rules and tips. Follow our advice and you will surely have a positive experience dealing with an essay of any kind!

Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Risk Management - Essay Example ...... 6 Step Seven – Policies †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..... 7 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 The Fukushima Disaster: Lessons in Risk Management I. Introduction The Fukushima disaster is probably one of the most terrifying nuclear disasters in recent memory. Before March 2011, it was almost unimaginable for Japan to be on the threshold of a potential nuclear disaster. The nuclear disaster was, in fact, the result of another—equally horrific—disaster, the infamous tsunami that killed ‘tens of thousands of people’ (McCoy 2011). The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2011) found that around 25,000 people were dead or missing as a result of the tsunami disaster, which began on 11 March, 2011, 14:46, Japan standard time. Figure 1. Nuclear Plants in Japan, including Fukushima Source: U.S. NRC 2011, p. 7 Ronald McCoy is one of the first researchers to document the Fukushima disaster. According to McCoy (2011), Japan experienced several disasters in March 2011, beginning with the ‘record-breaking’ earthquake that occurred, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale (p. 41). The earthquake and aftershocks that took place northeast of Honshu Island triggered a ten-metre tsunami that killed more than ten thousand people. ... According to McCoy, when the earthquake occurred, the six nuclear plants at Fukushima, which were owned by Tokyo Elect Power, were shut down automatically. The earthquakes ‘knocked-oun the power grids, forcing operators to fall back on diesel generators’ (McCoy 2011, p. 4X). However, the plants still needed access to power to ensure that the coolants, which are essential for cooling the ‘hot reactor cores of the radioactive uranium and plutonium power rods’, remained flowing. However, ‘the tsunamis swept in, knocked out the generators and cut off power’ (McCoy 2011, p. 41). As a result, four out of the six plants immediately overheated. Finally, an ‘explosion damaged fuel rods and the integrity of the primary containment structure’ and, as a result, radiation was released (p. 41). This essay analyses the risks involved using the 7-steps risk management cycle, which is described in the diagram below. II. Risk Identification (Step 1) Ionising radiations from nuclear power plants ‘can damage DNA, causing cancer and inherited mutations’ (McCoy 2011, p. 41). The risk of mutation and cancer is proportional to exposure to radiation (p. 42). In addition, ‘radiation [can] kill and injure thousands’ and ‘contaminate and render uninhabitable large tracts of land’ (p. 42). Unfortunately, the Fukushima nuclear accident happened because the plant had been designed on the basis of incorrect assumptions about the risks of the region (McCoy 2011, p. 42), in particular, that earthquakes greater than 7.9 on the Richter scale, and tsunamis higher than 6.7 metres were improbable. According to Takashi Shoji (2011, Slide 10),

Knowledge management plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Knowledge management plan - Essay Example Over the past decade or so, there has been a major push for a more structured leadership training experience; a train-the-trainer approach, and so I will be addressing to the High Minister (leader) and CEO (Middle-level leaders) of each department. So, in this paper after analyzing the organizational issues necessitating changes, I will recommend interventions like equipping and making the leaders to imbue KM more optimally in the organization, make middle level leaders contribute to that process and finally make sharing knowledge crucial part in all levels within the organizational structure. For any organization in any sector, it cannot be smooth flow all the time, as they will face certain organizational problems or issues both in its internal as well as in the external environment. Problems or issues in the internal environment could only make a major impact on the organization than the external issues, and also they are the ones, which can be handled by the leaders, management and the employees. Internal problems or issues could be due to lack of performance in various aspects by the employees, managers and even leaders – the human angle. On the other hand, even if the employees perform, issues could arise if there is any loophole or shortfalls in the specific organizational processes. More importantly, some processes or employees will be going on fine, however slight optimization of those processes or employees, could give better results. This is where the need for change management will come into the picture and through that, helpful systems like Knowledge M anagement System (KMS). â€Å"Due to the rapidly changing global economy businesses need to consider a serious change in strategy, and begin to focus more on knowledge management even at the mundane line levels.† (Switzer, 2008). Knowledge is often referred to as the basis of communication and even seen as power, an asset that is

Expansionist Sport Development in Establishing Social Values Essay

Expansionist Sport Development in Establishing Social Values - Essay Example There are those who say that the relatively recent debates around the concepts of "development of sport" and "development through sport" is at least 25 years too late, as the total concept of sports development has always had the two strands running through it. There is no denying that there is some truth in what they say. Returning to the Far East, let's consider that "before the introduction of Western sports, Japan had made progress in traditional sports called budo, which was born in the twelfth century and flourished mainly among the warrior classes the Edo period (1600-1868), these sports, which put stress on their mental aspects, were established as martial arts...The traditional budo has been handed down from generation to generation and is still flourishing" (Japan Access, 1997). Moreover, "the tradition of regarding sports figures as heroes goes back to ancient Greece. The Greek term for hero literally meant someone who was semi-divine and born from one mortal and one divin e parent, and eventually, Greek society went on to view sporting champions as 'born of the Gods'... Heroes emerged from war and gained their title of hero by sacrificing themselves or risking their lives to save others. But sports allow heroes to emerge in times of peace" (Warner, 2004). Fast-forwarding to the timelines of the last 25 years, there is an untold amount of sports development going on. The 1980s especially, and most predominantly but not exclusively in The United States, saw the beginnings of explosive growth in personal sports development. Individual awareness of the benefits of sport and athletic participation grew exponentially throughout the population of Western culture. Significantly, groups that had previously been apathetic or marginalized with regard to sports exploded onto the development scene. The United States Olympic hockey team employed a rigorous, Eastern-European-inspired training program and a relentless commitment to a pride of performance to "miraculously" defeat the "invincible" Soviet Union Olympic ice men in 1980 at Lake Placid. The Women's Sports Foundation of the US tells us that "women's athletic participation rates mushroomed during the 1980s and 1990s, and sports are now central to many girls' and women's lifestyles" (2005). W ith the newfound interest in personal sports development and health care industry growth. From the late 1980s to now in the US, "personal fitness training continues to be the strongest growth segment of the fitness industry, and this trend is expected to continue as personal trainers offer a variety of services that go beyond a general exercise program" (IDEA, 2005). Scientific studies of the effects and benefits of participation in sports became more frequent and more intense.  

Delivery of Citizenship and PHSE within UK Schools

Delivery of Citizenship and PHSE within UK Schools This project addresses the problems that are currently being encountered with regard to the delivery of citizenship and PHSE within UK schools. To give emergent themes context – an historical review of their academic treatment is presented. This is broadened by considering the United States delivery of these subjects to determine whether the UK can learn anything from the American experience. Documentary analysis and interview schedules are the research methods used to analyse secondary sources and generate primary data. A number of conclusions are drawn – namely these subjects must be linked to current issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, global citizenship etc) of the day – to ensure that their content and delivery remain relevant to the needs of young people. Recommendations for a more flexible approach regarding the delivery and assessment of these subjects are made at the end of the study. 1.1 What Does â€Å"Citizenship† Mean? Before it is possible to critically review and evaluate th eeffectiveness of the learning and teaching methods that are used to deliver citizenship and PHSE, it is necessary to begin by analysing their rationale and curricular content. In other words what are these subjects about and what are the benefits that pupils gain by studying them? Answering this question will provide a framework within which it can be determined whethercurrent academic practices are satisfying the aims and objectives ofthese subjects. Citizenship is a concept that can have a myriad of meanings andinterpretations. There is no universally agreed definition. Models of citizenship vary from country to country. The concept is continuously contested by political parties, academics and pressure groups. Despite the many interpretations of the concept that exist, all notions of citizenship imply to a greater or lesser degree, membership of apolitical community that is internally defined by rights, duties, participation and identity. The term â€Å"Active Citizenship† is widely used, but again there is no single accepted definition. The phrase is open to interpretation. From an educational perspective when there is no universally accepteddefinition of a concept, it makes it extremely difficult to transform such a subject into a meaningful learning experience for young people. In other words there are no â€Å"hard and fast† rules which can be appliedby teachers. When a concept has a clear and universally accepteddefinition, it provides the means by which to breakdown the subject into manageable chunks of learning. Thus students become skilled and knowledgeable when applying each component to a given set of circumstances. For example, in Business Studies, if you wish to measure the financialperformance of a company, it is possible to apply a number ofuniversally accepted accounting ratios. This forms a set ofâ€Å"standards†, which are quantifiable and which can be applied in a constant manner to a variety of different situations over a period of time. When it is possible to apply clearly defined and universally accepted standards to a subject or a concept – it becomes relativelyeasy to teach and learn. When a student understands how each component of a subject works, it isthen possible to interlink these areas and increase the complexity oflearning activities. Thus over time the student will master each stage(i.e. knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,evaluation) of the cognitive learning domain (Source:www.businessballs.com, Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains).Students will have a holistic view of the subject content and willunderstand how the constituent components interlink. Given that citizenship does not have a universally accepted definition; is it possible to develop a set of â€Å"standards†, which can be constantly applied? Citizenship poses serious problems for educationalists interms of its definition and delivery as a subject to young people throughout the UK. What are the statutory requirements for teaching citizenship? It is a statutory subject at key stages 3 and 4. Apartfrom the absence of an eight-level scale of achievement, it is treatedexactly the same as other foundation subjects in the National Curriculum. Schools are required to establish high standards for citizenship that are comparable with standards in other subjects (Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). 1.2 What Are The Similarities Between Citizenship And PHSE? Both subjects are similar in their emphasis on values and attitudes,and in their concern to empower young people to act effectively andwith self-confidence. They are also similar in some of the themes they explore; such drug abuse and equal opportunities – and their emphasison active learning techniques like role play and discussion. What distinguishes the two concepts are their focus and content. PHSE focuses on personal and inter-personal decision making, whilecitizenship education deals with â€Å"public policy†. PHSE is concernedwith students’ choices as private individuals, the other with their rights as citizens. For example, a typical PSHE lesson on smoking deals withlegal rights and responsibilities, whereas a citizenship lesson focuseson the cost to society – exploring issues such as legislation onsmoking in public places or tobacco advertising. Thus citizenship canbe viewed as the global or societal perspective on key issues e.g.smoking etc. PHSE, on the other hand, concentrates on the needs, expectations and responsibilities of the individual. 1.3 Why Is It Necessary To Investigate The Teaching And Learning Methods Of Citizenship and PSHE? In 2004 the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) published areport (PSHE 2002/3 annual report on curriculum and assessment, QCA,March 2004) on the delivery of PSHE within schools in England. In thesummary of key findings it was noted that in some schools, there wasconfusion about what the differences and similarities between PSHE andcitizenship. Also even when schools had allocated a significant amount of curriculum time to the delivery of their PSHE programmes, it was rare for the assessment of pupils’ progress and achievement to take place. Ever since the National Curriculum was launched in 1988 there have been major concerns over the time available to deliver all of the core subjects (e.g. English, Mathematics etc). The introduction of new subjects (i.e. Citizenship in September 2002) places an even greater pressure on school timetables, teaching staff and resources. The major problems may be summarised as follows: a. As explained in section 1.1 there is no universally accepted definition of citizenship. b. There is confusion over the similarities and differences between citizenship and PSHE. c. The lack of quantifiable assessment strategies makes it verydifficult to evaluate the benefits pupils gain from the delivery ofthese subjects. d. Severe timetable constraints and a lack of appropriately trainedteaching staff are hindering the effective development and delivery ofthese areas. Therefore, the objectives of this project are as follows: a. To critically evaluate and review the learning and teachingmethods which are currently being used to deliver citizenship and PSHEin order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. c. To analyse how these subjects and their interrelationship willdevelop in the future and determine how learning and teaching methodswill need to change in order to satisfy the new requirements. 2.1 The Teaching of Citizenship in UK Schools – A Historical Perspective The teaching of citizenship in UK schools has a long and problematicalhistory. Since the beginning of the twentieth century it has undergonea number of transformations. Up to the outbreak of the First World War,the purpose of citizenship education was to generate a sense ofnational cohesion, loyalty and obligation to the nature, as well as asense of pride in the Empire (Oliver and Heater, 1994). The secondphase of citizenship in education witnessed the rise of a more directapproach. That is, the systematic training of young people in deferenceand moral behaviour. Schools were encouraged to promote and cultivatethe â€Å"simple virtues of humility, service, restraint and respect forpersonality† (Ministry of Education, 1949, p.41), in their pupils. The 1960s brought a new emphasis regarding the delivery of citizenshipin schools. Notably that young people needed to become more politicallyaware and more active in their participation of social issues. A morerecent development (1990) witnessed the introduction of citizenshipinto the National Curriculum as a cross-curricular theme. Suchcross-curricular themes have suffered a chequered history and remain atthe margins of school timetables with the main thrust of deliveryconcentrating on core subjects and other academic considerations. This historical perspective of citizenship provides an insight into theproblems the subject has faced because of its poor definition andineffectual delivery. To rectify this situation a government proposalsought to â€Å"establish more explicit and coherent provision in the areasof personal, social and health education and citizenship† (DfEE, 1999,p. 1). The proposal aimed to introduce a framework across all keystages for personal, social and health education and citizenship.Furthermore, this development established â€Å"a coherent nationalframework which gives schools flexibility to develop their ownapproaches.† (DfEE, 1999, p. 13). Whilst this approach raised the profile of citizenship and sought toestablish it as an integral part of the National Curriculum, it createda number of problems. How exactly was it going to fit into a schooltimetable? As outlined earlier, in section 1.3, there have beennumerous problems with the National Curriculum, since its launch in1988. In 1999, there were yet again a number of government initiativesto reduce the prescriptive nature of the National Curriculum andprovide schools with greater flexibility. On the whole these changeslike previous initiatives only resulted in cosmetic changes. The other major problem with the new version of citizenship lay withthe delivery. Who exactly was going to teach this subject? It wasproposed that the knowledge required to teach the subject could begained from the core of an initial teacher training degree orpostgraduate certificate in education. Teachers already delivering PSHEcould acquire the knowledge and skills required to deliver citizenshipthrough continuous professional development. Having analysed the teaching of citizenship within the UK in terms ofthe current situation and from an historical perspective, it isnecessary to explore how this issue is dealt with by other countries.This will provide the opportunity to compare and contrast the UKexperience with other nations and determine whether there are anylessons to be learnt. In other words are there examples of goodpractice overseas? If so, is it transferable to schools in the UK? 2.2 The Teaching of Citizenship in the United States In the United States education for citizenship has been a longstanding goal of schools. To achieve this goal, students must learntheir civil rights and responsibilities in a free society. In 1991 JohnJ Patrick provided a review of why this was necessary and outlined howit could be achieved. Five key points, which are outlined below, formedthe basis of this review. a. The importance of teaching about the responsibilities of citizenship b. Deficiencies in learning about responsible citizenship c. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at home d. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at school e. Where to obtain information and materials about how to teach responsible citizenship The rationale for teaching citizenship was based upon the premise thatthe preservation of civil rights and liberties is linked to theperformance of responsibilities. Thus the responsibilities ofcitizenship – such as voluntary service to the community, participationin the political system etc – were essential to ensure the maintenanceof civil rights and liberties. However, reports on civic learning bythe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), indicated thatthe majority of students in the 12th grade had a very limited knowledgeof government and citizenship in the United States. Furthermore, halfof the students in the 12th grade failed to demonstrate the knowledgeneeded for responsible participation in the political system. Thus in 1991 there was a clear need to improve the learning of youngAmericans about their responsibilities as citizens in a moderndemocracy. In effect Patrick was advocating a holistic approach to theteaching of citizenship within American schools. That is, young peopleneeded to become actively involved in every aspect of American life.Consequently he provided a list of organisations where materials couldbe obtained in order to aid the delivery of this subject. For example,the American Bar Association which operated a Special Committee onYouth Education for Citizenship, the Constitutional Rights Foundation,Council for the Advancement of Citizenship, the Social ScienceEducation Consortium and so on. The approach actively promoted by Patrick failed to have the desiredeffect. In 1991 the NAEP reported poor levels of attainment amongst12th graders with regard to citizenship and its related areas. Theresults of the 1998 NAEP civics examination completed by a sample of4th, 8th and 12th grade students across the United States showed thatstudents were not proficient in the skills that enable citizens to usetheir civic knowledge. The NAEP 2001 History Report Card results alsoshowed a similar lack of proficiency. President Bush launched a number of initiatives in 2003 to improve theawareness of citizenship and associated areas among young peoplethroughout the United States. Some of these initiatives are highlightedbelow: †¢ Idea of American Essay Contest: High School juniors nationwide areinvited to submit a 1,200 word essay on the â€Å"Idea of America† andreceive awards. †¢ â€Å"Heroes of History† Lecture: An annual lecture that features anacclaimed scholar telling the story of a hero in American life. Theselectures are made available to school libraries throughout the UnitedStates. President Bush participated in Pledge Across America, a nationwidepatriotic observation that invited every school child in America toparticipate in a simultaneous pledge of allegiance at 2pm EasternDaylight Time. The pledge was observed on the 215th anniversary of theUnited States Constitution, the conclusion of the first-ever NationalCivic Participation Week, and the beginning of Constitution Week(Source: http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/edu/fs091702.htm). 2.3 What Can We Learn From The Americans With Regard To Teaching Citizenship? The analysis of the American experience raises a number ofinteresting points. Notably the American educational authorities viathe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are activelyengaged in measuring students’ attainment with regard to theirknowledge and understanding of citizenship issues. As noted the resultson the whole have been poor. In the UK citizenship is taught throughoutall of the Key Stages of the National Curriculum. However, in Key Stages 1 and 2, there is no requirement for the formalassessment of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of citizenship issues(Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). Progress in this subject issummarised in each pupil’s annual school report. In Key Stage 3, thereis an end-of-stage assessment. Whilst in Key Stage 4 there is nostatutory requirement for assessment. Three short courses are availablei.e. GCSE Citizenship Studies. The AQA (Assessment and QualificationsAlliance) version of this qualification requires students to undertakea 1.5 hour examination and complete a project. Should the UK adopt the United States assessment model? It wouldprovide the opportunity to quantify each pupil’s level of knowledge andunderstanding of citizenship issues throughout each Key Stage of theNational Curriculum. Such an approach would provide data which could beanalysed to determine the effectiveness of the teaching and learningstrategies that are currently deployed to deliver citizenship within UKschools. However, such a proposal would be met with stiff resistancefrom a variety of sources (i.e. teachers, parents, educationalistsetc). It is already considered in many quarters that school children inthe UK are already over assessed. Also it is interesting to note that the American model of citizenshipis radically different from the British version. The informationprovided about the American experience includes such phrases as â€Å"Heroesof History†. The British equivalent would mean portraying the likes ofHoratio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington as â€Å"heroes†. Thus theAmerican model concentrates heavily on patriotism (e.g. Pledge AcrossAmerica) and herein lays a broader issue. The United States isuniversally criticised throughout the world for being too insular, tooselfish and is not perceived as accepting its global responsibility tothe non-American citizens of the world. The American version ofcitizenship does not seem to recognise the word â€Å"global†. 2.4 The Future of Citizenship – Beyond National Boundaries The European Union has been in existence for nearly 50 years. However,until very recently, education remained untouched by the gradualmovement towards the pan European state. Curricula development andcontent were protected by each member-state. Since the advent of theMaastricht Treaty, the EU has developed and funded a number ofeducational initiatives to promote the concept of a â€Å"European superstate†; largely it must be said, without success. The Commission’sattempts to â€Å"Europeanise† education remained largely ineffective,mostly confined to the recognition of diplomas, vocational educationand the exchange of language teaching programmes (Soysal, 2001). However, a closer look at the way â€Å"Europe†, â€Å"nation† and â€Å"citizenship†are being represented in school books and curricula, particularly inthe disciplines of history and civics reveals another kind ofâ€Å"Europeanisation process† – that is, how European identity is likely toemerge and of significance to this project – how it will be taught inEuropean schools. This process is happening through highly active andinformal networks – largely unmonitored by formal EU institutions.Teachers’ unions and associations, academics and scientific experts,advocacy groups etc – are busy networking, arranging conferences etc –on â€Å"teaching Europe†. Perhaps the most significant development in this process is thedisappearance of the â€Å"nation state† – historical events are now retoldwithin a European perspective and a not within a nationalisticstraightjacket. National identities locate their legitimacy in deeplyrooted histories, cultures or territories. But Europe is notpast-oriented: it is future orientated. What does this mean for theteaching of citizenship in schools throughout Europe? It has long beenrecognised that these problems can only be resolved by nations actingas one. This is why the United States receives a lot of criticism, asit constantly failed to sign up to international agreements on carbonemissions etc. Thus the â€Å"Europeanisation process† is merely a steppingstone towards the creation of â€Å"global citizenship†. Learning for global citizenship is about understanding the need totackle injustice and inequality, and having the desire and ability towork effectively to do so: this is referred to as Action Competence(Jensen and Schnak, 1994). An example of a resource that provides aframework for learner-centred delivery would be Get Global! This iswhere pupils are involved in every aspect of their own educationalexperience. The Oxford Schools Catalogue contains a wide range ofmaterials published by Oxfam and others, focused on learning for GlobalCitizenship (Source:www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/teachers/catalogue.htm). 2.5 A Brief History of Sex Education in UK Schools In England from the late 19th century, a number of sex educationpublications were produced, mainly aimed at helping parents toenlighten their children. The Second World War had a huge impact on thepopulation of Europe. Fresh emphasis in sex education was placed onpreventing syphilis and gonorrhoea. In the 1950s and 1960s sexeducation in schools was carried out through the descriptions of thereproductive habits of plants and animals. By the beginning of the1970s, school sex education was beginning to change significantly. Forexample, methods of contraception began to be more widely taught. The 1980s witnesses further developments in sex education. The rise offeminist-thinking led to an increase in the number of programmes thatencouraged pupils to examine the roles played by men and women. Sexeducation programmes began to have such aims as the acquisition ofskills for decision-making, communicating, personal relationships,parenting and coping strategies. HIV and AIDS became a health issue inthe UK just when sex education became a political football. A number ofsituations arose – the 1985 Gillick case, which focused on whetherparents always have the right to know if their children are beingissued with contraceptives when under the age of 16 – the growingstrength of the lesbian and gay movement, lead to the polarisation ofviews on sex education, among politicians at local and national level. Thus sex education, as was with citizenship, has become politicallycontroversial. Recent school sex education programmes have variedconsiderably in their aims. At one extreme (rarely found in the UK butwell-funded and widespread in the USA), abstinence education aims toensure that young people do not engage in heavy petting or sexualintercourse before marriage. At the other end of the scale, some sexeducation programmes, challenge sexist and homophobic attitudes(Source: www.open2.net/sundaysurgery/thehistoryp.html). 2.6 Summary Of The Key Factors In the UK and USA there is a realisation that young people need tobecome actively in all aspects of national life (e.g. politics, localcommunity, environment etc). However, there are major differencesbetween the two countries. The American approach towards citizenship isbased heavily on patriotism. In many respects the current Americanmodel of citizenship seems similar to the one that pertained in the UKin the early part of the 20th century. Despite America’s best effortsto increase young people’s knowledge and understanding of citizenshipconcepts, the NAEP results show no increase in student attainmentbetween 1991 and 2001. The Americans seem to be ignoring the development of citizenship beyondnational boundaries. In order to solve the world’s problems we need toact as one unified force – hence we all need to embrace â€Å"globalcitizenship†. Sex education has moved substantially from its extremelylimited earlier forms to embrace a broader spectrum of sexual andsocial issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, homosexuality etc). When this is comparedto the American experience, again like citizenship, there are hugedifferences in terms of objectives and content. Many American sexeducation programmes are founded on very conservative moral values. 2.7 Conclusions That Can Be Drawn From The Literature Review In Relation To The Objectives Of The Project a. To critically evaluate and review the learning andteaching methods which are currently being used to deliver citizenshipand PSHE in order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. The literature review has shown that there are major problems inassessing the benefits that young people derive from these subjects.Formal assessment is broken down into two elements – formative (i.e.on-course – an assignment etc) and summative (i.e. end-of-the course –an exam, a completed portfolio etc). In the USA the NAEP results do notshow an increase in students’ knowledge and understanding ofcitizenship concepts. Within the National Curriculum, citizenship andPHSE have a minimum of formal assessment requirements. However, are formal assessment methods the best way to determinewhether students are benefiting from citizenship and PHSE? The purposeof these subjects is to help young people become better adults e.g. toact and behave in a morally and socially responsible manner etc. Thusit is reasonable to argue that formal assessment methods can onlyprovide a superficial measure of a young person’s knowledge andunderstanding of these concepts. What does measuring a person’s abilityto recall facts actually tell us? In reality a person will gain from a well delivered citizenship andPHSE programme in the longer term. They will become a more sociallyresponsible person; they will become a more effective parent and so on.Thus teaching these subjects is in effect an act of faith – we hopethat benefits will be produced in the longer term. A longitudinal studyis required i.e. one where a group of students is tracked for a numberof years. However, there are many factors involved when someone turnsout to a good parent etc. It would be extremely hard to isolate theinfluences of citizenship and PHSE from all the other issues that areinvolved e.g. family background etc. Whilst it is nigh on impossible to assess the long-term benefits peoplegain from these subjects – it is possible to utilise existing learningand teaching methods to generate immediate benefits for the studentsconcerned. How this can be achieved will be analysed in the latterstages of the project. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. Has the literature review identify examples of good practice withregard to the teaching of citizenship and PHSE? Given the politicalcontroversy these subjects generate – there can only be one answer tothis question. It depends upon your point of view – determining whethersomething is an example of good practice is in the eye of the beholder.The key to progression is to establish and develop a wider audience forthe objectives you are trying to achieve. For example, the â€Å"Europeanisation process† demonstrates how differentorganisations, individuals etc – by working together, can create forumsfor discussion and the dissemination of new ideas, materials etc. TheInternet has revolutionised how people communicate and accessinformation. This allows people and organisations to bypass nationalboundaries and work towards the creation of â€Å"global citizenship†. Thus if they are going to be meaningful and allow young people toconnect and become part of â€Å"global citizenship† – the academic contentof citizenship and PHSE must reflect current developments. This meansthat learning and teaching methods must continuously evolve to ensurethat the delivery of these subjects reflects current trends anddevelopments. How this can be achieved will be explored in the latterstages of the project. c. To analyse how these subjects and theirinterrelationship will develop in the future and determine how learningand teaching methods will need to change in order to satisfy the newrequirements. A key feature of PHSE is that young people should practice â€Å"safe sex†.In its most literal form this simply means making sure that youngpeople have adequate access to and use of contraceptive methods. Insome quarters it would be argued that â€Å"safe sex† must involve moral,social and emotional responsibilities. Are these areas PHSE orcitizenship concepts? Whatever your view and political stance there isclearly an overlap between the two subjects. Future curricularinitiatives and the development of learning and teaching methods mustembrace the close interrelationship between these academic areas. 3.1 What Must The Research Methodology Achieve? In order to fulfil the requirements of the project objectives the research methodology must address the following issues: a. The analysis of the learning and teaching methods that are beingused to deliver citizenship and PHSE within UK schools in order todetermine their effectiveness. b. The critical evaluation of the assessment strategies that are used to measure pupil attainment within these subjects. c. An evaluation of how learning, teaching and assessment strategiesmust develop to ensure that citizenship and PHSE remain relevant to theneeds of young people. The National Curriculum was introduced in 1988 in order to develop acomprehensive approach to the delivery and development of educationwithin the UK. A number of government departments and agencies areresponsible for managing the content, development, delivery andeffectiveness of the education system. The research methodology mustinvestigate the work of these government departments and agencies inrelation to citizenship and PHSE. This is necessary in order to addressthe issues outlined above. How will this be achieved? The work of three different bodies must be investigated. These are as follows: a. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was establishedwith the purpose of creating opportunity, realising potential andachieving excellent for all. The Qualifications Curriculum Authority(QCA) is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the DfES. It isresponsible for maintaining and developing the National Curriculum andassociated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits andmonitors qualifications in colleges and at work. It is thisorganisation which is responsible for managing and developing thecurricular content of citizenship and PHSE and providing guidance onlearning and teaching methods. b. The Office for Educational Standards (OFSTED) is the inspectoratefor children and learners in England. Its main responsibility is tocontribute to the provision of better education and care. This isachieved through a comprehensive system of inspection and regulationcovering childcare, schools, colleges, children’s services, teachertraining and youth work. Thus it inspects and evaluates the teaching ofcitizenship and PHSE throughout England. c. The practitioners (i.e. the school managers, teachers, supportworkers etc) are responsible for delivering the curricular content ofcitizenship and PHSE in accordance with the standards and methodsstated and disseminated by the DfES and the QCA. 3.2 What Methods Will The Research Methodology Use? Secondary research is the investigation of data sources which alreadyexist. The main advantage of using such sources is that they arereadily available and can be utilised to develop knowledge andunderstanding of a given situation. Primary research entails generatinginformation, which did not previously exist. This is necessary whensecondary data sources do not fulfil the information requirements of aresearch project. In order to investigate the work of the DfES, QCA and OFSTED, it is notnecessary to conduct primary research. This is because of two reasons.One, the government wants the work of these bodies to be transparentand within the public domain. Two, easily accessible secondary datasources will be sufficient to facilitate the objectives of thisproject. As stated, the websites for the DfES, QCA and OFSTED provideaccess to numerous reports and information on all aspects of theiroperations. Therefore, the research method that will be used to analysethis data is documentary analysis. In effect this involves analysingreports and relating the findings to the project objectives. However, in any given project or area of research different opinionswill prevail. If you like – DfES, QCA and OFSTED represent thegovernment’s views. What does everybody else think? The practitioners –as listed above – are at the sharp end of the business – Delivery of Citizenship and PHSE within UK Schools Delivery of Citizenship and PHSE within UK Schools This project addresses the problems that are currently being encountered with regard to the delivery of citizenship and PHSE within UK schools. To give emergent themes context – an historical review of their academic treatment is presented. This is broadened by considering the United States delivery of these subjects to determine whether the UK can learn anything from the American experience. Documentary analysis and interview schedules are the research methods used to analyse secondary sources and generate primary data. A number of conclusions are drawn – namely these subjects must be linked to current issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, global citizenship etc) of the day – to ensure that their content and delivery remain relevant to the needs of young people. Recommendations for a more flexible approach regarding the delivery and assessment of these subjects are made at the end of the study. 1.1 What Does â€Å"Citizenship† Mean? Before it is possible to critically review and evaluate th eeffectiveness of the learning and teaching methods that are used to deliver citizenship and PHSE, it is necessary to begin by analysing their rationale and curricular content. In other words what are these subjects about and what are the benefits that pupils gain by studying them? Answering this question will provide a framework within which it can be determined whethercurrent academic practices are satisfying the aims and objectives ofthese subjects. Citizenship is a concept that can have a myriad of meanings andinterpretations. There is no universally agreed definition. Models of citizenship vary from country to country. The concept is continuously contested by political parties, academics and pressure groups. Despite the many interpretations of the concept that exist, all notions of citizenship imply to a greater or lesser degree, membership of apolitical community that is internally defined by rights, duties, participation and identity. The term â€Å"Active Citizenship† is widely used, but again there is no single accepted definition. The phrase is open to interpretation. From an educational perspective when there is no universally accepteddefinition of a concept, it makes it extremely difficult to transform such a subject into a meaningful learning experience for young people. In other words there are no â€Å"hard and fast† rules which can be appliedby teachers. When a concept has a clear and universally accepteddefinition, it provides the means by which to breakdown the subject into manageable chunks of learning. Thus students become skilled and knowledgeable when applying each component to a given set of circumstances. For example, in Business Studies, if you wish to measure the financialperformance of a company, it is possible to apply a number ofuniversally accepted accounting ratios. This forms a set ofâ€Å"standards†, which are quantifiable and which can be applied in a constant manner to a variety of different situations over a period of time. When it is possible to apply clearly defined and universally accepted standards to a subject or a concept – it becomes relativelyeasy to teach and learn. When a student understands how each component of a subject works, it isthen possible to interlink these areas and increase the complexity oflearning activities. Thus over time the student will master each stage(i.e. knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,evaluation) of the cognitive learning domain (Source:www.businessballs.com, Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains).Students will have a holistic view of the subject content and willunderstand how the constituent components interlink. Given that citizenship does not have a universally accepted definition; is it possible to develop a set of â€Å"standards†, which can be constantly applied? Citizenship poses serious problems for educationalists interms of its definition and delivery as a subject to young people throughout the UK. What are the statutory requirements for teaching citizenship? It is a statutory subject at key stages 3 and 4. Apartfrom the absence of an eight-level scale of achievement, it is treatedexactly the same as other foundation subjects in the National Curriculum. Schools are required to establish high standards for citizenship that are comparable with standards in other subjects (Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). 1.2 What Are The Similarities Between Citizenship And PHSE? Both subjects are similar in their emphasis on values and attitudes,and in their concern to empower young people to act effectively andwith self-confidence. They are also similar in some of the themes they explore; such drug abuse and equal opportunities – and their emphasison active learning techniques like role play and discussion. What distinguishes the two concepts are their focus and content. PHSE focuses on personal and inter-personal decision making, whilecitizenship education deals with â€Å"public policy†. PHSE is concernedwith students’ choices as private individuals, the other with their rights as citizens. For example, a typical PSHE lesson on smoking deals withlegal rights and responsibilities, whereas a citizenship lesson focuseson the cost to society – exploring issues such as legislation onsmoking in public places or tobacco advertising. Thus citizenship canbe viewed as the global or societal perspective on key issues e.g.smoking etc. PHSE, on the other hand, concentrates on the needs, expectations and responsibilities of the individual. 1.3 Why Is It Necessary To Investigate The Teaching And Learning Methods Of Citizenship and PSHE? In 2004 the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) published areport (PSHE 2002/3 annual report on curriculum and assessment, QCA,March 2004) on the delivery of PSHE within schools in England. In thesummary of key findings it was noted that in some schools, there wasconfusion about what the differences and similarities between PSHE andcitizenship. Also even when schools had allocated a significant amount of curriculum time to the delivery of their PSHE programmes, it was rare for the assessment of pupils’ progress and achievement to take place. Ever since the National Curriculum was launched in 1988 there have been major concerns over the time available to deliver all of the core subjects (e.g. English, Mathematics etc). The introduction of new subjects (i.e. Citizenship in September 2002) places an even greater pressure on school timetables, teaching staff and resources. The major problems may be summarised as follows: a. As explained in section 1.1 there is no universally accepted definition of citizenship. b. There is confusion over the similarities and differences between citizenship and PSHE. c. The lack of quantifiable assessment strategies makes it verydifficult to evaluate the benefits pupils gain from the delivery ofthese subjects. d. Severe timetable constraints and a lack of appropriately trainedteaching staff are hindering the effective development and delivery ofthese areas. Therefore, the objectives of this project are as follows: a. To critically evaluate and review the learning and teachingmethods which are currently being used to deliver citizenship and PSHEin order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. c. To analyse how these subjects and their interrelationship willdevelop in the future and determine how learning and teaching methodswill need to change in order to satisfy the new requirements. 2.1 The Teaching of Citizenship in UK Schools – A Historical Perspective The teaching of citizenship in UK schools has a long and problematicalhistory. Since the beginning of the twentieth century it has undergonea number of transformations. Up to the outbreak of the First World War,the purpose of citizenship education was to generate a sense ofnational cohesion, loyalty and obligation to the nature, as well as asense of pride in the Empire (Oliver and Heater, 1994). The secondphase of citizenship in education witnessed the rise of a more directapproach. That is, the systematic training of young people in deferenceand moral behaviour. Schools were encouraged to promote and cultivatethe â€Å"simple virtues of humility, service, restraint and respect forpersonality† (Ministry of Education, 1949, p.41), in their pupils. The 1960s brought a new emphasis regarding the delivery of citizenshipin schools. Notably that young people needed to become more politicallyaware and more active in their participation of social issues. A morerecent development (1990) witnessed the introduction of citizenshipinto the National Curriculum as a cross-curricular theme. Suchcross-curricular themes have suffered a chequered history and remain atthe margins of school timetables with the main thrust of deliveryconcentrating on core subjects and other academic considerations. This historical perspective of citizenship provides an insight into theproblems the subject has faced because of its poor definition andineffectual delivery. To rectify this situation a government proposalsought to â€Å"establish more explicit and coherent provision in the areasof personal, social and health education and citizenship† (DfEE, 1999,p. 1). The proposal aimed to introduce a framework across all keystages for personal, social and health education and citizenship.Furthermore, this development established â€Å"a coherent nationalframework which gives schools flexibility to develop their ownapproaches.† (DfEE, 1999, p. 13). Whilst this approach raised the profile of citizenship and sought toestablish it as an integral part of the National Curriculum, it createda number of problems. How exactly was it going to fit into a schooltimetable? As outlined earlier, in section 1.3, there have beennumerous problems with the National Curriculum, since its launch in1988. In 1999, there were yet again a number of government initiativesto reduce the prescriptive nature of the National Curriculum andprovide schools with greater flexibility. On the whole these changeslike previous initiatives only resulted in cosmetic changes. The other major problem with the new version of citizenship lay withthe delivery. Who exactly was going to teach this subject? It wasproposed that the knowledge required to teach the subject could begained from the core of an initial teacher training degree orpostgraduate certificate in education. Teachers already delivering PSHEcould acquire the knowledge and skills required to deliver citizenshipthrough continuous professional development. Having analysed the teaching of citizenship within the UK in terms ofthe current situation and from an historical perspective, it isnecessary to explore how this issue is dealt with by other countries.This will provide the opportunity to compare and contrast the UKexperience with other nations and determine whether there are anylessons to be learnt. In other words are there examples of goodpractice overseas? If so, is it transferable to schools in the UK? 2.2 The Teaching of Citizenship in the United States In the United States education for citizenship has been a longstanding goal of schools. To achieve this goal, students must learntheir civil rights and responsibilities in a free society. In 1991 JohnJ Patrick provided a review of why this was necessary and outlined howit could be achieved. Five key points, which are outlined below, formedthe basis of this review. a. The importance of teaching about the responsibilities of citizenship b. Deficiencies in learning about responsible citizenship c. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at home d. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at school e. Where to obtain information and materials about how to teach responsible citizenship The rationale for teaching citizenship was based upon the premise thatthe preservation of civil rights and liberties is linked to theperformance of responsibilities. Thus the responsibilities ofcitizenship – such as voluntary service to the community, participationin the political system etc – were essential to ensure the maintenanceof civil rights and liberties. However, reports on civic learning bythe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), indicated thatthe majority of students in the 12th grade had a very limited knowledgeof government and citizenship in the United States. Furthermore, halfof the students in the 12th grade failed to demonstrate the knowledgeneeded for responsible participation in the political system. Thus in 1991 there was a clear need to improve the learning of youngAmericans about their responsibilities as citizens in a moderndemocracy. In effect Patrick was advocating a holistic approach to theteaching of citizenship within American schools. That is, young peopleneeded to become actively involved in every aspect of American life.Consequently he provided a list of organisations where materials couldbe obtained in order to aid the delivery of this subject. For example,the American Bar Association which operated a Special Committee onYouth Education for Citizenship, the Constitutional Rights Foundation,Council for the Advancement of Citizenship, the Social ScienceEducation Consortium and so on. The approach actively promoted by Patrick failed to have the desiredeffect. In 1991 the NAEP reported poor levels of attainment amongst12th graders with regard to citizenship and its related areas. Theresults of the 1998 NAEP civics examination completed by a sample of4th, 8th and 12th grade students across the United States showed thatstudents were not proficient in the skills that enable citizens to usetheir civic knowledge. The NAEP 2001 History Report Card results alsoshowed a similar lack of proficiency. President Bush launched a number of initiatives in 2003 to improve theawareness of citizenship and associated areas among young peoplethroughout the United States. Some of these initiatives are highlightedbelow: †¢ Idea of American Essay Contest: High School juniors nationwide areinvited to submit a 1,200 word essay on the â€Å"Idea of America† andreceive awards. †¢ â€Å"Heroes of History† Lecture: An annual lecture that features anacclaimed scholar telling the story of a hero in American life. Theselectures are made available to school libraries throughout the UnitedStates. President Bush participated in Pledge Across America, a nationwidepatriotic observation that invited every school child in America toparticipate in a simultaneous pledge of allegiance at 2pm EasternDaylight Time. The pledge was observed on the 215th anniversary of theUnited States Constitution, the conclusion of the first-ever NationalCivic Participation Week, and the beginning of Constitution Week(Source: http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/edu/fs091702.htm). 2.3 What Can We Learn From The Americans With Regard To Teaching Citizenship? The analysis of the American experience raises a number ofinteresting points. Notably the American educational authorities viathe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are activelyengaged in measuring students’ attainment with regard to theirknowledge and understanding of citizenship issues. As noted the resultson the whole have been poor. In the UK citizenship is taught throughoutall of the Key Stages of the National Curriculum. However, in Key Stages 1 and 2, there is no requirement for the formalassessment of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of citizenship issues(Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). Progress in this subject issummarised in each pupil’s annual school report. In Key Stage 3, thereis an end-of-stage assessment. Whilst in Key Stage 4 there is nostatutory requirement for assessment. Three short courses are availablei.e. GCSE Citizenship Studies. The AQA (Assessment and QualificationsAlliance) version of this qualification requires students to undertakea 1.5 hour examination and complete a project. Should the UK adopt the United States assessment model? It wouldprovide the opportunity to quantify each pupil’s level of knowledge andunderstanding of citizenship issues throughout each Key Stage of theNational Curriculum. Such an approach would provide data which could beanalysed to determine the effectiveness of the teaching and learningstrategies that are currently deployed to deliver citizenship within UKschools. However, such a proposal would be met with stiff resistancefrom a variety of sources (i.e. teachers, parents, educationalistsetc). It is already considered in many quarters that school children inthe UK are already over assessed. Also it is interesting to note that the American model of citizenshipis radically different from the British version. The informationprovided about the American experience includes such phrases as â€Å"Heroesof History†. The British equivalent would mean portraying the likes ofHoratio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington as â€Å"heroes†. Thus theAmerican model concentrates heavily on patriotism (e.g. Pledge AcrossAmerica) and herein lays a broader issue. The United States isuniversally criticised throughout the world for being too insular, tooselfish and is not perceived as accepting its global responsibility tothe non-American citizens of the world. The American version ofcitizenship does not seem to recognise the word â€Å"global†. 2.4 The Future of Citizenship – Beyond National Boundaries The European Union has been in existence for nearly 50 years. However,until very recently, education remained untouched by the gradualmovement towards the pan European state. Curricula development andcontent were protected by each member-state. Since the advent of theMaastricht Treaty, the EU has developed and funded a number ofeducational initiatives to promote the concept of a â€Å"European superstate†; largely it must be said, without success. The Commission’sattempts to â€Å"Europeanise† education remained largely ineffective,mostly confined to the recognition of diplomas, vocational educationand the exchange of language teaching programmes (Soysal, 2001). However, a closer look at the way â€Å"Europe†, â€Å"nation† and â€Å"citizenship†are being represented in school books and curricula, particularly inthe disciplines of history and civics reveals another kind ofâ€Å"Europeanisation process† – that is, how European identity is likely toemerge and of significance to this project – how it will be taught inEuropean schools. This process is happening through highly active andinformal networks – largely unmonitored by formal EU institutions.Teachers’ unions and associations, academics and scientific experts,advocacy groups etc – are busy networking, arranging conferences etc –on â€Å"teaching Europe†. Perhaps the most significant development in this process is thedisappearance of the â€Å"nation state† – historical events are now retoldwithin a European perspective and a not within a nationalisticstraightjacket. National identities locate their legitimacy in deeplyrooted histories, cultures or territories. But Europe is notpast-oriented: it is future orientated. What does this mean for theteaching of citizenship in schools throughout Europe? It has long beenrecognised that these problems can only be resolved by nations actingas one. This is why the United States receives a lot of criticism, asit constantly failed to sign up to international agreements on carbonemissions etc. Thus the â€Å"Europeanisation process† is merely a steppingstone towards the creation of â€Å"global citizenship†. Learning for global citizenship is about understanding the need totackle injustice and inequality, and having the desire and ability towork effectively to do so: this is referred to as Action Competence(Jensen and Schnak, 1994). An example of a resource that provides aframework for learner-centred delivery would be Get Global! This iswhere pupils are involved in every aspect of their own educationalexperience. The Oxford Schools Catalogue contains a wide range ofmaterials published by Oxfam and others, focused on learning for GlobalCitizenship (Source:www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/teachers/catalogue.htm). 2.5 A Brief History of Sex Education in UK Schools In England from the late 19th century, a number of sex educationpublications were produced, mainly aimed at helping parents toenlighten their children. The Second World War had a huge impact on thepopulation of Europe. Fresh emphasis in sex education was placed onpreventing syphilis and gonorrhoea. In the 1950s and 1960s sexeducation in schools was carried out through the descriptions of thereproductive habits of plants and animals. By the beginning of the1970s, school sex education was beginning to change significantly. Forexample, methods of contraception began to be more widely taught. The 1980s witnesses further developments in sex education. The rise offeminist-thinking led to an increase in the number of programmes thatencouraged pupils to examine the roles played by men and women. Sexeducation programmes began to have such aims as the acquisition ofskills for decision-making, communicating, personal relationships,parenting and coping strategies. HIV and AIDS became a health issue inthe UK just when sex education became a political football. A number ofsituations arose – the 1985 Gillick case, which focused on whetherparents always have the right to know if their children are beingissued with contraceptives when under the age of 16 – the growingstrength of the lesbian and gay movement, lead to the polarisation ofviews on sex education, among politicians at local and national level. Thus sex education, as was with citizenship, has become politicallycontroversial. Recent school sex education programmes have variedconsiderably in their aims. At one extreme (rarely found in the UK butwell-funded and widespread in the USA), abstinence education aims toensure that young people do not engage in heavy petting or sexualintercourse before marriage. At the other end of the scale, some sexeducation programmes, challenge sexist and homophobic attitudes(Source: www.open2.net/sundaysurgery/thehistoryp.html). 2.6 Summary Of The Key Factors In the UK and USA there is a realisation that young people need tobecome actively in all aspects of national life (e.g. politics, localcommunity, environment etc). However, there are major differencesbetween the two countries. The American approach towards citizenship isbased heavily on patriotism. In many respects the current Americanmodel of citizenship seems similar to the one that pertained in the UKin the early part of the 20th century. Despite America’s best effortsto increase young people’s knowledge and understanding of citizenshipconcepts, the NAEP results show no increase in student attainmentbetween 1991 and 2001. The Americans seem to be ignoring the development of citizenship beyondnational boundaries. In order to solve the world’s problems we need toact as one unified force – hence we all need to embrace â€Å"globalcitizenship†. Sex education has moved substantially from its extremelylimited earlier forms to embrace a broader spectrum of sexual andsocial issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, homosexuality etc). When this is comparedto the American experience, again like citizenship, there are hugedifferences in terms of objectives and content. Many American sexeducation programmes are founded on very conservative moral values. 2.7 Conclusions That Can Be Drawn From The Literature Review In Relation To The Objectives Of The Project a. To critically evaluate and review the learning andteaching methods which are currently being used to deliver citizenshipand PSHE in order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. The literature review has shown that there are major problems inassessing the benefits that young people derive from these subjects.Formal assessment is broken down into two elements – formative (i.e.on-course – an assignment etc) and summative (i.e. end-of-the course –an exam, a completed portfolio etc). In the USA the NAEP results do notshow an increase in students’ knowledge and understanding ofcitizenship concepts. Within the National Curriculum, citizenship andPHSE have a minimum of formal assessment requirements. However, are formal assessment methods the best way to determinewhether students are benefiting from citizenship and PHSE? The purposeof these subjects is to help young people become better adults e.g. toact and behave in a morally and socially responsible manner etc. Thusit is reasonable to argue that formal assessment methods can onlyprovide a superficial measure of a young person’s knowledge andunderstanding of these concepts. What does measuring a person’s abilityto recall facts actually tell us? In reality a person will gain from a well delivered citizenship andPHSE programme in the longer term. They will become a more sociallyresponsible person; they will become a more effective parent and so on.Thus teaching these subjects is in effect an act of faith – we hopethat benefits will be produced in the longer term. A longitudinal studyis required i.e. one where a group of students is tracked for a numberof years. However, there are many factors involved when someone turnsout to a good parent etc. It would be extremely hard to isolate theinfluences of citizenship and PHSE from all the other issues that areinvolved e.g. family background etc. Whilst it is nigh on impossible to assess the long-term benefits peoplegain from these subjects – it is possible to utilise existing learningand teaching methods to generate immediate benefits for the studentsconcerned. How this can be achieved will be analysed in the latterstages of the project. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. Has the literature review identify examples of good practice withregard to the teaching of citizenship and PHSE? Given the politicalcontroversy these subjects generate – there can only be one answer tothis question. It depends upon your point of view – determining whethersomething is an example of good practice is in the eye of the beholder.The key to progression is to establish and develop a wider audience forthe objectives you are trying to achieve. For example, the â€Å"Europeanisation process† demonstrates how differentorganisations, individuals etc – by working together, can create forumsfor discussion and the dissemination of new ideas, materials etc. TheInternet has revolutionised how people communicate and accessinformation. This allows people and organisations to bypass nationalboundaries and work towards the creation of â€Å"global citizenship†. Thus if they are going to be meaningful and allow young people toconnect and become part of â€Å"global citizenship† – the academic contentof citizenship and PHSE must reflect current developments. This meansthat learning and teaching methods must continuously evolve to ensurethat the delivery of these subjects reflects current trends anddevelopments. How this can be achieved will be explored in the latterstages of the project. c. To analyse how these subjects and theirinterrelationship will develop in the future and determine how learningand teaching methods will need to change in order to satisfy the newrequirements. A key feature of PHSE is that young people should practice â€Å"safe sex†.In its most literal form this simply means making sure that youngpeople have adequate access to and use of contraceptive methods. Insome quarters it would be argued that â€Å"safe sex† must involve moral,social and emotional responsibilities. Are these areas PHSE orcitizenship concepts? Whatever your view and political stance there isclearly an overlap between the two subjects. Future curricularinitiatives and the development of learning and teaching methods mustembrace the close interrelationship between these academic areas. 3.1 What Must The Research Methodology Achieve? In order to fulfil the requirements of the project objectives the research methodology must address the following issues: a. The analysis of the learning and teaching methods that are beingused to deliver citizenship and PHSE within UK schools in order todetermine their effectiveness. b. The critical evaluation of the assessment strategies that are used to measure pupil attainment within these subjects. c. An evaluation of how learning, teaching and assessment strategiesmust develop to ensure that citizenship and PHSE remain relevant to theneeds of young people. The National Curriculum was introduced in 1988 in order to develop acomprehensive approach to the delivery and development of educationwithin the UK. A number of government departments and agencies areresponsible for managing the content, development, delivery andeffectiveness of the education system. The research methodology mustinvestigate the work of these government departments and agencies inrelation to citizenship and PHSE. This is necessary in order to addressthe issues outlined above. How will this be achieved? The work of three different bodies must be investigated. These are as follows: a. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was establishedwith the purpose of creating opportunity, realising potential andachieving excellent for all. The Qualifications Curriculum Authority(QCA) is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the DfES. It isresponsible for maintaining and developing the National Curriculum andassociated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits andmonitors qualifications in colleges and at work. It is thisorganisation which is responsible for managing and developing thecurricular content of citizenship and PHSE and providing guidance onlearning and teaching methods. b. The Office for Educational Standards (OFSTED) is the inspectoratefor children and learners in England. Its main responsibility is tocontribute to the provision of better education and care. This isachieved through a comprehensive system of inspection and regulationcovering childcare, schools, colleges, children’s services, teachertraining and youth work. Thus it inspects and evaluates the teaching ofcitizenship and PHSE throughout England. c. The practitioners (i.e. the school managers, teachers, supportworkers etc) are responsible for delivering the curricular content ofcitizenship and PHSE in accordance with the standards and methodsstated and disseminated by the DfES and the QCA. 3.2 What Methods Will The Research Methodology Use? Secondary research is the investigation of data sources which alreadyexist. The main advantage of using such sources is that they arereadily available and can be utilised to develop knowledge andunderstanding of a given situation. Primary research entails generatinginformation, which did not previously exist. This is necessary whensecondary data sources do not fulfil the information requirements of aresearch project. In order to investigate the work of the DfES, QCA and OFSTED, it is notnecessary to conduct primary research. This is because of two reasons.One, the government wants the work of these bodies to be transparentand within the public domain. Two, easily accessible secondary datasources will be sufficient to facilitate the objectives of thisproject. As stated, the websites for the DfES, QCA and OFSTED provideaccess to numerous reports and information on all aspects of theiroperations. Therefore, the research method that will be used to analysethis data is documentary analysis. In effect this involves analysingreports and relating the findings to the project objectives. However, in any given project or area of research different opinionswill prevail. If you like – DfES, QCA and OFSTED represent thegovernment’s views. What does everybody else think? The practitioners –as listed above – are at the sharp end of the business –