Directed Writing Essay

Judging from the letter you sent me last week, you seemto be doing just fine. I would like to apologize for not writing sooner; the ton ofholiday homework I received from school made it virtually impossible for me topen a reply any sooner than today.My answer to your question would definitely be a yes. I think that youwould make an excellent Head Prefect. Your out-going and down-to-earthpersonality should be enough to convince you of your undoubted capability totake on this task. Your friendly  and helpful  nature would make it easy foryou to get along with the students and reprimand them in a tactful way. I am also sure that you would take your responsibilities seriously as you are one ofthe most responsible people with whom I have made my acquaintance.Furthermore, your academic performance outshines your peers makingit clear that you are an intelligent and hardworking student. This in itselfproves that you are capable of dealing with heavy workloads. Goodnessknows, with the subject combination that you are taking, your workload isanything but light. Plus, I know that you especially have a knack for solvingproblems. Though being a Head Prefect is without doubt a tiring job, theexperience you have gained from being actively involved in co-curricularactivities should help you to pull through. Being the Captain of the BlueHouse  should give you a vague idea of what it is like to lead the school, while as the secretary of the English Language Society  , you should be an expertat handling paperwork and organizing events. Besides  that, by virtue of youbeing a school debater  , your speeches would surely be outstanding.The strategic  location of your house  should also give an extra shovetowards running for the past. As it is within walking distance from theschool, you would be able to sacrifice time and effort in carrying out yourduties as Head Prefect. Your academic performance would also beunaffected as you are a consistent student with good study habits. Inaddition to that, you have a further advantage of being popular among thestudents as well as the teachers  .Having read of all your good qualities should make it an easy choice foryou now, don’t you think? I hope I have helped you to make up your mind, butremember that no matter what choice you make, I will be rooting for you. Letme know of your decision. Till next time, bye!Your friend,Hisha

Variable Cost and Net Operating Income

ASSIGNMENT P 6-16 , P6-17 PROBLEM 6-16 Variable and Absorption Costing Unit Product Costs and Income Statements; Explanation of Difference in Net Operating Income [LO1, LO2, LO3] Wiengot Antennas, Inc. , produces and sells a unique type of TV antenna. The company has just opened a new plant to manufacture the antenna, and the following cost and revenue data have been provided for the first month of the plant's operation in the form of a worksheet. Because the new antenna is unique in design, management is anxious to see how profitable it will be and has asked that an income statement be prepared for the month.Required: 1. Assume that the company uses absorption costing. a. Determine the unit product cost. b. Prepare an income statement for the month. 2. Assume that the company uses variable costing. a. Determine the unit product cost. b. Prepare a contribution format income statement for the month. 3. Explain the reason for any difference in the ending inventory balances under the tw o costing methods and the impact of this difference on reported net operating income. PROBLEM 6-17 Variable and Absorption Costing Unit Product Costs and Income Statements [LO1, LO2] Nickelson Company manufactures and sells one product.The following information pertains to each of the company's first three years of operations: p. 262 During its first year of operations Nickelson produced 60,000 units and sold 60,000 units. During its second year of operations it produced 75,000 units and sold 50,000 units. In its third year, Nickelson produced 40,000 units and sold 65,000 units. The selling price of the company's product is $56 per unit. Required: 1. Compute the company's break-even point in units sold. 2. Assume the company uses variable costing: a.Compute the unit product cost for year 1, year 2, and year 3. b. Prepare an income statement for year 1, year 2, and year 3. 3. Assume the company uses absorption costing: a. Compute the unit product cost for year 1, year 2, and year 3. b. Prepare an income statement for year 1, year 2, and year 3. 4. Compare the net operating income figures that you computed in requirements 2 and 3 to the break-even point that you computed in requirement 1. Which net operating income figures seem counterintuitive? Why? LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR ASSIGNMENT.LO1, LO2, LO3 OVERVIEW OF VARIABLE AND ABSOPTION COSTING As you begin to read about variable LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1 and absorption costing income Explain how variable costing differs from statements in the coming pages, absorption costing and compute unit focus your attention on three key product costs under each method. concepts. First, both income statement formats include product costs and period costs, although they define these cost classifications differently. Second, variable costing income statements are grounded in the contribution format.They categorize expenses based on cost behavior—variable costs are reported separately from fixed costs. Absorption costing income statements ignore variable and fixed cost distinctions. Third, as mentioned in the paragraph above, variable and absorption costing net operating income figures often differ from one another. The reason for these differences always relates to the fact the variable costing and absorption costing income statements account for fixed manufacturing overhead differently.Pay very close attention to the two different ways that variable costing and absorption costing account for fixed manufacturing overhead. Variable Costing Under variable costing, only those manufacturing costs that vary with output are treated as product costs. This would usually include direct materials, direct labor, and the variable portion of manufacturing overhead. Fixed manufacturing overhead is not treated as a product cost under this method. Rather, fixed manufacturing overhead is treated as a period cost and, like selling and administrative expenses, it is expensed in its entirety each period.Consequently, the cos t of a unit of product in inventory or in cost of goods sold under the variable costing method does not contain any fixed manufacturing overhead cost. Variable costing is sometimes referred to as direct costing or marginal costing. Absorption Costing As discussed in Chapter 3, absorption costing treats all manufacturing costs as product costs, regardless of whether they are variable or fixed. The cost of a unit of product under the absorption costing method consists of direct materials, direct labor, nd both variable and fixed manufacturing overhead.Thus, absorption costing allocates a portion of fixed manufacturing overhead cost to each unit of product, along with the variable manufacturing costs. Because absorption costing includes all manufacturing costs in product costs, it is frequently referred to as the full cost method. p. 231 EXHIBIT 6–1 Variable Costing versus Absorption Costing Selling and Administrative Expenses Selling and administrative expenses are never treate d as product costs, regardless of the costing method.Thus, under absorption and variable costing, variable and fixed selling and administrative expenses are always treated as period costs and are expensed as incurred. Summary of Differences The essential difference between variable costing and absorption costing, as illustrated in Exhibit 6-1, is how each method accounts for fixed manufacturing overhead costs—all other costs are treated the same under the two methods. In absorption costing, fixed manufacturing overhead costs are included as part of the costs of work in process inventories.When units are completed, these costs are transferred to finished goods and only when the units are sold do these costs flow through to the income statement as part of cost of goods sold. In variable costing, fixed manufacturing overhead costs are considered to be period costs—just like selling and administrative costs—and are taken immediately to the income statement as period expenses. Variable And Absorption Costing—An Example To illustrate the difference between variable costing and absorption costing, consider Weber Light Aircraft, a company that produces light recreational aircraft.Data concerning the company's operations appear below: As you review the data above, it is important to realize that for the months of January, February, and March, the selling price per aircraft, variable cost per aircraft, and total monthly fixed expenses never change. The only variables that change in this example are the number of units produced (January =1 unit produced; February = 2 units produced; March = 4 units produced) and the number of units sold (January = 1 unit sold; February = 1 unit sold; March = 5 units sold).We will first construct the company's variable costing income statements for January, February, and March. Then we will show how the company's net operating income would be determined for the same months using absorption costing. Variable Cos ting Contribution Format Income Statement To prepare the company's variable costing income statements for January, February, and March we begin by computing the unit product cost. Under variable costing, product costs consist solely of variable production costs.At Weber Light Aircraft, the variable production cost per unit is $25,000, determined as follows: LEARNING OBJECTIVE 2 Prepare income statements using both variable and absorption costing. Since each month's variable production cost is $25,000 per aircraft, the variable costing cost of goods sold for all three months can be easily computed as follows: p. 233 And the company's total selling and administrative expense would be derived as follows: Putting it all together, the variable costing income statements would appear as shown inExhibit 6-2.Notice, the contribution format has been used in these income statements. Also, the monthly fixed manufacturing overhead costs ($70,000)have been recorded as a period expense in the mont h incurred. EXHIBIT 6–2 Variable Costing Income Statements A simple method for understanding how Weber Light Aircraft computed its variable costing net operating income figures is to focus on the contribution margin per aircraft sold, which is computed as follows:The variable costing net operating income for each period can always be computed by multiplying the number of units sold by the contribution margin per unit and then subtracting total fixed costs. For Weber Light Aircraft these computations would appear as follows: Notice, January and February have the same net operating loss. This occurs because one aircraft was sold in each month and, as previously mentioned, the selling price per aircraft, variable cost per aircraft, and total monthly fixed expenses remain constant. . 234 Absorption Costing Income Statement As we begin the absorption costing portion of the example, remember that the only reason absorption costing income differs from variable costing is that the me thods account for fixed manufacturing overhead differently. Under absorption costing, fixed manufacturing overhead is included in product costs. In variable costing, fixed manufacturing overhead is not included in product costs and instead is treated as a period expense just like selling and administrative expenses.The first step in preparing Weber's absorption costing income statements for January, February, and March, is to determine the company's unit product costs for each month as follows1: Notice that in each month, Weber's fixed manufacturing overhead cost of $70,000 is divided by the number of units produced to determine the fixed manufacturing overhead cost per unit. Given these unit product costs, the company's absorption costing net operating income in each month would be determined as shown in Exhibit 6-3.The sales for all three months in Exhibit 6-3 are the same as the sales shown in the variable osting income statements. The January cost of goods sold consists of one u nit produced during January at a cost of $95,000 according to the absorption costing system. The February cost of goods sold consists of one unit produced during February at a cost of $60,000 according to the absorption costing system. The March cost of goods sold ($230,000) consists of one unit produced during February at an absorption cost of $60,000 plus four units produced in March with a total absorption cost of $170,000 (= 4 units produced Ãâ€" $42,500 per unit).The selling and administrative expenses equal the amounts reported in the variable costing income statements; however they are reported as one amount rather than being separated into variable and fixed components. EXHIBIT 6–3 Absorption Costing Income Statements p. 235 Note that even though sales were exactly the same in January and February and the cost structure did not change, net operating income was $35,000 higher in February than in January under absorption costing. This occurs because one aircraft produc ed in February is not sold until March.This aircraft has $35,000 of fixed manufacturing overhead attached to it that was incurred in February, but will not be recorded as part of cost of goods sold until March. Contrasting the variable costing and absorption costing income statements in Exhibits 62and 6-3, note that net operating income is the same in January under variable costing and absorption costing, but differs in the other two months. We will discuss this in some depth shortly. Also note that the format of the variable costing income statement differs from the absorption costing income statement.An absorption costing income statement categorizes costs by function—manufacturing versus selling and administrative. All of the manufacturing costs flow through the absorption costing cost of goods sold and all of the selling and administrative costs are listed separately as period expenses. In contrast, in the contribution approach, costs are categorized according to how they behave. All of the variable expenses are listed together and all of the fixed expenses are listed together.The variable expenses category includes manufacturing costs (i. e. , variable cost of goods sold) as well as selling and administrative expenses. The fixed expenses category also includes both manufacturing costs and selling and administrative expenses. Reconciliation of Variable Costing with Absorption Costing Income As noted earlier, variable costing and absorption costing net operating incomes may not be the same. In the case of Weber Light Aircraft, the net operating incomes are the same in January, but differ in the other two months.These differences occur because under absorption costing some fixed manufacturing overhead is capitalized in inventories (i. e. , included in product costs) rather than currently expensed on the income statement. If inventories increase during a period, under absorption costing some of the fixed manufacturing overhead of the current period wil l bedeferred in ending inventories. For example, in February two aircraft were produced and each carried with it $35,000 (= $70,000 à · 2 aircraft produced) in fixed manufacturing overhead.Since only one aircraft was sold, $35,000 of this fixed manufacturing overhead was on February's absorption costing income statement as part of cost of goods sold, but $35,000 would have been on the balance sheet as part of finished goods inventories. In contrast, under variable costing all of the $70,000 of fixed manufacturing overhead appeared on the February income statement as a period expense. Consequently, net operating income was higher under absorption costing than under variable costing by $35,000 in February. This was reversed in March when four units were produced, but five were sold.In March, under absorption costing $105,000 of fixed manufacturing overhead was included in cost of goods sold ($35,000 for the unit produced in February and sold in March plus $17,500 for each of the four units produced and sold in March), but only $70,000 was recognized as a period expense under variable costing. Hence, the net operating income in March was $35,000 lower under absorption costing than under variable costing.LEARNING OBJECTIVE 3 Reconcile variable costing and absorption costing net operating incomes and explain why the two amounts differ. p. 36 In general, when the units produced exceed unit sales and hence inventories increase, net operating income is higher under absorption costing than under variable costing. This occurs because some of the fixed manufacturing overhead of the period is deferred in inventories under absorption costing. In contrast, when unit sales exceed the units produced and hence inventories decrease, net operating income is lower under absorption costing than under variable costing. This occurs because some of the fixed manufacturing overhead of previous periods is released from inventories under absorption costing.When the units produced and u nit sales are equal, no change in inventories occurs and absorption costing and variable costing net operating incomes are the same. 2 Variable costing and absorption costing net operating incomes can be reconciled by determining how much fixed manufacturing overhead was deferred in, or released from, inventories during the period: The reconciliation would then be reported as shown in Exhibit 6-4: EXHIBIT 6–4 Reconciliation of Variable Costing and Absorption Costing Net Operating IncomesAgain note that the difference between variable costing net operating income and absorption costing net operating income is entirely due to the amount of fixed manufacturing overhead that is deferred in, or released from, inventories during the period under absorption costing. Changes in inventories affect absorption costing net operating income—they do not affect variable costing net operating income, providing that variable manufacturing costs per unit are stable. p. 237 EXHIBIT 6â₠¬â€œ5 Comparative Income Effects—Absorption and Variable CostingThe reasons for differences between variable and absorption costing net operating incomes are summarized in Exhibit 6-5. When the units produced equal the units sold, as in January for Weber Light Aircraft, absorption costing net operating income will equal variable costing net operating income. This occurs because when production equals sales, all of the fixed manufacturing overhead incurred in the current period flows through to the income statement under both methods.For companies that use Lean Production, the number of units produced tends to equal the number of units sold. This occurs because goods are produced in response to customer orders, thereby eliminating finished goods inventories and reducing work in process inventory to almost nothing. So, when a company uses Lean Production differences in variable costing and absorption costing net operating income will largely disappear. When the units produced e xceed the units sold, absorption costing net operating income will exceed variable costing net operating income.This occurs because inventories have increased; therefore, under absorption costing some of the fixed manufacturing overhead incurred in the current period is deferred in ending inventories on the balance sheet, whereas under variable costing all of the fixed manufacturing overhead incurred in the current period flows through to the income statement. In contrast, when the units produced are less than the units sold, absorption costing net operating income will be less than variable costing net operating income.This occurs because inventories have decreased; therefore, under absorption costing fixed manufacturing overhead that had been deferred in inventories during a prior period flows through to the current period's income statement together with all of the fixed manufacturing overhead incurred during the current period. Under variable costing, just the fixed manufacturin g overhead of the current period flows through to the income statement. Advantages Of Variable Costing And The Contribution Approach Variable costing, together with the contribution approach, offers appealing advantages for internal reports.This section discusses four of those advantages. Enabling CVP Analysis CVP analysis requires that we break costs down into their fixed and variable components. Because variable costing income statements categorize costs as fixed and variable, it is much easier to use this income statement format to perform CVP analysis than attempting to use the absorption costing format, which mixes together fixed and variable costs. Moreover, absorption costing net operating income may or may not agree with the results of CVP analysis.For example, let's suppose that you are interested in computing the sales that would be necessary to generate a target profit of $235,000 at Weber Light Aircraft. A CVP analysis based on the January variable costing income stateme nt from Exhibit 6-2would proceed as follows: Thus, a CVP analysis based on the January variable costing income statement predicts that the net operating income would be $235,000 when sales are $500,000. And indeed, the net operating income under variable costing is $235,000 when the sales are $500,000 in March.However, the net operating income under absorption costing is not $235,000 in March, even though the sales are $500,000. Why is this? The reason is that under absorption costing, net operating income can be distorted by changes in inventories. In March, inventories decreased, so some of the fixed manufacturing overhead that had been deferred in February's ending inventories was released to the March income statement, resulting in a net operating income that is $35,000 lower than the $235,000 predicted by CVP analysis.If inventories had increased in March, the opposite would have occurred—the absorption costing net operating income would have been higher than the $235,00 0 predicted by CVP analysis. p. 239 Explaining Changes in Net Operating Income The variable costing income statements in Exhibit 6-2 are clear and easy to understand. All other things the same, when sales go up, net operating income goes up. When sales go down, net operating income goes down. When sales are constant, net operating income is constant. The number of unit produced does not affect net operating income.Absorption costing income statements can be confusing and are easily misinterpreted. Look again at the absorption costing income statements in Exhibit 6-3; a manager might wonder why net operating income went up from January to February even though sales were exactly the same. Was it a result of lower selling costs, more efficient operations, or was it some other factor? In fact, it was simply because the number of units produced exceeded the number of units sold in February and so some of the fixed manufacturing overhead costs were deferred in inventories in that month.Th ese costs have not gone away—they will eventually flow through to the income statement in a later period when inventories go down. There is no way to tell this from the absorption costing income statements. To avoid mistakes when absorption costing is used, readers of financial statements should be alert to changes in inventory levels. Under absorption costing, if inventories increase, fixed manufacturing overhead costs are deferred in inventories, which in turn increases net operating income. If inventories decrease, fixed manufacturing overhead costs are released from inventories, which in turn decreases net perating income.Thus, when absorption costing is used, fluctuations in net operating income can be due to changes in inventories rather than to changes in sales. Supporting Decision Making The variable costing method correctly identifies the additional variable costs that will be incurred to make one more unit. It also emphasizes the impact of fixed costs on profits. Th e total amount of fixed manufacturing costs appears explicitly on the income statement, highlighting that the whole amount of fixed manufacturing costs must be covered for the company to be truly profitable.In the Weber Light Aircraft example, the variable costing income statements correctly report that the cost of producing another unit is $25,000 and they explicitly recognize that $70,000 of fixed manufactured overhead must be covered to earn a profit. Under absorption costing, fixed manufacturing overhead costs appear to be variable with respect to the number of units sold, but they are not. For example, in January, the absorption unit product cost at Weber Light Aircraft is $95,000, but the variable portion of this cost is only $25,000.The fixed overhead costs of $70,000 are commingled with variable production costs, thereby obscuring the impact of fixed overhead costs on profits. Because absorption unit product costs are stated on a per unit basis, managers may mistakenly belie ve that if another unit is produced, it will cost the company $95,000. But of course it would not. The cost of producing another unit would be only $25,000. Misinterpreting absorption unit product costs as variable can lead to many problems, including inappropriate pricing decisions and decisions to drop products that are in fact profitable. p. 240 Adapting to the Theory of ConstraintsThe Theory of Constraints (TOC), which was introduced in Chapter 1, suggests that the key to improving a company's profits is managing its constraints. For reasons that will be discussed in a later chapter, this requires careful identification of each product's variable costs. Consequently, companies involved in TOC use a form of variable costing. Variable costing income statements require one adjustment to support the TOC approach. Direct labor costs need to be removed from variable production costs and reported as part of the fixed manufacturing costs that are entirely expensed in the period incurred .The TOC treats direct labor costs as a fixed cost for three reasons. First, even though direct labor workers may be paid on an hourly basis, many companies have a commitment—sometimes enforced by labor contracts or by law—to guarantee workers a minimum number of paid hours. Second, direct labor is not usually the constraint;therefore, there is no reason to increase it. Hiring more direct labor workers would increase costs without increasing the output of saleable products and services. Third, TOC emphasizes continuous improvement to maintain competitiveness.Without committed and enthusiastic employees, sustained continuous improvement is virtually impossible. Because layoffs often have devastating effects on employee morale, managers involved in TOC are extremely reluctant to lay off employees. For these reasons, most managers in TOC companies regard direct labor as a committed-fixed cost rather than a variable cost. Hence, in the modified form of variable costing use d in TOC companies, direct labor is not usually classified as a product cost.

Russian and Iraqi Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Russian and Iraqi Relations - Essay Example Russia needed cold hard cash and Iran needed replacement arms. Munition sales were estimated at $1 billion in sales and 1992 registering even greater amounts. Russia was experiencing extreme pressure from the US to stop the sales and Russia did, to an extent, delay delivery of munitions. However, Russia stated that they viewed Iran as a friendly neighbour and needed to look after their own interests. Russia publicly agreed that they did not want to sanction any arms build up in the Middle East but the country was sure such was not the case in Iran. Tensions in Moscow began to rise as Iran began to interject itself into Azerbaijan shortly followed by visits to nine other states in the region. Regardless of this Russia signed a major deal to assist in the development of the Iran nuclear program. Relations continued to deteriorate and Russia, at this point, determined that it would honour its open arms contracts with Iran but would not enter into new contracts. However, contention remained between the US and Russia over the Russian involvement in the Iranian Nuclear Program. Moscow continually asserted that they were not supplying missile technology; however, despite Russia's unwillingness to assist with their missile project in July of 1998 Iran successfully test fired their first missile with the assistance of Pakistan, North Korea and China. Tensions of the nuclear program continued to grow and the strain began to be felt more and more on US/Russian relations. Another area of concern in the Mid East for the US was the possible resumption of relations between Iraq and Russia. The sanctions placed against Iraq were closely followed by the economic loss felt by Russia while bowing to western pressure. Russia held over $10 billion dollars of Iraqi debt which Iraq was at current unable to repay. Still Russia was eager to build solid relations in the Mid East region. As the author states Russia's motivation to build relations in the Arab world were to: "ensure Russia's national security; Prevent the spread of political and military fires in the Middle East to the increasingly unstable regions of the Caucasus and Central Asia; and make use of the potential in the Arab states t help solve Russia's economic problems." Russia did make headway in 1993 when it signed an agreement with Kuwait offering military cooperation which later led to $750 million in arms sales followed by UAE sales reported to be near $3 billion. However, arms sales were disappointing to the Russians in the Gulf area and they desperately needed hard cash. In April of 1993 the Russian parliament speaker Ruslan Khasbulatov sent an emissary to Iraq in an attempt to renew the relations the two countries has shared prior to the invasion of Kuwait. In secret meetings Iraq sought Russia's help in getting UN sanctions against the country removed. In exchange for the request to gradually lift the sanctions Iraq was to publicly assert the sovereignty of Kuwait. In the midst of these negotiations Iraq, much to the embarrassment of the Russians, sent its troops to the Kuwait border. However, maintaining their presence the Russian's continued to champion Iraq's cause by offering to oversee compliance by Iraq during the six month lifting of sanctions and again asserted that Iraq was prepared to

Short case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short - Case Study Example This article seeks to explore some of the problematic details in the relationship with specific reference to the value of unions to the Canadian economy. The general thinking behind the establishment of trade unions is the safeguarding of the welfare of workers. In the rush to make profits and enhance their corporate profile, companies may engage in trade practices that contravene their moral obligations to the workers. Proponents of trade unions including United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) work under the philosophy of protecting workers from the excesses of corporate practices (Business Case 8). Comparative evidence, case reviews and situation analyses indicate a gap in trade union activity between the United States and Canada. Unlike Canada, there has been a significant decline among workers in the United States to join trade unions (Bronfenbrenner, 2007). Differences in corporate culture and working practices have been cited a determining factor of the differences between the United States and Canada. Critical questions continue to attend to the question regarding the value of unions in the Canadian economy. Although collective bargaining agreement are meant to secure the interest of workers, past incidences show and precedence shows that companies would not easily cede to the demands by workers, which may lead to dire consequences on the economic front (Segerlund, 2010). Basically, collective bargaining denies the corporate world of the individual initiative and competition within the work force. This is because the workers are conditioned to operate under some common laws, which do not inspire the nurturing and growth of individual enterprise. One case that is easily recalled was the tussle that pitted Walmart and UFCW in 2009. Walmart refused to accept the condition set by the arbitrator and chose to close down its stores. Walmart’s action illustrated a growing resistance by the

Polkey Reduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Polkey Reduction - Essay Example Although the case originally concerned procedural unfairness ,it has also been used recently in cases of substantial unfairness, for example, if dismissal for a different (fair) reason would have occurred anyway at a later date 3 . Part 3 of the Employment Act 2002 established a framework for promoting the resolution of employment disputes in the workplace and the detail of how the procedures would operate in practice was set out in the Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 which were made on 12th March 2004. Both the remaining provisions of Part 3 of the Act and the Regulations came into force in October 2004. 4This Act was responsible for producing a certain statutory procedure to be followed in the circumstances set out in the Regulations. These two pieces of recent legislation will affect the way that unfair dismissal cases are judged in that is there will be a sort of a "Polkey reversal" .The law as it stood in the previous Act for a dismissal to be fair, the employer had to show that it there was a potentially fair reason for dismissal5 .For this law to apply the dismissal itself had to be reasonable given the circumstances.6 The Polkey decision seemed to cause employment tribunals to put undue weight on procedure rather than the substance of the decisions and this was a very fair criticism given the case law that was generated.However section 34 of the new Act inserts 98A into the Employment Rights Act 1996. The effect of this will be that if an employer dismisses an employee without the correct dismissal and disciplinary procedure this would amount to an unfair dismissal totally. Also now the aggrieved employee would receive a minimum of four weeks' pay as compensation where he or she was found to have been unfairly dismissed and the relevant procedure has not been followed. It should also be noted that that the tribunals do not have to take into account the failures by employers to take procedural actions outside the framework of the relevant dismissal and disciplinary procedure, provided that following such additional procedural actions would have no effect on the decision to dismiss. Also the dismissal may at times still be found unfair under this legislation even if the employer strictly followed the dismissal procedure and yet the reason for dismissal is not potentially fair. 3. The effect of case law since the Dispute Regulations (above) on the 'polkey reduction'. There has been a lot of case law since these regulations and there was particular confusion as to the meaning of the "procedures". The very recent case in the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in the case of Kelly-Madden v Manor Surgery 7 has ended the confusion following these regulations under section 98A(2) of the Employment Rights Act (hereafter section 98A(2)) which has also been dubbed as a 'Polkey 2 reversal' and was very controversial when it came out in 2002. In the cases of Alexander v Bridgen Enterprisesand Mason v Governing Body of Ward End Primary School (see below)8 EAT adopted two conflicting approaches to the construction of 98

Capital Punishment - Arbitrary by Nature Dissertation

Capital Punishment - Arbitrary by Nature - Dissertation Example As the paper declares the charge that death penalty sentences are arbitrary is certainly nothing new. That phrase was undoubtedly used most notably by Justice Douglas in writing the majority opinion for Furman v. Georgia, the famous 1972 Supreme Court decision that outlawed (temporarily) all federal and state executions. Justice White also focused on the arbitrariness of the application of capital punishment, including the appearance of racial bias against black defendants. The court also called executions capricious. It seems incomprehensible that implementation of the ultimate punishment could be administered in a way that is impulsive, unpredictable, or erratic. This dicussion stresses that Former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart compared the arbitrariness of the death penalty to the freakishness of being struck by lightning. Ironically, that appraisal has proven eerily accurate since, in the last five years, an average of 78 people have been executed in the United States annually; while, in one recent year, 76 Americans were struck by lightning. Despite these strong legal views regarding the death penalty, the moratorium put in place by the Supreme Court in 1972 ended in 1977 with the execution of Gary Gilmore. It has been widely assumed by the general public that the rationale for pursuing the death penalty in cases - and an execution being ordered - is based primarily on the brutality of the crime or number of victims. If that were true, the death penalty would seem far less arbitrary.

Should Homosexuals Be Allowed to Marry Research Paper

Should Homosexuals Be Allowed to Marry - Research Paper Example In the present world, with increased change occurring at the societal and governmental level, homosexual marriage should be allowed. Homosexuals should be granted the opportunity to marry since they are citizens too. There is no place under the constitution that states gays to be second class citizens. In fact, it is clearly stated in the constitution plus the formulated Bill of Rights that all citizens have rights including homosexuals (Craig & Rimmerman, 2009). Hence a chance should be given to gays to hold marriages with their beloved ones. Marriage indicating the union between two people should at no point be interfered by the government or the society as it does not affect them all (Lopez, 2009). Therefore, in denying homosexuals to get marriage indicates discrimination of a country’s citizens (Craig & Rimmerman, 2009). Furthermore, in the Bill of Rights or the constitution, none states disregarding homosexuals to marry. Hence, the government should leave the union of two gay people to themselves instead of denying them. Since time immemorial, gay people have constantly been discriminated by various groups in the society, for example, religious groups. They have always been treated cruelly and some persecuted in some countries. ... Furthermore, marriage can be acceptable to homosexuals when they love each other as it provides a solid reason to tie the note (Gaita, 2007). Marriage is hence a fundamental right to all citizens irrespective of one’s sexuality and should be respected at all times. In accordance to the constitution, minority groups like homosexuals are expected to be protected by the government and not to discriminate those (Craig & Rimmerman, 2009). Denying homosexuals, a right to marriage is inhuman. Homosexuals are human beings and require to be treated equally in the society. For thousands of years, homosexuals have constantly been struggling for their rights so as to be treated equally like heterosexuals (Lopez, 2009). It is sad seeing fellow human beings who are homosexuals being insulted, mistreated, imprisoned, or put to death (White, 2008). From a humanistic perspective, one would always wonder if such acts committed to homosexuals depict the human nature in people. Therefore, as the world is changing and many countries have begun to embrace the concept of homosexuality in the society, so does gay marriage allowed (Gaita, 2007). Homosexuals should get married by proving a point that love sometimes can be stronger than words. In as much as people talk and write nasty things about not accepting gay marriages, but when compared to heterosexual marriage where love precedes, then homosexuals too should be left alone (Gaita, 2007). Marriage among homosexuals should not be a discussion of straight people to as they have never felt the love that co exists between two gays. Furthermore, it is unfair to deny two homosexuals in love to marry each other. In such gay marriages, couples often strive to get love plus

Genetics((Drosophila)) Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genetics((Drosophila)) - Lab Report Example Drosophila which is the common fruit fly has been used extensively in carrying out genetic research. This is due to the fact that the species is relatively stable. There are many factors that make Drosophila suitable for carrying out genetic research. They have mutations that can easily be differentiated from one another. They are able to produce large number of offspring which can be easily calculated into ratios. Furthermore, they are small and have four pairs of chromosomes which make it easy to discern them. They are convenient to work with as far as study period is concerned by the fact that they have a life cycle of 12 days. In this practical Drosophila is used to study Mendel’s Law in organisms. I would accept the hypothesis as the results are logical with it. The results, of course, make sense as they are consistent with theories of Mendel’s Law. They have occurred as expected. The subsequent generations inherit the traits of their parents. The inheritance takes place according to the predictions of Mendel’s law. Combination of alleles is useful in producing variability of offspring. It is assumed that the alleles occur in spate chromosomes. Otherwise, the combination would not be effective if the factors come from the same

Essay on Abortion Essay Example for Free

Essay on Abortion Essay Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. If a woman falls pregnant and she does not wish to go through with the pregnancy then she may choose to have an abortion. Abortion is a controversial issue, some people say it is ok to abort a baby but others are strongly against it. Sometimes people are against it because they believe it is wrong but some are against it because of their religion, their background and their up-bringing. People who are for abortion may have had one and therefore think it is ok or they may know someone who has had one. In this essay I will discuss the arguments for and the arguments against abortion. An argument in favour of abortion is if the woman was raped. If a woman was raped then she would often not want to keep a rapist’s child. Also she would probably be scarred for life, even without the baby. If she had the baby she would be reminded of the rape every single day of her life. When the baby gets older he/she would want to know who his/her dad was when he/she saw that every other child at school had a dad and he/she never, unless the mother has another partner. Secondly, the mother should be able to terminate the pregnancy if she is told that her unborn baby is going to have a disability. If your baby was born with a disability then you would struggle to cope, as would your family. When the baby grows older he/she may have difficulties in school and may even get bullied because of his/her disabilities. It would be possible to abort this baby as every parent wishes for a good, happy, normal life for their children. Lastly, a reason for a woman to have an abortion is if she is under the legal age of consent, sixteen. A young woman under sixteen may not be able to cope on her own and may not be able to provide the maternal and emotional support the baby needs. The girl also may have to leave school for a little while to take care of the baby which would make her fall behind on a lot of school work. She may have the pregnancy terminated because she may have wanted to go to college or university to study further. I feel that she should have the chance to live her life and be free without having any major responsibilities, like having to look after a baby. However, even though a woman may have a perfectly good reason to have an abortion she would still be killing a human life. Some women think they are doing the right thing at the time but when it comes to a later stage in life, many of them can regret their decisions. It would probably be at the back of their mind- they would think about it when they got the chance to. They would probably think how their lives would be different if they had had the baby. Furthermore, there are many people in the world that cannot conceive for many different reasons and would do anything for a child, therefore they would adopt. Instead of a woman having a termination because she think she is unable to cope then she could have the baby and then put it up for adoption. Sometimes in these situations women have the baby and they often change their mind about having the baby put up for adoption and they keep their baby. Of course if the woman still does not want the baby she may have him/her put up for adoption for another family to take care of. Lastly, if the woman is old enough and responsible enough to have sex then she should have to take responsibility of a pregnancy that results in her actions, even if this does mean having to leave school or to leave a brilliant job to raise a child. Any woman should have to take care of a baby because she knew what she was doing and knew what could be the consequences of her actions. Therefore she should not be allowed to terminate her pregnancy. Having researched the topic fully presented three arguments for abortion and three arguments against abortion, my opinion is that it should be legal but for one reason only – if the baby is going to have any sort of disability. In every other circumstance, it should be illegal because, as I said in one of my points, many couples are unable to have children of their own and this would give them a good chance to have a baby of their own.

Computer network Essay Example for Free

Computer network Essay The Internet is network of networks, linking computers to computers sharing the TCP/IP protocols. Each runs software to provide or â€Å"serve† information and access and view information. The internet is the transport vehicle for the information stored in files or documents on other computers. It is sometimes compared to a giant international plumbing system. The internet itself does not contain information. What it was found in is one of the computers linked to the internet. The Internet, A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of academic, government, private, business, public networks and, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. The internet can have many services, like Electronic mail(e-mail) that permits you to send and receive mail, Telnet(remote login) that permits your computer to onto another computer and use it as if you were there, FTP(File Transfer Protocol) allows your computer to rapidly retrieve complex files intact from a remote computer and view or save them on your computer, etc. To access the internet by computer, you need a computer, a modem or other telecommunications link, and software to connect to an Internet Service Provider. The internet is indeed a wonderful, amazing and brilliant gift that has been given by science to humans. Presently in this modern era, the Internet plays a significant role in our daily human life. Whereas, we are seriously addicted to using the Internet in this century. Moreover, people like to spend plenty of our human lives. Ten years ago, the Internet was practically unheard of by most people. Today, the Internet is one of the most powerful tools throughout the world. The Internet is a collection of various services and resources. According to Russ Brock, a director and consultant at the Center for Innovation and Inquiry, the Internet is main components are E-mail and the World Wide Web. There’s a lot more to the Internet than E-mail, search engines, celerity web sites, up-to-the-second sports scores, and chat rooms full of risk discussions. The Net also ranks as one of today’s best business tools if it’s used adroitly. Almost all households contain the Internet; however, before people connect to the Internet, they need to be aware of its disadvantages and advantages. Many fear the Internet because of its disadvantages. They claim to not use the Internet because they are afraid of the possible consequences or are simply not interested. People who have yet connected to the Internet claim they are not missing anything. Today s technological society must realize, it is up to them to protect themselves on the Internet. Half of U. S. adults, or 94 million Americans, aren’t online. Children using the Internet have become a big concern. Most parents do not realize the dangers involved when their children log onto the Internet (Children and the Internet). When children are online, they can easily be lured into something dangerous. When children talk to others online, they do not realize they could actually be talking to a harmful person. As a result, there have been many cases where children have been convinced to meet people they have talked with online. In fact, stories seem to come out every week: a child or teenager lured into something foolish, dangerous, or even deadly on line. Cathy Cleaver of the Family Research Council claims that it is against the law for a molester to even attempt to find children online In addition, children may also receive pornography online by mistake; therefore, causing concern among parents everywhere. Whether surfing the Web, reading newsgroups, or using email, children can be exposed to extremely inappropriate material. Pornographic sites tend to make sure they are the first sites to be listed in any search area; thus, children come across such sites easily. A man from Pearl, Mississippi was arrested in 1996 for downloading pornographic images of children from the Internet. He was charged with 290 counts of child pornography). Some critics say that parents are responsible for their own children on the Internet because there are available services to protect children. To keep children safe, parents and teachers must be aware of the dangers.

Review Caught Between The Dog And The Fireplug Politics Essay

Review Caught Between The Dog And The Fireplug Politics Essay Ashworth in discussing working with politicians stated that the most important job of a legislator is to craft bills and pass them into law. He further stated that they are so many bad bills introduced throughout the nation each year by politicians. This happens both in congress and at the state legislative level. To prevent bad bills from becoming law, the founding fathers in their wisdom drafted the constitution to ensure that before any legislators idea become law, such an idea must garner enough support from other legislators, pass both houses, before signed into law by the governor or president. The president or governor has a veto right. He can refuse to sign a bill into law. To override a veto, the two branches of congress or state legislator must gather extraordinary support. It takes two third majority votes by members of congress or state legislative body to override a governor or presidential veto. Ashworth went further to point out that because it takes a lot of support f rom other legislators to pass a bill into law, politicians in strategic positions device various means to prevent certain bills from seeing the light of the day, especially when they oppose such a bill. The various subcommittees are one of such strategic powerful legislative body. Ashworth describes how he so often gets derided by members of a legislative subcommittee who disagree with his testimony. He describes how powerless he often feels in the face of legislators who seem to have all the powers and can vote on decisions that can directly impact his life. In one instance, a legislator voted to have his salary cut, because he testified against the legislators bill. After reading Ashworths letter about politicians, I immediately started rethinking my own personal decision to study public policy, especially if I find myself occupying the same portfolio as Ashworth. But in retrospect, I retorted to myself. In every profession, there are positives and negatives. We have to view Ashworths letter critically. Ashworth lamented when he wrote that if politicians are determined to embarrass you, they may show little or no regard to facts, figures or circumstances. In response to that I will say this. Unless the bill being discussed has an overwhelming support from members on both sides of the aisle. I believe that legislators on Mr. Ashworth side of the issue will stand up to defend him, speak up for him in order to make their case. They wont seat still and observe a testimony that supports their cause lampooned and lambasted. If certain groups of legislators are accusing Mr. Ashworth of being wasteful, and they resort to intimidation and falsification o f figures to make their point, one wonders where politicians on the other side of the issue were during this testimony. In this letter, Ashworth dwelt so much on the opposition. Of course the opposition will be fiery in order to make its case. I am hopeful that politicians who stood for programs Ashworth was implementing will counter with force to ensure that such a program does not cease to exist. Ashworth never stated that his program was closed. I am sure the power of his testimony alone did not save the programs he implemented for the many years he served in public service. He did not have a vote, all he did was testify and showcase how beneficial the programs he implemented will be to the citizenry. The ultimate decision rested with the politicians who had the vote. One will logically conclude that the politicians that voted to continue to fund his program must have spoken in defense of their votes during such hearings. But he benignly mentioned such utterances in his letter. H e dwelt so much on the views of the opposition. He failed to understand that the opposing view in politics is not always there to forestall growth, but rather to prevent excess and abuse. However, it is important to acknowledge some of the issues raised in Ashworths letter. Sometimes the relationship between bureaucrats and politicians can be rocky and full of unnecessary retaliation. I was particularly irked by the actions of the legislator who resorted to reducing Ashworths salary as a payback for his testimony against his bill. I wonder why one legislator will have so much power to make a decision that is unfair to a public servant, who did not break any laws or flouted any policies. I will definitely question where the other legislators where, especially proponents of Ashworths programs when the decision to reduce his salary in the line item budget was made. If I had the opportunity to question Mr. Ashworth, I will put the following questions to him: Did he Mr. Ashworth take up the issue of his salary reduction with the appropriate authorities including key members in the senate who oversaw the reduction? I will also want to know what type of response he got back from them. 2. Explain the metaphor in the title and briefly explain how this is central to understanding how to work with the press, unpleasant people, leaders, governing boards, and bureaucracies. The Metaphor Caught between the dog and the fireplug means that in the midst of the demands and inevitable inefficiencies associated with public policymaking and program implementation, a savvy public servant can shape policy, have fun and a successful career. That metaphor can be better described in the words of the philosopher, theologian Thomas Aquinas who once said: virtues in medio stat virtue stands in the middle. A policy maker should be able to find a reasonable middle ground in dealing with the media, governing boards, leaders and unpleasant people. To be an effective policy maker, one cannot be on the extreme. One has to find balance, but firm in making the right decisions, which may sometimes be unpopular. The press Ashworth begins by stating that the media has an integral role to play in a democracy vis a vis policy making and program implementation. He further advised that it is the duty of the media to keep the public informed as to what is going on in the polity. If any government decides to keep all of its action a secret from the media, the ability of the people to control that government will cease to exist. But however, he advised that there should be a limit and timing as to what can be disseminated to the media. If the media has prior knowledge of governmental negotiation and reported such freely, such a report can hamper or even cripple a government project. An effective negotiation is one conducted behind closed door, after which the contents of such negotiation is then given to media. This will help protect the integrity of negotiation. A policy maker will be doing themselves a disservice if they choose not to inform the press of the outcome of a negotiation. It is important to unde rstand as Ashworth states, that the media has a job to fulfill, and it is the job of the policy maker to make sure that the press gets all the information they want at the right time. This is if the policy maker has the answers to the question. The policy maker should be very candid with the media. If he cannot give the answers to the questions posed, he should state thus. Ashworth advised that it makes for better relation with the press if they know that the policy maker in question is always candid. A policy maker may take the semblance of an extremist or even a dictator if he knowingly chooses to keep pertinent information that is for public consumption from the press. There has to be abalance. The information has to be given at the right time, and not withheld out rightly. The metaphor used in the title of the book is also very evident in what Ashworth calls humility. Ashworth asserts that as a policy maker, a little humility helps. For one to be an effective policy maker and program manager, one has to be open to criticism. Thus, a fair and accurate criticism from the media should not be seen as an attack, but rather as a time to rethink and re address the issues one is being criticized for. No one is perfect. Ashworth also mentions that another strategy used in courting the media is to be responsible with ones criticisms of the media. If a policy maker finds out that a story was in accurately written by a reporter, it is always prudent to approach the writer first, before his or her bosses. By so doing, the reporter will be more accurate, and even check in with the said policy maker for accuracy in the future. Unpleasant People Ashworth in his letter to his niece about unpleasant people states that in public service one does not have the luxury to state exactly how one feels in the face of difficult and sometimes abusive circumstance. As a public servant one has to always find that balance not to come across as insulting or known to talk down on people. One has to be careful not to be branded an elitist. This brings to mind the metaphorical title of the book being reviewed. Ashworth states that an acceptable behavior is one set from the top to the bottom. Thus, a policy maker who is at the helm of a governmental agency sets the standard of behavior which invariably rubs off on his subordinates. Ashworth stated that rather than attack an unreasonable person who is propagating an implausible idea, it is sometimes wise to take a step back and let the situation unravel itself. He gave a shocking example of an entrepreneur who was trying to float a university at a low level of quality and performance. At a heari ng designed to ensure that the state does not close the university, even the entrepreneurs lawyer was startled as to the level of his clients unpreparedness. The entrepreneurs lawyer knew that his client did not have a case against the government. One can resolve unreasonable circumstances in public service by allowing those circumstances to expose themselves. Leaders In dealing with those placed above you, one has to speculate or even find out what ones leaders or bosses want. It is important to bear in mind that those in key leadership positions have their own wants and desires they will like to see accomplished. Most of them represent constituencies, and they search for ways to look good and gather support and votes among their constituents. According to Ashworth, a wise policy maker will try to craft policies that leaders can use and look good among their constituents. Of course the policy in question has to be legal and can be operable within acceptable practices. It is by so doing that one can motivate these leaders to support the ideas or policy issues he or she is looking to accomplish. In a lay mans parlance it can be called scratch my back, and I scratch yours. Ashworth also discuss what he describes as subordinate leadership. Leading from the background or leading anonymously. Subordinate leadership can be used as a tool to make ones se lf appear valuable in the sight of leaders. Thus, coming up with introspective ideas that will attract universal opprobrium is always commendable. First, it will make the leader look strong, insightful and attractive. This is exactly what happened with the Texas minority integration policy. One will assume that a policy maker, who has such attractive ideas, will continue to enjoy job security if not some form of promotion, which unfortunately comes with more responsibility. Governing Boards Ashworths advice on how to deal with persons appointed to governing boards is the plain truth and is his advice is ad rem with everyday reality. Like everything else in life, it is always important to respect as well as gain ones trust before you can convince them to support your idea or policy. Building trust and respecting members of a governing board means that they will almost always return the favor. Respect they say is reciprocal. Ashworth rightly pointed out that because of the respect he had among board members, they seldom disrespected him or his staff. On occasions when one a board member stepped out of line to insult him, other members stepped in to defend him. They stepped in to defend him because he had built a reputation of respect, candor, straightforwardness and discipline. Ashworth also hinted on how to deal with board members he labeled as turkeys. These are misfits. They tend to believe that they know more than anyone else including fellow board members. These are members who alienate other members. His advice on turkeys is to be polite. Let the counseling and admonition come from fellow board members and not you the policy maker. I cant disagree any further. Dealing with bureaucracies In dealing with bureaucracy Ashworth advised that policy makers should use every tact with their wit to avoid any type of foot dragging that come with bureaucratic positions. Often times in bureaucratic positions one is confronted with preserving the status quo. Ashworth states that if the status quo results in bottle necks and unnecessary foot dragging, then the status quo has to be set aside to get your policy implemented in an orderly time and manner. The less bureaucratic an agency is, the more interesting the work place will be. 3. This books impact on your view of public administration as a career. Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not? The book is an expose of what public life is all about. Ashworth uses practical on the job experiences to illustrate the ups and downs of working in the public sector. Some aspects of his letters were pessimistic and scary. His letters about working with politicians and difficult people were the most disturbing to me. I did honestly ponder if employment in the public sector was worth the sacrifice given what he had gone through. I was particularly shocked that at the unethical behavior of the politician who went out of his way to cut the salary of a public servant who opposed his bill. But like I stated earlier, every profession has its ups and downs. It is up to the individual to make the best out of the situation. Some of the advice offered here can go a long way to sooth the pains, calm nerves and provide solutions on how to deal with specific subject matters. One can also take consolation in the fact that one is called to provide good service. It is important to note that if we b elieve that our government is not meeting our needs, we have the obligation to go into government and help rectify the anomaly. We cannot sit on the fence and expect the problem to fix itself. Despite the hurdles and difficulties of working in public service, there is also a reward. The reward that you are providing good service, that you are helping to change someones life. It is logical to state that public service from Ashworths perspective is not for the faint hearted no matter how you look at it. I can unequivocally add that it is indeed a calling, given the meager remuneration. Yes. I will most definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to serve in the public sector. It is always good to know firsthand what one is getting into. The book can also serve as a handbook in the face of difficult and precarious situation. Will situations similar to what Ashworth detailed in his letters arise? Yes they will definitely arise. If they do, Caught Between the Dog and the Fireplug can serve as a veritable tool to help wiggle one out of difficult situations. Citations Ashworth, K., Caught Between the Dog and the Fireplug. Georgetown University Press. (2007)

The Jamaican Dialect Essay -- essays paper

The History and Sociolinguistic development of the Jamaican Dialect The topic of dialects is one which linguistic anthropologists have spent much time studying. Distinctions made between an actual language, a sub-standard variety of that language and an actual dialect are often unclear and the topic of much debate. Recently in the United States there have been many discussions about Ebonics, or Black English. It has been argued that Ebonics is simply a sub-standard form and degradation of English, while others feel that it should be recognized as an African influenced English dialect. One of the most recognizable forms of African-influenced English is that spoken by the people of Jamaica. Linguists and sociologists alike have studied the formation of this dialect over the years, because it is a prime example of language development resulting from cultural influences. By looking at the development of Jamaican speech from a historical perspective we are able to see exactly how the culture of this island has influenced the evolution of this dialect. Jamaica is the third largest Caribbean Island, measuring 146 miles at its widest point. The warm weather, high mountains and broad plains provide Jamaica with diversity in climate and agriculture. The population of Jamaica is estimated to be around two million people, with nearly a half-million living in Kingston, the capital and largest city in Jamaica. Of those residing in Jamaica, 90% are of African descent, with the other ten percent made up of mostly Caucasians, East Indians and Chinese (Barrett 1997:3). Popular culture is heavily influenced by the African heritage, while formal behavior is unmistakably British in style. The unofficial language of Jamaica is English; however th... ...ge, which represents the people of today. This also is a dialect, which has not stagnated but continues to grow and will do so into the future. Perhaps someday it will become a language completely separate from English, a language of liberation free from the influences of White oppressors. Bibliography Barrett, Leonard E. The Rastafarians. Beacon Press, Boston. DeCamp, David The Locus of Language in Jamaica. Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C. Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics Volumes 1,3,6. Pergamon Press, NewYork. International Encyclopedia of Linguistics Volume 3. Oxford University Press, New York. Rasta/Patua Dictionary ed. Ogata, Michio updated by Pawka, Mike 1995. Todd, Loreto Pidgins and Creoles. Modern Englishes. Basil Blackwell Pub. Lmtd., Oxford.Zach, Paul ed.1995 Insight Guides. Jamaica. Hofer Press Pte. Ltd.,Singapore.

Benefits and Limitations of Distance Learning Essay -- Education Educa

Benefits and Limitations of Distance Learning Distance Learning Defined Technology is restructuring many aspects of education. An example of this phenomenon is distance education. Distance learning is defined as " the practice of educating learners who are separated from the teacher or trainer and each other by space, time, or both" (Moller 115). Distance education occurs in a non-classroom setting when students participate in course discussions, exercises, and receive assessment from the instructor by utilizing technology such as video conferencing, audiographics, CD-ROM, and Web-based media (Welsh 41). Furthermore distance learning programs are becoming increasingly popular at academic institutions and corporations. Most importantly these programs are offering learning opportunities for people that are normally restricted by class time and space (McHenry & Bozik 21). Many educators and administrators are beginning to comprehend the impact of distance learning. In fact the American Council on Education predicts there will be more distance learning classes offered. John Noon writes in Syllabus, ‘Distance learning courses are offering students new flexibility in course and even campus selection, causing many institutions to begin redefining themselves’ (McHenry & Bozik 20). For example the University of Phoenix, a for-profit university, offers distance learning classes to 50,000 students spanning 12 states. Additionally Britain’s Open University will align itself with several universities in the United States and will start classes this year (Markel 208). Thus distance education is ‘currently the fastest growing form of domestic and international education’ (Boling & Robinson 169). Annually corporations sp... ...learning classroom design on student perceptions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 45 (4), 5-19. Langford, D. R., & Hardin, S. (1999). Distance learning: Issues emerging as the paradigm shifts. Nursing Science Quarterly, 12 (3), 191-196. McHenry, L. & Bozik, M. (1997). From a distance: Student voices from the interactive video classroom. TechTrends, 42 (6), 20-24. Markel, M. (1999). Distance education and the myth of the new pedagogy. Journal ofBusiness and Technical Communication, 13 (2), 208-222. Moller, L. (1998). Designing communities of learners for asynchronous distance education. Educational Technology Research and Development, 46 (4), 115-122. Welsh, T., M. (1999). Implications of distributed learning for instructional designers:How will the future affect the practice? Educational Technology, 39 (2), 41-45.

Analogy of Poetry Essay

The poem There Is Another Sky by Emily Dickinson was a poem written for her brother Austin. Emily uses nature to explain the message she is trying to provide for him. The poem provides a hopeful and positive feeling. The poem is full of optimism and inspiration. The pint of the poem is to provide encouragement and offer guidance. The lines â€Å"Here is a brighter garden† and â€Å"And there is another sunshine† demonstrate the optimism she is trying to portray. There are no stanzas or major events in the poem. The order that the aspects of nature are presented in provides. The last few lines of the poem further enhance the message. The poem ends with an open invitation for Austin to leave his gloomy state. Dickinson shows a sincere concern while providing inspiration for both the readers and her brother. She describes a utopia throughout the poem and uses words to describe a better place such as serene, fair, brighter, and unfading. The title there is another sky provides the since that there is an alternative option instead of a consistent negative outlook on life. There is a change in tone after the dash. Before the dash Dickinson states that there is a negative place and recognizes that everything in life doesn’t always work in your favor. She also uses â€Å"there is† creating distance. After the dash Dickinson implies that there in fact is another sky. She uses â€Å"here is† which implies that she can provide a better situation. Knowing that the poem is for her brother almost obligates you to feel sympathy for him and makes her message even stronger. Overall, Emily is trying to say that entering a new mind set and believing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel can provide you with a new attitude.

Global Perspective on Health Policy Essay

The controversial issue of healthcare coverage for all individuals is an ethical and moral issue that Americans struggle with and as socially proactive as they are on there are many issues arising of it. Healthcare is not only about health and coverage but the major issue is about funding, what can be funded and what cannot be funded and how is going to be funded. Universal healthcare in other countries offers insight into some of the biggest issues and best alternatives for providing healthcare to all and to resolve the health care rising cost. The ethical issue of health care has led to the Accountable Care Act or Obama Care policy development and legislation. More time, data and research has to be done before the definite results of this legislation can be proven. A controversial issue Considering the opposing views about Accountable Care Act legislation, it’s reasonable to understand why universal health care has elicit such a heated political controversy among political parties as well as throughout American people. Unlike other Western industrialized nations, the U.S. has not established a universal health care system. Since health care is a fundamental defining policy of the modern state, and since Obama’s health care reform can be seen as an expansion of the role of government, it can be analyzed in a global context (Ha, 2012). The issue of health care reform brings important ethical issues of justice to the forefront, as individuals, communities, and the legislature struggle with how to provide quality health care for the many without sacrificing the basic rights of even the few (Sorrel, 2012). Policy’s creation The divide on health care coverage, cost and sustainability for all Americans and the increased cost of health care in United States led to legislations being brought to seek out a solution to the issue. The American Recovery and  Reinvestment Act was the first of these laws, this act signed into law in 2009 by President Obama. The Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act was also signed into law. Also enacted and accompanied by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Another legislation that became a law in 2010 is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Patel, 2013). Provisions in the act are designed to expand insurance coverage, control costs, and target prevention (Gable, 2011). One of the primary targets is adults aged 19-64, since their access to health care and use of health services deteriorated between 2000 and 2010, particularly among those who were uninsured (Kenney, McMorrow, Zuckerman, & Goin, 2012). The PPACA includes reforms such as prohibiting insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, expanding Medicaid eligibility, subsidizing insurance premiums, and providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits. Insurance companies will no longer be able to drop clients when they become ill. The act has the potential to improve health outcomes across all income and age groups at a reduced cost (Sorrel, 2012). Steps in the state and federal policy development process. The steps of the development process focus in the four â€Å"pillars† of health reform: improving the quality of care, making health insurance affordable, supporting personal responsibility, and developing a sustainable approach to health care financing. This platform will help focus the initiative to tackle the growing costs of health care while preserving the highest quality of care for all Americans and avoiding cost-shifting wherever possible (Bipartisan Policy Center, 2013). Many ACA provisions went into effect immediately or soon after the health reform law was enacted in 2010; others are being phased in over time. Several major reforms, including the Medicaid expansion, insurance exchanges, and minimum coverage provision (â€Å"individual mandate†) will go into effect in 2014, and still others will go into effect later. APHA recommends several great resources for tracking state progress on creating health insurance exchanges, funding states have received through various ACA provisions, and states’ intentions regarding the Medicaid expansion, and other topics (APHA, 2010). Policy development vs implementation. Policy development starts with knowing what the problem is and how the policy will improve the issue. So the importance of analyzing the data about the problem needing fixed. When writing the policy provide the opportunity for the input of the policy makers to suggest changes which provides different viewpoints. To present the policy to the committees for approval or changes as needed. Policy Implementation is ready to start with a timetable of how the implementing of the policy and briefing the States. Implementation of the Affordable Care Act is an enormous administrative challenge, and many details of its implementation are still developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (Wann, 2013). Policy development starts from the moment the public, the legislature think there is an issue and a solution is needed. The ACA development started many years ago back in the 90s when the Clinton administration specifically Hillary Clinton supported the creation of a Universal Health C are system, that laid the foundation on which ACA started to gather the issues and started to research possible solutions. The issues was brought by the public to the press, to the meetings and hearings during the elections campaign and started to gather strength and support on President Obama challenge not only the American people, but the entire Congress to bring out to the negotiations idea on how to increase access to care while reducing cost. The ACA legislation development follows several tenets as the building block in which the legislation was written and develop on, Quality affordable health care for all Americans, the role of public programs, Improving the quality and efficiency of health care, prevention of chronic disease and improving public health, Health care workforce, Transparency and program integrity, Improving access to innovative medical therapies, Community living assistance services and supports and Revenue provisions (Democrat Senate, 2004). The implementation process of the legislation follows the same tenet but there is not planning and changing is the plan drafted and written how each steps will be attained and when and lastly the evaluation of the development and the implementation and sitting back in the drafting table to fix any encountered issues. The development and implementation phases of the legislation cannot be seen as two different path but rather as a process of two collaboration between the two parts using the same foundation to build.  To summarize the differences between development and implementation would be that the developments of the policy consist of the idea to the final written policy. The implementation of the policy is the start of putting the policy in action. Stakeholder’s involvement The stakeholders became involved with the affordable care act because even though this was controversial many believed that the needs were far greater than the issue and some changes were needed. Stakeholders for this legislation is the entire country of United States as the affected party, the health care providers, the legislators, the President of United States. In health care, the overarching goal for providers, as well as for every other stakeholder, must be improving value for patients, where value is defined as the health outcomes achieved that matter to patients relative to the cost of achieving those outcomes. Improving value requires either improving one or more outcomes without raising costs or lowering costs without compromising outcomes, or both. Failure to improve value means, well, failure (Porter, Lee, 2013). Stakeholders are heard during the elections periods where the issues to be discussed should and have to be of interest to the public to be added to the political platform. The press plays an important role on serving as the echo or the microphone to put the issues that are important for the American people. The Health care providers were a major force on the legislation development as their input from a business standpoint played major role on discussing areas that were part of the problem as well as area that needed to stay the same and it also serve as another voice of the public on such a controversial issue. Congress as a stake holder not only play a vital role on policy development and drafting but was the starting point of bringing the issue to the front and placed it in the agenda to be discussed and heard and last the President and its executive branch as the approval seal to the developed policy. In summary the Affordable Care Act has pique the interest not only as a national issue but a global one. Like any policy development the issues have to discuss by the stakeholders representing health care and each and every one has a specific interest in the issue to be solve. References American Public Health Association, (2014), ACA Implementation. Retrieved August 4, 2014 from http://www.apha.org/advocacy/Health+Reform/implementation/ Bipartisan Policy Center, (2013). Managing Costs, Preserving Care: Health Care Cost Containment Report Release. Retrieved on August 4th, 2014 from http://bipartisanpolicy.org/projects/health-care-cost-containment-initiative Patel, K. Parker, R. Villaruel, A.Wong,W (2013). Amplifying the Voice of the Underserved in the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Retrieved on August 4th, 2014 from http://www.iom.edu/Global/Perspectives/2013/AmplifyingTheVoice Ha, J. (2012). Health Care Reform vs ObamaCare: Partisan framing of FOX, MSNBC, NYT snd WSJ. Retrieved on August 4th, 2014 from http://gnovisjournal.org/2012/11/30/health-care-reform-vs-obamacare-partisan-framing-of-fox-msnbc-yt-and-wsj/ Porter, M. E. (2013), The Strategy that will fix health care. Harvard Business Review, Retrieved On August 4th, 2014 from http://hbr.org/2013/10/the-strategy-that-will-fix-health-care Sorell, M. J. (2012), Patient Protec tion and Affordable Care Act: Ethical Perspectives. Retrieved on August 4th, 2014 from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/Columns/Ethics/Patient-Protection-and-Affordable-Care-Act-Ethical-Perspectives.html

Gender Roles in Harry Potter

Girls in young adult fantasy novels tend to fare rather poorly, especially in the light of Susan from the Chronicles of Narnia. When  Aslan  admits the  Pevensies  into paradise, Susan is barred because she has forgotten Narnia and is more interested in stockings and the real adult world, because she has dared to want to grow up. Jill Pole comments: aâ‚ ¬? She’s interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitationsaâ‚ ¬? 1. C. S. Lewis presents a conservative view of girls in the fantasy genre, that they will be drawn into their own adolescent fantasies and will abandon the secondary world.Philip Pullman compounds this with his treatment of Lyra in the His Dark Materials trilogy where she is the protagonist in the first novel but cedes decision making and power to Will through the remaining narrative. Hermione Granger starts out challenging this conservative view but ultimately she is turned into a mother and sidelined from the world of action . Her role changes through the novel and this is not due merely to the maturation of the character as she ages but also the needs of the male dominated groups around her, from the school group with Harry and Ron to the Order of the Phoenix.A quick glance offers the view that between 11 and 15 she is more rebellious whilst between the ages of 16 and 17 she takes on a sisterly role before her final appearance as a mother. In the Harry Potter novels  Hermione  is variously a bookish individual who supports and guides Harry through her research and work. She is the dominant force in Harryaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s success until the sixth novel,  Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, where her role as Harryaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s educator is taken by  Dumbledore. Eliza  Dresang  sees Hermione as being far more successful than she is made out to be by  Farah  Mendlesohn.Hermione gains agency and is able to take more control of her situation than  Mendlesohn  gives her credit for thro ugh her own actions, finding aâ‚ ¬? evidence in the text to be considerably more optimistic about Hermione’s self-determination than does Mendlesohnaâ‚ ¬? 2  through her determination about being sorted by the Hat and aâ‚ ¬? refuses to be deterred from her purposes, whether it be learning, admonishing about rules or †¦ championing the underdogaâ‚ ¬? 3. Mendlesohn comments that aâ‚ ¬? Hermione is accepted in the social structure of the school only because she is Harry’s friendaâ‚ ¬?   and that aâ‚ ¬? [r]adicalism, as embodied by Hermione, is irrational, ignorant, and essentially transientaâ‚ ¬? 5. Though her attempts at freeing the house-elves are doomed, she is more successful at galvanising her peers and enabling Harry’s success through her contributions. There is another issue to consider though and that is one of genre. The first five Harry Potter books are clearly school stories. Motifs, such as the annual arrival via the ste am train and the term times with the enforced stay over Christmas, come from this genre.Instead of only competing in sports for honour such as Quidditch, house points are awarded or taken away for behaviour or acts of bravery. In the final two novels, the structure of the novels change to being a more conventional fantasy series wherein Harry must defeat  Voldemort in a final conflict. This switch to the fantastic, in particular a male dominated fantastic world, means that Hermione must change roles to remain in the world since we rarely see any lone witches who have not turned to Voldemort such as Bellatrix Lestrange. This change of genre changes the expectations placed on the characters by readers and the roles which they play.School stories, in the mould of Enid Blyton’s  Malory  Towers or  St Clare’s,  offer  the reader a tale of a group of children who go on adventures limited in scale by location, an isolated school, and time, terms end and the year i s punctuated by holidays. They offer a degree of  carnivalesque  expressed in the capers of the students which are tamed by the teachers but also a continuing discourse of maturation and acculturation to the wider adult world which must be entered. Parents exist at the edge of the story, referred to in letters or bringing their children to school.Once the anarchic time at school comes to an end, the parents represent the roles that the children will adopt. The fantastic world that Rowling constructs is one which begins as potentially subversive with Hermione challenging perceived wrongs and gaining a more powerful agency in the world through her knowledge. As she matures, the world is fully extended past Hogwarts and becomes deeply conservative and male dominated and Hermione has to re-ascertain her social standing on the edge of the group, her enabling agency now of no direct use to Harry.Hermione matures in the series changing from the shy, bookish outsider to being, in effect , a big sister character to Harry and Ron but at the cost of her own agency and talents. As she matures into this role, she changes from being an inquisitive person, pushing her own bounds of knowledge and even her sanity, to being slightly calmer but clearly not of equal standing with Ron and Harry who are allowed to take active roles into world. When we first meet Hermione on the train going to  Hogwarts, Rowling presents her an unkempt, exploring child unafraid to make new friends or to go up and visit the train driver.She is described as having aâ‚ ¬? a bossy voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teethaâ‚ ¬? (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, p 79) and already wearing the school colours. She interrupts Ron and Harry who are tucking into a carriage way feast of sweets. Curious, she challenges Ron to show him the magic trick which he is attempting. As the train approaches the station, she encourages the two boys to don their robes and questi ons whether they have been fighting already. Her drive towards perfection is shown in her encyclopaedic knowledge of the school drawn from reading the history.Already knowing the reason for the enchanted ceiling, she attains a position in the newly formed social triumvirate as the knowledge repository. Hermione comes back from the school holidays a day early whilst the friends are trying to find out who Nicholas  Flamel  is and is aâ‚ ¬? torn between the horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed†¦ and disappointment that he hadn’t at least found out who Nicholas Flamel wasaâ‚ ¬? (Philosopher’s Stone,  p158). Her curiosity and good behaviour are at odds since she is aware that the answer may well lie in the forbidden section of the library but that entry  transgresses  the school rules.Although it is Harry who discovers Flamel by accident on the back of the collector’s card he got on the train, it is Hermione who links him to the Philosoph er’s Stone through a book she got aâ‚ ¬? out of the library weeks ago for a bit light reading aâ‚ ¬? (Philosopher’s Stone, p. 161). Ron’s only comment, aâ‚ ¬? Light? aâ‚ ¬? (Philosopher’s Stone, p. 161), a suggestion that knowledge is not highly prized in Hogwarts as opposed to  Quidditch. It was Hermione who noticed that Fluffy was standing on the trapdoor (Philosopher’s Stone, p120), a fact that both Ron and Harry missed. Yet her achievements come at a social price.Hermione’s adherence to the school rules is shown inPhilosopher’s Stone  after the finding of the trapdoor at night. When Harry receives a new broom after the destruction of his old one, her comments aâ‚ ¬? So I suppose you think that’s a reward for breaking rules? aâ‚ ¬? (Philosopher’s Stone  p. 123). Her forthrightness about the midnight incident is tempered by the argument with Ron and Harry. She is clearly upset by their reaction which is made worse by Ron’s careless comment about her not having any friends. Rushing past Harry, he notices that she is crying (Philosopher’s Stone  p. 127).When the troll is announced, both boys realise that it has gone to the girls’ toilets where Hermione is trapped. When Professor McGonagall enters, Hermione lies to protect them all and claims that she wanted to tackle the troll herself. Although this means that aâ‚ ¬? from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friendaâ‚ ¬? (Philosopher’s Stone, p. 132), she can only do so by lying to a teacher and so overturns her previous rigid adherence to rules. She has to adopt the boys own world view. In  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione offers to make the Polyjuice Potion to see what Malfoy knows about the chamber’s opening.She tricks  Lockhart  into signing a slip for ‘Most  Potente  Potions’ to fool the Librarian (Chamber of Secrets, p. 124). Wh en Ron says that they will need to steal from Professor Snape’s private stores, she retorts: aâ‚ ¬? Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine†¦Ã‚  I  don’t want to break the rules you know. aâ‚ ¬? (Chamber of Secrets, p. 125). Hermione is aware that they have already obtained a permission slip that Lockhart has signed without realising what it is (using his own arrogance), that the recipe relies upon illicit goods and that the boys cannot discover Malfoy’s perceived role without trickery.Despite her protestations about the rules, she is aware that these will need to be broken to be successful. When they come to making the potion, the group need parts of their victims and Hermione is too hasty in taking some hair from Millicent  Bulstrode  in Wrestling and accidentally turns herself into a cat much to Myrtle’s delight, aâ‚ ¬? Wait till everyone finds out you’ve got a  tailaâ‚ ¬? (Chamber of Secrets, p. 169). Whilst Ron and Harry have used her Sleeping Potion to knock out  Crabbe  and  Goyle, Malfoy’s henchmen, Hermione’s own attempt has backfired and so she is unable to help get information from Malfoy.Her overachievement turns her into a figure of fun. Although she is able to assimilate Harry and Ron’s worldview into her own perceptions, she is unable to fully join their world although she is the enabler for their plans through the potion and the linking together of the clues in  Philosopher’s Stone. Her overachievement comes to a head in the  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of  Azkaban  when she is given the use of the Time-Turner. In Snape’s Potions class, Neville is aided by Hermione to perfect the Shrinking Solution but when Ron and Harry turn to challenge her after the deduction of points, she disappears only to reappear a few minutes ater with her bag falling apart through weight of books. When she brushes off Ron’s challenge about the contents, he muses aâ‚ ¬? Do you get the feeling Hermione’s not telling us something? aâ‚ ¬? (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 99). Clearly Hermione is unable to tell the boys about Professor  McGonagall’s  gift of the Time Turner. In the Defence against the Dark Arts exam, Hermione comes into contact with the  Boggartand after aâ‚ ¬? a minute inside it [the  Boggart's  trunk], she burst out again, screamingaâ‚ ¬? (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 234).The Boggart, which presents worst fears, has suggested to her that Professor McGonagall will fail her in an exam, so her fears of academic and also personal failure come to the fore. Ron is still inclined to laugh at Hermione’s fear since he will not excel academically. Despite their close bond, Hermione’s academic achievements have always separated her from the boys. It is only when the situation demands that time is altered that she is able to tell Harry. When they fail to saveBuckbeak  the first ti me,  Dumbledore  suggests to Hermione that the situation can be saved by going backwards and Hermione confesses to Harry, aâ‚ ¬?I’ve been using it all year to get to all my lessonsaâ‚ ¬? (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 289) but she still cannot work out why Dumbledore has suggested going back three hours. It is up to Harry to formulate the plan to save the  Hippogriff  and Sirius. Once again, Hermione’s mental achievements enable Harry but she is unable to complete the reasoning for the shift in time. Hermione proves herself via her academic prowess and enables Harry and Ron to complete various challenges. She is the person to whom the boys go when they have difficulties with the homework. Lupin praises her  as the aâ‚ ¬? inest witch of her ageaâ‚ ¬? (Prisoner of Azkaban, p 253)  in the Shrieking Shack  as she becomes hysterical at his perceived betrayal of her loyalty, aâ‚ ¬? I didn’t tell anyone†¦ I’ve been covering up for you aâ‚ ¬? (Prisoner of Azkaban, p 253). Her need to prove herself academically is challenged and Ron’s reaction is to want to laugh. Despite her achievement and regular help for Harry and Ron, it is only the teachers who really prize her accomplishments. She is the character most likely to fail through overachievement. Her role is clearly defined in the school story as the swot.The school story genre allows her this room as a defined role but it she must adapt when the genre changes to a conservative high fantasy wherein gender roles are somewhat different. During the  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she reverts to the quiet studious Hermione of the first novel when Harry gets the  magicked  version of the potions book. As Harry falls under its spell and useful marginalia, she becomes increasingly exasperated at his lack of work or effort in the class commenting aâ‚ ¬? Well, it wasn’t exactly your own work, was it? aâ‚ ¬? (Half-Blood Prince, p 182). She and Ginny are protective of Harry and test the spell book which he has picked up, though they do not see the inscription claiming it is the property of the Half-Blood prince. With the aid of Ginny Weasley, she also defends him during the setting up of the self-help Dark Arts group, the  acronymed  DA, in  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Gathering the curious students together in the Hog’s Head, she comments aâ‚ ¬? well I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands†¦ And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing the real spellaâ‚ ¬? Half-Blood Prince, p 303). Though she is instrumental in gathering the class, she immediately reverts to her supporting role and allows Harry to discuss the events at the end of  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Firewhere he met the revived Voldemort. Her tenure as Prefect in  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix  shows her stopping the  Weasley  twins from recruiting junior members of the school to test their joke wares,  saying aâ‚ ¬? I told you this morning, you can’t test your rubbish on students! aâ‚ ¬? (Order of the Phoenix, p 229) whilst Ron, her fellow Prefect, looks on from the side.Although she is active in keeping the more extreme elements of the carnivalesque from taking over the school in the form of the Weasley brother’s joke wares, it does mark the apogee of the progression from swot to Prefect in the school novel. Though these roles are usually played by various characters in the school story genre, Rowling has rolled them into one person who exemplifies the qualities of Hogwarts and, in particular,  Gryffindor. Though Hermione is keen on the maintenance of the status quo, she becomes increasingly vocal against the abuse of power in two areas.She has mixed success but it allows her to retain her role in the social cohesion of the friendship group and to begin organising ot hers in the school. Firstly she challenges a perceived abuse of the house elves by the  wizarding  classes and sets up the Society for the Protection of Elvish Welfare, SPEW. This act comes after  Dobby  is freed by Harry in  Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets. Hermione starts knitting hats to free the elves from their slave positions at Hogwarts inOrder of the Phoenix  and when challenged about this by Ron, exclaims aâ‚ ¬? Of course they want to be free! aâ‚ ¬? (Order of the Phoenix, p 230).Whilst it may mirror  Rowling’s  own time working for Amnesty International, she undermines Hermione by having Dobby pick up all the hats as the elves are offended by them. Though she gains the partial support of Dumbledore as he explains to Harry that he had encouraged  Sirius  to treatKreacher  with kindness  (Order of the Phoenix, p 733),  Ron and Harry dismiss her efforts. To an extent, she loves hopeless causes and sets out to free the elves despite t heir reluctance to change their positions. Secondly, she attacks the misuses of authority by teachers, such as Severus Snape and Dolores  Umbridge.In  Prisoner of  Azkaban, Snape takes over Lupinaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s classes while he recovers from his change. Ignoring the class protests he begins to set them work which will provide clues to Lupinaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s condition and Hermione protests  (Prisoner of Azkaban, p128) which encourages Ron to defend her and receive detention. She becomes increasingly agitated by  Snapeaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s  manner and challenges him through questions. Though she has been able to answer the questions that he puts to the class since the first book, earning his contempt, she now uses these as a challenge to his authority through passive disruption.In  Order of the Phoenix, Dolores Umbridge attempts to run a school based on the traditional school model of learning the theory of Defence against the Dark Arts rather than practical lessons. Hermione listens to  Umbridgeaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s  long speech which sets out the rationale for the coming changes. During the first Defence against the Dark Arts lesson she immediately questions  Umbridgeaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s  passive stance through using Umbridge’s insistence on pupils raising their hands to ask questions (Order of the Phoenix, p 217-218). Asking the question, she repeats herself when the answer is not forthcoming.Hermione continues this with the creation of the Dark Arts or  Dumbledoreaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s  Army group. As Umbridge tries to crack down on any nascent dissent against the Ministry of Magicaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s policy, Hermione comes up with the plan of setting a group to rectify the lack of practical training. Facing the belief that Harry killed  Cedric,  fuelledby the Daily Prophet, she motivates the students to come together and to learn practical defence. As she does this she comments aâ‚ ¬? d’you know †¦ I think I’m feeling a bi t  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ rebelliousaâ‚ ¬? (Order of the Phoenix, p 559).Rather than continuing her challenge to misplaced authority, once the school story ends, she moves towards the role of the sister. Whilst on the run from the Ministry of Magic in  Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsHarry confesses to Ron that Hermione is aâ‚ ¬? like a sister,aâ‚ ¬? he went on aâ‚ ¬? I love her like a sister and I reckon she feels the same about meaâ‚ ¬? (Deathly Hallows, p308). To some degree she follows the path of  Lyrain Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy where the she develops her challenges early on but end up giving up independence.Before she meets Will, Lyra is free to challenge the authority figures around her but after the meeting, when Will is cooking an omelette, he commands aâ‚ ¬? ’Find a couple of plates’ he said, and Lyra obediently did soaâ‚ ¬? (The Subtle Knife  p 25). After the defeat of Voldemort, we see her and Ron on Platf orm 9 A? s waving their children off on the Hogwarts express. The action occurs around Harry and Ron with Hermione chiding them when they see Scorpius, Draco’s son, with aâ‚ ¬?Don’t try to turn them against each other before they’ve even started schoolaâ‚ ¬? (Deathly Hallows, p605). She is keen to maintain stability in the world for the children. As she develops into adolescence, she moves away from her rebellious side straight into motherhood, so avoiding Susan’s fate in the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’. Though she moves into adolescence, she is faithful to Ron, declaring her love for him in the  Deathly Hallows. Despite Lupin’s proclamation of her talent, we finally see Hermione taking her children to platform 9 A?.She avoids Susan’s banishment from the magical world because she cares for her friends and, ultimately, children and is not selfish as Susan is implied to be by Aslan in the quotation at the beginning of this essa y. Yet it seems a poor fate for all her achievements. The boarding school genre allows Hermione to excel academically and be an equal to Harry and Ron. She develops and is capable of taking on teaching duties and, it would appear, likely to follow  Minerva  McGonagallas the archetypal spinster teacher. She is the archetypal swot who becomes Prefect as she gets to the end of her school years.Her insistence upon hardwork and her dislike of cheats, even if they are her friends, show Hermione’s dedication to maintaining order, though not at any price. She also takes on what appear to be hopeless causes, the release of the elves and then challenges against misused authority, despite the ridicule of her peers. Hermione stands against inequality and tries to effect change. Dumbledore is the only person who backs her stance, and this is only very partially, as he explains to Harry. Dealing with her own social group, she is more effective in galvanising her peers into forming the Dark Arts group.Yet she is on the edge of the social group. On the train to Hogwarts, it is Harry who accepts her into the nascent group and then more firmly once the troll is defeated in the bathrooms. Once the  OWLs  have been taken, Hermione moves away from being the bright academic, her role in helping with Ron and Harry finishing their homework redundant, to being involved in maintaining the group with Ron and Harry through her caring for both boys. It is only Hermione who can cope with the real world of Oxford Street before they manage to get into more magical territory.The school narrative allows Hermione to blossom as an individual as the closed world of Hogwarts bars the real world and gives her space as a person. Once the real world begins to encroach, she begins to move away from her academic achievements and into the big sister role. At one level Rowling sees Hermione as a caricature of her school memories but at another, the Harry Potter series fails to address the idea that girls can do more than become mothers or spinster teachers. In Narnia thePevensie  children are either kept in childlike paradise away from ever growing up or they are ejected from paradise for thinking of the adult world.In ‘His Dark Materials’, Lyra moves from challenging the misplaced authority of Mrs  Coulter  and Lord  Asriel  to leaving Will to make all the decisions. Hermione’s own contributions to the group come through enabling Harry to complete tasks with the requisite knowledge that she can find or discern. Once the fight against Voldemort moves into Harry’s own history, only Dumbledore can help Harry. Whilst on the run in  Deathly Hallows, it is Hermione who tries to keep the group together and to work out Dumbledore’s final clue in the book of fairy tales. She is a catalyst for those around her and remains sidelined.Whilst she shows that she can develop herself against  Mendlesohn’s  analysis through her own talent,Dresang’s  assertion that Hermione gains strength through empowering others is shown to only be partial; she sacrifices her individual power and role to help recreate a safe world. Once she has enable Harry, Rowling moves her into a maternal role, her highest honour. It short changes the Witch that Lupin described as the brightest of her age. Bibliography Jackson, Rosemary,  Fantasy: The Literature of Subversion  (Routledge, London, 1981) Lewis, C. S. ,  The Last Battle(Harper Collins, London, 2005)Moorcock, Michael,  Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Romance  (Gollancz, London, 1987) Pullman, Philip,  The Subtle Knife  (Scholastic, London, 1997, 2001 reprint) Rotruck, Amie Rose, ‘Where Have All the Tomboys Gone? : Female Figures in British Children’s Fantasy Series’ in  Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction  Volume 32, Number 88, Summer 2003 Rowling, J. K. , Harry Potter and the Philosopherâ€℠¢s Stone (Bloomsbury, London, 1997) Rowling, J. K. ,  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets  (Bloomsbury, London, 1998) Rowling, J. K. ,  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban  (Bloomsbury, London, 1999) Rowling, J.K. ,  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire  (Bloomsbury, London, 2000) J. K. Rowling,  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix  (Bloomsbury, London, 2003) Rowling, J. 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