Literature on HSBC Essay

Legacy HSBC Group. HSBC Bank is a key component of the HSBC group which was specifically established for trading with India and China in the hey days of the British Raj in 1865, after a necessity for the same was felt by Thomas Sutherland who identified that Hong Kong lacked local banking facilities. The bank has been primarily dominant in the Asia Pacific region and has pioneered modern banking facilities in these areas. It is now seen to take up its earlier mantle and is creating a new wave of modernised banking in the emerging economies of East and South East Asia. Based in London and with operations around the world, HSBC Holdings plc is reported to be the biggest bank and financial services banking company in the World with operations around the World in 9,500 offices and presence in 80 countries across the globe. Its share holders are said to be spread in 100 countries. HSBC Personal Banking. HSBC has a number of progressive personal banking schemes as it calls itself the Worlds local bank. (Express Banking, 2006). Some of the initiatives it has are schemes such as express banking which is designed to save time. This includes paying a bill online, thereby encouraging internet banking, use of cash machines and mobile phone top ups. (Express Banking, 2006). The bank is also extensively offering gifts for such schemes to include attractive offers as a 42 inch Phillips Plasma television for using its cash machines. (Express Banking, 2006). Its personal insurance services are similarly attempting to induce customers to go online. Thus a 10 percent discount is offered when a person buys on line car insurance. The no claims discount limit has also been raised to 70 % and there is a monthly installment option which has also been included. (Car, 2006). It has also services which can be availed by customers by providing prior intimation of their renewal dates to the bank and once again are provided attractive prizes for the same. The mortgage services offered by HSBC are also very innovative and provide not just for a loan but complete services such as mortgage offers, choices for repayments, varied interest rate option and tailoring these to the prices. (Mortgage, 2006). There are separate services on offer to first time buyers who can also remortgage as well as use the home to borrow more. Similarly the home insurance features also offer very heavy discounts for switching to HSBC Home Insurance, promise to settle claims over the phone without completion of forms and provide for replacements. HSBC Business Banking. HSBC business banking facilities are also unique. It has 12 months free banking facility extended to a current account holder which provides for borrowing at fixed rates large sums up to ?25,000. The service also includes foreign exchange rates for foreign currency payments for HSBC net customers, provides for management of trading in China and a commercial card enables a 56 days interest free credit. Banking for business is carried out through the commercial centres which provide multiple facilities to customers. For business there are other factilities that are being provided such as business internet banking as well as HSBCnet which provides larger companies with a complete range of services on the internet including invoice finance. There are a wide range of business insurance packages that have been made available by the bank, to include virtually all the possible contingencies for which insurance is required by business such as small business for turnover less than ? 1 million or less than 10 employees, commercial packaged insurance, customer packaged insurance, business car insurance and keyman insurance for prinicpals. The insurance package also covers share holders and partners, professional indemnity and trade credit. (Insurance, 2006). International Business Banking. The international services provided by the Bank include import and export bills clearance, guarantees and documentary credit. The Bank also provides many other forms of assistance to businesses to include opening of a business overseas. (International, 2006). The debit and credit card processing facilities include acceptance of debit and credit card at the place of work, over the internet, by mail order, fax or even on telephone. The finance and loans services being provided to the business by HSBC includes flexible overdraft, cash against invoices, protection against bad debts, small business loans at fixed interest rates upto ? 25000, flexible loans, financing of commercial properties, equipment, mortgages, vehicles and so on. Business managers are also provided with cash flow management services and fixed bond rates on high interest Deposit Bonds over ? 5,000. HSBCnet is an advanced service provided for businesses which enable these to carry out futuristic online banking. This is considered ideal for small businesses who do not want to invest in an internal financial management organisation. Thus it provides tools such as cash management, reporting and trading along with analytics and research. (hsbcnet, 2006). The customers are continually provided high quality services on HSBCnet such as management of foreign currency transactions as easy as domestic transaction, payments and account transfers at par with operations of a domestic account. The basic advantage provided is that a customer does not have to change his platform to access different types of services. Chapter 4 – Findings Findings are derived from qualitative and quantitative analysis. Data analysis is meant to calculate â€Å"correlations† between variables. The intention is to find relations among the variables. Correlation is a measure of the degree of linear relationship between two variables. A positive correlation occurs when both variables either increase or decrease. Negative correlation occurs, when one variable increases and the other decreases. The detailed findings of the primary and secondary research carried out based on qualitative and quantitative collation are as per succeeding paragraphs.

The Better Self in Ourselves

The influx of self-help books in today’s ultra-modern world is by no means an accident. They are by-products of a world that has become more complicated and complex as the ways in which it has to be lived in. This complexity coincides with the development of more complex thought processes that seek to find meanings in life and how everyone fits into that life. That search for meaning and the process of meaning-making involve attempts to make sense of the existence of one’s self as a tiny spot relative to the vastness of the cosmic universe.This has led many social scientists to develop theories that attempt to explain ways through which the self can be understood in its multi-faceted contexts. John Locke underscored the importance of the â€Å"continuity of consciousness† through an enabled memory and imagination (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2007). He believed that a person can understand his/her self by examining the past and imagining the future. Jean- Jacques Rousseau, on the other hand, stressed the significance of the society as a necessary and yet corruptible element in understanding one’s self (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2008).The former emphasizes the objective self-examination while the latter stresses the subjective self-expression. Sigmund Freud believed that human beings have irrational, primitive and animalistic instincts that should be repressed for the betterment of one’s self and the society at large (Curtis, 2002); while Wilhelm Reich claimed that it is the repression of the society of the â€Å"original† forces and emotions within human beings that makes human beings irrational (The Wilhelm Reich Museum).And quite contemporarily, Ian Hacking advances the practice of disciplinary psychology as a means to define selfhood in its socio-cultural contexts (Hacking, 2002). It has offered individuals the tools through which they can take a deeper look at their inner selves in relation to the society and the world they live in. Towards a Better Understanding of the Self in Ourselves All the psychological theories and practices cited thus far have only one aim: to make us understand ourselves more than how we understand ourselves now.They provide us tools so we can acquire skills to help us learn more about ourselves and to nurture that self within ourselves for a better us. Their primary objective is to illuminate the existence of one’s self and give us enlightenment to enable us to view that self in new and better perspectives and vantage points with the hope that we can be better for ourselves, the people around us and the society we live in. Disciplinary psychology posits that if we could understand our psychological self better, we can understand the kind of person that we are.Doing so, we can be that person we aspire to be. We can be astronauts, airline pilots, NBA superstars, forensic scientists, geologists, etc. There are infinite possibilities of being who we want to be if we just indeed are able to understand ourselves better. Truly, while there are infinite possibilities of being ourselves, there are also infinite questions that needed to be answered about ourselves. As time changes and as the world becomes more modernized, the concepts of personhood and selfhood become even more complicated.Questions about humanity become more apparent. When we question why we are driven by this desire to succeed and gain more material wealth, we turn to become pseudo-psychoanalysts in trying to understand this desire and how it can manipulate us if not tempered with reason. And as our consciousness is feed with the commercialism we see around us, engendered by the consumerism in the media, we are guided by the fact that advertisements use psychoanalysis to manipulate human minds to become infatuated with manufactured desires.We are reminded of the â€Å"police within our heads that needs to be destroyed† (Curtis, 2002). When we question ou r temperaments and attitudes towards love, life and work, we may turn to looking back at how we were brought up, the environment we grew up with and the kind of upbringing that we had. Disciplinary psychology guides us to look back and look forward and struggle to find meanings in those acts. Indeed, while disciplinary psychology offers us tools to gain better understanding of ourselves, the synthesis depends on our own willingness to analyze.While it can provide us maps to where we could finally go, the choices of directions we take remain our own pre-occupation. And while it gives us patterns through which we could build our own conceptions about ourselves, our self-concept remains our own decision. In the final analysis, disciplinary psychology can provide us proper guidance, but the path towards better understanding of one’s self depends on our own will to tread that path forcefully and purposefully. And as always, that willingness can be questioned psychologically.

Alan Klein Sugarball

Alan Klein’s Sugarball is both a historical overview and cultural study of how citizens of the Dominican Republic not only enjoy baseball but use it as a means of cultural self-expression and, more importantly, resistance to American domination of their small country.   Though not openly hostile to the United States, the Dominican public uses baseball as a means of asserting pride and equality in the face of long, formidable neocolonial domination. Baseball is a specifically American entity only partly because it was created and evolved in the United States, where for decades it remained the dominant spectator sport.   More importantly, Klein asserts, baseball is uniquely American in how it has spread to other nations and dominates the game elsewhere.   It has the largest and strongest organization, the richest teams, largest fan base, most lucrative broadcasting and advertising contracts, and most extensive networks for scouting and player development. Baseball’s presence in the Dominican Republic (among the western hemisphere’s poorest nations) is also uniquely American because, as with other aspects of American culture, it was brought there as American domination spread throughout the Caribbean American interests assumed control of the Dominican economy. However, unlike other American corporations, Major League Baseball did not provoke widespread, unmitigated resentment, but is for the most part supported by the nation’s people.   In addition, the methods long used to scout and sign Dominican ballplayers is similarly dubious and rifer with duplicity; Klein calls their methods â€Å"so reminiscent of those of the West African slave traders of three centuries earlier† (42). In terms of the game itself, the rules and style in each are generally the same, and while Dominicans play the game with an intensity equal with Americans, their approach to other aspects of baseball are more casual, reflecting that society’s leniency and lax approach to time.   While Dominican players play as hard as their American teammates and opponents, they embrace a much more casual attitude toward time, frequently showing up late for meetings or practice unless specifically required to be punctual.   In addition, they tend to be more exuberant and unrestrained; playing the game seriously is not equated with a somber demeanor. Most of the differences lie off the field, particularly in the atmosphere of a stadium on game day.   The fan culture is radically different; where American fans are more restrained, often get to games on time, and can sometimes be confrontational with other fans, Dominican fans are generally louder, more physically and temperamentally relaxed, more effusive (even with strangers), and, despite the demonstrative body language and shouting shown in arguments, there is far less violence than at an American ballgame. Klein attributes this to the fact that â€Å"[Dominican fans] are far more social than North Americans, more in tune with human frailty.   Because they see so much human vulnerability, because they are closer to the margins of life, they are more likely to resist the urge to bully and harm† (148). Economic power essentially defines the relationship between American and Dominican baseball, because Major League Baseball develops and signs much of the local Dominican talent, leaving the Dominican professional league and amateur ranks underdeveloped and subordinate to the North American teams who establish baseball academies and working agreements with Dominican teams. Since 1955, when the major leagues established working agreements with Dominican professional clubs (and, more significantly, eliminated the â€Å"color line† that prevented most Dominicans, who are predominantly mulatto, from playing), American baseball has shown its hegemony over its Dominican counterpart, turning the latter into a virtual colony by taking its raw resources and giving back very little in return.   Klein comments: â€Å"The lure of cheap, abundant talent in the Dominican Republic led American teams to establish a more substantial presence there . . . [and the] bonds between American and Dominican baseball came increasingly to resemble other economic and political relations between the two countries† (36). Klein writes that most Dominicans accept American dominance of their baseball, adding that â€Å"whereas giants such as Falconbridge and GTE are resented, major league teams are largely supported† (2), mainly because Dominican players have such a notable presence and bring positive attention to their impoverished homeland.   This support is by no means unconditional, though; they steadfastly refuse to approach the game with American businesslike gravitas; instead, they treat the game itself somewhat like Carnival, with joy coexisting alongside energetic, intense play. Resistance appears in the way Dominican players relax at home, interacting more freely with fans, who themselves resist American baseball’s decorum by being themselves and creating a festive, effusive, Carnival-like atmosphere.   According to Klein, â€Å"The game remains American in structure, but its setting is Dominican and it has become infused with Dominican values† (149).   Indeed, the park fosters a microcosm of Dominican society, particularly its impoverished economy, and unlike the more slick American baseball business, it does not exclude its marginal activities. In addition to the paid vendors and park employees within the stadium, an illicit economy flourishes both within and on the outside, with self-appointed â€Å"car watchers,† vendors, and ushers (adults and children alike) plying their trade for small fees, and bookmakers work openly, often in the presence of the police, who turn a blind eye to most illegal activity aside from the rare fight. Dominican baseball’s symbolic significance is not a sense of the pastoral heritage, like some in America interpret it; instead, it reflects Dominicans’ sense of themselves being dominated by the United States, and offers a symbolic outlet for striking back. In his preface, Klein writes: â€Å"The tensions between a batter who has two strikes against him and the opposing pitcher are a metaphor for the political and cultural tensions described in this book† (xi).   Indeed, the Dominican republic’s deeply entrenched poverty and long domination by foreign powers give it a feeling of vulnerability and compel its people to seek some means of besting the dominant power – if not politically or economically, then at least athletically. At the start of the book, Klein states that â€Å"every turn at bat is a candle of hope, every swing is the wave of a banner, the sweeping arc of a sword† (1).   Indeed, when a Dominican reaches the major leagues and excels, it is not merely an athletic success story but a symbolic invasion and conquest of the conqueror’s territory.   (The United States twice occupied the Dominican Republic in the twentieth century, an ever-present fact in Dominicans’ minds.) Also, the atmosphere in the crowd of a Dominican professional game serves as the country’s symbolic assertion of its culture in the face of American dominance.   At Santo Domingo’s Quisqueya Stadium, one witnesses â€Å"a mass spectacle that makes simultaneous use of American and Dominican elements. . . . [Baseball] at Quisqueya embodies many of the things that North Americans find blameworthy in Dominican culture – lateness, overly casual behavior, inefficiency.   But the Dominicans see these characteristics as a source of pride, and they take their game seriously† (150). The Dominican baseball press is a source of more open resistance; says Klein, â€Å"the press has inadvertently created a Latino universe of discourse, one in which North Americans are conspicuously absent† (127).   Its journalists display an obvious bias by devoting so much attention to Dominicans in the major leagues that one hardly knows other nationalities even participate. In addition, Dominican baseball writers openly blame Dominican baseball’s problems on American control, protesting a skewed economic relationship that mirrors the larger political and economic imbalance.   They promote much of the public’s pride, says Klein, but that pride is â€Å"tempered by the view that Dominican baseball is still an adjunct to the American game† (121).   Dominican resistance is thus aimed at countering this uncomfortable fact. In baseball terms, American culture interacts with Dominican culture by treating it with some degree of condescension and insensitivity.   Many American baseball professionals are impatient with Dominicans’ loose sense of time, quickly deeming Latino players uncoachable â€Å"head cases,† without looking at the cultural differences. Among Dominicans, says Klein, â€Å"There is none of the regimentation, guardedness, and nervous tension that characterizes players in the United States.   North American managers must take this looseness into account when they go to the Caribbean, for the players’ conception of the game and of time is as elastic as that of other Dominicans† (148). Despite the United States’ long domination of the Dominican Republic, the small nation’s people feel less anger than a mixture of muted resentment and aspiration to attain American material prosperity and stability, which for most are a distant, unreachable ideal.   Thus, when Dominican ballplayers reach the major leagues, their large salaries represent a sort of victory and source of immense pride for the small island nation.   Says Klein, â€Å"Much as archeological treasures attest to a rich Dominican past, salaries attest to the present† (128). Klein’s study pays keen attention not only to Dominican history but also to the ways in which Dominicans embrace this imported sport but also use their prowess to offer their own subtle response to American political and economic dominance.   The dynamic he describes illustrates not only American hegemony, but also how subordinated peoples’ identity and spirit can thrive even in the face of foreign domination. Klein, Alan M.   Sugarball.   New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991.

Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Critical Analysis - Essay Example As a result, various nations within the island are selling citizenships in order to finance resort projects. For example in St. Kitts, Christophe harbour, have teamed up with the government where they are going to provide citizenship to qualified applicants. One of the qualifications is to invest at least $400,000 in a project known as Christophe Harbour Development. This has extended from St. Kitts to Antigua and Grenada. These infusions are meant to increase tourist attractions and on the other hand the investors to get Caribbean passports. The main purpose of this article, as described above, is to analyse and present the average view of the issue of Caribbean nations on investing using citizenship. The author’s main arguments are his analysis and are based on the positive view. However, on this whole issue, this is one unorthodox way of financing resorts and villas. As a result, the Caribbean vacation home is experiencing an irrational recovery; there is new construction everywhere this is especially in the smaller nations disdained by the conservative lenders. Although this citizenship by investment seems to be a good move for the economy of the countries, there are some factors that they have not considered. For example, they are devaluing the citizenship of these countries. These nations are at the risk of vetting their applicants with lax, which in turn will make other countries place even greater laws and restrictions to all the travellers in Caribbean’s passports. Although the author has used some comments given by people in government, the paper is biased and limited to the people in power. He does not give the common man a chance to express his view on the matter. As a result, he is not entirely able to be objective in writing his view on the article. Hudson, Kris., Caribbean Exchange: Invest In property and Get Citizenship. Wall Street Article. Wall Street Journal. (2014)

Barclays Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Barclays Case Study - Essay Example A number of change management theories help explain this shift in the image of the bank. The theory of open systems forms a good starting point. A corporation such as Barclays constitutes a system. Like any other system, the corporation is made of several components that function together as a unit(Kettinger & Grover, 1995). These components take the form of the internal and the external environments. The internal environment refers to those factors that affect the corporation and over which the corporation has considerable control. These factors include the employees of the corporation. The external environment, by contrast, refers to those factors that are external to the corporation in the sense that the corporation has little or no control over them even though they still affect the daily operation of the organization. These include competition and government regulation. An open system is one that exchanges feedback with its external environment on a regular basis. Given that the organization has limited or no control over the external environment, a healthy open system adjusts the internal factors as needed in order to realize the goals of the entire system(Tam, 1999). Several aspects are necessary for a functional open system. These include the external environment, boundaries and equifinality. Of the external environment, government regulation is arguably one of the most important factors in the case of Barclays given that, the world over, governments regulate the banking industry heavily. Every system has boundaries even though these can be difficult to delimit. An open system should have a porous boundary that allows the exchange of information. In the case of Barclays, it is possible that the bank has deliberately made it difficult for the regulator to access information on their activities, thereby creating a conducive environment for busines s malpractice to thrive. The concept of

Which theories are most effective in explaining the global politics of Essay

Which theories are most effective in explaining the global politics of the environment - Essay Example The main literature on global governance and states is embedded in the international relations theories of the global politics of the environment. In addition, the global politics of the environment emphasis the ecological impact of the global political economy in the politics of corporations, trade, growth, financing and consumption. The field of global politics of environment demonstrates the literature on the environmental security, civil societies, ethics and global governance (Kutting 2011, p.126). The above broad definition of the global politics of the environment suffers various challenges since it requires a lot of time and intellectual flexibility of the analyst. For a period of 150 years, global politics of environment have been part of the world’s agenda. Various nations debated on the effective use of national lands and therefore, the impacts of environmental and industrialization has increased. In addition, the field of environmental politics has expanded its ran ge and it covers a wide range of political action, which ranges from the decisions on the local level land use to the global controls over the emissions of carbon dioxide. As a result, the study of global politics of environment is comprised of various issues across all political arenas. There are various tools used to explain the topic of global politics on environment and some of the intellectual tools range from the legal studies to the geospatial analysis. This essay seeks to explain the effective theoretical approaches, which are used to explain global politics of the environment and the various key research topics in environmental politics. Notably, there is no specific definition of environmentalism. Reasonably, environmentalism is defined by various informal frames, which are in different policy fields. Therefore, environmental politics is exercised in varying communities and each of the community focus on specific aspects of the global politics of the environment. The

Project Management - Communication Plan Assignment

Project Management - Communication Plan - Assignment Example The estimated price for the infrastructure needed for the ten floor building is highly fluctuating, thus we cannot put a solid price tag. As the project manager, I have seen it necessary to have the Complete Streets framework inclusive. This will set an idea that can be backed by the whole community where the building will be located. This sets a structure that can create support for ABC Tech employees and all who want safe, livable urban environments (Barnlund, 2008). Value message: The building will function effectively for all involved users – ABC Technology, Inc. technical employees, their families and clients. However, some roadways throughout the surrounding will have to be worked on to ensure that they are safe. The Ask: Coming up with a clear design and implementation procedures in place so as to ensure that all the building procedure and the necessary tools, equipments and personnel are at a position of offering quality service. Vision message: Once I manage to do this as the project manager, the ABC Technology, Inc. building will be one of its kind, as it would be both a business and residential hub offering comfort and luxury for both the families of the technical employees and the ABC Technology, Inc. clients they will be

Nurse Practitioner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nurse Practitioner - Essay Example The examples of various settings where primary care nurse is involved are; homes, clinics, community hospitals and mobile settings (Sines & Forbes-Burford, 2009 p.134). The acute nurse practitioner is employed by a hospital or health care system. The roles of acute nurse practitioner are mostly used in surgery, research, and trauma (Wyckoff, Houghton & LePage, 2009 p.12). The acute nurse practitioner diagnoses and manages acute episodic and chronic illness (Nagelkerk, 2006 p.14). I agree with what Barbara Orange wrote, a registered nurse practitioner who has graduate level of education could acquire advanced clinical knowledge and skills to qualify as an advanced practice nurse(Nagelkerk, 2006 p.5). A registered nurse practitioner has the freedom to choose to work with health care organizations or setup their clinics (Nagelkerk, 2006 p.14). I agree with Barbara Orange that an office setting would be best for patients because the registered nurse would have close contact with the patients (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy & OGrady, 2014). According to Hamric et al. (2014), the Institute of Medicine recommends patient-centered care as the basis of safe, effective and efficient health care. The registered nurses built up therapeutic relationships with patients as a backbone of patient-centered care (p.153). A nurse practitioner who has gone through credentialing and privileging could be allowed to practice in their scope of practice. Credentialing and privileging applied to physicians but because nurse practitioners are hired in various institutions, it becomes vital to credential nurse practitioners (Reel & Abraham, 2007 p.5). I have discovered that a nurse practitioner can work in multiple settings but, can they hold multiple credentials and use them in practice? This question puts me in a dilemma with

My Visit to the Art Institute of Chicago Research Paper - 5

My Visit to the Art Institute of Chicago - Research Paper Example The museum is by far the most alluring museum in Chicago, with an amazing array of art. The museum, which is located on South Michigan Avenue (111) in Illinois, is home to numerous pieces of art that I later came to know from the curator were around 300,000. During my visit, 27th November, 2015, the museum was opened from around 10 am and closed at 8 pm. Even before I begin to describe my experience inside the museum, I have to highlight the awe I felt when I was at the entrance. Just at the entrance, visitors were greeted by the sculptures of lions strategically placed in such a manner that it gave the illusion of a palace been guarded by the vicious creatures. I found this to be like an aphrodisiac, in the sense that it enticed visitors to visit the museum in order to have a glimpse of the art inside. Even if a person, may not have originally been interested in visiting the museum, the sight of the lions is enough to lure anyone. Furthermore, the building is a good example of the ingenuity of the architecture of the many buildings in Chicago. I was able to learn a lot about the city by just being at the entrance; it was a very good presentation. Mind you, the premise offers a spectacular glimpse of the Millennium Park. I have to confess that I did not expect to be bombarded by thousands of art on display. There were numerous exhibitions on display, but as staunch Van Gogh fan, I was naturally propelled to admire one of his paintings, The Bedroom (1853-1890). The pictures I had previously seen on the internet cannot begin to explain the intensity of the colors or the mastery of the brush strokes.

Differentiaitng between market structures Essay

Differentiaitng between market structures - Essay Example An industry with a structure of perfect competition may be seen with a large number firms competing for consumers purchase, monopolistic competition has many while few firms are present in an oligopoly and monopoly has only one. Fruit and vegetable vendors in a marketplace are examples of perfect competition, home products producers like Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive and Procter and Gamble are under monopolistic competition, credit card companies such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express are oligopolists and Microsoft has monopolized the operating system for computers. The number of firms in an industry is dependent to the level or degree of barriers present in the market. A high level of barrier discourages if not totally eliminate new firms from joining the industry. This is true for oligopoly and monopoly. Barriers like high capital requirements, established loyalty from customers and collaboration or cartel may deter entrance of new or smaller firms. On the other hand, a lower degree to the point of absence of barrier may encourage the new entrants. A perfectly competitive market has no barrier at all, prices are set by the market itself and so the competition, price and non-price, is very healthy. A low level is observed in a monopolistic competition causing new firms to be attracted in joining the industry. The level of market power that a firm possesses reflects its control over price. However, this power depends on factors like the numbers of producers, the size of each firm, barriers to entry and the availability of substitute goods. With the existence of one or few producers, the power to control the market is automatically granted. The size of the firm relative to the size of the product market can affect its market power. A big firm could possess a small power if it is in a large industry but a small one could hold a lot of power if it is a small market. The ease or difficulty of entry into an industry limits the ability of a powerful firm to dict ate prices and flows of products (Schiller, 2006). If new firms will be willing to enter the market, share in the spoils and succeeded, the market power will also be distributed among the firms in the said market, otherwise the power will remain concentrated in the big players. With the fourth determinant, if there will be substitute goods that customers could avail of, prices will not be set at very high level and so they can decide to switch or choose the closest substitutes. The oligopoly and monopoly both hold substantial power to control the market, from the output production to dictation of prices. Monopolistic competition may hold some but the firms under perfect competition holds no power at all. As in other industries, the market structure of the computer industry has evolved over time. It was never a monopoly, nor was it ever a perfect competition (Schiller, 2006). It was more of a monopolistic competition. This market structure is characterized by several sellers producin g the same products that are slightly differentiated. Apple Inc. was one of the first companies who dominated this industry. Its success and high profits attracted other producers of microcomputers to imitate them. With the entry of over 250 firms between 1976 and 1983, the industry became more competitive but not perfectly competitive. Prices were pushed downward and products were improved because of the increased

What Are Some Risk Factors to Prevent Illness Essay Example for Free

What Are Some Risk Factors to Prevent Illness Essay * What are some risk factors that may be controlled to prevent serious illness? Do any of these controllable risk factors apply to you? What can you do to eliminate these risk factors in your life? We can prevent serious diseases if we have strong immune systems, so we have to strengthen them, we can take vitamin c daily. We can ingest fruits every day, citrus fruits are more important, they are rich in vitamin c. and we could take supplemental vitamins to help our body become stronger to prevent diseases. Yes some of these things can be taken control over. You can change the conditions through diet and exercise. Your best defense is information. Talk to your health care provider to find out if u are at risk for any serious diseases. Work with your health care provider to come up with a plan of action to help you control the risk factors in your life. High blood pressure is a very important risk factor for someone to have a stroke. Strokes affect 40 percent of ethnic populations over age 20. Just remember to check your family history to see if you are at risk for certain illnesses. * With widely publicized information on the health and environmental consequences of smoking, why do you think people still choose to smoke? Even with the widely dispersed information on smoking people still choose to smoke because the tobacco companies spend billions of dollars annually on campaigns to entice younger and younger generations to start smoking. Some of the other reasons is because nicotine is extremely addictive and it is hard to put cigarettes down and just quit them cold turkey and people mainly start smoking either from peer pressure or just smoke in social situations only and then they start to develop the addiction for the nicotine. Nicotine also makes people feel energized and alert right after they have smoked but the results are very short lived and then they need another one because they want that energy burst again. Smoking has been determined to be more addictive than cocaine, heroin, or alcohol. Smoking mainly get started in high school or college because of the major tobacco companies and social situations with other people because you want to look cool. * What is the difference between a problem drinker and an alcoholic? What factors can cause someone to become an alcoholic? What effect does alcoholism have on an alcoholic’s family? Alcoholism is a serious, debilitating disease which literally destroys lives. Problem drinkers are those whose alcohol abuse has adversely affected their lives, causing adverse issues in most or all areas of their lives. The nature of alcohol abuse often means there are underlying unresolved issues plaguing the problem drinker. The following factors can be a cause for a person to become alcoholic: 1. It can be genetic 2. Escape from reality and personal problems. Cover up or mask their depression and anxiety. 3. Lack of supervision from parents has a high tendency to develop a habit that deals with alcoholic drinks. 4. Alcohol is a method to escape from stress, fatigue and can be inherited, Boredom, among others. 5. Genetics also play a role and there are indications that alcoholism can be inherited. Alcoholism can impact a family in one of two ways either emotionally or financially it can also impact a family by creating health problems.

“Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K Jerome Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Three Men in a Boat† by Jerome K Jerome Essay In this essay an attempt is made to discern the important themes that one can observe in the book â€Å"Three Men in a Boat† written by Jerome K Jerome. This book written by Jerome K Jerome became extremely popular among the English readers. One reason for this popularity was its different and new way of representation which differed from the books written by authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Cannon Doyle, Rudyard Kipling and other popular authors. This popularity perhaps was due to the use of different themes and style of language that one can see in the case of this book. Firstly, the language used in this book was the language spoken by the common masses which perhaps attracted the common people to read this book leading to its popularity although the critics condemned the vulgarity that they found in the book in the various terms that were used in the book. However unlike the writing styles of the times, Jerome did not use glorifying terms or artificial terms to express the feelings of the people. The book refers to the three men among whom one character was represented by the author himself. An important theme in this book is the importance that is given to pleasure trips wherein the friends took several excursions in the boat on the River Thames and other places. These pleasure trips were earlier enjoyed usually by the middle and upper middle class people. However, the writing of this book â€Å"Three Men in a Boat† made the pleasure trips on the rivers of England extremely popular. Another important theme in the book is the love for nature and in order to express their love for nature the three friends go on excursion over River Thames. This book can be considered as an important contribution to the travel literature particularly within England. This book is the story of three common people who speak the usual language spoken by the common people. They do not involve in any great adventures and there are no great heroes and villains in this book. The appeal to the masses is an important theme in this book. However we can consider that the most important theme is the love of these people for travel, pleasure trips and their love of nature. An important aspect of this book is that initially it was conceived as a serious guide to traveling on boat. However humor became the principal style narration in this book. The readers regarded that many jokes in the book are relevant even today. One important theme found in this book is the need for relaxation from work. Thus, one can find the theme of escape in this work. Hence, the three men go for a pleasure trip in order to escape from the problems which they faced. An important theme is the disease which had attacked the friend of Jerome which led to search for the proper medicine to cure this disease. After reading the various medical literatures, the author feels that he possesses all the diseases mentioned in these works. Jerome mentions that, â€Å"I sat and pondered. I thought what an interesting case I must be from a medical point of view, what an acquisition I should be to a class! Students would have no need to â€Å"walk the hospitals†, if they had me. I was hospital in myself. All they need would be walk around me, and, after that take their diploma†. (Jerome, 1995) In this statement one can also find the theme of humor as the author is not only discussing the serious issue of medical problems but at the same time he is finding that he has got various diseases and he describes this with lot of humor. The author after reading about the health problems states that â€Å"I walked into the reading-room a happy, healthy man. I crawled out a discrepit wreck†. (Jerome, 1995) In the second chapter there are preparations for the pleasure trips by the friends of Jerome. The author mentions â€Å"Having thus settled the sleeping arrangements to the satisfaction of all four of us, the only thing left to discuss was what we should take with us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In this juncture one can find the humor in the statement: â€Å"George said he felt thirsty (I never knew George when he didn’t)†. (Jerome, 1995) The chapter three of the book refers to the further arrangements that were made for the trip. Humor also can be seen in the statement that â€Å"I notice that people always make gigantic arrangements for bathing when they are going anywhere near the water, but that they don’t bathe much when they are there†. (Jerome, 1995) While preparing for the travel the friends discuss regarding the question of food while traveling. While making travel arrangements, Jerome states that he thought that he is the most efficient person in packing which is essential while traveling. In fact he asked his friends to leave the task of packing to him because Jerome had confidence in his ability to pack. He stated that, â€Å"My tooth-brush is a thing that haunts me when I’m travelling, and makes my life a misery†. (Jerome, 1995) Here one can find both the seriousness of the fact that tooth-brush is necessary for travel and the sense of humor exhibited by the author. The friends visit various historical places and there is interesting discussion regarding the major events related to English history. There is reference to various adventures and misadventures of these three men while traveling. During travel the author states, â€Å"The boat seemed stuffy, and my head seemed aching†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Jerome, 1995). These people had some bad experiences which are suggested by the statement that â€Å"The people at the beer shop were rude. They merely laughed at us†. (Jerome, 1995) The experiences on the Marlow River are also explained in detail by the author. Jerome praised this river town due to its liveliness and they could enjoy in this place. In fact the author stated that â€Å"Our departure from Marlow I regard as one of our greatest successes.† (Jerome, 1995) There is also description regarding a procession which they noticed. The author mentioned that he did not like the steam launches and they had problems with these steam launches. The author also describes an incident wherein the friends prepare the meal and the author thought that this was the tastiest food he ever had.   This book by Jerome consists of themes such as traveling, escape from daily routine and humor. The various travel experiences of three men has been humorously presented by the author for the enjoyable reading. Reference Jerome, Jerome K. (1995). Three Men in a Boat, Etext #308, Project Gutenberg, Retrieved online on 10-09-2005 from http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext95/3boat10.txt

Collaborative Learning Heterogeneous Versus Homogeneous Grouping

Collaborative Learning Heterogeneous Versus Homogeneous Grouping As EFL teachers we are concerned with two main issues in language learning. The first issue addresses the skills students should acquire in EFL classes as a result of teaching-learning experiences. Such skills are often measured by students achievement. The second issue takes account of the strategies EFL teachers use to help students acquire such skills and in turn increase their achievement. Writing is a skill which requires efforts from both the student and the teacher. It is one of the four language skills which is given emphasis in second language learning (Inggris 2009). Writing is one of the skills which need to be mastered by the learners. They learn different genres of writing like descriptive, expository, recount and narrative based on the prescribed syllabus of their providers. Language learning involves learning the language code as well as the culture (appropriate ways of thinking and acting) associated with the language (Becket Gonzales 2004). Students writing abilities are affected by the type of instructions teachers use within their classroom practices. Writing is one of the productive skills that learners are expected to achieve in order to ensure their communicative competence. While learning writing, students are supposed to get involved in many activities that enable them to produce a piece of writing at the end. They can be engaged for example in class discussions, act in role playing or get involved in peer editing. While engaged in classroom activities students build up experience and have more practice that may finally give the chance to reach a proper product of writing. In teaching writing, teachers strive hard to find strategies to facilitate increasing students achievement. There are many methods adopted by the teachers in teaching EFL writing in the classrooms. One of the methods recommended in teaching writing is the incorporation of cooperative learning (Kagan 2002). In ability grouping, students are grouped in a variety of more flexible ways so that they spend some portion of a school day in heterogeneous groups and some portion in homogeneous groups. (Grady et al 2007). In most EFL classes, some learners perform better beyond grade-level, others struggle with target language, while another great part of the class falls somewhere in between. In their effort to meet the needs of such a diverse students, educators tend to assign pair and group work with students of different ability levels finding ways to involve all students in the activities. These ways could include communicative and cooperative tasks to allow scaffolding of less advanced students. In this classroom environment advanced level learners act as a bridge to facilitate the learning process and lower level classmates exhibit a willingness to cross that bridge (Sean, 2002.   As a general rule, it would seem reasonable to suggest that classroom harmony might better be achieved in a group of motivated students who are allowed to participate and cooperate. Statement of the problem Teachers and educators seem to have struggled for decades to find answers to questions about heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping: Does anyone benefit from each? Is anyone harmed by each? Who benefits (or is harmed) the most? Why? Are there alternatives to these two types grouping? The answers are not always clear-cut and often depend on whom you ask and what learning outcomes are considered important. To many educators, grouping is considered a sensible response to academic diversity. To others, the practice has harmful unintended consequences and should be abandoned. Indeed, research, logic, and emotion often clash when debating the topic of grouping. But what do we really know? Consequently, this study aims to investigate the effect of homogeneous grouping versus heterogeneous grouping on EFL students achievement in writing in the hope that it may settle the argument on which is better for both high and low achievers. Homogeneous grouping can be defined as dividing students into small groups which include students of the same ability or level for example high achievers together and low achievers together . While heterogeneous grouping can be defined as dividing students into groups that include mixed or different levels, high and low achievers together. Theoretical Framework Cognitive growth springs from the alignment of various perspectives as individuals work to attain common goals. Both Piaget and Vygotsky saw cooperative learning with more able peers and instructors as resulting in cognitive development and intellectual growth (Johnson, et al., 1998). The assumption of behavioral learning theory is that students will work hard on tasks that provide a reward and that students will fail to work on tasks that provide no reward or punishment. Cooperative learning is one strategy that rewards individuals for participation in the groups effort. A review of the literature on cooperative learning shows that students benefit academically and socially from cooperative, small-group learning (Gillies, 2002). Cooperative learning can produce positive effects on student achievement (Cohen, 1986; Davidson, 1989; Devries Slavin, 1978; Johnson Johnson, 1989; Okebukola, 1985; Reid, 1992; Slavin, 1990). Academic benefits include higher attainments in reading comprehension, writing (Mathes, Fuchs, Fuchs, 1997) and mathematics (Ross, 1995; Whicker, Nunnery, Bol, 1997) and enhanced conceptual understanding and achievement in science (Lonning, 1993; Watson, 1991). Social benefits include more on-task behaviors and helping interactions with group members (Burron, James, Ambrosio, 1993; Gillies Ashman, 1998; McManus Gettinger, 1996), higher self-esteem, more friends, more involvement in classroom activities, and improved attitudes toward learning (Lazarowitz, Baird, Bolden, 1996; Lazarowitz, Hertz-Lazarowitz, Baird, 1994). According to Slavin (1987), there are two major theoretical perspectives related to cooperative learning motivational and cognitive. The motivational theories of cooperative learning emphasize the students incentives to do academic work, while the cognitive theories emphasize the effects of working together. Motivational theories related to cooperative learning focus on reward and goal structures. One of the elements of cooperative learning is positive interdependence, where students perceive that their success or failure lies within their working together as a group (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1986). From a motivational perspective, cooperative goal structure creates a situation in which the only way group members can attain their personal goals is if the group is successful (Slavin, 1990,). Therefore, in order to attain their personal goals, students are likely to encourage members within the group to do whatever helps the group to succeed and to help one another with a group tas k. There are two cognitive theories that are directly applied to cooperative learning, the developmental and the elaboration theories (Slavin, 1987). The developmental theories assume that interaction among students around appropriate tasks increases their mastery of critical concepts (Damon, 1984). When students interact with other students, they have to explain and discuss each others perspectives, which lead to greater understanding of the material to be learned. The struggle to resolve potential conflicts during collaborative activity results in the development of higher levels of understanding (Slavin, 1990). The elaboration theory suggests that one of the most effective means of learning is to explain the material to someone else. Cooperative learning activities enhance elaborative thinking and more frequent giving and receiving of explanations, which has the potential to increase depth of understanding, the quality of reasoning, and the accuracy of long term retention (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1986). Therefore, the use of cooperative learning methods should lead to improved student learning and retention from both the developmental and cognitive theoretical bases. Several studies have examined the effects of cooperative learning methods on student learning. Humphreys, Johnson, and Johnson (1982) compared cooperative, competitive, and individualistic strategies and concluded that students who were taught by cooperative methods learned and retained significantly more information than students taught by the other two methods. Sherman and Thomas (1986) found similar results in a study involving high school students taught by cooperative and individualistic methods. In a review of 46 studies related to cooperative learning, Slavin (1983) found that cooperative learning resulted in significant positive effects in 63% of the studies, and only two studies reported higher achievement for the comparison group. Johnson, Maruyama, Johnson, Nelson, and Skon (1981) conducted a meta-analysis of 122 studies related to cooperative learning and concluded that there was strong evidence for the superiority of cooperative learning in promoting achievement over competitive and individualistic strategies. Johnson and Ahlgren (1976) examined the relationships between students attitudes toward cooperation, competition, and their attitudes toward education. The results of the study indicated that student cooperativeness, and not competitiveness, was positively related to being motivated to learn. Humphreys, Johnson, and Johnson (1982) also found that students studying in a cooperative learning treatment group rated their learning experience more positively than did students in competitive and individualistic treatment groups. In a study involving elementary and secondary students Wodarski, et al., (1980) found that 95% of the elementary students enjoyed the cooperative learning activities and that they had learned a lot about the subject. Cooperative learning has its roots in the theories of social interdependence, cognitive development, and behavioral learning. Some research provides exceptionally strong evidence that cooperative learning results in greater effort to achieve, more positive relationships, and greater psychological health than competitive or individualistic learning efforts (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1994( Social interdependence theory views cooperation as resulting from positive links of individuals to accomplish a common goal. The Gesalt psychologist Kurt Koffka proposed in the early 1900s that although groups are dynamic wholes the interdependence among members is variable. Kurt Lewin (1948) stated that interdependence developed from common goals provides the essential essence of a group. This interdependence creates groups that are dynamic wholes. The power of the group is such that a change in any member or subgroup directly changes any other member or subgroup. Within cognitive development theory, cooperation must precede cognitive growth. According to Emmer and Gerwels (2002) some research on cooperative learning has addressed instructional components. In a number of studies students have been taught interaction skills, such as how to question or to help each other so that they did not give answers but facilitated each others thinking (Fuchs, Fuchs, Kazdan, Allen, 1999; Gillies Ashman, 1996, 1998; Nattiv, 1994; Webb, Troper, Fall, 1995). And, when students are taught such skills, positive outcomes such as increased intrinsic motivation, liking for school, and self-esteem can result (Battistich, Solomon, Delucchi, 1993). Homogeneous grouping Homogeneous grouping has been proposed and implemented as a potential solution to meet the needs of the mixed ability classes, suggesting that students of different abilities can be gathered in groups of same ability thereby facilitating instruction (Slavin, 1987). This kind of grouping is based on the pedagogical principle that the teacher has the advantage of focusing instruction at the level of all the students in the particular group (Ansalone, 2000). It is assumed that teachers of mixed ability classes can increase the pace and raise instruction level for high achievers whereas low level students can enjoy individual attention. So, advanced pupils are taught more difficult concepts while low achievers deal with simple and fewer things. Proponents of homogeneous grouping opine that it is an excellent means of individualizing instruction. Achievement is considered to increase as teachers adjust the pace of instruction to students needs. Kulik and Kulik (1982) and Slavin (1987) carried out meta-analyses of studies at the elementary school level, finding benefits of within-class ability grouping. Both low ability students and more advanced ones placed in separate groups, benefited from instruction addressed to their level. More recently, Mulkey et al (2005) found that same ability grouping has persistent instructional benefits for both high and low level students. Marsh (1987) supports HG as a way of coping with mixed ability classes assuming that grouping children homogeneously enables those in lower ability groups to profit with respect to self-evaluation by being isolated from advanced peers. Furthermore, Allan (1991) supports that pupils model their behaviour after the behaviour of similar ability children who are coping well with their school work. The supporters of homogeneous grouping conclude that research fails to support that homogeneous grouping doesnt accomplish anything (Loveless, 1998). Although teachers of mixed ability classes seem to have positive attitudes towards homogeneous grouping (Scherer, 1993, Mulkey et al, 2005), the last quarter of the 20th century witnessed severe criticism of ability grouping. It has been declared that this type of grouping stigmatizes lower ability students, offering them inferior instruction. Several researchers argue that homogeneous grouping does not guarantee that all advanced or all weak students are alike. Matthews (1997) conducted a relevant research with students in grades 6 through 8 finding that gifted students are considerably more diverse than they are homogeneous. They vary in their degrees of advancement, their abilities, their learning styles and interests, their test-taking skills, and their social/emotional development. So, gathering advanced children of the mixed ability classes together in one group may not be the wisest solution to the problem. Ability grouping may decrease the self-esteem and aspirations of low ability children and therefore decelerate their academic progress. Welner and Mickelson (2000) carried out quite an extensive research review finding that low ability children are exposed to lowered expectations, reduced resources and rote learning. Childrens self-concept is affected and expectations are internalized (Ireson and Hallam, 1999, Gamoran, 1987). This implies that students of low ability in mixed ability classes are provided with low expectations if placed in same ability groups causing them feelings of inferiority. This is confirmed by Ansalone (2001) and Hallinan (1994) who demonstrated that children assigned to lower ability groups, are exposed to less and more simplified versions of the curriculum whereas high ability groups have broader and more challenging material covered. In this sense, Oakes (1992) and Wheelock (2005) support that educational benefits in mixed ability settings are not provided b y homogeneous grouping but rather by a challenging curriculum and high expectations. Research has accumulated evidence indicating that schooling tends to increase individual differences (Van der Veer and Valsiner, 1991). Homogeneous grouping seems to add more opportunities to advanced learners who are usually middle-class or upper-middle-class children, depriving pupils who already suffer from socio-economic segregation, or those who are learning less fast. Kozo seems to agree that homogeneous grouping damages not only low but also high-ability students as the latter who are usually the affluent children are not given any opportunities to learn the virtues of helping others or learning about unselfishness (Scherer, 1993). It is inferred that grouping students homogeneously for instruction on the mixed ability classes is one more advantage conferred on those who already enjoy many. Heterogeneous grouping Cooperative learning Heterogeneous grouping, that is gathering children of varying abilities in same groups has been proposed by many researchers as an effective strategy to promote academic development of students having diverse background knowledge and abilities. Brimfield, Masci and Defiore (2002) believe that all students deserve an academically challenging curriculum (p.15). So, our goal is to find a way to engage all pupils of the mixed ability classroom in the lesson irrespective of their abilities. The authors point out that by creating mixed-ability groups, we send the compelling message that everybody is expected to work at the highest possible level as high and low ability students deal with the same challenges. Disadvantaged pupils are at reduced risk of being stigmatized and exposed to a dumped-down curriculum in a mixed-ability setting. Teachers expectations for all pupils are maintained at higher levels and less able students have opportunities to be assisted by more able peers. It is assumed that heterogeneous grouping provides pupils access to more learning opportunities. Johnson and Johnson (1987) recommend assigning children of high, medium, and low abilities in the same group maximizing the heterogeneous make up of each group. Such ability diversity within the same group creates an effective learning environment (Manlove and Baker, 1995) providing learning opportunities for low-level students as well as opportunities to more advanced children to provide explanations to others revising, consolidating and using some things they have encountered before. The teachers can use cooperative tasks among high and low achievers of mixed ability groups or pairs in order to promote task engagement of all students in the mixed ability class as advanced children can provide explanations and guidance in carrying out a task. Cooperative tasks among high and low achievers are valued by the sociocultural theory of Vygotsky (1978). Pupils of mixed ability classes differ at their competence level and prior linguistic experiences. Vygotsky supports that children who are exposed to books and other out-of-school factors which contribute to linguistic development i.e .prior knowledge of English from private institutional instruction, are expected to have already run through a large part of their ZPD. On the other hand, pupils with poor literacy opportunities i.e. without prior knowledge of English may possess a larger Zone of Proximal Development (Van der Veer and Valsiner, 1991). So, they may benefit greatly from peer interactions which are likely to help low level students reach higher levels of performance. In this framework, Lyle (1999) showed that both low and high achieving students value the opportunity to work together as all pupils believed that they benefited. It was concluded that peer interactions can facilitate literacy development especially of low ability students. In this vein, Guralnick (1992) points out that social competence acquired in group work affects the elaboration of all students cognitive competencies, implying that both low and advanced learners of mixed ability classes may gain from such settings. The role of peer learning as contributing to language development has also been emphasized by Mize, Ladd and Price (1985) Webb (1989), Jacob et al (1996) and Slavin (1996). Rogoff (1993) refers to childrens social sharing of their cognition through interaction. When pupils participate in collective activities, they guide each others efforts. According to Tudge and Winterhoff (1993) advanced children give constant feedback through conversation forcing peers to strive for reaching higher levels of performance. Various studies have indicated a positive correlation between cooperative learning and achievement in mixed ability classes. For example, Walters (2000) asserts that cooperative learning is suitable for teachers dealing with increasingly diverse classrooms as it easily accommodates individual differences in achievement. Accordingly, Fulk and King (2001) support that class-wide peer tutoring improves all students learning. They add that serving in the role of tutor seems to be particularly beneficial for improving the self-esteem of students with low achievement while they may, for example, grade their partners reading. Therefore, it appears that CL may satisfy the needs of a mixed ability class. Studies conducted by Pica and Doughty (1985), Porter (1986), and Cotterall (1990) indicate that learners of different abilities produce more in mixed ability pair and group work by helping one another to overcome cognitive obstacles. This conclusion is consistent with Urzuas (1987) finding that the mixed ability children in the observational study conducted, appeared to have developed a sense of power in language through the process of working with trusted peers i.e. writing and revising. The benefits of cooperative learning are more tangible when it comes to written work. ODonnell et al (1985) found that involvement in cooperative dyads can improve the quality of students performance on a written task. Weak students of mixed ability classes can use advanced learners as sources of information, commenting on and critiquing each others drafts in both oral and written formats (Liu and Hansen, 2002). Rollinson (2005:25) attributes this phenomenon to the possibility that peer audiences are more sympathetic than the more distant teacher audience. Peer review groups are also favoured by Huot (2002) and Inoue (2005) and Cotterall and Cohen (2003) who showed the positive effects of scaffolding in mixed ability settings Cooperative activities such as group investigation are likely to encourage shy and low performance students since they have the advantage of requiring the participation of all group or pair members to carry out a task, allowing each member to do something according to ones abilities. Review of Literature Ability grouping can be carried out between-class or within-class (Dukmak 2009). Between-class ability grouping refers to a schools practice of forming classrooms that contains students of similar ability. Within-class grouping refers to a teacherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s practice of forming groups of students of similar ability within an individual class (Gamoran, 1992; Hollified, 1987) An extensive research has been conducted on ability grouping suggesting that academically, high-achieving students achieve and learn more when they are grouped with other high-achieving students (Gentry Owens, 2002; Grossen, 1996; Hollified, 1987; Page Keith, 1996). In mixed-ability grouping it is difficult to provide an adequate environment for teaching to everyone. Since students differ in knowledge, skills, developmental stage, and learning rate, one lesson might be easier for some students and more difficult for the others (Slavin, 1987b). In ability grouping, high-achieving students view their own abilities more realistically and feel that they are appropriately challenged with their peers (Fiedler, Lange, and Wine-Brenner, 2002). Mixed-ability grouping is based on cooperative learning which demonstrates positive success related to students achievement. In this type of grouping, students work collaboratively to successfully achieve a desired educational outcome and develop a greater understanding and respect for individual differences. All forms of diversity within the learning environment are embraced (Felder Brent, 2001; Freeman, 1993; Saleh, Lazonder, DeJong, 2005). Moreover, in a mixed-ability, teachers respond to the individualized needs of all learners (Kulik Kulik, 1992). The most compelling argument against ability grouping is the creation of academic elites a practice which goes against democratic ideals (Slavin, 1987a). Johnson and Johnson (1999) and Johnson, Johnson and Smith (1998) say that cooperative learning has five basic elements. The elements are positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, appropriate use of social skills, and periodic processing of how to improve the effectiveness of the group (Johnson Johnson 1999 ).When these elements are properly implemented, the research has shown that group collaboration in the classroom can increase learning and achievement, social skills, self-esteem, and attitudes toward classmates and school (Slavin, 1990 as cited in Webb, Nemer Zuniga 2002). Placing students in teams or cooperative learning groups has many advantages. It helps to build a students communication skills, can help increase tolerance and the acceptance of diversity, promotes higher level reasoning, promotes increased generation of new ideas, promotes greater transfer of information from one situation to another, increases retention, builds teamwork ski lls, reduces stress, and increased willingness to attempt challenging tasks (Baker Campbell, 2005; Huss, 2006; Lin, 2006; Payne Monk-Turner, 2006; Patrick, Bangel, Jeon 2005; Kim 2004; Vaughn, 2002; Johnson Johnson, 1999; Johnson, Johnson Smith, 1998; Slavin, 1996). The cooperative learning experience also [gives] students the opportunity to review and learn information that they did not understand before the cooperative learning activity (Webb, 2002). According to Lin (2006, ), research has concluded that cooperative learning is the top ranked teaching model that promotes greater higher-order thinking, problem solving, and achievement. Students can remember 75-90% of materials when they learn it in cooperative learning situations (Lin, 2006). In a survey of college students after an experiment involving group work, Payne and Monk-Turner (2006) found that 90% of students favored group work and that 90% learned from their group members. Since 1924, 168 studies have been conducted that compare cooperative learning to competitive and individual learning. These studies have shown that cooperative learning yields higher academic achievement than individual and competitive learning (Johnson, Johnson Smith, 1998). Cooperative learning groups are also said to be particularly beneficial to low academic achieving students and students of color (Huss, 2006; Vaughn, 2002). Cooperative learning groups appear to be successful for many reasons. Students become an instrumental part of the group when they feel their efforts will contribute to the success of the group (Baker Campbell, 2005). Students are successful and learn in cooperative learning groups because [they] learn by doing rather than listening (Payne, Monk-Turner, Smith 2006 ) and because they are actively using the material and information (Zimbardo, Butler, Wolfe, 2003). Cooperative learning also strengthens students social interactions, it gives them the desire to achieve, [to develop] more positive interpersonal relationships, and [have] greater psychological health than competitive or individualistic learning efforts (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1994 as cited in Morgan, 2003, ). Cooperative learning can teach students that (a) that knowledge can be, or should be, shared with fellow students; (b) that differences in opinion can be rationally negotiated even under conditions of test pressur es; and (c) that cooperative learning procedures can be enjoyable and productive (Zimbardo et al., 2003, ). These types of lessons enable students to learn how to work well with others. The interdependent relationships that develop within a group help to facilitate the groups success. Everyone feels the goal of the group will be met if everyone achieves their individual goals (Vaughn, 2002; Morgan, 2004). According to Morgan (2004), group members should also be aware of the fact that a single group member can affect how and/or if the goal is achieved. The cooperative learning experience is most effective when the participants work well together and they successfully achieve their goal. There are many characteristics to successful teams. Some of these characteristics include open communication, effectively listening, open-mindedness, clear roles, an established leader, clearly defined tasks, teamwork where everyone works together and contributes, there are well developed attainable goals (Payne, Monk-Turner, 2006; Baker Campbell, 2005), and a timeline (Payne Monk-Turner, 2006). In a classroom, there are also many things a teacher can do to help insure the success of a group activity. The teacher should provide strong guidance (Payne Monk-Turner, 2006; Baker Campbell, 2005), model the desired behavior, provide immediate feedback, and reward desired behavior (Lin, 2006; Baker Campbell, 2005). The teacher can also use checks and balances to monitor productivity, employ various problem solving strategies (Friend Cook, 2007), leng then the amount of time the group spends together, provide proper group behavior training, establish ground rules (Mitchell, Reilly, Bramwell, 2004) and allow group members rate each other (Lin, 2006). If the teacher monitors, provides rewards and allows the students to rate each other, it may reduce the effects of a slacker and keep students from getting a grade they do not deserve (Payne Monk-Turner, 2006). Students that slack off can demotivate hard working students and give them a negative feeling about group work (Ashraf, 2004). Many studies have been conducted that demonstrate the success of teaming. Robert Slavin has conducted extensive research on the implementation of cooperative learning models in schools. He has examined the effects schools becoming complete cooperative learning centers on their academic achievement. He has found many successful situations where lower performing schools were transformed because they converted to a cooperative learning format (Slavin, 1999 22-23). Payne and Monk Turner (2006) conducted a study that examined how students felt about teams. In this study, they assigned students to groups, gave them an assignment, and then asked them how they felt about the assignment after the group project was completed. They found that 90% of the students had a favorable experience, 90% of the students learned from their group members, and 85% of the students felt they learned teaming skills that could be transcended into business. Baker and Campbell (2005) conducted a study in which stu dents were placed in groups and observed that the students who worked in groups, as opposed to working individually, were more successful because they had more access to knowledge, they felt pressured to succeed to keep the group from failing, and the various personalities helped alleviate the stress of the problems. For example a member often told jokes to help lesson the tension. Additionally, members often provided positive reinforcement and motivation. Placing students in groups to take tests is another way to use cooperative learning and group work. Morgan examined the benefits and nonbenefits of college students completing exams using cooperative learning groups. She concluded that The increased depth of understanding, the feelings of support, respect for others contributions, and the clarification of information produced more students with a greater awareness of the material and more developed social skills to be contributing members of teams (Morgan, 2004 ). The understanding of successful cooperative learning group models not only affects groups in grade school; it also affects groups in jobs and college. According to Payne, Monk-Turner, and Smith (2006) employers want college graduates that have developed teamwork skills. Miglietti (2002) says that group work is commonly used in the workplace and employers want to hire people with these skills. Furthermore, these skills can be learned when student

A Guide to MADD Sites Essay -- Drunk Driving Essays

A Guide to MADD Sites â€Å"In 2001, more than half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present — an average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes† (Blincoe qtd. in MADD main). â€Å"In 2002, an estimated 17,419 people died in alcohol–related traffic crashes—an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,815 total traffic fatalities [in America]† (NHTSA qtd. in MADD main). From these statistics, it is clear to see that drunk driving is a serious issue that harms thousands of innocent American citizens. Although there are many organizations that address the issue of drinking and driving, MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is the most successful, as a group of citizens, in fulfilling their mission. It is ironic that the MADD organization was founded because of one person’s anger. Reports show that in 1979, Cindi Lamb and her five and a half old month daughter, Laura, were in a car accident involving a drunk driver. Their car was hit head on by a repeat drunk driving offender who was traveling at 120 miles per hour. As a result, Laura became one of the world’s youngest quadriplegics. This event prompted Lamb to start a war against drunk driving in her home state of Maryland (Lord qtd. in MADD main). On the west coast, less than a year later, 13-year-old Cari Lightner was killed by a drunk driver. According the article, the driver was released on bail for a hit-and-run drunk driving crash two days prior. In addition to this offense, the driver had two prior drunk driving convictions with a third offense for reckless accident. Despite all of these charges, he was still driving around with a valid ... ...ly up to the individual. Works Cited Blincoe, Seay et al. â€Å"Stats & Resources- General Statistics.† (2002). 4 Oct. 2003 . Lord, Janice. â€Å"Really MADD Looking Back at 20 Years.† DRIVEN Magazine. 27 Sept. 2003. Spring 2002 . Mothers Against Drunk Driving- Canada Chapter. â€Å"MADD Home Page.† (2003). 27 Sept. 2003 . Mothers Against Drunk Driving-Official Site. â€Å"MADD Home Page.† (2003). 27 Sept. 2003 . Mothers Against Drunk Driving- Orange County Chapter. â€Å"MADD Home Page.† (2003). 27 Sept. 2003 . National Highway and Traffic Administration. â€Å"Stats & Resources- General Statistics.† (2003) 3 Oct. 2003 .

Cyrano the Bergerac Love in Cyrano de Bergerac :: Cyrano Bergerac

Cyrano the Bergerac     Love      When we think about the force that holds the world together and what makes humans different from animals, one answer comes to our minds - that humans can love.   Love is a state of mind that cannot be defined easily but can be experienced by everyone. Love is very complicated.   In fact it is so complicated that a person in love may be misunderstood to be acting in an extremely foolish manner by other people.   The complexity of love is displayed in Rostand’s masterpiece drama Cyrano de Bergerac.   This is accomplished by two characters that love the same woman and in the course neither one achieves love in utter perfection.        First of all the question rises what is love.   Love is having a sense of security in someone.   When we love someone we usually mean that we can turn to that person comfortably if all other doors of the world are shut to us.   This is the one person that we trust and like to be in company with.   In the novel Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano loves Roxane more than anyone else but he is shy to tell her so.   When he finds out of her feelings towards another character Christian, who she likes because of his looks, Cyrano finds a way to express his love to Roxane.   He decides that he would write to her in the name of Christian who comparatively is a poor writer and "wishes to make Christian his interpreter"(II,85).        Both Christian and Cyrano love Roxane but Roxane loves only the person that has been writing to her.   It was actually Cyrano, who was writing to her but she thinks it was Christian.   Cyrano had said, "..And we two make one hero of romance." (II,85)   Since Cyrano was suffering with an inferiority complex, as he had a gigantic nose, he was shy to ask Roxane whether she wanted him or not.   He had assumed that she would not like him because of his deformity.   He one said , "..I adore Beatrice Have I / The look of Dante?" (I,42)   What he had not considered was that Roxane loved him for what he was from the inside, not outside.   Once she had told Christian that , "If you were less charming - ugly even - I should love you still.

Affirmative Action Essay -- Race Racism

Affirmative Action The Webster dictionary defines affirmative action as an â€Å"active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This paper will discuss the history of affirmative action and its effects on education and the work force in our society. I will argue why affirmative action is necessary for minorities to gain equal opportunities educationally and economically and how affirmative action is morally required as reparation for past discrimination. I will also discuss why many people believe that affirmative action is a step in the wrong direction and point out several arguments as to why we should get rid of affirmative action and try to validate their claims. Affirmative action requires that supervisors in charge of economic and educational opportunities take into consideration a candidate’s sex, disabilities, and ethnic background when accepting positions, especially if the candidate’s ethnic affiliation has had a history of racial discrimination. These minority groups are entitled to special considerations, typically viewed as payments made by the government to settle past discrimination. The effects of affirmative action have been well seen in economic and educational systems where educators and employers have long been pressured into giving preference to minorities even if they lesser qualifications, to help write off past discrimination. Affirmative action was established on the basis that because of the past discrimination of races, our nation was unable to flourish into what it should have become- a nation which provided equal opportunity regardless of a person’s race. It is in my opinion that had our country n ever oppressed colored people to such a great exten... ...nathan. Long Way to Go: Black and White in America. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1998. Thomas D. Boston, Affirmative Action and Black Entrepreneurship. New York: Routledge, 1999. Geiger, H Jack. "Race and Health Care-An American Dilemma?" New England Journal of Medicine 335(11):815-816 (1996) Gould, Stephen Jay. The Mismeasure of Man. New York: Norton & Co., 1981. Curry, George. The Affirmative Action Debate. Massachusetts: Addison Wesley, 1996. Wise, A.E., Darling-Hammond. Effective teacher selection: From recruitment to retention. R-3462-NIE/CSTP, Washington, DC: RAND Corporation., 1987 Rosenfeld, Michel. Affirmative Action and Justice: A Philosophical and Constitutional Inquiry. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991. Rothman, Stanley; Lipset, Seymour Martin & Nevitte, Neil, "Racial Diversity Reconsidered," The Public Interest Spring 2003.

Kildress

We have developed food waste profiles for 25 of our most frequently purchased food products. These profiles highlight the percentage of total food production wasted at every stage of the value chain. Below is a selection of these profiles and a summary of how we are tackling the food waste hotshots.Potatoes To reduce losses in the field and processing we are: Reviewing waste alongside customer preferences when selecting different potato varieties using satellite and aerial mapping technology to identify specific trends In lied losses ‘Introducing new technology to remove stones earlier In processing to reduce damage To help customers reduce food waste in the home we are reviewing opportunities for modified atmosphere packaging which could help the potatoes to last longer.Field losses 9%, Processing losses 6%, Retail waste 1%, Consumer waste 39% Illustration of potatoes Cheese To help reduce the amount of cheese our customers waste at home we have: Introduced re-sellable packagi ng on all British cheddar standardized the on-pack shelf life Information so that customers know, for example, that all soft and blue cheeses should be used within three days of opening Added recipes on our Real Food website to provide ways for customers to use up any leftover cheese Field losses 1%, Processing losses under 1%, Retail waste under 1%, Consumer waste Illustration of a cheese board Lamb transporting lamb to improve product quality and freshness. To increase shelf life for customers we are rolling out specialized packaging. This genealogy has been successfully introduced for beef, giving customers up to an extra five days to consume the product, and we hope it will have a similar impact for lamb. Field losses 7%, Processing losses 13%, Retail waste 1%, Consumer waste 5% Illustration of lamb Within the scope of KEMP Alp's limited assurance opinion see page 42 for more details. * Since we published our first five food waste profiles in October 2013, WRAP has published rev ised household food waste data which has been incorporated into our 25 food waste profiles.

History Of Oslo Essay

Oslo is Norway’s capital city. Oslo came from the Old Norse word â€Å"†¦os meaning mountain and lo meaning plain or river â€Å". In other words, Oslo can be described as a place beneath the mountains (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). People of German origin may have settled in the settlements along the Oslo Fjord who moved up to the north from mainland Europe (Zelko 63). The first evident settlement in Oslo was in the 8th century. (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). The first people of who inhabited Oslo lived in â€Å"humble wooden houses with turf roofs† that was surrounded with pens or sheds for goats, sheep and cows (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). Like all the other settlers of Norway, the people were grouped together in the form of a tribe and those who were landowners met with his other landed neighbors in a public assembly called Thing. Legislative assemblies were called Lagtings (Zelko 63). During the Viking age, AD800-1000 Oslo settlers grew rapidly as it had become the center for trade and shipbuilding activities and later it earned the name the† Viking Capital† (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Viking means â€Å"a man from â€Å"Vik†, a huge bay between the Cape Lindesnes in Norway and the mouth of Gota River in Sweden (Britannica 1033). Norwegian Vikings, like other Vikings of Denmark and Sweden, were feared all over Europe as they had â€Å"superior ships and weapons as well developed military organization†. They were basically endowed with extraordinary hunger for adventure (Britannica 1034). Norwegian Vikings were known to be ruthless and brave fighters who killed their victims and greedily loots their conquered settlements and when they were done plundering destroyed the place with fire. They changed the face of Europe as they engaged in raiding and trade and then finally attracted by their conquered lands settled to live there. Their target places were mostly western European countries such as England, Scotland, and Iceland. Their active participation in trading had renewed the neglected European commerce of the middle Ages. Their contact with Western Europe was instrumental for their Christianization and eventually unification of Norway (Britannica 1033). In 885 the first Viking Monarch, Harold the Fair-haired united Norway (Halsey 239). During his reign the settlers of Norway, including Oslo, were commonly engaged in blood feuds, fightings that involve almost, if not all, disagreeing families. Even minor disputes can trigger the killing and maiming of both members of the quarreling families and if not settled can start an endless round of retaliation. The violence can be finally stopped when offending families pay the wronged families which they called â€Å"bot†. Sometimes family feuds were brought to the attention of the Lagtings who will decide the outcome of the disputes and impose penalties. The worst penalty they can give at that time was known as outlawry—a sentence that regarded the offender as if he died already. All his goods were taken away from him and he cannot exercise or claim any legal rights. In fact, anyone can kill him without facing the risk of penalty. These condemned people were left with no choice but to leave their homeland or live in the forest as an outlaw (Tseng 24). In 1050 Harald Hardrade or King Harald III officially founded Oslo and made it the center of southern Norway. This site was located at the eastern side of the harbor on the left bank of the small Akers River (Halsey 239). Harald died in 1066 and his death ended the Viking period as raidings stopped (â€Å"Norway† 2007). Oslo experienced a great era during the reign of Haakon V who was crowned in 1299. He decided to build the Akershus fortress in Olso to serve as his home with his wife Euphemia of Rugens, a Northern German princess (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). He made Oslo the capital of Norway replacing Bergen. This time Oslo and the rest of Norway enjoyed relative peace (â€Å"Norway† 2007). In 1318 Norway was united with the kingdom of Sweden when Duke Erik of Sweden married Princess Ingebjorg, daughter of Queen Euphemia and Hakon V Magnusson. The unification of both countries was officially signed in the Bishop’s castle; now presently know as Oslo Ladergard (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). The saddest event that occurred in the early history of Oslo was the Black Death that terrorized the world in 1349. It was estimated that half of Oslo’s population died during the time of the Black Death or â€Å"bubonic† plague. Bubonic plague was carried by fleas in rats from England (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Because of the loss of its inhabitants and damage to agriculture Norway united together with Denmark and Sweden via the Union of Kalmar 1397(â€Å"Norway† 2007). During this time Copenhagen, instead of Oslo, was selected as the actual capital of Norway. Consequently Oslo lost it political importance and was only regarded as a provincial administrative center while the kings lived in Copenhagen and Stockholm from 1400-1500 (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). In 1523, however, Sweden dropped out of the union, and weaker Norway was left in the care of Danish Kings(â€Å"Norway† 2007). Part 2 Modern Era Reformation Period Like the rest of mainland Europe, Oslo was greatly affected by the Lutheran Protestant Reformation of 1537 when the German Monk Martin Luther questioned the laws of Roman Catholic Church and sought to reform the religious beliefs of the Europeans. Oslo citizens were engaged in religious conflicts(Thodock 2003). The catholic bishop of Oslo, Hans Rev was converted to Protestantism despite the reluctance of the citizens( â€Å"Oslo:City† 2006). Since Oslo had slightly lost its political and economic importance as a city at this time as it was being ruled by Denmark most of the buildings constructed there was only made of wood so that the city was easily destroyed by fire in 1624. King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway decided to move the town to the right bank of the Akers River and rebuild it near the Akershus Fortress. The city buildings were constructed in a Renaissance city style with rectangular blocks and renamed it Christiania (Halsey). Scientific Revolution The scientific revolution changed the world’s beliefs entirely, and Norway is in the heart of it Religious beliefs were proven to be wrong and questions were answered. Copernicus first with his opinion on the heliocentric theory, Galileo second with proof of Copernicus’ theory, and Newton third with the laws of gravity to explain how and why the planets revolved around the sun. Enlightenment During the 1700’s the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment flourished in Europe particularly to the Norwegian trading partners of Great Britain and Holland. In these places people were trying to improve their lives with the use of reason instead of following traditional religious or accepted beliefs. Contact with the â€Å"enlightened† British and Dutch affected the daily life of the inhabitants of Christiania. Norwegian traders brought home with them not only the prized cargoes of tobacco, coffee, tea and spices but also enlightened ideas. They constructed luxurious houses with magnificent gardens in accordance with the style western Europe (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). Napoleonic wars At first, Denmark and Norway attempted to remain neutral in the Napoleonic wars between France and England and their respective allies in 1805. However, England attacked the entire Danish fleet in 1807 as a result Denmark joined with France against Britain (Britannica 1034). Britain cut-off trading with Norway and set up a continental blockade against Denmark and Norway wherein British navy prevented the goods from both Norway and Denmark in reaching its trading partners . This action greatly affected the economy of Norway. The export of fish and timber from Christiania as well as the import of grain from Denmark were blocked. As a result, citizens of Christiania faced an economic crisis and suffered hunger. To end their trouble, Britain loosened up its blockade against Norway in 1810-13(â€Å"Oslo† 1991). In 1814 the king of Denmark was forced to give up Norway to Sweden in a Treaty of Kiel when Napoleon I was defeated (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Eager to rebuild their government the Norwegian created its first constitution on May 17 the same year and Christiania became the capital city. In time, Christiania replaced its rival Bergen as Norway’s largest city. The people celebrated with joy as Christiania was expected to reclaim its old glory without giving much thought at first that they were still under the control of a foreigner, Sweden. As a capital city, Christiania once again becomes important politically and economically. For its newly acquired role, new monumental buildings were erected as a venue for important functions. . They were the Royal Palace, Bank of Norway and the stock exchange Oslo Bors. Later, most Christiania citizens joined with the rest of Norway in demanding for a complete control of their own affairs. They did not want to recognize the provisions of the Treaty of Kiel and instead preferred a Danish King to rule them. Because of the political unrest , Sweden was forced to make the Act of Union of 1815,that gave Norway the privilege of having its own army, navy and parliament(Storting) and was permitted to control their own internal affairs in exchange for their strict compliance to the Treaty of Kiel(â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Renaissance Period Because of their internal independence, Christiania’ economic and political power rose. By mid 1800’s, Christiania grew into a major administrative, economic and military center. The economic success brought about by the shipping and agricultural industry made Christiania a dominant economic city of Norway (World Book 1981). The site of rapid industrial revolution in Oslo started at the Aker River around 1840. The development of Industries relied in the electricity provided by this River. Old buildings along the River were demolished and replaced with concrete large textile industrial buildings . Because of the increased jobs offered by industries the population of Christiania increased as peasants and rural populace moved to the cities hoping find work. In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution Christiania’s industrial workers, like most of European industrial cities, lived in poverty since income was low. They mostly lived in crowded houses meant for workers in which sanitation was bad. As a result, sickness was common and spread easily. To augment family income, the children aged below ten were forced to work in the industries, an environment that was not conducive for their well-balanced growth. In fact, industries were noisy and dusty. They caused water and air pollution. Because of this, the health of the children suffered and their resistance to sickness decreased as they lacked the time to play and sleep. In fact, schoolwork was unavoidably neglected (â€Å"Off â€Å"2007). Revolutions of 1848 The political revolutions in Europe in 1848 had increased the desire of Norway to demand for independence from Sweden. In the late 1800’s popular Norwegian playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Bjornstjerne Bjorjornson staged a play in Christiania’s theater with a theme about political hypocrisy, rights of women and social problems. These plays helped Norwegians develop a sense of nationalism. In 1901 the city of Christiania was selected by the notable Swedish inventor, Alfred Nobel to be the site for the awarding of the most prestigious Noble Peace Prize (Lundestad 2001). By 1905 Sweden granted independence to Norway and Christiania at last was freed from foreign interference that began 1300’s (Halsey 240). Industrial Revolution World War One was inevitable due to industrialization and the desire each country had to become supreme. Firstly, relationships between the nations of the world were dramatically altered by the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century. Tensions between the industrial powers began to rise. The intensity between the industrial powers grew more and more as each country sought to expand its sphere of influence at the expense of others. Secondly, there was a growing desire by ethnic populations within the larger countries to become independent nations. Norway separated from Sweden and revolts occurred in colonies such as China, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Ireland. War broke out in the Balkans in 1912 and again in 1913, as Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, and Greece fought first the Ottoman Empire and then Austria-Hungary. Lastly, Colonies around the world were a valuable asset for supporting the host country’s economy. The great European powers needed raw materials and outlets for their goods. They wanted to expand into new colonies while still protecting the ones they already had. World War I The economy of Christiania steadily grew until before World War I. When the First World War broke out in 1914 Norway declared its neutrality. However, Christiania benefited economically from the war by carrying British cargoes inspite the loss of Norwegian lives and ships that were caught in the war (Compton 610). After the war Christiania settled back to its normal life. In 1924, Christiania was renamed back to Oslo (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). World War II. On April 9, 1940 Oslo was defeated by the Germans almost with only a slight resistance due the betrayal of Norwegian Officer and Fascist politician Vidkun Quisling who collaborated with the Nazis. As a result, the city was only slightly damaged during the war (Halsey 239). In 1942 Germany installed a puppet government in Norway under National Union leader Vidkun Quisling. However, the Norwegians resisted the Germans and its puppet regime. Oslo became a place of opposition strikes. Other citizens were secretly involved in the large-scale industrial sabotage and espionage on behalf of the allied powers. (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). During their occupation of the city the Nazis used Akershus as a prison and place of execution for those convicted of allied conspiracy and today it’s the site of Norway’s Resistance Museum, which provided a detailed account of German takeover and the Norwegian struggle against it (Thodock 2003). The German forces that overrun Norway surrendered in May 8, 1945 enabling the exiled King Hakon VII to return to Norway from London in June. Oslo then began to rebuild its ruin buildings while at the same time prosecuted â€Å"about 90,000 alleged cases of treason and defection†. Convicted traitors faced execution foremost of which was Vidkun Quisling (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). War had been going on for a very long time when it came to The Cold War, the postwar to World War II. After World War II, as the Cold War began two major alliances were created. Although, in World War I a systems of alliances did not work, the systems of alliances that formed after World War II were bigger and they weren’t buddy-buddy alliances. These two alliances were formed to bring peace throughout the world, to end The Cold War, and to prevent anymore future high scale wars. Toward the end of the war, hostility between Norwegians and the German occupying forces grew considerably stronger. A prime cause was the German withdrawal from all fronts. Retreating German units from the fronts in the north, the USSR and Finland, withdrew to Norwegian territory. In the autumn of 1944, the Red Army followed the Germans into Finnmark, where it liberated Kirkenes and the northeastern areas. As the occupying troops retreated, they ordered an evacuation of the entire Norwegian population in Finnmark and in Troms south to Lyngen. In Lyngen, three German army corps dug in. Then the entire region north of Lyngen was burned and destroyed. The destruction included 10,400 homes, bridges, power stations, factories, fishing vessels, telephone facilities and other types of infrastructure. The scorched earth area was much larger than all of Denmark. After the Soviet Red Army crossed into North Norway, a Norwegian military mission and a small number of Norwegian soldiers from Great Britain and Sweden followed. The Russians withdrew from Norway in September 1945, a few months after the German capitulation.