Curriculum Development Essay Example for Free

Curriculum Development Essay 1. What is K-12 curriculum? What is the rationale of K-12 curriculum? K- 12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Philippines and Australia. It means kindergarten and the twelve years of elementary and secondary education. The kindergarten refers to the 5-year old unit that takes a standardized kinder curriculum. The elementary education refers to primary schooling that involves six or seven years of education and the secondary education refers to high school. The main purpose of K-12 Program is to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship. The outcome goals of the K-12 Basic Education Program is to make Philippine education standards to be at balance with international standards, to create more emotionally mature graduates equipped with technical and vocational skills who are better prepared for work, middle level skills development and higher education, to make the educational inputs significantly addressed shortages or gaps, to make the improvement of basic education outcomes broadened and strengthened the stakeholder support, to improve internal efficiency, system of governance in the department and quality of teachers. 2. Essentialists point of view of curriculum development? The curriculum is a crucial component of any educational process. It addresses questions such as what students should learn and be able to do, why, how, and how well. In the past, the curriculum was designed merely from the perspective of its cultural transmission functions with its structure consequently reflecting discrete areas of knowledge. According to Kern it is possible to use a six-step approach to curriculum development for Medical Education: 1. Problem identification and general needs assessment The most important step is the first one, the general needs assessment (GNA). The goal of step 1 is to focus the curriculum, by defining the deficits in knowledge, attitude, or skills that currently exist in practitioners and the ideal approach to teaching and learning these objectives. When completed, the GNA makes a strong argument for the need for the curriculum and identifies potential educational research questions. 2. Needs assessment of targeted learners The general needs assessment is applied to targeted learners. What kind of doctor do we want to educate it depends mostly on social needs but it can reflect job opportunities, financial rewards and attitudes acquired during process of studding. Sometimes it is very difficult to make balance between these several needs. Needs can be obtained on different ways. It can be done through study of errors in practice. It is very difficult to design curriculum which will fully meet the needs of society and students 3. Goals and objectives Institution should define overall goals and aims for the curriculum. Specific measurable knowledge, skill/ performance, attitude, and process objectives should be stated for the curriculum. 4. Educational strategies It is necessary to make a plan how to maximize the impact of the curriculum, which content should be included, how content should be organized and with which educational methods, how elements of curriculum should communicate, what kind of educational environment and climate should be developed. Content which is included must provide to student critical thinking. It must be selected and organized on the way to initiate critical approach to facts and development skill of information retrieval. 5. Implementation A plan for implementation, including timelines and resources required, should be created. A plan for faculty development is made to assure consistent implementation. 6. Evaluation and feedback Evaluation of curriculum presents the final stage inside cyclic process of improvement and development of curriculum. 3. Why develop a curriculum? Ever since the term curriculum was added to educators vocabularies, it has seemed to convey many things to many people. To some, curriculum has denoted a specific course, while to others it has meant the entire educational environment. Whereas perceptions of the term may vary, it must be recognized that curriculum encompasses more than a simple definition. Curriculum is a key element in the educational process; its scope is extremely broad, and it touches virtually everyone who is involved with teaching and learning. In no other area has greater emphasis been placed upon the development of curricula that are relevant in terms of student and community needs and substantive outcomes. The career and technical and technical curriculum focuses not only on the educational process but also on the tangible results of that process. This is only one of many reasons why the career and technical and technical curriculum is distinctive in relation to other curricular areas and why career and technical education curriculum planners must have a sound understanding of the curriculum development process. 4. What to consider in curriculum development? In planning and developing a curriculum, you should consider the following: 1. Convening a Curriculum Development Committee Such a committee, consisting primarily of teachers who represent the various schools and grade levels in a district, administrators, members of the public and perhaps students, becomes the driving force for curriculum change and the long-term process of implementing the curriculum. It is critical that an effective, knowledgeable and respected chairperson lead such a committee and it includes knowledgeable and committed members who gradually become the districts de facto experts during the development phases of the process as well as the implementation phases. 2. Identifying Key Issues and Trends in the Specific Content Area The first step in any curriculum development process involves research that reviews recent issues and trends of the discipline, both within the district and across the nation. This research allows a curriculum committee to identify key issues and trends that will support the needs assessment that should be conducted and the philosophy that should be developed. 3. Assessing Needs and Issues Curriculum development should be viewed as a process by which meeting student needs leads to improvement of student learning. Regardless of the theory or model followed, curriculum developers should gather as much information as possible. This information should include the desired outcomes or expectations of a high quality program, the role of assessment, the current status of student achievement and actual program content. The information should also consider the concerns and attitudes of teachers, administrators, parents and students. The data should include samples of assessments, lessons from teachers, assignments, scores on state standardized tests, textbooks currently used, student perception and feedback from parents.

Samsung Analysis: Porters Five, SWOT and PESTEL

Samsung Analysis: Porters Five, SWOT and PESTEL INTRODUCTION Samsung electronics Industry Corporation was created in 1969 as a division of Samsung group, and the name of corporation was changed to the current name which Samsung electronics in 1984. Mainly it manufacture and exported electronics products, which include color TV, electronic calculator, electronic watch, electronic cash registers, as well as electronic home appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, an also telecommunication devices. Especially, it recorded the outstanding number of manufacturing black and white TVs which was going up above 10 million and took top of the world in terms of export of black and white TVs. It succeeded to develop super mini VTR (8mm) in 1983, started to export VTR in 1985, and merged Samsung semiconductors and telecommunication cooperation in 1988. Since then Samsung electronics has dramatically grown as one of the worlds leading electronic giant with branches all over the world. Now millions of Samsung electronic products are being manufactured and sold every day and its product is seen in almost every house around the world. Samsung electronics has one of the best inventory management systems, supply and distribution chain in the world and its products are unique and durable with dedicated, efficient work force. Also, its research and development department is second to none in the electronic industry hence we decided to carry out this in-depth analysis to access the various strategies they have being applying since their existence and to advise them on the possible strategic options available to them now and in the future. ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis (http://www.masslearning.com/) Michael Porter stated that for any business entity there are 5 forces in action, these forces can have a great influence on the current affairs and strategy of the business. These forces consist of the following factors. Buyers power Buyers are the driving force of any industry including the automotive sector. Buyer behaviour is an essential part of marketing strategy and in-depth studies and research have been conducted to try to understand buyer behaviour. Typical question to ask when considering buyer behaviour are, who are our buyers? How do they buy? When do they buy? Where do they buy? Why do they buy? For Samsung electronics the brand strength allows them to make radical changes as they have a large base of loyal customers (due to an long history of building quality electronics), this has been evident with the radical exterior design changes to the Samsung product line up. Thus Samsung can be considered as a trend setter in their respective markets. This is a powerful position as it allows for some control of the direction of the future markets and trends. But strong competition from their rivals ensures that the changes arent too radical as they may lose customers to their opposition. Suppliers power Suppliers are the foundations of any industry they can supply raw materials, labour components and other supplies. Therefore it is important that a business has a good healthy relationship with its suppliers to ensure that it can operate smoothly and efficiently in cohesion with its suppliers. The power of suppliers varies depending on certain factors, for example if the product is standardised then the supplier will be weak, an example of this in the electronics industry would be silicon manufacturers. There are many to choose from and product diversity is relatively low thus suppliers are weak in this market. Suppliers are more powerful when they provide a more specialised product. Samsung has a technologically advanced component with existing patents, so in this case the supplier has more power in the relationship then in the case with silicon. Threat of Substitute products A substitute product is a product in another market which poses a threat because it is potentially a substitute to your product. A substitute (product) can negatively affect the ‘price elasticity of your product since more substitutes become available the demand becomes more elastic as customers have more alternatives a close substitute product constrains the ability of firms in an industry to raise prices. In the electronics industry substitute products will include other similar products from other manufactures. The threat of substitutes in the electronics sector is increasing since the consumer are being motivated by both social responsibility and legislation to find alternative manufacture that meets their criteria to reduce the affect of global warming energy consumption . Legislation in the UK such as high charging for energy bill also promotes substitutes in to electronic industry so it is a growing threat in this sector. Degree of rivalry Perhaps this is one of the most important of Porters 5 forces, since competition is what tends drives innovation changes in the market since firms strive for a competitive advantage. The intensity of rivalry amongst firms varies across markets. In a market that is saturated rivalry can become fierce as firms compete for the same customers, but in a growing market firms dont need to compete as fiercely as there may have their own growing customer base to which they can cater their product. When considering direct rivals to Samsung such as Motorola and Dell they are all long established in the industry so it is likely that they have coexisted by having disciplined competition and also having a ‘code of conduct between themselves. This is evidence of ‘friendly competition within the automotive sector. Barriers to entry This relates to how easy it is to enter the market place, this force has only negative implications on current market competitors since the easier entry into a market is the more competitors there potentially is. But usually there are legal requirements that must be overcome before the market place can be entered for example a product must pass minimum quality and safety standards and licences are usually required for trading. When considering the electronics industrial sector entry into the market is extremely difficult, since a large initial investment is required, and competition is fierce. In the current economic climate entry in this sector will be almost impossible unless an innovative unique selling point is achieved. Currently the easiest entry into the electronics sector is through excellent design reliability, durability and cost effectiveness of electronics being the most obvious. Electronics Industry Life Cycle Stage According the theory of industry life cycle, Samsung Electronics already got the Maturity stage. Because growth is no longer the main focus,market share andcash flow become theprimary goals of the companies left in the space. Samsungs products like TV, audio, video, mobile phones, camera, camcorder, PC, peripherals, Printers, home appliances and memory cards all have good reputation and occupy important place in market. PESTEL Analysis This section serves as a business environmental scan. Here a PESTLE analysis is applied of the external macro environment in which SAMSUNG operates. The pestle analysis is applied to SAMSUNG looking at its market i.e. no specific product. The diagram below highlights the main issues within each factor. All the factors have a high level of influence on our business and our future strategy. Portfolio Analysis SWOT Analysis Porters Generic Competitive Strategy Analysis STRATEGIES CHOICE GE Matrix Analysis Mobile phone industry attractiveness and business strength assessment of Samsung phones Industry attractiveness Business strength assessment Depending on the analysis of the mobile phone market and industry attractive terms, the current score of attractiveness of the mobile phone industry is 3.68 points; the attractiveness of the industry is relatively high. Through the analysis of financial statements of Samsung, Samsungs business strength total score of 3.19 points in the industry belongs to a high level, in the matrix belongs to GE leader-type to business, this score indicates Samsung mobile phones has a good market share in current market. TV industry attractiveness and business strength assessment of Samsung TV Industry attractiveness Business strength assessment From the table, we can see that on the all TV market analysis, financial statements and marketing analysis of Samsung TV and Samsung in the GE matrix effort to business, the TV industry has a strong attractiveness, but Samsung in the TV business strength only belongs to middle level, which need considerable investment of resources, through the efforts of Samsung could be a leader-type business, or it will be difficult to fierce competition in the market to survive. Washing-machine industry attractiveness and business strength assessment of Samsung washing-machine Industry attractiveness Business strength assessment Through the washing-machine industry analysis and a brief Samsung washing-machine business development analysis show that the attractiveness of the washing-machine industry for Samsung is very strong, but Samsung washing-machine for production in terms of business strength is weak and the question mark in the GE matrix operations, the attractiveness of the industry itself is very easy to attract new entrants into the market and existing enterprise competition, but the washing-machine industry because of the competition is fierce, national brands in the market want a share of the domestic and international well-known brands have already endless which want to improve their competitiveness in this industry. Samsung is in a very difficult situation in the washing-machine industry. According to the industry attractiveness and business strength matrix of Samsung mobile phones, TVs, washing-machines, we mapped the GE matrix of Samsung: B: mobile phone, F: TV .H: washing-machine. (http://www.showppt.com/ppt_79.html) The GE matrix is displayed by Samsung, Samsungs mobile phones plays a leader place in the market and it must keep go on. TV business in the maintenance of regional (between effort and regulator), business attraction and business position in the industry do not have the advantage of both the absence of the formation of a unique segment had to compete with many rivals, enterprise by supporting these businesses strive to improve the businesss market share, and strive to develop into a leading-type business. Samsung washing-machine business is a question mark position difficult for enterprises to compete with the market the original members, requiring substantial investment of resources, currently giving up their own production of washing-machine is an inevitable choice. Boston Matrix Analysis Samsung electronics was build up in 1969, it cost 40 years developed from a small company which only 36 people worked in it to a worldwide company. Now there are nearly 20 kinds of products in Samsung which got a good reputation all over the globe. Take Samsung electronics as an example, it got lots of awards in the Industrial Design Excellence Awards in America. It is the company which got the most awards in several consecutive years, which can prove the design ability of Samsung reach the world-class level. It will be analysis with Boston Matrix. The television and mobile phone can be looked as the cash cow product, because the market growth rates are relatively low and the relative market share are so high. (http://www.masslearning.com/) Samsung electronics started the business of liquid crystal display from 1995, when it get to 2005, the total amount of sales volume is more than one hundred million and it is more than 2 hundred million in 2007, 3 hundred million in 2008, in last month, the total sales volume is more than 5 hundred million. The reason of why Samsung electronics can get the outstanding achievement is the extended market of the LED TV panel and the powerful sell of the big size LCD TV. In 2010, Samsung is going to sell 10 million LCD televisions with LED and 22 million all kinds of LCD TVs. In the sales amount aspect, Samsungs market share got to 23.6% all over the globe in the fourth quarter in 2009. The high sells amount and market share of Samsung is because of the high shipments of television market in the world, the integrity layout of the product size and the leader status of the advanced technology. Samsung got the double champion of the shipment and the sales amount on television in continue 13 seasons. So they looked as the cash cow product. The market share and the market growth rate of five TV brand in 2009 (http://finance.baidu.com/2010-02-23/122741032.html) Samsung is the second biggest mobile phone producer in the world. In 2009, it paid more attention on the fashion style which attracted a great deal of young person and the shipments got to 235 million, the market share got to 19.5%. Compared with 2008, it has a big improvement, because the shipment and market share is only 199 million and 16.3% respectively. The successful of Samsung electronics is come from the swift and agility, but lack of innovativeness may lead to the loss of probability. Nowadays Samsung pay more attention on the Smartphone, the Bada system is a good example. Bada system is a platform of the new smart phone which developed by Samsung company, the interface of it is more fashion in colour and style. So it can be looked as the cash cow product because the market growth rate is low but the market share is very high, the characteristic of which is the sale volume is high but the rate of liability is low, it can provide fund for the company and the product do not ne ed improve the invests. So it can be the supporter for recover the funds for the company, support the other product. The market is becoming mature, the company do not need to invest huge capital for enlarge the market and as a leader in the mobile phone area, it bring lots of profit for the whole company. (http://article.pchome.net/scripts/art_content.php?article_id=447146) In 1997, Samsung produce a series of double door fridge named ‘ZIPEL, in these 10 years, it was export to more than 130 countries and the market share got to the peak over about 50 countries. After sell the fridge to America for 7 years, the market share of Samsung became the highest one. In 2007, the French fridge started to sell in America, the market share was only 5.6% at that year, but after one year, it rocket to 16%. In 2009, the total sales of bridge take account of 28.6% and the sales volume take account of 27.2% in America, rank the first place. So the fridge should also be looked as the cash cow products, a company should have several kinds of cash cow products, if there is something wrong with the other dogs products, it balance the funds of the whole company. From 2007, Samsung produce a series of camera, such as blue, WB, PL, ES and ST series. Especially Blue series which was made the advertisement by Dongjian Zhang, leave a good impression for Chinese customer, so attract lots of customers attention. But in the whole area, Canon, Sony and Nikon still the first three brands, Samsung cannot catch up with them. Although it developed harder on the camera area, the market share still cannot as high as the other area. So the camera area can looked as the question marks product in the Boston Matrix analysis. Most products of Samsung electronics have a good reputation and sell very well, but there are some exceptions. Take air c The Man of the Crowd | Literary Analysis The Man of the Crowd | Literary Analysis Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone, declares the opening line of Edgar Allan Poes Man of the Crowd. Surrounded by a city full of people, the narrator is indeed not alone in that sense. Alone, though, may be viewed in another light: to be unique, to stand alone against the chaos and homogeneity of the crowd. The relationships the narrator has with and the observations he makes about the people of London give insight regarding the nature of urban relationships generally. Though the narrator does not in reality have any direct communication with the people in this story, he observes and reports on each of them, and these observations substitute for his lacking personal relationships. It is his observations of the city of London itself, of the crowd, and of the old man that reveal Poes distaste for the isolation and loss of individuality that city life fosters. The city is mostly only described at night, and we see almost nothing of the daylight hours. The audience, therefore, is left with a dark and gloomy image of the city. By providing this sole nighttime portrait of the city through the narrator, Poe automatically creates a depressing outlook on city life that pervades the story and provides the backdrop for the entire commentary. To reinforce the depressing outlook, Poe has the narrator enumerate the features of the verge of the city in more detail than any other part of London (220). He states that this place [wears] the worst impress of the most deplorable poverty, and of the most desperate crime (220). The poverty and crime reveals that people do not care about each other, in that no one helps the poorest of the poor and the criminals have no regard for their fellow city dwellers. People are isolated from, and apathetic towards, their fellow city dwellers. To give a further impression of the impoverishment and apathetic nature of the city, he describes the beggars, poor girls returning from their demanding work, and sick people wandering about the streets. From the descriptions of these people it is evident that the city is a cold, uncaring, and unforgiving place: the sick were in search of some chance consolation and the young girls had to return to careless homes (217). The lack of concern for others in the city highlights Poes notions that the urban environment creates isolation amongst its inhabitants. While describing the crowd, the narrator is seated behind a window, separated from the people. Putting him behind the glass isolates him from those whom he is so meticulously observing. One would think that after being sick and inside for months on end, the narrator would want some kind of personal, human relation, yet he is perfectly content to sit alone indoors and ponder the pedestrians from afar. His willingness to be alone further contributes to the sense that people are truly isolated in the city. This isolation is also seen in the pedestrians, who [talk] and [gesticulate] to themselves, as if feeling in solitude on account of the very denseness of the company around (216). Here the narrator explains that because there are so many people around and since no one knows each other, these people feel like they are alone. Poe suggests, through the narrators observations, that while one may be in extreme proximity to others in the city, he is not truly connected with any of them, except in the sense that he may share some general attributes with a large group of others that causes him to be seen as part of the whole. The narrator states that he at first looks at the people in their aggregate relations but then moves into observing the details of which there were innumerable varieties (216). Herein lies a contradiction: he points out there are innumerable varieties, yet he does exactly the opposite by enumerating the types of people that he sees and placing each person into a specific category. The narrator treats each person within each of his classifications as the same as the whole: though he calls them individuals, he immediately places them into a larger group. Poe here is trying to say that while you may think that you are a distinct person in the city, you have already lost your individuality by being part of the crowd. The narrator tells himself that everyone is different, but in pointing out their differences, he makes sweeping generalizations, thus making many people the same as one another. Furthermore, when the narrator classifies and describes the crowd, he does so in a very scientific manner, looking at each of them through their figure, dress, air, gait, visage, and expression of countenance (216). While these traits should make each person different at least in some way from another, they are all treated as exactly the same within each group. The classification of the people in the crowd makes them lose their individuality by generalizing and putting each person into a pre-labeled group. When a person comes along, the man of the crowd, that cannot be classified, the narrator is startled (218): he doesnt know how to think about this man since he cannot put him in a well-defined category. He is so intrigued by this man that he leaves the coffee shop where he has been meticulously scouring the people of the crowd. He purposefully hides among the pedestrians so as not to be seen and, in doing so, loses his individuality and becomes just another undistinguishable face amid a sea of others, suggesting that his quest to classify this man is futile. If the narrator himself is indistinguishable, how is he able to individualize and ascribe specific attributes to someone else? Also, the way in which he describes the passages that the old man takes causes him to become intertwined with the old mans identity: the narrator says that he hurried into the street [] until we emerged (220). He has to do exactly as the old man does in order to stay close and observe him. Again, this mixing of identities emphasizes the loss of individuality in the city that Poe wishes to point out. A person starts to lose his identity when he starts behaving like other people. The narrator eventually abandons his pursuit, saying that this man does not permit [himself] to be read (215). He points out that he can learn nothing else about him. The narrator here seems to just ignore someone that does not fit into he predetermined classifications. This eventual disregard for the peculiarity of the old man again shows that there is no true individuality in the city. If other people like this man cannot be classified, they are probably simply ignored; in effect they do not exist. So, in essence there are no individuals. The tale opens by saying that it is a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone. The narrator in Man of the Crowd is surrounded by a city full of people, unable to be alone, though is truly isolated from them. Through the observations made by this narrator, it is evident that the same isolation applies to every other member of society in London; no one knows anyone else and, in that sense, everyone is isolated. Though, these people are not alone in that none of them are distinguishable from a larger group. Each person is defined as being part of a group within the crowd and as a part of the crowd generally. It is this loss of individuality that gives meaning to the vagueness title The Man in the Crowd.

HUMAN BEINGS AND NATURE DURING THE REVOLUTION OF THE MIND Essay

HUMAN BEINGS AND NATURE DURING THE REVOLUTION OF THE MIND "Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Dare to Know! Have courage to use your own reason!- that is the motto of enlightenment." -Immanuel Kant, 1784 (1) From the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, a drastically new way of thinking developed in Western Civilization, a way of thinking that has shaped and defined the modern world. This new mode of thought evolved within two movements, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. These movements led Western Civilization to a departure from reverence for traditional authority, from a fatalistic view of the world, and from a blending of the spiritual and the secular, allowing the emergence of the individualistic, scientific, progress-oriented attitude that fuels the Western world today. The thinking of the leaders of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment built upon and revolutionized that of Medieval and classical intellectuals. It introduced a belief that human beings could learn to control and conquer nature, defining their lives in new ways and leaving a fear of the supernatural behind. Departure from Traditional Authority The most obvious form in which this new way of thinking deviated from the norm was its rebellion against traditional authority, particularly the powerful authority of the Church. The rebellion against traditional authority, particularly the powerful authority of the Church. The astronomer Nicolaus Co... ...vilization, ed. Perry M. Rogers (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997): p. 23-24. 19. Marquis de Condorcet, "The Progress of the Human Mind," in Aspects of Western Civilization, ed. Perry M. Rogers (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997): p. 25-26. 20. William Harvey, "I Learn and Teach From the Fabric of Nature," from On the Circulation of the Blood, in Aspects of Western Civilization, ed. Perry M. Rogers (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997): p. 20-21. 21. Voltaire, "If God Did Not Exist, He Would Have To Be Invented," in Aspects of Western Civilization, ed. Perry M. Rogers (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997): p. 35-36. 22. Immanuel Kant, "What Is Enlightenment?" in Aspects of Western Civilization, ed. Perry M. Rogers (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997): p. 32.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Gawain Finds The Green Knight's Castle PASSAGE ANALYSIS LINES 763-841 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian story about the first adventure of Sir Gawain (King Arthur's nephew). The author and date of this romance are not exactly known but may be dated circa 1375-1400, because the author seems to be a contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer. From the very start of the story, the author gives a grand introduction for Arthur and his court, and then Arthur's men are described as "bold boys" (line 21) which means that they are brave, but only boys. If they are so brave why then did the author not describe them as men? Chaucer uses this kind of irony to describe his characters in "The General Prologue" of The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer made no direct judgements on his characters in the "General Prologue," nor does the unknown author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This particular passage (lines 763-841) from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight deals primarily with Gawain, Arthur's most courteous and well-mannered knight, finding the castle of the Green Kn ight, whose name is Bercilak, and then there is a lengthy description given of the castle. Gawain is on a journey to find the Green Knight almost one year later. He promised to take his hits from the Green Knight. The most important item in this passage is the description of the castle. Bercilak's castle is well protected and similar to other castles during this period. This castle is unlike others, however, because it is magical and because of its symbolism. Castles in the Middle Ages A Summary of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Analysis of Passage In this particular passage, Gawain is a knight who is on a journey with deep faith in his religion. This is expressed through his fervent prayers to Christ and Mary. No one is here to help him except God who he speaks to and asks to hear mass on Christmas Eve. He humbles himself "meekly before God" in the snow and cold. His prayers are then answered immediately. Bercilak's castle appears out of nowhere, green with trees and grass as if it were springtime. It is almost as if the castle were provided for Gawain by God. He is at Bercilak's court, but of course, does not know this until the end. After praying, he crosses himself three times and then this grand estate appears before him like magic. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Gawain Finds The Green Knight's Castle PASSAGE ANALYSIS LINES 763-841 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian story about the first adventure of Sir Gawain (King Arthur's nephew). The author and date of this romance are not exactly known but may be dated circa 1375-1400, because the author seems to be a contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer. From the very start of the story, the author gives a grand introduction for Arthur and his court, and then Arthur's men are described as "bold boys" (line 21) which means that they are brave, but only boys. If they are so brave why then did the author not describe them as men? Chaucer uses this kind of irony to describe his characters in "The General Prologue" of The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer made no direct judgements on his characters in the "General Prologue," nor does the unknown author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This particular passage (lines 763-841) from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight deals primarily with Gawain, Arthur's most courteous and well-mannered knight, finding the castle of the Green Kn ight, whose name is Bercilak, and then there is a lengthy description given of the castle. Gawain is on a journey to find the Green Knight almost one year later. He promised to take his hits from the Green Knight. The most important item in this passage is the description of the castle. Bercilak's castle is well protected and similar to other castles during this period. This castle is unlike others, however, because it is magical and because of its symbolism. Castles in the Middle Ages A Summary of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Analysis of Passage In this particular passage, Gawain is a knight who is on a journey with deep faith in his religion. This is expressed through his fervent prayers to Christ and Mary. No one is here to help him except God who he speaks to and asks to hear mass on Christmas Eve. He humbles himself "meekly before God" in the snow and cold. His prayers are then answered immediately. Bercilak's castle appears out of nowhere, green with trees and grass as if it were springtime. It is almost as if the castle were provided for Gawain by God. He is at Bercilak's court, but of course, does not know this until the end. After praying, he crosses himself three times and then this grand estate appears before him like magic.

Gender Roles, Socialization and Relationships Essay -- Sociology

Watch the classical film Grease and one will understand how relationships function in western Society. The film tells a story of a boy (Danny) and a girl (Sandy) who falls in love. Through a series of misunderstandings they break up, but still care enough about each other that they still try revive their relationship. Through ballads such as Summer Night’s that are still popular today, the film shows how differently males and females view relationships. Danny, for example, describes his relationship in more physical terms while Sandy describes her relationship in much more emotional terms –such as what they did that night. Films like Grease are like a mirror, reflecting societal values and how it socializes its members. It makes clear that in relationships, males –like Danny—are socialized to view relationships as mostly a physical, sexual endeavor, while females –like Sandy— view it as an emotional bond, that is has resulted from a deeper c onnection between the two individuals within a relationship. It is tempting to believe that when couples say that they are â€Å"in love,† they view their love in the same way –that they have successfully â€Å"defined their relationship.† Love after all, is the only legitimate reason for marriage in western society and one should at least be on the same page before entering into a perpetual union (Henslin 468). Sociologists like to say that romantic love is composed of two components: sexual attraction (a biological response) and idealization of the other (a societal created response that promotes a bond between two individuals) (Henslin 468). However this is a very simple definition of love because it turns out that romantic love is in the eye of the beholder. Researchers of heterosexual love have ... ... completely differently. It is not stretch then to conclude that a dating couple who is watching this movie will be reinforced in what they already believe. The man will still view relationships as mostly physical and sexual and the women, as a means to satisfy her emotional needs and that of her offspring. Works Cited Dosser, David A., Jack O. Balswick, and Charles F. Halverson Jr. "Male Inexpressiveness and Relationships." Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 3.241 (1986): 241-58. Print. Gray, Peter. Psychology. 6th ed. New York: Worth, 2011. Print. Henslin, James M. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. 10th ed. Ally & Bacon, 2010. Print. Kanin, Eugene J., Karen R. Davidson, and Sonia R. Scheck. "A Research Note on Male- Female Differentials in Experience of Heterosexual Love." The Journal of Sex Research 6.1 (1970): 64-72. Print.

Number of People Killed Was the Most Significant Aspect of World War I Essay

The number of people killed was the most significant aspect of World War I. To what extent do you agree? It’s 1914 and Gavrilo Princip has just shot the heir to the Austrian throne and his wife. As he fired the bullet, little did he know that he was about to start one of the bloodiest and most tragic wars the world had ever seen. World War I was, for most people, the most horrific event of their lives. There were over 35 million casualties, a war second only to World War II. No other war had changed the map of Europe so dramatically. Four empires disappeared: the German, Austrian-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian. Four dynasties all fell after the war: the Hohenzollerns, the Habsburgs, the Romanovs, and the Ottomans. Belgium and Serbia were badly damaged, as was France. Germany and Russia were similarly affected. Some may argue that the number of people killed was the most devastating and tragic aspect of the First World War, that the soldiers were a ‘lost generationâ€⠄¢. Others argue, however, that other aspects come into play. Economic crashes, for example, crippled many countries, almost destroying Germany. Significance can be judged in different ways. It can be judged by the number of people affected at the time, or later on in the form of remembrance. It can also be judged by the duration of the effect or the severity. Occasionally, unexpectedness is taken into account. Of the 60 million European soldiers who were mobilised from 1914 to 1918, 8 million were killed, 7 million were permanently disabled, and 15 million were seriously injured. Over 11 million civilians died from a result of direct military action (i.e. military deaths and bombing) with a further 6 million dead due to famine, disease and accidents. Overall, 1.75% of the world’s population were killed in the war. The people at home were hammered by telegrams of deaths and occasionally, were bombed. Wilfred Owen, a famous poet, wrote in ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, ‘and each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds’, which denoted that every day someone in the neighbourhood would die. The deaths were also devastating in the fact that for the next 20 years, some women would not be able to get married because of the lack of men. Germany lost 15.1% of its male population; Austria–Hungary lost 17.1%, and France 10.5%. Economic crashes did alarming damage to some countries that played a heavy part in the war and most that lost it. France, which was where most of the war was fought, was in ruins and it took billions of dollars for the government to rebuild the country. All of the Central Powers were heavily affected by reparations caused by numerous treaties, the most notable being: The Treaty of Versailles, The Treaty of St. Germain, The Treaty of Neuilly, The Treaty of Tri anon and The Treaty of Sà ¨vres. Germany had to pay the Allies approximately  £6.6 billion – an enormous sum of money, which, if the terms of the treaty had not been changed by the Young Plan in 1929, would have taken the German government until 1984 to pay. Germany also had problems with starvation, unemployment and general unrest which took a lot of money to fix. Austria also suffered huge economic problems and would have also faced reparations if it weren’t for the fact that it went bankrupt before they could be set. Bulgaria did well compared to Germany, Austria and Hungary. However, it still had to pay  £100 million in reparations. Bulgaria had played a small part in the war and was treated less harshly compared to other major powers. Hungary was also due to pay reparations but its economy was so weak that it never did. The destruction of empires and creation of countries had a resounding effect on some major powers. For example, Germany’s overseas empire was taken away as it had been one of the causes of bad relations between Britain and Germany. Former colonies were taken by the League of Nations, which effectively meant that Britain and France controlled them. Parts of Germany were given to France, Poland and Denmark, and Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Saarland were all created from parts of Germany. Austria and Hungary also lost important land. Formerly controlled by Austrian forces, the states of Bohemia and Moravia were merged to create the new state of Czechoslovakia; Bosnia, Herzegovina and Croatia became Yugoslavia, which also contained the former kingdom of Serbia. Previously Hungary -controlled, Transylvania became part of Romania, whilst Slovakia and Ruthenia went to Czechoslovakia, and Slovenia and Croatia became the northern part of Yugoslavia. Bulgaria lost lands to Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia and its access to the Mediterranean. The number of people killed was clearly significant because it affected millions of people and their families. It is remembered in most countries that were involved in the war in the form of Remembrance Day. However, whenever you go into a war, deaths are to be expected. Economic crashes were devastating for countries like Germany or France in the short term. Nevertheless, after about 30 years, most countries recovered. The destruction of empires was clearly damaging. 4 or 5 empires were never to be seen again, whilst most empires, except Britain and France, were severely crippled. Overall, I think that, whilst the number of people killed had amazingly tragic effects, the reparations given to the losing powers were even more significant.

Today’s Country Differences in Accounting Standards

Today’s Country Differences in Accounting Standards There are five main influences on a country’s accounting system. Having a different system of accounting is like having a different culture for countries. There are many different things that dictate how an accounting differs. The relationship between business and providers of capital, political and economic ties with other countries, inflation accounting, level of development, and the national culture are the five influences on accounting systems. Relationship between business and providers of capitalFirms can gain capital from numerous sources; selling stock and shares is one way or borrowing from a bank is another. How each country’s firms gain capital has to do with what type of accounting system the country has. The United States is full of people wanting to invest in a company or buy stock in a company. Not only do we have television stations dedicated to the stock market, but as a business student we hear about it constantly. The U. S. tries to use their accounting system to inform individual investors about the firms they want to invest in.There are other countries that use banks more to gain capital. In these cases the accounting system is geared towards the government and the banks that provide the majority of the capital. Political and economic ties with other countries Politics and a country’s economic system can have a big effect on an accounting system. These two factors seem to bring accounting system together rather than apart. NAFTA and EU have both brought the countries involved together. They have put into practice norms throughout each accounting system to make them more uniform.Inflation Accounting Inflation is a big factor when deciding how to approach an accounting system. Inflation accounting is all about the historic cost principle. It says that currency is not losing its value due to inflation. â€Å"If inflation is high, the historic cost principle undere stimates a firm’s assets, so the depreciation charges based on these underestimates can be inadequate for replacing assets when they wear out or become obsolete (Hill, 2011, p. 635). † Level of Development Developed countries seem to have everything easier.They are able to acquire more capital and business. They have more highly educated and skilled workers. The more developed countries seem to have it all and the less developed countries with the smaller businesses have taken notice. Smaller, less developed countries tend to copy or attempt to copy the larger, more developed countries in their accounting systems. This can cause problems because the less developed countries do not have all of the resources necessary to have an accounting system fit for a well-developed country. National CultureA country’s culture comes into play in accounting systems when thinking about uncertainty avoidance. A country’s uncertainty avoidance is either high or low. High un certainty avoidance means a country is less likely to take risk and rules and regulations. Low uncertainty avoidance means the country is willing to take risk. The country’s with a low uncertainty risk need to make sure that their finances are in top shape so they are more likely to have accountants audit their firms (Hill, 2011). Works Cited Hill, C. W. (2011). International Business. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.