Proctor & Gamble

1. In our opinion, we think the answer about product life cycle is not absolutely correct. It is depend on product’s characteristic. 3C product such as eeepc (asus’s product, netbook) have quite short product life cycle; Rolex watch have been established more than 200 years. So if marketers want to extend product life cycle, they have to do more afford on survey to realize consumer behavior and satisfy their really needs and wants. When the product’s sales shows that it is on the decline stage, marketers should find the new desire on consumers and reposition, modify their product or marketing strategy, It is gain brand loyalty and equity to extend brands or products life cycle. Consequently, the â€Å"brand† makes its product life cycle prolong and maintain the product in the market. 2. Before we start to reposition, we must know the environment situation, such as industry, competitive, and consumer analysis. We use five forces analysis to analyze industry, and conclude that the competition is fierce. After that, we analyze competitive situation, through perceptual map we find that Kimberly-Clark is P&G biggest competitor. The price of Huggies is between Pampers and Luvs, and with the same function of Luvs. Consumers were willing to pay more than Pampers to buy Huggies. Form consumer analysis, we find that consumers are sensitive to quality. Because there were many double-income families, consumers are afford to pay high price for diapers. To regain the status of market share, P&G repositioned Pampers as high price brand, and changed some marketing strategies. Pampers has repositioned its products from â€Å"providing the most comfortable diapers† to â€Å"assisting mothers in bringing up children†. Therefore, it has come up with some concepts and ways to meet the purpose of the repositioning, such as the concept of Baby Stage of Development, the use of step-by-step toys, the consultation of experts, and establishment of Pampers parenting network. The concept of Baby Stage of Development is based on the babies various needs at various stages. As a result, P&G provides suitable diapers products for babies, including new babies, babies, toddlers and preschoolers. With the concepts of BSOD, Pampers has further introduced the step-by-step toy system. In the course of playing, the toys function as children friends. Besides changing the products, Pampers also establishes Pampers Parenting Network. On the websites, some experts have written professional articles on how to breed babies, how to help babies grow healthy, and so on. And all these articles are posted on the website as references for parents. Besides, the experts also provide professional responses to the problems parents have in the process of bringing up children. (2) We think that P&G can use the same way to reposition Crest’s brand image to differ from its competitors, and let it have room for progress. For instance, P&G can reposition Crest as a product for healthy and beautiful smile, not just for the purpose of cleaning. In this way, consumers can have better looks and fulfill their mental needs by using the repositioned products. 3. To realize consumers’ needs, P&G has a consumer relationship management system. In the system, there are three key points of customer relationship management. One is to understand consumers’ need deeply, second is to build consumer service center, third is to value consumers’ suggestions. To understand consumer’s need deeply, P&G through depth interviews, focus group, questionnaire survey, visit shop, trace system, e-mail, and telephone to attain this goal. Finally, value consumer’s suggestion is according to consumer’s feedback to improve product continuously. For example, there are colorful designs on the Pampers, because the babies’ clothes are light colors in summer, the picture color can be seen easily. Thus, P&G adopt the mothers’ advice to redesign the color. The above is how P&G to manage their customer relationship. Through the customer relationship management system, we can realize what consumers’ needs are.

Higher Education Essay

The report is based on information and impressions which the delegation obtained during the study tour. Information was also gathered from sources such as the websites of the organisations and institutions visited and from agencies including the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) in Australia, World Education Services (WES) in the USA, IAU and UNESCO/IAU among others. At several places in the text, sources have been specifically mentioned. An additional list of sources can be found in the appendices. 3 The report describes the system of education in India and the quality assurance system. Chapter 1 introduces the administration of the school system and the organisation of primary, secondary and higher secondary education, while Chapter 2 provides information about technical and vocational education. Chapter 3 outlines the system of higher education by reviewing the institutional structure with a discussion of both public and private education. Information on degree structure and grading systems is included, as well as examples of some bachelor degree programmes. In Chapter 4, teacher training at higher secondary level and at university level is described. Chapter 5 presents India’s response to globalisation in the higher education sector. The last chapter deals with the quality assurance work in education, both at secondary and higher level. Impressions and reflections about the education system and how it functions are incorporated into the report in frames where appropriate. Country Profile India is one of the world’s oldest civilisations, dating back to 2,500 B. C. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded the country in about 1,500 B. C. ; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursion starting in the eighth century and Turkish in the twelfth century were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late fifteenth century. By the nineteenth century, Great Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru helped end British colonialism through non-violent resistance. India achieved independence in 1947. The Republic of India was established in 1947 and comprises 32 states and Union Territories, the latter controlled by the central government. The country covers about 3. 3 million square kilometres with a population of 1. 029 billion and dominates southern Asia. It is slightly larger than one-third the size of the United States. India is home to 17% of the world’s total population, accommodated in an area that is 2. 4% of the world’s total area. India has the world’s twelfth largest economy and the third largest in Asia behind Japan and China, with a total GDP of around $570 billion. Services, industry and agriculture account for 50. 7%, 26. 6% and 22. 7% of GDP respectively. The United States is India’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade in 2003 was $18. 1 billion. There are some 16 official major languages and 844 dialects. Among these languages, English enjoys associate status, but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication. Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people. The other official languages are Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit. Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language. Hinduism (80. 5%), Islam (13. 4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikh (1. 9%) are the major religions in the country. The literacy rate is 52% (of the total population of age 15 or older). 4 Chapter 1 General Education Administration of Education The central and the state governments have joint responsibility for education, with freedom for the state governments to organise education within the national framework of education. Educational policy planning is under the overall charge of the central Ministry of Human Resource Development which includes the Department of Elementary Education and Literacy and the Department of Secondary and Higher Education. The Ministry is guided by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) which is the national level advisory body. The education ministers of all the different states are members of the board. The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) (1961) defines the National Frame Curriculum for classes I – XII. It also functions as a resource centre in the field of school development and teacher education. State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) are the principal research and development institutions in all the states. At secondary level, school boards at state level affiliate schools and set examination standards in accordance with the national framework. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) cover all India besides the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). National Policy on General Education Under the national constitution, education was a state matter until 1976. The central government could only provide guidance to the states on policy issues. In 1976 the constitution was amended to include education on the concurrent list. The initial attempts of designing a National Education Policy were made in 1968 but it was only in 1986 that India as a whole had a uniform National Policy on Education. The National Policy on Education 1986, modified in 1992, defines the major goals for elementary education as universal access and enrolment, universal retention of children up to 14 years and substantial improvement in the quality of education. The National Policy of Education of 1992 also aims at vocationalisation of secondary education and greater use of educational technology. The policy has been accompanied by several programmes such as the District Primary Education Program (DPEP) launched in 1994 and the National Campaign for Education for All (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) launched in 2001/2. A proposed bill on the right to education (draft, November 2005) stresses the right of all children from age 6 until their 15th birthday to receive elementary education either in school or non-formal education (NFE). The Indian government is preparing the universalisation of secondary education (USE). The main aim is to provide high quality secondary education to all Indian adolescents up to the age of 16 by 2015, and senior secondary education up to the age of 18 by 2020. 5 Crucial problems in India are teacher absenteeism, noted by UNESCO in 2005; high teacherpupil ratios; and inadequate teaching materials and facilities, particularly in rural areas. At the other end of the scale, children attending urban schools, especially middle and upper class children in private schools, are subjected to extreme competition from a very early age in order to qualify for admission into the best schools. In 1979-80, the Government of India, Department of Education launched a programme of Non-Formal Education (NFE) for children of 6-14 years age group, who cannot join regular schools – drop-outs, working children, children from areas without easy access to schools etc. The initial focus of the scheme was on ten educationally backward states. Later, it was extended to urban slums, and hilly, tribal and desert areas in other states. Source: – UNESCO: India, updated August 2003 and Annual Report 2004/5, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (overview). – Newsletter, October-December 2005, International Institute for Educational Planning, UNESCO. Learning without Burden, NCERT, 1993, reprinted 2004. – Annual report 2004/5, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (annexes). School Education A uniform structure of school education, the 10+2 system, has been adopted by all the states and Union Territories (UTs) of India following the National Policy on Education of 1986. Elementary school, Class I – VIII, is recognised as the period of compulsory schooling, with the Constitutional amendment making education a fundamental right. A majority of the states and Union Territories (UTs) have introduced free education in classesI-XII. In states/UTs where education is not free for classes IX and above, the annual fee varies considerably. The pre-school covers two to three years. The elementary stage consists of a primary stage comprising Classes I-V (in some states I-IV), followed by a middle stage of education comprising Classes VI -VIII (in some states V-VIII or VI -VII). The minimum age for admission to Class I of the primary school is generally 5+ or 6+. The secondary stage consists of Classes IX-X (in some states VIII-X), and a senior secondary stage of schooling comprising classes XI-XII in all states. In some states/UTs these classes are attached to universities/colleges. The number of working days of school education in a year is generally more than 200 days in all the states/UTs. Participation in primary and secondary education The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), which indicates the number of children actually enrolled in elementary schools as a proportion of child population in the 6-14 years age group, has increased progressively since 1950-51, rising from 32. 1% to 82. 5% in 2002-03, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in India. The rate of increase in GER of girls has been higher than that of boys. The dropout rate at the primary level (Classes I-V) declined from 39% in 2001-02 to 34. 9% in 2002-03. However the GER only covers 61% of children from classes VI to VIII. 6 In 2002/3 the dropout rate was estimated at 34. 9% at the end of lower primary classes and 52. 8% at the end of upper primary. The dropout rate was 62. 6% at the end of secondary school (Class X). There are wide disparities among the different states in the number of children completing primary and secondary school from less than 20% to more than 80%, according to the central statistics from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Source – Selected Educational Statistics 2002-03. Provisional. Ministry of Human Resource Development, India – Annual Report 2004/5. Ministry of Human Resource Development, India – Secondary Education. Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (information on the Department’s website) National Curricula. The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) formulated the first Curriculum Framework in 1975 as a recommendation to the individual states. NCERT was accorded the responsibility of developing a binding National Curriculum Framework through the National Policy on Education (NPE) (1986). NCERT reviews the curriculum every five years on the basis of consultations within the whole school sector. The core areas of the curriculum are common. Teaching of English is usually compulsory in classes VI-X in most of the states/UTs. NCERT published a New National Curriculum framework in 2005. The New National Curriculum will be introduced in textbooks in three phases: Phase one, 2006-07: classes I, III, VI, IX and XI. Phase two, 2007-08: classes II, IV, VII, X and XII Phase three, 2008-09: classes V and VIII NCERT has gradually been changing the curriculum from traditional information provision to be more learner-oriented and competence-based. National Curriculum Framework 2000 The National Curriculum Framework 2000 operates with the concept of the Minimum Levels of Learning (MLLs) identifying certain essential levels of learning for each stage of school education. Pre-primary education The National Policy on Education defines the objective of early childhood care and education (ECCE) as being the total development of children in the age group 0-6 years. Early Childhood Education (ECE) or pre-primary education (2 years), part of the ECCE, shall prepare children for school. Teaching at this stage, according to the National Curriculum Framework, comprises group activities, play–way techniques, language games, number games and activities directed at promoting socialisation and environmental awareness among children. Formal teaching of subjects and reading and writing are prohibited. However, NCERT strongly criticised the actual pre-school programmes for exposing children to structured formal learning, often in 7 English with tests and homework, in the introductory notes to the new National Curriculum Framework 2005. The competition for the best education starts at a very early age. Newspapers from September 2005 in India report of tremendous pressure on three-year old children being prepared by their parents for nursery interviews and competing with a huge number of other children for places in the most prestigious private pre-schools. The newspapers report on private persons/institutes that offer help to parents in preparing their children for nursery interviews. Other newspapers report the need for psychological support for children having developed speaking difficulties after having been exposed to onerous preparation by their parents for nursery interviews. Primary education At the primary stage, emphasis is on the process of understanding, thinking and internalising. The National Curriculum contains the following subjects: Subject Language(s) Lower primary Classes I-II The mother tongue/regional language. Lower primary Classes III-V The mother tongue/regional language Upper primary Classes VI-VIII Three Languages — the mother tongue/the regional language, a modern Indian language and English All kind of creative activities including the child’s own creations Essentials of mathematics for every day activities, including geometry – Art education Mathematics Art of healthy and productive living Woven around the world of the learner Creative education, health and physical education, work education, value inculcation Integrated approach Environmental studies – Health and physical education – Science and technology Social sciences – Work education – Integrated approach to music, dance, drama, drawing and painting, puppetry, health and physical education, games and sports, yoga and productive work Experiences to help socio- emotional and cultural development with a realistic awareness and perception of phenomena occurring in the environment Games and sports, yoga, NCC and scouting and guiding Key concepts across all the disciplines of science, local and global concerns Social, political and economic situation of India and the world, including Indian cultural heritage. Academic skills social skills and civic competencies Agricultural and technological processes including participation in work situation Source: National Curriculum Framework 2000 8 In all language education programmes, the stress is placed on the ability to use the language in speech and in writing for academic purposes, at the workplace and in society in general. The duration of a class period may be around 40 minutes and, according to NCERT, the school year should be a minimum of 180 days, and â€Å"†¦A primary school should function for five hours a day out of which four hours may be set aside for instruction. For the upper primary and secondary schools, the duration of a school day should be six hours out of which five hours should be kept for instruction and the rest for the other routine activities. † Secondary education (2 years, grades IX-X) In grades IX-X the scheme of studies should include the following subjects: three languages (the mother tongue/the regional language, a modern Indian language and English), mathematics, science and technology, social sciences, work education, art education, health and physical education. Foreign languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, German, Arabic, Persian and Spanish may be offered as additional options. The curriculum in mathematics should take into account both the learning requirement of learners who will leave school for working life, and of students who will pursue higher education. According to the NECRT Secondary School Curriculum 2002-2004 (Vol.1, Main Subjects) the suggested number of weekly periods per subject in grade X is as follows: Subject Language I Language II Mathematics Science and technology Social science Work education or pre-vocational education Art education Suggested number of periods in grade X 7 6 7 9 9 3 + 2 to 6 periods outside school hours 2 The boards, however, according to NCERT, often offer limited or no optional courses: two languages (one of which is English), mathematics, science and social sciences are the typical examination subjects. A few boards encourage students to choose an optional course from a range that includes economics, music and cookery. Higher secondary/Senior secondary education (2 years, grades XI–XII) The curriculum at this stage is divided into an academic stream and a vocational stream. Academic stream The objectives of academic courses are to promote problem-solving abilities and convey higher levels of knowledge. The curriculum at this stage comprises foundation courses and elective courses. Foundation courses consist of (i) language and literature, (ii) work education, and (iii) health and physical education, games and sports. The study of language prepares a student to both learn and use language in the classroom, the community and the workplace. The choice of the language to be studied is decided by the learner. Work education includes e. g. developmental projects in a village or city. Generic Vocational Courses (GVC) aim at developing employment-related generic skills regardless of the persons’ occupations. The student should choose three elective courses out of the subjects 9 prescribed by the boards. Elective courses may include bridging courses between the academic and vocational streams. The list of courses may include modern Indian languages, Sanskrit, classical European languages and their literatures, English (academic and specialised), other foreign languages, subjects in the sciences and mathematics, computer science, accountancy, business studies, engineering, political science, history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, fine arts and others. NCERT prescribes that courses should be listed together without dividing them into mutually exclusive groups. Nonetheless, several boards restrict the combinations in the form of a ‘science stream’, ‘arts stream’ and ‘commerce stream’. Some schools tailor their classes to medical and engineering courses. Universities restrict admissions based on the subjects and combinations of courses studied in the +2 stage. Sixty percent of the instructional time is devoted to the instruction of elective subjects and forty percent to the foundation course. Vocational stream The introduction of the vocational stream was recommended by the central Kothari Commission (1964-66). The National Policy on Education, 1986 (revised 1992) set a target of twenty-five percent of higher secondary students in vocational courses by 1995. So far, enrolment is far below this. The courses for the vocational stream consist of: †¢ A language course †¢ A general foundation course †¢ Health and physical education, and †¢ Elective vocational courses Vocational education covers areas like agriculture, engineering and technology (including information and communication technology), business and commerce, home science, health and para-medical services and humanities. Language courses are organised to cover the grammatical structures and additional vocabulary particular to the trade or vocation. The general foundation course for the vocational stream comprises general studies, entrepreneurship development, environmental education, rural development and information and communication technology. Vocational electives are organised according to employment opportunities. Practical training is an essential component of the vocational courses, according to the National Curriculum Framework, with seventy percent of time devoted to vocational courses. The certificate issued should mention the competencies acquired and the credits earned. Organisation The organisation of teaching is based either on an annual or semester system. In most cases, a year’s course is divided into two parts to be covered in the two halves of an academic session in the annual system. Marks are accorded to a certain number of periods; the total mark is an average of marks accorded to the different parts of curriculum in an annual or semestrial examination (e. g. a paper corresponding to a 3-hour written examination). 10 The example below copied from the Senior School Curriculum 2007 (Central Board of Secondary Education) illustrates a typical curriculum (in history) and the maximum marks accorded to the different parts of the curriculum. History/Class XI Paper One Unit Part A – Ancient India 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 30. Total Introduction Paleolithic Cultures and Beginning of settled Life Harappan Civilization The Early Vedic Period Later Vedic Phase and Iron Age South and North-East India Religious traditions Mahajanapada Mauryas Society, Economy and Culture during Mauryan period Post-Mauryan India The age of India from Guptas and after The Society and Culture in the age of Guptas and Harsha †¦ Project Work 100 marks 8 4 8 8 5 2 10 4 10 6 6 8 8 †¦ †¦. 5 8 9 5 2 7 7 Time: 3 Hours Periods 100 Marks Marks. In the semester system, recommended by NCERT, students take a number of credit hours corresponding to their requirements and capacity, and at their own pace. However, only a few institutions have adopted the semester and credit system. National Curriculum Framework 2005 The National Curriculum Framework 2005 points out the need for plurality and flexibility within education while maintaining the standards of education in order to cover a growing variety of children. The Framework recommends that learning shifts away from rote methods and that the curriculum reduces and updates textbooks. Peace education is included as a dimension in education. The new curriculum proposes a broader spectrum of optional subjects, including the revalorisation of vocational options. Courses may be designed to offer optional modules, rather than trying to cover everything and overfilling courses too much. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 also proposes changes within the examination system (examinations for classes X and XII) allowing reasoning and creative abilities to replace memorisation. The children should be able to opt for different levels of attainment. Textbooks 11 Most states have legislated to create bodies for the preparation of syllabi and textbooks. The states have established various mechanisms for the preparation and approval of textual materials. However, a study in 2005, undertaken by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), of textbooks used in government schools (not following the CBSE syllabus) and in nongovernment schools (including social and religious schools) showed that many textbooks reinforce inequalities and neglect rural, tribal or female realities. According to NCERT’ Newsletter, in 2005, CABE proposed the institution of a National Textbook Council to monitor textbooks. Source: – National Curriculum Framework 2000, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India – National Curriculum Framework 2005, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India – Newsletter July 2005, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India – Senior School Curriculum 2007, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India, 2005 Examination and Assessment In all the states and Union Territories, public examinations are conducted at the end of classes X and XII by the respective State Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Ministry of Human Resource Development has published a list of recognised state boards for secondary and higher secondary education. The minimum age for admittance to the Secondary School Examination generally varies from 14+ to 16+. The minimum age for Higher Secondary School Examinations varies from 16+ to 18+ years. Some states/UTs do not have an age restriction. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), established by a special resolution of the Government of India in 1929, prescribes examination conditions and the conduct of public examinations at the end of Standard X and XII. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Delhi, was established in 1958 by the University of Cambridge, Local Examinations Syndicate as a self-financing national examination board. The Council conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (Standard X) and the Indian School Certificate (Standard XII) examinations. CISCE affiliates schools using English as a medium of instruction. The title of the final qualification varies depending upon the examining body. The titles used by the central examining boards are: CBSE: †¢ All India Secondary School Certificate (Standard X). †¢ All India Senior School Certificate (Standard XII). 12 CISCE: †¢ Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE Standard X). †¢ Indian School Certificate (ISC Standard XII). †¢ Certificate of Vocational Education (CVE XII). Information from the procedure of the All India Senior School Certificate (Standard XII) (extract): The Board conducts examination in all subjects except General Studies, Work Experience, Physical and Health Education, which will be assessed internally by the schools based on cumulative records of students periodical achievements and progress during the year. In all subjects examined by the Board, a student will be given one paper each carrying 100 marks for 3 hours. However, in subjects requiring practical examination, there will be a theory paper and a practical examination as required in the syllabi and courses. A candidate may offer an additional subject that can be either a language at elective level or another elective subject as prescribed in the Scheme of Studies, subject to the conditions laid down in the Pass Criteria. A candidate will get the Pass Certificate of the Board, if he/she gets a grade higher than E in all subjects of internal assessment unless he/she is exempted. Failing this, result of the external examination will be withheld but not for a period of more than one year. In order to be declared as having passed the examination, a candidate shall obtain a grade higher than E (i. e. at least 33% marks) in all the five subjects of external examination in the main or at the compartmental examinations. The pass marks in each subject of external examination shall be 33%. In case of a subject involving practical work a candidate must obtain 33% marks in theory and 33% marks in practical separately in addition to 33% marks in aggregate in order to qualify in that subject. A candidate failing in two of the five subjects of external examination shall be placed in compartment in those subjects provided he/she qualifies in all the subjects of internal assessment. A candidate who has failed in the examination in the first attempt shall be required, to re-appear in all the subjects at the subsequent annual examination of the Board. A candidate who has passed the Senior School Certificate Examination of the Board may offer an additional subject as a private candidate provided the additional subject is provided in the Scheme of Studies and is offered within six years of passing the examination of the Board. A candidate who has passed an examination of the Board may reappear for improvement of performance in one or more subject(s) in the main examination in the succeeding year only; however, a candidate who has passed an examination of the Board under Vocational Scheme may reappear for improvement of performance in one or more subject{s) in the main examination in the succeeding year or in the following year provided he/she has not pursued higher studies in the mean time. He /she will appear as private candidate. Candidates who appear for improvement of performance will be issued only Statement of Marks reflecting the marks of the main examination as well as those of the improvement examination. Central Board of Secondary Education Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is one of the three national boards of secondary education in India. CBSE has affiliated around 8,300 schools including government and independent 13 schools. It also affiliates schools in some 20 African and Asian countries. About 200 new schools are affiliated each year. Study teams conduct regular inspections of the affiliated institutions. CBSE has a central office and 6 regional offices. Permanent affiliation is obtained after a number of years. Affiliation is granted according to strict criteria. A list of affiliated schools can be found on CBSE’ s website: http://www. cbse. nic. in. The major objective is to prescribe conditions of examinations and conduct public examinations at the end of Classes X and XII and to grant certificates to successful candidates of the affiliated schools. All affiliated schools follow the national scheme of 10+2. Here is an example of testimonial for All India Senior School Certificate Examination from 2000: CBSE is regulated but not financed by the central government. Financing is assured by fees from the affiliated schools. CBSE accepts private candidates. CBSE develops its curriculum on the basis of the national curriculum framework. The curriculum is revised every 5 to 10 years. Two of the front line curriculum subjects are revised every year. According to CBSE, it strives notably to adapt current teaching methods and content of teaching to an innovative and creative society in the form of subjects such as functional English, bio-technology, entrepreneurship, life skills education, and disaster management. An important objective is the destressing of education, including no homework or examinations in grades I and II and only achievement reports in grades III-V. Information technology is compulsory in grades IX +X. Language studies include a possible 27 different languages besides Hindi and English. One teacher may teach four subjects up to grade X. The board uses the term learner (for student) with emphasis on the learner’s role in learning. Two subjects undergo a performance analysis (marks, questions, learning) each year to cope with poor performance. 14 Examination is monitored and organised to avoid fraud. CBSE issues duplicates of certificates under certain conditions. CBSE also organises in-service training of teachers and special programmes for new principals. Grading Both Standard X and XII are normally marked on a percentage basis. The minimum passmark varies depending upon the subject. According to the UK NARIC, the following marking scheme is used in most states for the Standard XII examinations, in comparison with that used by the central boards. Performance CBSE assessment 85%+, 80-85%, 70- Excellent, Superior, Very A1-A2, B1 80% good 60% – 70% Good B2 50% – 60% Satisfactory C1 40% – 50% Average C2 35% – 40% Pass D Percentages Source: India, International Comparisons, UK NARIC CISCE One, two, three Four Five Six seven Documents The pass-document is issued by the relevant Board of Secondary Education. It shows the type of programme (academic or vocational), the subjects passed and the marks obtained out of total marks as well as the aggregate marks, percentage obtained, and result as well as the overall grade/division. National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) National Institute of Open Schooling (previously known as the National Open School) was established in November 1989 as an autonomous registered society. The institute provides basic programs such as secondary education courses and senior secondary education courses on an open education basis. NIOS conducts examinations twice a year and candidates can appear in one, two or more subjects. Credits are accumulated until the certification criteria are fulfilled. NIOS has at its disposal a network of accredited study centres all over India providing support to learners. Source – India, International Comparisons, UK NARIC (Website) – Secondary Education. Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (information on the Department’s website) 15 Islamic Education India also has a system of Islamic education. Several different sects have their own schools where they teach Islamic subjects and Arabic to mainly (but not only) Muslim children.

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Personal Dilemma - Essay Example This put the workers at odds with her and people began to talk to each other at the office but no one seemed to be willing to talk to her about the situation. The environment became very toxic. I had a loyalty to the company but I also had a loyalty with her since she was not doing anything wrong according to the company policy. In fact, I sometimes found myself in agreement with her because there were times when the culture became too relaxed. However, other individuals within the company started talking about leaving and two people put in their notices mentioning that they were leaving because of their friction and incompatibility with the supervisor. The company executives took notice of the situation and called in a few people from our department to discuss what was happening. My supervisor had some inkling that this could happen and she had told all individually to not say anything which might cause trouble within the department. Essentially, I had to pick between being ethical by telling the truth or by going against her and putting her job at risk. I considered letting others take the lead when talking to the executives but I realized they might go too far in putting her down. Despite the situation I had been placed in, I told the executives about the real situation as honestly as I could. The result of our meeting with the company executives was that our supervisor was transferred to another section while we got a new boss. On a personal level, this incident made me realize that honesty is the best policy and it would be unethical to help our friends or even our superiors if it comes at the expense of others. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions in order to make sure that the effect of the decision will have a net positive impact for the collective rather than a negative impact on the workings of the company. If that means that one

Women in top management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Women in top management - Essay Example The essay will apply the use of secondary research, which means that it will solely rely on secondary data in order to meet the set objective. In order to attain the objective stipulated above, this study will begin with a literature review that aims at discussing the feminist theory, women’s position in the society, and the positive contribution women can make towards an organisation if their level of participation is increased. In the third sub-section, the essay presents case examples that demonstrate how increasing women’s participation in top management teams can be beneficial for organisations. In the conclusion, the essay will provide a recommendation to the managers in regards to the benefits of increasing women’s participation. Theoretical background This section will discuss the theory related to discussion of how increasing women’s participation in top management team can be beneficial for organisations.... ory, since the study is related to increasing women’s participation in the top management teams of organisations and the likely impact this can have on the performance of the organisation. Women’s position in the society The position of women in the society has been an issue of debate more so in the 21st century where numerous efforts have been made to redefine this position as well as the role of women in the society. According to McKee (2006), these efforts have been aimed at giving women a more vibrant role and a significant position in the society rather than the ones confined by the earlier traditions or cultural beliefs and attitudes. For example, in the biblical times, writings indicate that women were confined to lower ranks than men in the society were, and they were expected to be submissive to demands and wishes of men. The Biblical writings even hint to the fact that that women owe their origin to the male gender (the story of God using Adam’s rib to create Eve). From the earlier cultural beliefs that are not only exhibited in the Christian faith but also in the Islamic faith as well as other cultures, women were naturally excluded from certain roles and positions within the society mainly because of gender bias. Brush et al. (2010) argued that in the modern world and more in particular the years before, the new millennium, gender segregation was mostly exhibited in the working environment and in the political environment whereby the participation of women was limited to minor roles. However, Brush et al. (2010) noted that in the 21st century there have been tremendous improvements in women trying to gain equal status as men in the work environment and in the political arena. For example, the present Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo, Inc is a woman

Defining Leadership and Providing a Brief Overview of Leadership Essay

Defining Leadership and Providing a Brief Overview of Leadership Theories - Essay Example Thus, a leader may also be described as a person with the authority and/or the position within an organization capable of influencing the people around them and making decisions that people around them are willing to follow. There are 5 different types of leadership styles2 namely Directive (Authoritative), Delegative (Free Reign), Participative (Democratic), Consultative and Negotiative. Directive (Authoritative) Leaders are characterized as individuals who instruct their employees on the ways to perform a task without allowing them much leeway to give their own thoughts or display independence. The leader exercises firm authority over his employees and makes sure that they follow his rules and guidelines in performing a task. Delegative (Free Reign) Leaders, segregates and hands out the tasks to their employees and allows them to make decisions and decide on how a task should be performed. However, as the leader will still be held accountable for the decisions made and the fact tha t this style is not entirely democratic, situations may arise whereby employees may be assigned work rather than being allowed to participate actively on how a task should be done or completed. ... They often motivate their employees with incentives or words of encouragement to push them in the same direction as the rest of the team. 2.0 Case Study Analysis 2.0.1 Leadership at Swatch In my opinion, the leadership paradigm displayed at Swatch is that of the Consultative style. Although the leadership lies on both Hayek Senior and Nicolas Hayek Junior to drive the organization forward, they allow their employees to contribute and participate in brainstorming for new ideas and allows for new project teams to come up with ideas. Leadership seems widely distributed across the Swatch Group with only a small number of positions existing to ‘head’ different sections. The Group does not believe in bureaucracy and has very little formal hierarchy. The employees are given the discretion to develop ideas and lead project teams in their own areas. There is room for growth and independence for the employees working with Swatch. Based on the case study, it would seem that the org anization is quite dependent on the energy and influence of the Hayeks as both senior and junior Hayeks are very involved in the business. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide ‘hands on’ assistance to various levels of needs in the Group. Although leadership seems widely distributed across the divisions at Swatch, it is mentioned that if the Hayeks dislike a product or idea, the company’s morale is said to decline but morale is notably high if the Hayeks are behind an idea. That clearly shows how important the Hayeks are in the organization. In terms of securing the future leadership of the organization, Hayek Senior has placed members of his family in significant positions within Group to ensure the longevity and growth

Experiment or Quasi-Experiment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Experiment or Quasi-Experiment - Coursework Example According to William M.K. Trochim, in this type of research design the most often used group is the intact groups which we think are similar as the treatment and control groups. Two significant characteristics of the NEGD are clearly manifested in this experiment. First, the sample group that is used in the experiment is practically similar in the sense that these kids all have high self-efficacy in playing softball. The second characteristic is the non-random manner of choosing the group. All the components of the group have high self-efficacy in playing softball. This clearly shows that the components of the group are not randomly picked. This experiment is definitely a quasi-experiment due to the fact that the selected group is considered without any random pre-selection process, and upon which a variable is tested. In addition, the result that is achieved of this experiment is used in generating results for general trending. Although this experiment is done for the measurement of social variables, this experiment uses the self-efficacy measurement which can actually be statistically analyzed and

Extreme body piercing (or modification) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Extreme body piercing (or modification) - Essay Example It was believed that the pharaohs of Egypt were the only one who could pierce their naval and anyone else doing so was punished by death penalty. In the Roman Empire, soldiers and other people got their nipples pierced to show their loyalty towards their king. Julius Caesar also wore nipple ring to show his prowess and his alliance with his soldiers. The nipple ring was a strong link which united the roman soldiers. It was also considered a macho sign signifying vigour and potency. The African and some south Asian tribes have very bizarre traditions and rituals of piercing objects in their body parts as part of their religious ceremonies. Extreme body piercing has often been treated as an expression of penitence in many religious practices of African and South American tribes. Tongue piercing was practiced as an appeasement to God so that His blessings could be obtained for their tribes and general welfare. In ancient Aztecs ‘Aztec and Maya were known for their skills as great warriors and they indulged in septum piercing so that they seemed more ferocious to their enemies’ (internet). In the late sixties, piercing became popular in the west when the hippies started piercing their nose, ears and naval and adorning them with jewelleries. Later the members of gay communities pierced their one ear and started wearing earrings as a way of declaring their sexual preference. This was followed by punk cultures of the seventies for whom piercing their body parts and wearing jewellery was seen as a sign of rebellion. The punks took the body piercing from the conventional to the extreme by piercing their tongues, cheeks and other body parts. Today, piercing of body parts has become a popular way of flaunting not only their bodies but their intent of purpose of declaring their bizarre sexual preferences and profound body experiences bordering on obsession. Body

Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 16

Writer's choice - Essay Example The Confederate flag has been the backbone of white supremacist associations, from the Ku Klux Klan to the skinheads (Aron, 2013). They did not proper Confederate battle flag because it is pretty. They picked it because it was the flag of a nation dedicated to their ideals: that the blacks are less equal to the white man. Some people say it represents heritage, not hate. In South Carolina, the Confederate battle flag was raised over the state house on April 11th; 1961.The state Senate passed a bill in South Carolina to expel the Confederate flag from the highest point of the state house vault by a majority vote on April 12, 2000. Following the 2015 Charleston church shooting, many commentators questioned the continued display of the flag at the memorial on the Statehouse grounds (Entman&Rojecki, 2001). The flag later removed which led to many debates with some people, specifically the whites, claiming that the Confederate flag did not have anything to do with the church shooting. How ever, before the removal of the flag, there were rallies promoting the South Carolina’s governor to remove the flag. To the blacks, the shooting was racially motivated, and the shooter had a photo pausing while carrying the Confederate flag. Wednesdays racially propelled slaughter of nine African-Americans at Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston has reignited the civil argument over flying the dissident flag at the Statehouse (Williams, 2000). Photographs of Dylan Roof, the admitted shooter, reveal him wearing politically-sanctioned racial segregation images and leaning toward a car with an ornamental license plate bearing tribute to the Confederate States (Entman &Rojecki, 2001).The shooter said that the races should be segregated, that whites should be with whites. It comes from the colonial history of America that the whites are more superior to the blacks. He is pegging his

External Environment Analysis of Disneyland Park in Anaheim Research Paper

External Environment Analysis of Disneyland Park in Anaheim - Research Paper Example This outbreak started in December 2014 when 36 people including visitors and workers of Disneyland amusement park contracted measles (Leifer, 2015). In addition, further 90 people across seven states in the US and the neighboring country Mexico were reported infected from the outbreak. Though the measles outbreak in Disneyland had adverse effects on their visitors and employees, it only had a slight impact on the park’s attendance (Comb, 2015). The park lost revenues of unvaccinated visitors who were advised by health officials to avoid Disneyland. In addition, Comb says minors who could not be vaccinated were also locked out of Disneyland as a result of doctors’ recommendation. The park’s management incurred extra expenses by catering for the medical bills of their employees who were infected by measles. Even though, the measles had no adverse effects on Disneyland business, the park’s social image was tainted as a result of the outbreak. Currently, many visitors are medically advised before visiting the park something that portrays the park a dangerous place. Unlike Disneyland Park, Universal Studio Hollywood is a working movie studio. Levine (2014) states that the studio began in mid-1960s as modest backstage tour that offered tours to the public. The studio offers big thrills to the visitors by combining scary effects with high-speed coaster rides. These rides and amusement are based on some of the most famous scenes and characters from popular films and televisions. It also offers the celebration of special events such as treatment of intrepid visitors at the annual Halloween Night Horror and celebration of the Christmas holiday (Levine, 2014). Though the studio has over time grown into more of a theme park that offers roller coasters, it has managed to maintain its focus on movies and culture. Additionally, this park offers water activities for its visitors. Universal Studio

Balanced Diet Essay Example for Free

Balanced Diet Essay Maintaining a healthy balanced diet is important for maintaining optimal health throughout life. For women of childbearing age, good nutrition is important for preparing the body for the demands of pregnancy. During pregnancy, a woman’s macronutrient (energy) and micronutrient (e.g. vitamins, mineral) requirements increase, and it is even more important that she consumes food which will give her both the energy and the specific micronutrients which are essential for maintaining her and her growing baby’s health. For example, women require an additional 240 calories of energy per day in the second trimester and 452 calories per day in the third trimester of pregnancy to account for foetal growth. An additional 975 milligrams of iron is required in the course of the pregnancy to form foetal and additional maternal blood. While nutritional supplements can provide large quantities of particular micronutrients, a healthy balanced diet should form the basis of a woman’s nutritional intake. Good nutrition is most important immediately prior to conception and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (including the very early stages, when the woman is unaware she is pregnant). It is therefore important for women to maintain a healthy diet throughout their childbearing years, and particularly if they are planning to become pregnant.In addition to regular exercise, a healthy well balanced diet is essential for good health. Life or rather the quality of life you have is dependent on having good health. A well balanced diet would contain the three main groups of food as well as important vitamins and minerals. The first group of carbohydrates are found in foods such as bread, potatoes and rice. They are essentially energy giving foods which power the muscles and other tissues in our body. The next class of food is the proteins which form the solid part in all living cells. They are commonly found in milk, met and fish, and are necessary for the body to build new cells and repair old damaged ones. For this very reason growing children require a greater intake of the different kinds of proteins as compared to adults. Lastly we have fats which are also energy-living foods but do not give it up as quickly as carbohydrates because their molecular structure is designed to render them ideal as storage foods. As children are much more active than adults they use up more energy for their size and therefore require more energy giving foods such as  carbohydrates. To this end fats are unsuitable. Moreover too much of a fatty food intake at an early age may lead to a problem with obesity in later life. In adults fatty deposits on the walls of the blood vessels in the form of cholesterol may lead to all kinds of heart ailments. In addition to the foods above the body also needs small quantities of protective substances called vitamins and minerals. They are normally present in a sensible diet. For example vitamins A and D are found in some fatty foods. Vitamin D is important along with the mineral calcium, found in milk, for the formation of bones. Vitamin B is found in the husks of wheat or rice ad vitamin C in fresh fruits such as oranges and lemons. Important minerals such as potassium, zinc and iron are present in traces n most foods too. In addition to regular exercise, a healthy well balanced diet is essential for good health. Life or rather the quality of life you have is dependent on having good health. A well balanced diet would contain the three main groups of food as well as important vitamins and minerals. The first group of carbohydrates are found in foods such as bread, potatoes and rice. They are essentially energy giving foods which power the muscles and other tissues in our body. The next class of food is the proteins which form the solid part in all living cells. They are commonly found in milk, met and fish, and are necessary for the body to build new cells and repair old damaged ones. For this very reason growing children require a greater intake of the different kinds of proteins as compared to adults. Lastly we have fats which are also energy-living foods but do not give it up as quickly as carbohydrates because their molecular structure is designed to render them ideal as storage foods. As children are much more active than adults they use up more energy for their size and therefore require more energy giving foods such as carbohydrates. To this end fats are unsuitable. Moreover too much of a fatty food intake at an early age may lead to a problem with obesity in later life. In adults fatty deposits on the walls of the blood vessels in the form of cholesterol may lead to all kinds of heart ailments. In addition to the foods above the body also needs small quantities of protective substances called vitamins and minerals. They are normally present in a sensible diet. For example vitamins A and D are found in some fatty foods. Vitamin D is important along with the mineral calcium, found in milk, for the formation of bones. Vitamin B is found in the husks of wheat or rice ad vitamin C in fresh fruits such as oranges and lemons. Important minerals such as potassium, zinc and iron are present in traces n most foods too. In addition to regular exercise, a healthy well balanced diet is essential for good health. Life or rather the quality of life you have is dependent on having good health. A well balanced diet would contain the three main groups of food as well as important vitamins and minerals. The first group of carbohydrates are found in foods such as bread, potatoes and rice. They are essentially energy giving foods which power the muscles and other tissues in our body. The next class of food is the proteins which form the solid part in all living cells. They are commonly found in milk, met and fish, and are necessary for the body to build new cells and repair old damaged ones. For this very reason growing children require a greater intake of the different kinds of proteins as compared to adults. Lastly we have fats which are also energy-living foods but do not give it up as quickly as carbohydrates because their molecular structure is designed to render them ideal as storage foods. As children are much more active than adults they use up more energy for their size and therefore require more energy giving foods such as carbohydrates. To this end fats are unsuitable. Moreover too much of a fatty food intake at an early age may lead to a problem with obesity in later life. In adults fatty deposits on the walls of the blood vessels in the form of cholesterol may lead to all kinds of heart ailments. In addition to the foods above the body also needs small quantities of protective substances called vitamins and minerals. They are normally present in a sensible diet. For example vitamins A and D are found in some fatty foods. Vitamin D is important along with the mineral  calcium, found in milk, for the formation of bones. Vitamin B is found in the husks of wheat or rice ad vitamin C in fresh fruits such as oranges and lemons. Important minerals such as potassium, zinc and iron are present in traces n most foods too. In addition to regular exercise, a healthy well balanced diet is essential for good health. Life or rather the quality of life you have is dependent on having good health. A well balanced diet would contain the three main groups of food as well as important vitamins and minerals. The first group of carbohydrates are found in foods such as bread, potatoes and rice. They are essentially energy giving foods which power the muscles and other tissues in our body. The next class of food is the proteins which form the solid part in all living cells. They are commonly found in milk, met and fish, and are necessary for the body to build new cells and repair old damaged ones. For this very reason growing children require a greater intake of the different kinds of proteins as compared to adults. Lastly we have fats which are also energy-living foods but do not give it up as quickly as carbohydrates because their molecular structure is designed to render them ideal as storage foods. As children are much more active than adults they use up more energy for their size and therefore require more energy giving foods such as carbohydrates. To this end fats are unsuitable. Moreover too much of a fatty food intake at an early age may lead to a problem with obesity in later life. In adults fatty deposits on the walls of the blood vessels in the form of cholesterol may lead to all kinds of heart ailments. In addition to the foods above the body also needs small quantities of protective substances called vitamins and minerals. They are normally present in a sensible diet. For example vitamins A and D are found in some fatty foods. Vitamin D is important along with the mineral calcium, found in milk, for the formation of bones. Vitamin B is found in the husks of wheat or rice ad vitamin C in fresh fruits such as oranges and lemons. Important minerals such as potassium, zinc and iron are present in traces n most foods too. In addition to regular exercise, a healthy well balanced diet is essential for good health. Life or rather the quality of  life you have is dependent on having good health. A well balanced diet would contain the three main groups of food as well as important vitamins and minerals. The first group of carbohydrates are found in foods such as bread, potatoes and rice. They are essentially energy giving foods which power the muscles and other tissues in our body. The next class of food is the proteins which form the solid part in all living cells. They are commonly found in milk, met and fish, and are necessary for the body to build new cells and repair old damaged ones. For this very reason growing children require a greater intake of the different kinds of proteins as compared to adults. Lastly we have fats which are also energy-living foods but do not give it up as quickly as carbohydrates because their molecular structure is designed to render them ideal as storage foods. As children are much more active than adults they use up more energy for their size and therefore require more energy giving foods such as carbohydrates. To this end fats are unsuitable. Moreover too much of a fatty food intake at an early age may lead to a problem with obesity in later life. In adults fatty deposits on the walls of the blood vessels in the form of cholesterol may lead to all kinds of heart ailments. In addition to the foods above the body also needs small quantities of protective substances called vitamins and minerals. They are normally present in a sensible diet. For example vitamins A and D are found in some fatty foods. Vitamin D is important along with the mineral calcium, found in milk, for the formation of bones. Vitamin B is found in the husks of wheat or rice ad vitamin C in fresh fruits such as oranges and lemons. Important minerals such as potassium, zinc and iron are present in traces n most foods too.

Globalization and International Security

Globalization and International Security This research paper discusses the issues of globalization and international security in their interdependency and interrelation. Challenges and obstacles of the efficient international security policy are considered. Globalization and international security are two directly proportional notions: the quicker is globalization, the stricter is international security. Introduction International security is nowadays closely connected with the notion of globalization. These two concepts seem to be the basic in todays political and economic situation. Thus, to start with, we should identify the notion of the international security. International security is the set of measures performed by countries and various international organizations aimed at the provision of the mutual safety in the world politics. This set of measures involves the implementation of both military actions and diplomatic treaties and agreements. Both types of security national and international are closely connected. As far as globalization offers its ways to ever-growing interaction of people and nations in almost all aspects of the human activities, as well as greater proliferation of cultures, political, economic and social activities, this results in greater rejection. This happens because of the discrepancies in some major points such as religion, for instance, or property issues. The brightest example of the globalization influence on international challenges is terrorist attacks, particularly on September 11, 2001, because these were the first, and they entailed the complete reorganization of global vision of the international security issue. We may state that these attacks were conditioned by the effects of increasing political globalization striving of the US to get the control over Iraq and improve its position as the world leader and power controlling all aspects of the world political order. Therefore, the present paper discusses the issue of the impact the globalization has on the international security and challenges posed by this influence. As far as globalization is rather broad and general term, we will use more specific aspects of globalization such as terrorism and struggle with it, international security in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region resulting from the dramatic economic growth of this region, and other challenges of globalization as associated with the necessity to improve the international security of these countries. General discussion International security and globalization Starting from the end of the twentieth century and continuing in the twenty first century, the globalization of different issues has provided both positive and negative effects. The positive effects of globalization imply closer and thus more effective cooperation of nations on various issues. These involve the sphere of political, cultural, economic cooperation. However, the same issues may have negative effects because in such way the collision of different views happens and this results in the conflict, as we can see on the example of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 different views on the same question who will rule have predetermined the outcome of the conflict: dramatic and terrifying event, which made nations shudder in anticipation of the same threat. Thus, for the most part the growth of terrorist attacks resulted in the desire of nations improve their international security. This may be accomplished in a number of ways: either through military actions, as it has been alread y mentioned, but this method is too radical, or through agreements, treaties and participation in international security programs or associations. Despite the fact that since the ending of the Cold War, which happened more than decade ago, there was an anticipation of the dramatic improvement in the sphere of international and national security. However, these hopes have failed, for new challenges have replaced the threat of nuclear weapon and civilization destruction. New challenges and issues of international security posed by the globalization include terrorism, various forms of extremism, separatism, growth of the crime rates, corruption, weapons of the mass destruction, regional conflicts, ecological catastrophes etc. Despite the fact that these challenges existed previously, in the globalization era they have achieved another sounding, because the world became much more mutually dependent and interconnected than earlier. Therefore, these challenges have begun to obtain a universal character rapidly, thus posing a threat to both national and international stability and security. The lives of many people of different nations have become influenced by these issues and challenges posed to the regional and international communities, and this influences continues its growth. As foreign minister of Russia Igor Ivanov stated, Proof of this is the wave of terrorist acts, unprecedented in scale and cruelty that has rolled from New York to the Island of Bali and Moscow (Ivanov, 2003). The key issue nowadays is not even the disclosure of the spheres where globalization has threatened the security of states and their citizens, but rather that far more interesting nowadays question of the way the effects of international insecurity may be challenged. Besides, it should be defined, why there are so much threats confronting humanity at the beginning of the twenty first century, and what measures can be taken in order to prevent or neutralize the ever-increasing number of new challenges to the peace and international threats. Globalization has become the greatest and the most influential constructor of the new international security picture. Its influence on the development and facilitation of the relations between nations in this basic sphere is considered to be rather contradictory. Thus, on the one part, globalization furthers rapid advancement of technological and scientific progress and facilitates ever-increasing communication among nations. Thus, if we look at the issue more closely, we will see that globalization to great extent assists humanity in provision of the potentiality for improvement of the quality of the international security and brings it to another level of development. It is due to the mutual dependence between nations in almost all spheres of the political, economic, social order, that helps to develop absolutely novel political approaches targeting the creation of the democratic multiparty organizations of controlling the international system of security and in such way targeting the reliable solution of the security problems. Nevertheless, the process of globalization has negative meaning, which is expressed through the intensification of the old challenges of international security with the simultaneous raising of new challenges and dangers. The part of outer factors in the evolution of nations and countries is increasing crucially. Due to the discrepancies in the economic and financial power, the interrelation and mutual dependency between nations becomes ever more unstable and disbalanced. Despite the fact that a minor group of leading industrialized countries almost obviously plays the part of the grounds for globalization, the rest of the countries stays aside of the financial economic advancements. As a consequence, the differences of economic and social advancement of the world grow intensively. According to Ivanov, the world economy may nowadays be separated into two types of zones: zones of growth and stagnation. Therefore, as Ivanov states, in 1998 ten leading states recipients of foreign investments accounted for 70 percent of their total amount, and countries with a low development level accounted for less than 7 percent (Ivanov, 2003). At the same time eminent politician claims that While in 1960 the incomes of the richest 20 percent of the worlds population exceeded those of the poorest 20 percent by 30 times, by 2002 that gap had trebled (Ivanov, 2003). All these problems: unemployment, low wages, social injustice, discrepancies in the realm of religion, culture, etc, contribute greatly to the issue of international security improvement. Certain steps have been already made in this direction, and they appear to be rather effective, but they will be discussed later in this paper. As for the mutual dependence of globalization and international security, we may state that we become the witnesses of the transference of negative globalization aspects to the countries of the Third World. The point is that it is harder for the Third World nations to defend themselves from the negative influence of globalization, but what is far easier to people living in developed countries is that they are protected to a certain extent with the economic and political power of their states. Consequently, the deceleration of globalization processes results in the breaches widening, which concerns the gaps in speed and direction of both economic and social advancement of whole regions of the world. It should be also mentioned that the very notion of the state power is changing in todays world. International security nowadays is provided with the help of not only military forces, as it has always been, but also with the help of the financial, economic, information and other resources which affect allies and opponents particularly comes to the foreground. There are certain factors which supposedly make it either easier or more complicated for countries to obtain access to the advantages of globalization, and which become ever more involved in the armory of security strategies. Thus, globalization and attempts to manipulate its processes are often used as tools of pressure in politics and economy. This peculiarity of the current state of affairs with international relations is emphasized in the UN report called The Impact of Civilization on Social Development. This report underlines that concern over globalization is partly due to the fact that the national policies of states are increasingly influenced by policies pursued outside their boundaries (UN report). Although this concerns national security policies, it is obvious that the international security policies are affected by the global politics and economy as well. As an example of such connection we can provide the example of the International Security Assistance Force although this mission was established by the UN Security Council, a lot of countries of the world responded the call for assistance. Thus, the United Nations Security Council has established ISAF International Security Assistance Force, which is the development and security mission in Afghanistan, led by NATO. The mission was established on December 20, 2001 (UNSCR) and involves approximately thirty five thousand people. The troops for this mission were contributed by thirty seven countries. The main target of International Security Assistance Force was to protect Kabul (Afghanistan) during the war in Afghanistan (started in 2001), and provide the security of the people from the Taliban, al Qaida. There are a lot of tools which are used to influence international security through the globalization processes. According to Ivanov, these tools of manipulation include the following: Investment and credit diplomacy, which benefits from the sharp need of developing nations in loans and investments of foreign capital. Information diplomacy, which targets the prevalence in the space of the world information; Political engineering, which implies the joint usage of different levers such as economic, political, and military ones for the construction of the required type of partners. In other words, states are ready to accept the conditions of the answer to both national and international challenges and issues posed from outside the boundaries of these states. In general, it should be particularly underlined that the process of new international processes started in the period after the Cold War ending, obtained to a great extent unchangeable and uncontrolled nature. Consequently, as it turns out, the situation has arisen which is filled with a great potential for the crisis outbreak, but which is simultaneously useless for the prevention or solution of international security issues collectively, meaning with the help of the whole world community. The deficiency of efficient mechanisms for control and monitoring of the actions and adapting the interests of a group of governments can be implemented as the pretence or evidential support of the statement that the purchase of weapons of mass destruction, even if its quantity is insignificant, becomes almost the only way to ensure security in international terms in todays unpredictable and unstable world. The risk and challenge of such situation is in the fact that threats to national and international security will exist until some serious measures are taken. Terrorism as the threat to international security One of the most crucial challenges the world community faces nowadays is the identification of the most sharply states problems of national and international security notions, which are often closely connected. The current attempts of the world community to fight these problems should be analyzed and the question should be answered as for the effectiveness of these attempts. As it has been already mentioned, the threat of the international terrorism nowadays is posed rather obviously and thus becomes the major threat to the security of the humanity. One of the most difficult things in fighting terrorism, according to Russian foreign minister Ivanov is that terrorists usually change their techniques and strategies of fighting for their aims, and they used to find ever new targets of their just retribution: The population of the major megalopolises on the planet and strategically important marine transportation of energy resources, computer systems that support the life of a modern state, the transportation, tourist and banking infrastructures of the world this is by no means a complete list of targets of attacks that have already happened and may happen in the future (Ivanov, 2003). The key reason for the current situation existence is that extremist leaders try to breed strife, and in such way manipulate others. The most awful thing is that usually this happens on the political level, and people dependant on the state or government suffer in such situation. Thus, terrorist leaders try to destabilize the current state of affairs in separate countries through the use of causing strife as a result of religious, cultural or national discord. Thus, they find weak sides and strike a blow influencing not those separate countries but the whole world community. The growth of international terrorism had entailed the necessity to cooperate in order to fight international terrorism. Thus, national programs aiming the interaction against terrorism were established within the frameworks of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States (Ivanov, 2003). Their target is to put an obstacle on the way of the ever-spreading terrorism, particularly in Central Asia (Ivanov, 2003). Therefore, we should always remember that the protection of rights of every citizen is the direct concern of every country, that is why it is necessary to develop new more efficient programs aiming fight against terrorism and other threats to international security. The United Nations continue to claim its opinion as for the effective struggle with terrorism. According to the UN, this struggle should be supported essentially by the international law. This problem may be solved with the help of the UN, which has always taken great interest and participated in the affairs of terrorism protection, persecution of terrorists or terrorist loyal people, assistance to those people who have suffered from the extremist activity. International security in Asia-Pacific region Asia-Pacific region may be considered the developing one, because countries of this region traditionally have underdeveloped economies, and inexpressive politics but nowadays situation seem to have been changed. That is why it is rather unexpectedly for the world community to evidence the fact that Asia-Pacific region has become the center of the international security, in other words, the Asia-Pacific is currentlyhome to a wide range of attempts at international cooperation on security issues (Goh, Acharia, 2007). It has not been until the beginning of the 1990s that considerable developments and improvements in international issues resulted in the essential changes in the international security of Asia-Pacific region. The most important events which contributed greatly to the development of this region and brought about the transformations in the sphere of international security were the end of the Cold War and the vagueness of the situation with the American strategy as for East A sia. Besides, this resulted from the advancement of China on both political and economic arena due to its dramatic economic growth. It was exactly that economic growth that opened China to the world as the prospective country leading in terms of the economic growth and bringing changes at all levels of the development. Another reason for the change was the crisis of Asian economy in 1997, which damaged the region significantly and doubted the efficiency of the international institutions and the existence of the programs on international cooperation in the sphere of security provision. The activities of the terrorists in Southeast Asia, which have incurred from the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001, contributed greatly to the change of the approach concerning national, international and local security. These examples of globalization require further research as for the conflict solving in Asia-Pacific countries. Great variety of approaches to international and national security was considered and thus they have changed significantly since the times of the Cold War. In 1994 the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum was established, and it was the peak of the new initiatives developing in the region at those times. As for the increase of international security between countries of the Asia-Pacific region, we should state that there is growing effort to provide the international security with the combined effort of ASEAN countries, Japan, South Korea and China. Besides, great number of organizations has appeared which has certain relation to the security, such as the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and others. As a rule, these cooperative efforts concern the issue of confidence establishing between Asia-Pacific countries. However, because of the differing conditions of these organizations operation, a lot of such efforts suffer from the deficiency of the mutual cooperation and lack of competition as well. Within the framework of the international security there are a number of questions which will be answered in the present paper. They include the concern over the APEC, the main issues of which were extended and thus achieved both greater role and importance on the political scene. So, the reason that has facilitated this transformation in goals of the APEC was the struggle against terrorism after the infamous event of 11 September. The issue of the terrorism in the era of globalization as the key concern of the world community has been considered in this paper. However, first we should answer the question how do relate those two notions of globalization and terrorism, and what are their common points. Therefore, we should mention that globalization has different layers, such as for instance political, economic, cultural and many other; and as a rule globalization is considered as the ever-growing interconnection between people and whole nations as a result of the progress and technol ogical advancements in communication facilities, transport, information technologies etc. It can be hardly doubted that the development of the communications, IT and transport as well as closer interaction between nations, has contributed greatly to the necessity of the international cooperation and security improvement. The reasons for the greater international danger may be waited from the side of international trade and economy on the whole, as far as money and power are closely interlinked and for the most part they are the reason for the majority of conflicts. Among other factors influencing international security is the institutional adaptability as stated by Goh and Acharia, who claim that it is the presence of or the presence of institutional mechanisms that could be adapted to respond to new challenges; in this case, the APECs leaders Summit was one such institution that provided a ready forum for the discussion of pressing security concerns among the regions heads of state (Goh, Acharia, 2007). They consider ASEAN and ARF to be as well corresponding in order to adopt and accommodate the supplementary frameworks of international security. However, these actions are considered to be the misuse of powers. For example, Association of Southeast Asian Nations nowadays significantly changes its previous orientation to international issues of security to the transnational ones. ASEAN Regional Forum has also adopted the program of dealing with international terrorism. According to investigation, performed by Goh and Acharia, the current standards of national interaction differ in various institutions. Thus, the most developed standards are those suggested by ASEAN, while those of Asia-Pacific institutions which are under the threat, are the standards of noninterference. It should be also mentioned here that legalization of the institutions of the Asia-Pacific region has obtained the formalized character. For instance, we can mention the the dispute settlement mechanisms created under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), new rules for managing forest in ASEAN countries, the Declaration of Conduct (admittedly a weaker example) in the South China Sea, and moves to deviate from the consensus principle in ASEAN and the ARF (Goh, Arachia, 2007). These steps may be considered as the formalized operations of the improved and intensified international security. International Security before 9/11 and after it Thus, the infamous events of 9/11 became the turning point in the history of the international security. The thing is that, according to Khan, the discourse and direction of the international security issues and globalization processes has been changed. First of all, it should be mentioned that before that turning point the prevalent issues of the politic and economic concerns of the global community were the issues which concerned the geoeconomy (Khan, 2001). The majority of summits and international associations and organizations were concerned with the only question of globalization and humanitarian problems. However, nowadays geopolitics and other security issues have come to the foreground and the post-Cold War organizations determine further course of events, or as Khan put it, old language and institutions of the cold war are shaping our thinking about global politics (Khan, 2001). Khan evidences, that in the sphere of politics it had been decided prior to 9/11 that democracy is the only best way to arrange the most beneficial politics. In the sphere of economy, the World Trade Organization has established its own standards and thus different countries tried to raise their standards in order to comply with the new ones established by WTO. As for the social aspect, multinational corporations, for the most part American ones, influenced greatly the world popular culture. Therefore, it was the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, which changed everything. Globalization was accelerated, and this resulted in more or less free movement of capital, labor, technology and other material and immaterial resources across the boundaries of the countries. Thus, as far as globalization is the way to open all possible borders and make this flow across the borders free to the greatest extent, the main task of the international security, on the contrary, is to restrain this free flow and in such way secure and protect entrusted peoples and territories. Thus, one of the ideas after the terrorist attack that possessed political minds was the thought that to a certain extent this event was facilitated by the liberal policies of transactions across the borders. And as far as liberalism and democracy are interconnected notions, the position of democracy as the leading and the most appropriate political structure was undermined. The intensification of the international security thus implies the slowdown in the economy, because with harder control of the transactions the flow of capital will be slowed too. The most primitive but nonetheless still effective measures of international security are those which will prevent the free crossing of borders by terrorists: this includes stricter VISA provision, new regulations concerning border patrol and stricter policy of foreigners monitoring and control. On the governmental level national security is provided with the increase of international cooperation, which helps to ensure the legitimacy and reliability of information crossing the borders. Although this concerns national security first of all, in fact international security is also involved here, as far as nations cooperate with each other, exchange information and resources and this makes these countries vulnerable. That is why the efficient system of the international security monitoring is needed. As it has been already mentioned, the relation between globalization and international security is directly proportional, as far as it was globalization that facilitated the emerging of terrorists as the phenomenon of the world politics. However, globalization has been developing throughout many centuries, and nowadays it had just increased its pace. Of course, the most efficient measure of the security provision is at the same time the most radical and the most impossible to accomplish. The point is that it is absolutely impossible to close the borders and let each nation live without cooperation and interaction with other nations. It can be undoubtedly stated, that it is impossible to do. And Khan supports this idea stating that all advanced economies depend considerably on international trade 25% of US economy is dependent on international trade. The information technology sector in the US and increasingly in Europe now depends on technical expertise of global labor, particularly from India and China (Khan, 2001). Thus, complete separation and estrangement is impossible, and the only way to withstand the blow of terrorists is to intensify the international security policies and restrain the pace of globalization. Conclusion Consequently, in the present paper we have discussed the issues of the international security and the influence of globalization on the international security. As a result of the research, it became obvious that globalization and international security are closely connected. First of all this is true because they are directly proportional, i.e. with the acceleration of globalization the international security policies should be intensified. Despite the fact that for the most part the paper is dedicated to international security and related issues, in fact it is very difficult to differentiate the notions of national and international security, because again due to globalization these two concepts became mutually dependent and interrelated. Consequently, having discussed the abovementioned issues we may state that the impact of the globalization on the international security and challenges posed by this influence are rather various but in any case complicated. Using globalization as a general term, we have used more specific aspects of globalization such as terrorism and war against with it, international security in the nations of the Asia-Pacific region coming from the considerable economic growth of this region, and other challenges of globalization as connected with the necessity to improve the international security of these countries. As for the countries of Asia-Pacific region, their policies of international security has been developing and intensifying since the ending of the Cold War. ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Free Trade Area, APEC and others are the decisions taken in response to the globalization advancement and international security improvement. Bibliography 1. Acharya, A. (2001). Constructing a Security Community in Southeast Asia. London: Routledge 2. Acharya, A. and E. Goh.(2007). Reassessing Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific: Competition, Congruence, and Transformation. The MIT Press 3. Blair, D. (2000). Security Communities the Way Ahead for Asia, InternationalHerald Tribune, April 21, 2000 4. Garofano, J. (2002). Power, Institutions, and the ASEAN Regional Forum: A Security Community for Asia? Asian Survey, 42 (3), 502-521. 5. Gilpin, R. (1987). The Political Economy of International Relations. Princeton: Princeton University Press 6. The Impact of Civilization on Social Development. (2004). UN report. 7. Ivanov, I. (2003). International Security in the era of globalization. Khatmandu: The Telegraph 8. Khan, M. (2001). Terrorism and globalization. Retrieved 19 Nov. 2007 from Glocal eye website: http://www.glocaleye.org/ 9. Maloney, S. M. (2005). Enduring The Freedom: A Rogue Historian In Afghanistan. Dulles: Potomac Books, Incorporated 10. Ruggie, J. G.. (1993). ed., Multilateralism Matters: The Theory and Praxis of an Institutional Form. New York: Columbia University Press 11. Tow, W. (2001). Asia-Pacific Strategic Relations: Seeking Convergent Security. New York: Cambridge University Press 12. Wesley, M. (2003). Mediating the Global Order: The Past and Future of Asia-Pacific Regional Organizations, in David Lovell, ed., Asia-Pacific Security: Policy Challenges Singapore: ISEAS

criminal justice Essay examples -- essays research papers

Denzel Washington plays veteran L.A.P.D. Det. Sgt. Alonzo Harris. For thirteen years this highly decorated cop has been on the front lines in the war against narcotics. He's pledged to protect and serve the citizens of Los Angeles, but his optimism about police work has long since been chipped away by the reality of life on the streets. He and the tight-knit group of officers that report to him have crossed the line between legality and corruption. They find themselves breaking the laws they're supposed to enforce. Alonzo's ethics and his logic are in complete opposition to the "book" which most cops must follow. "It takes a thief to catch a thief," Hoyt is a young naive cop that is given twenty-four hours to train with Harris. Before the day is done, the young cop is asked to take drugs, accept drug money as a payoff, invent evidence, and even commit murder. Before he knows it, he's in so deep that there seems to be no way out. As Alonzo tells him "There is no justice, no law. It all boils down to what you can and cannot prove." Alonzo’s abusiveness and carelessness become a problem and the Police Chief orders him to see a Psychologist concerning his behavior. During the first visit, the police department provided a copy of his personal information file, which reveals the typical schemata of a person with an antisocial personality disorder. He lacked a superego; he has little remorse for his abusive, impulse-driven and dangerous behavior. He also saw himself as almost being superior and smarter than everyone else; by planning the training day with Hoyt, he believed this made him superior. He hid behind his Los Angeles Police Department badge and broke the laws that he was supposed to enforce. Individuals with Anti-Social disorder think that when they are caught committing the crime—their problem is getting caught not committing the crime. The goal for the future is to become a better criminal, rather than obeying the law. Throughout the movie his thought processes would include some of the following: 1. Rules are meant for others 2. Only fools follow all the rules 3. Rules are meant to be broken 4. Look out for #1 5. My pleasure comes first 6. If others are hurt, offended, or... ...nt/helper relationship this is known as transference. This allows the client to re-experience a variety of feelings that would otherwise be inaccessible. During my sessions with Alonzo his behavior toward me is very shifty, careful, guarded, apprehensive, and distrustful. This causes me to become uneasy, withdrawn from the client and blaming the client for the tension between us. Counter transference is the reaction or a reflection of a past or present relationship of the therapist toward the client that could interfere with objectivity. Because Alonzo is so aggressive and forward with his angry behavior, I find myself fearing him and avoiding conflict. Since I am a new therapist, I will need ongoing supervision to monitor my reactions to the sessions. The Psychoanalytic approach is very simplistic and client-oriented, which is very important to Alonzo’s breakdown. I did not want to be too aggressive; I want him to establish his own goals and path to different lifestyle. When Alonzo is able to accept that he could get even more from holding the LAPD badge by becoming a part of the system, rather than trying to always fool the system, he (hopefully) begin to act more adaptively.

Schutz?s theory Essay -- essays research papers

In today’s paper, I will be analysis personal relationship using Schutz’s theory of interpersonal needs. According to Communication Making Connection by William J. Seiler and Melissa L. Beall, Schutz’s theory implies that we have three needs: the need for affection, the need for inclusion, and the need for control. According to Schutz’s theory, the need for affection is the need to feel likeable or lovable. If various people like a specific person, that person has effectively fulfill this need and that need is referred as personal. Someone who is unable to fulfill this need is labeled either underpersonal or overpersonal. Personal individuals want to be liked, but they do not consider being liked by everyone essential for happiness. Underpersonal people avoid emotional commitments or involvement with others. Overpersonal individuals will often go to the extremes to ensure acceptance by others. It is my belief that, I am a personal individual. I’m the type of person that feels like I’m capable of dealing with anyone that I come in contact with. Many people that I’ve encounter over the years like my football teammate feel that I’m cocky; nevertheless I tell them that I’m just confident. My ex-girlfriend, shontell, on the other hand is more an overpersonal type of individual. She needs to be at the center of attention in order to ensure that she is acceptance by she peers. She will not make a decision without someone approval. According to Schutz’s theory, the interpersonal ne...

Cultural Literacy Essay

Cultural Literacy. What is it? How can one define it? Is it knowing the answers to questions such as: who are Joseph Stalin and Frederick Douglass? Who fought in WWI? What was the Louisiana purchase? What is the second commandment? Name an amendment to the constitution? Try this on for size, who is the host of Total Request Live on MTV? Who is J. Lo engaged to? Cultural literacy is knowledge of what one should know in order to be a functional member of an educated society. It includes an understanding of one’s language, grammar, pronunciations, syntax in speech, and the basic listening, reading and writing skills along with the knowledge of mathematics and history. Many argue whether cultural literacy is possible or not, whether it can truly exist. The whole concept of cultural literacy is an important one. Especially to America. America, being the great melting pot that it is needs to have this for everybody. We are constantly receiving new people into our country and as they come, our cultures â€Å"rub off† on each other, they begin to intertwine with another. By understanding these different groups we understand their cultures and we become more culturally literate (to the other persons culture) and our cultures actually mix. America is great because of this. The concept of cultural literacy is an important one to understand in order to make America a better place to live for everybody. To answer the question of whether or not it is possible for cultural literacy to exist, we need to break it down. We have to know what it means and who it applies to. We also need to understand how it works. The works of E. D. Hirsch, Jr. , â€Å"Cultural Literacy (excerpt),† and Jay Chaskes, â€Å"The First-year Student as Immigrant,† expose the definition of what cultural literacy is and how this definition varies as it comes across various cultures, groups, members and individuals in a society. Cultural literacy is possessing the information needed to be able to interpret a statement the way it was meant to be interpreted by an author or speaker. Many things are open to different interpretations, though. Hirsch agrees, â€Å"? we cannot treat reading and writing as empty skills, independent of specific knowledge. The reading skill of a person may vary greatly from task to task. The level of literacy exhibited in each task depends on the relevant background information that person possesses (217). † People who give this information are tryingto pass along a message. As long as one can receive that message correctly in most cases, they are considered culturally literate. We can safely assume that everyone is at a different level of cultural literacy since everyone knows a different amount and has experienced a different amount. A good author or speaker is able to communicate his or her message to these people with different amounts of knowledge and experience and have the same viewers receive the basically same message. One may be considered â€Å"culturally literate† somewhere, then culturally illiterate elsewhere. You can’t expect anyone to know all the information needed to interpret something correctly. But with what they already know, they can form a correct conclusion. Jay Chaskes, the author of â€Å"The First-Year Student as Immigrant,† supports this notion: As with all newly-arrived immigrants, students must learn various skills and acquire certain knowledge bases before the can be recognized as citizens of their adopted country (i. e. , they must successfully complete their first year of college). These skills and knowledge bases include communication skills, cultural rules and expectations, geography, performing as a â€Å"good citizen,† and learning the community’s services and structure. (Chaskes 31) When students and immigrants first arrive they have some sense of knowledge and understanding of where they are and what is around them. Once they begin to adapt to their new environment and learn new skills to be seen as a member of their community, they become more culturally aware of their surroundings. With the knowledge they had and with the new information they attained the students and immigrants form â€Å"correct conclusions and assumptions. † People have different levels of cultural literacy based upon experience and common knowledge. For example lets take a closer look at Chaskes’ section on Professors and Academic Culture: Compared to their high school teachers, college professors may present a more aloof and distant demeanor. The student discovers that the rhythm of the professor’s work day may limit when he or she might be seen. The comings and goings of the professoriate seem somewhat inscrutable. (32) This culture of new first-year students are not used to this. They might be used to a closer relationship with their professors like in their secondary school where they are able to reach and meet with their professors at specific hours. Everything is different now. It is not that the system of their previous school was wrong,it is just different. But once they become accustomed, they acculturate to this new college culture. Because of their previous experience, they were on a different level of cultural literacy. Basically different cultures are going to see things differently than another. Neither is wrong it is just how one culture interprets that specific thing. Some people might be more educated in one area and others in another. Basic knowledge may be held by someone who have gone through many experiences, and because of their experiences they could understand what another is talking about. A different, well educated person might not get the idea as well because it is harder for them to relate. For example, in Hirsch’s excerpt, â€Å"Cultural Literacy,† he exhibits an experiment conducted by Richard C. Anderson and others at the Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois in which they grouped two sets of paired readers. These individuals were all similar in sexual balance, educational background, age, and social class. However, the only discrepancy was that one group was in India and the other in the U. S. : Both were given the same two letters to read. The texts were similar in overall length, word-frequency distribution, sentence length and complexity, and number of explicit propositions. Both letters were on the same topic, a wedding, but one described an Indian wedding, the other an American wedding. The reading performances of the two ? split along national lines. The Indians performed well in reading about the Indian wedding but poorly in reading about the American one, and the Americans did the opposite. This experiment not only reconfirmed the dependence of reading skill on cultural literacy, it also demonstrated its national character. (Hirsch 220) This is a great example by Hirsch that demonstrates what actually happens in the real world. The fact that the Indian was knowledgeable about the Indian wedding is not surprising since he probably attended one. So, to the Indian culture he is probably considered culturally literate. If the American had previously attended an Indian wedding he would definitely know more about such an event. He would be building upon his â€Å"Indian cultural literacy† by experience, which doesn’t apply to IQ (or fact knowledge). An equal example of how this would occur in the real world would be an Indian person who just immigrated to America. Let’s assume he can speak English already, but he has no previous experience in America. If he read about the wedding of the president he could probably understand the basics, but not the specifics. The reason for that is because India has weddings and so he will understand how two people are joined together. If he had never heard of that he would probably be thinking what they mean by joining together. But assuming he understands that part of it, he might not understand that rings are usually what spouses give each other at weddings, or that, traditionally, Americans are making a vow to God when they get married. Although the wedding has two different meanings to two different people of different cultures, both ideas are still correct—like someone saying toe-may-toe, vs. toe-mah-toe. It is just how it is interpreted from that individual’s culture and experiences. Since culture is the way certain people live, and everyone lives in different ways, no one can have the same cultural literacy. So even if we all posses the same knowledge, our differences in personal experiences set our levels of cultural literacy apart. One thing can mean something different to two people, but may be correct either way. It is just how that certain thing is deciphered by every culture. Also, in one place a person could be considered culturally literate, and in another he or she would be considered culturally illiterate (even if they were more knowledgeable than most people in their own culture). If they had time to adapt to the new culture and gain experience in that culture, then they would become more and more â€Å"culturally literate† in that culture. Works Cited Chaskes, Jay. â€Å"The First-Year Student as Immigrant. † From Inquiry to Argument. McMeniman, Linda. Allyn & Bacon, 1999. Pg. 29 Hirsch Jr. , E. D. â€Å"Cultural Literacy (excerpt). † From Inquiry to Argument. McMeniman, Linda. Allyn & Bacon, 1999. Pg. 214.