Goodnight Mister Tom Essay

Evacuating children to the country was seen as a kind and protective action to prevent them being killed or injured in the blitz. However, for some children, the move could be negative and frightening whilst for those such as William Beech it would prove a beneficial event. When the evacuees first arrive in Little Weirwold it is a massive change for many â€Å"They all looked bewildered and exhausted†. For many children the countryside was quite foreign to them. Tom exclaims to Willie â€Å"‘Ent you never seen a cow?† There are many differences between the city and the country and all need to be adjusted to. The noise level and number of people around are two things that cause Tom to feel â€Å"totally dazed† on arrival in London. All families are unique but although this can be a positive, for some it may prove negative. Despite missing his parents, Zach had a fairly happy time with Dr and Mrs Little. Robert and Christine King were, sadly, made to work too hard to the detriment of their schooling. â€Å"Robert and Christine’s mother †¦ and took them back to London. †¦ she felt they were being used as unpaid labour†. For Willie it was an extremely positive experience. Tom treats him as a caring parent and by the end of the novel – without even thinking – Will says â€Å"I’m sorry, Dad† and Tom is thrilled too â€Å" â€Å"He called me Dad† †¦ overwhelmed with happiness† For a child such as Willie, the contrast between home and Little Weirwold, the contrast between his mother and Mr Tom could not have been more extreme. His mother beat him only â€Å"soft beatings† and saw him as being â€Å"wicked †¦[ enough to be] sent to an ‘ome fer bad boys†. Willie arrives at Little Weirwold his body is covered with the evidence of his mother’s abuse. â€Å"a large multicoloured bruise on his shin and a swollen red sore beside †¦ Willie’s arms and legs were covered in bruises, weals and sores†. Tom, on the other hand, doesn’t â€Å"know nothin’ about children† but does â€Å"know enuff not to beat ‘em and make ‘em that scared.† Little Weirwold is also the place that nurtures Will in other ways. It is where he makes his first friends Zach, Carrie and Ginnie and George. This contrasts sharply with London as there he had â€Å"no friends as such. Bullied and ragged a lot by the kids†. Will’s experience of school and teachers is also vastly different. In London the teacher â€Å"didn’t like† Will and allowed the others to call him â€Å" Sillie Sissie Willie†. Tom patiently teaches Will his letters and at school he is also taught and nurtured by Mrs Black and Mrs Hartridge. The play is an opportunity for Will and once Miss Thorne sees his aptitude, she encourages and nurtures it, asking him to take the role of Scrooge. Overall, the evacuation of London children to the country in the second world war was neither cruel nor kind – for each child it was different. In Zach’s case he was safe in the country but was killed in a bombing when he went back to London. For Willie it was a positive experience in so many ways as he transforms from â€Å"Sillie Sissie Willie† to â€Å"Will†. Without the evacuation and Tom’s affection for him this transformation is unimaginable.

Participative Management Essay

In the corporate world, management style has shifted from scientific management to participatory management. While scientific principles of management underlines communication, leadership and participation , participatory management is anchored on the need for quality management, good relationship with the workers, building teams and integrated organizational structures. Research has shown that the following benefits can be accrued from participatory management. Firstly, it can result to the decline in absenteeism and turnover while enhancing attraction and retention of workers since they have a feeling of ownership in the organization. It also promotes effective and efficient conveyance of information between the management and the employee at all levels in the organization. (Yeatts, Hyten, 1998, p. 16). Elsewhere, it makes everyone to feel a stake order in the decision making process. Additionally, it reduces the cases of internal disagreements and wrangles since the workers interact without suspicion and consider each other a brother/sister. Participative management helps to widen the scope of skills of the staff and enhances innovations and designing of efficient ways and procedures for tasks. Finally, it motivates and gives job satisfaction to the workers ((Yeatts, Hyten, 1998, p. 29). On the other hand, participatory management has some demerits that have been evident in organizations which have implemented it. To begin with, most employees do not accept the responsibility of making decision for the organizations and instead they like being told what to do. At the same time, some of the workers are illiterate and not versed with the tasks of the organization hence they require training. Others demand pay if included in decision making. It requires the participation of many people thus making decision making to go slow resulting to inefficiency (Yeatts, Hyten, 1998, p. 37). In conclusion therefore, participatory management is of great benefit to both private and public sectors. It is the best for the newly founded organizations towards struggle for their survival through competitive advantages.

Growth Performance Management Essay

In this report I have given a lot of research into the relevant subjects. I think that the way I have looked at the possibilities will help Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor overcome some of the obstacles in their organisation in order to make there business successful. Suggestions on what you should be specifically looking at in order to make your business a success, in my view would be the try to improve employee attitudes and training for employees. I think I have covered all the points that you have given me in depth if I have not apologies on my behalf. Introduction- Aims of the Report The aim of this report is to show Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor the problems of their business in more detail than the report give (case study). I will outline and investigate further into the following matters: * Growth * Performance Management * Performance Appraisal Systems and Motivation * Motivation * Rewards * Employee Turnover/Retention * Training and Development * Communication Growth To consider the growth of Brian and Helens company, we will look need to examine into the PEST (Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors) and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis for this company, this will help us identify if the company should continue to grow. By understanding about the SWOT and PEST analysis this will show us key information and help us identify some of the problems with the business. SWOT Analysis: SWOT Analysis is a very effective way of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses, and of examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. Carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework helps you to focus your activities into areas where you are strong and where the greatest opportunities lie. SWOT Analysis is a strategic method for identifying your businesses’ Strengths and Weaknesses, and to examine the Opportunities and Threats. These are just some of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats there may be more if you feel that there are, pleases do not hesitate to call me we can discuss these further. By reading the report that you gave me (case study) I found more weaknesses than strengths. This is not ‘bad’ as this shows you that you can improve on these to make your business a success. Read more:  Difference Between Performance Management and Performance Appraisal PEST Analysis: It is very important that an organisation considers its environment before beginning the marketing and decision planning process. In fact, environmental analysis should be continuous and feed all aspects of planning. The SWOT analysis shows a lot of weaknesses in the business, the points that I have mentioned in the SWOT analysis affect the future growth of the business. I think that if you over come the weaknesses that are outlined in the SWOT analysis this will help improve and develop the company significantly because the employee would contribute to the full potential and would also create a good working environment which means less staff turnover. I suggest that you should postpone in growing for the moment and consider improving on the weaknesses that I outlined in the SWOT analysis. I suggest that you should consider growing in the future rather than now. I found out that: †Weakness are not necessarily indicating bad things of the organization but showing a path to a better future†¦.† ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (1990) Northcraft. G page 437 You should consider improving the weaknesses into strengths as this would be beneficial in the future when you should consider to grow (it is not necessary yet) by improving weaknesses the business would function better and more advantages would be gained such as more share and profit. Performance Management In the report given to me (case study) I see that you have a problem on monitoring the ‘field based’ staff. This is a important issue as the staff may or may not be doing what you have told them this would cause all sorts of issues with your company for example you may be losing money, valuable resources and time. Field based staff may be difficult to manage but there are ways. Staff that work in the office are easier to evaluate on what and how that are doing. When managing or monitoring employees you have to be aware of their privacy and not to breach that mutual line as this may inevitably cause conflict in the work place. But When you can’t be present to observe employee performance, be sure that you have the right processes in place through which you can learn about how they’re doing this can be undertaken for ‘field based’ staff also. These processes should be open, fair, and understood by everyone. Options for obtaining input about performance in your absence may include, but are not limited to, the following: * Evaluate the output and products of the employee’s work. * Have routine one-on-one meetings with your employee and include discussions of performance. * Every so often review and discuss with your employee the standards of performance for his or her job and your expectations. * Ask your employee to do periodic reports and share them with you for discussion. * Obtain feedback from customers – in writing when possible. * Do brief stand-up check-ins or phone calls to ‘field based’ staff as well as ‘office based’ staff. * Ask an appropriate person who is present day-to-day to serve as a work leader or give the person authority to act in your stead, and ensure that everyone understands the person’s role. * Perform routine spot checks of the employee at work. * Ask for confidential evaluations of employee performance by peers (or direct reports of supervisors). This process should be clearly understood by everyone and applied fairly to all. Performance Appraisal Systems and Motivation Performance appraisal systems are designed to serve the company’s and employee’s interests. They are used to inventory the abilities and resources of employees and to let an employee know where he stands so that he will be stimulated to improve his performance. Employee motivation can be enhanced and performance improved with the monitoring of employees’ performance level and the use of feedback to advise those employees about their effectiveness. Performance feedback exchanges can be ongoing and informal, on a day-to-day coaching basis or on a formal basis, annually. I found this statement: ..Employers want to be sure their employees are doing a good job, but employees don’t want their every sneeze or there trip to the toilet logged†¦ Managing People 2nd edition Tomson. R I think that employee monitoring is acceptable to a reasonable level but should nod be exceeded. I used to work at ‘KFC’ (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and the manager was constantly monitoring me and other staff that work there. I can understand this as people in other restaurants have tampered with food for example a ‘Mc Donald’s’ restaurant in USA Mississippi once was shut down because of food tampering. So to some degree a lot of monitoring needs to be undertaken. But I think you should use some of the procedures I have given for example I would recommend these: * Perform routine spot checks of the employee at work. * Obtain feedback from customers – in writing when possible some sort of feed back sheet of possibly a questionnaire * Do brief stand-up check-ins or phone calls to ‘field based’ staff * Ask your employee to do periodic reports and share them with you for discussion. Motivation Staff motivation is the one of the most significant factors in managing people. No one style is better than another for motivating employees, but it is essential that leaders are aware of their staff motivation style and are able to adapt for different circumstances. Some circumstances will call for a strong direction to inspire staff motivation other circumstances will call for staff motivation to be influenced by a more advice-giving approach. The necessary skill is in knowing what motivates people and satisfying the needs of individuals and groups at a given time. Staff motivation in regard to reward and recognition means taking account of and balancing the needs of the organisation and its objectives as well as the needs of the people expected to achieve those objectives. One of the worlds most successful Software and Hardware entrepreneurs stated: â€Å"When we create a desirable workplace and find good ways to have work/life balance, we’ll attract and we’ll retain the best people and that’s our competitive advantage.† Lewis Platt, CEO, Hewlett-Packard (1001 Ways to Reward Employees 2000) Source: www.nelson-motivation.com/hpackard/ceo Hear is an example of a motivational theory: Douglas McGregor, was a American social psychologist, he proposed his famous X-Y theory in his 1960 book ‘ The Human Side of Enterprise ‘. Theory X and theory Y are still referred to commonly in the field of management and motivation. Mc Gregor’s X-Y Theory remains a valid basic principle from which to develop positive management style and techniques. McGregor’s XY Theory remains central to organisational development, and to improving organisational culture. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y THEORY X THEORY Y 1. Workers must be supervised as closely as possible, either through direct oversight or by tight reward and/or punishment systems. 1. People usually do not require close supervision and will, if given a chance to control their own activities, be productive, satisfied, and fulfilled. 2. Work is objectionable to most people. 2. Work is natural and enjoyable unless it is made offensive by the actions of organisations. 3. Most people have little initiative, have little capacity for being creative or solving organisational problems, do not want to have responsibilities, and prefer being directed by someone else. 3. People are ambitious, desire autonomy and self-control, and can use their abilities to solve problems and help their organisations meet their goals. Creativity is distributed â€Å"normally† across the population, just as is any other characteristic. 4. People are motivated by economic factors and a need for security. 4. People are motivated by a variety of needs only some of which involve economics or security. Figure Obtained from: MANAGING PEOPLE R. Tompson, 2nd Ed, Pub: Institute of Management I think that employee motivation in regard to reward and recognition means taking account of and balancing the needs of the organisation and its objectives as well as the needs of the people expected to achieve those objectives. I think that motivation should also have been included in the SWOT analysis. I think you should also consider how you can motivate staff you could use the web site I have given above for more information. The more you motivate staff the better they will work, this will also help with the monitoring of employees. You should also consider looking at the various patterns used by managers to encourage motivation in the work place, for a good example see Appendix 3. Rewards There are a staggering amount of reward types and schemes, you just have to make sure you have the right ones chosen for your business because performance of staff is the key to the success of any organisation. One of the main rewards that I think is relevant for your business is PRP (Performance Related Pay) One of the key contributors to effective performance is a well-designed performance management process. Such a process should incorporate objective setting, the day-to-day management of performance, the review or appraisal of performance, and rewarding performance. Your employees are your most important asset, they are the people who shape and form the company’s future. Rewarding staff can develop healthy in-house competition between individuals, teams or even departments. Another major factor in rewards are employment benefit packages. Reward and incentive programs are a popular part of employee benefit packages. Many employees value such offerings as flexible scheduling, tuition assistance, and child care in order to satisfy personal needs and professional development. I think that you too should consider re designing your employment package. Nowadays society, it is becoming more and more common to support these reward systems with the overall business strategy of an organisation in order to satisfy business needs and to improve shareholder value. In addition, many organisations are developing or restructuring their rewards programs based on employee performance. This trend is likely to continue as costs continue to increase and competition continues to thrive in a highly unpredictable economy. Some other useful reward types that can be used are as follows: Social Rewards: Which include praise, employee recognition, and social acceptance within the business. Psychic rewards: Which include self esteem, job satisfaction, and feelings of accomplishments You could also give piece-rate pay, commissions, merit pay and bonuses. When I was talking about the business and how it will grow in ‘Conclusion of Growth’ in the first part I think that in order for the business to grow you need the best employees you can get. So you would need to have the reward schemes that the employees are looking for. I the way you are rewarding employees at the moment is not working in fact ‘I know it is not working’ I think you should use the PRP (Performance Related Pay) method, and also consider giving annual bonuses. Also if you give PRP (Performance Related Pay) you will sort out the problem you have with the monitoring of ‘Field based staff’ as they too will be attracting more customers for the business. You should also give bonuses if the company is making a stable profit as this would encourage more work to be completed. Employee Turnover/Retention One of the most difficult problems companies had to cope with in the increasingly volatile business climate of the 1990’s was the high rate of employee turnover. When employees, particularly long-term employees leave a company that has made a substantial investment in them, they take with them training, skills, experience, and productivity. Output is inevitably diminished during the training process of new employees, no matter how qualified. additionally, a high level of workplace turnover rends the types of social bonds that encourage other employees come to work and maintain their normal levels of productivity. ..In today’s workplace, employers are not only having a hard time attracting employees, but are also having a difficult time keeping them.. (Harkins, 1998) I found out that employees leave for a variety of reasons, including poor supervision, unchallenging positions, limited advancement opportunities, lack of recognition, limited control over work, perceived pay inequity, and the perception of more favorable opportunities in other companies. Measuring Absence Obtained from: MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES J. Weightman, 2nd Ed, (1996), Pub: Cromwell Press This overall figure, however, leaves many questions unanswered. For example, is the absence rate a reflection of a few employees suffering from long-term ill-health or are a substantial number of employees being regularly absent for relatively short spells? A more in depth way to monitor absence and retention is give in Appendix 1. Hear I found some of the ways in which to help with retention: * Align your employees with company goals and visions * Establish department goals and standards * Set employee goals and performance measurements * Conduct performance reviews that test the established goals * Train managers to effectively coach their staff * Identify barriers & find strengths to build upon * Isolate key performance gaps and craft a plan to improve performance * Define the relationship between job satisfaction, goal alignment and individual performance growth I suggest that you should consider some of the points above in order to combat turnover/retention. You should regularly try to monitor staff absence. Try to make the rate as nearer to 8.5 % as possible if it goes over this may be critical to the business. You should have a maximum number of days for employees to comply by, for example I work as Safeway Petrol station in the Penn, employees there are only allocated 50 hours off of work (excluding sick or acceptable absence). You should check out Appendix 1 in how to measure turnover and retention in your organisation. Training and Development There are a number of advantages to training and development and this is another point that was added in the SWOT analysis that needed to be improved in order for the business to function properly and effectively. Training has become the most important feature of a successful organisation. Training is necessary because it improves profitability and/ or more positive attitudes towards profit orientation. Enhances the job knowledge and skills at all levels of the organisation. The work force gets a high morale. Due to proper training employees can identify with organisational goals, corporate image gets improved. Training fosters realism, openness and trust. A boss an the subordinates get to work in a better environment and relationship. Some typical reasons for employee training and development can be initiated for a variety of reasons for an employee or group of employees, for example: * When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is needed * To â€Å"benchmark† the status of improvement so far in a performance improvement effort * As part of an overall professional development program * As part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a planned change in role in the organisation * To â€Å"pilot†, or test, the operation of a new performance management system * To train about a specific topic I found out some key topics for employee Training and Development they are as follows: * Communication- The increasing diversity of today’s workforce brings a wide variety of languages and customs. * Computer skills- Computer skills are becoming a requirement for conducting administrative and office tasks. * Customer service- Increased competition in today’s global marketplace makes it critical that employees understand and meet the needs of customers. * Diversity- Diversity training usually includes explanation about how people have different perspectives and views, and includes techniques to value diversity * Ethics- Today’s society has increasing expectations about corporate social responsibility. Also, today’s diverse workforce brings a wide variety of values and morals to the workplace. By giving the appropriate training and development you can gain a lot of advantages. The general benefits from Employee Training and Development are: * Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees * Increased employee motivation * Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain * Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods * Increased innovation in strategies and products * Reduced employee turnover * Enhanced company image, e.g., conducting ethics training (not a good reason for ethics training!) * Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity training I think that training aids in developing leadership skill, motivation, loyalty, better attitudes and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display which we discussed earlier in the report. The quality of work is also increased and so is the productivity. Its cost effective as well, it cuts costs in different areas e.g. production, personnel, administration etc. it develops a sense of responsibility to the organisation for being capable and knowledgeable. Labor management is also improved, as workers instead of feeling ignored, feel taken care of which develops a sense of loyalty Communication Effective communication skills are vital for success in a business environment with most business people being engaged in some form of communication activity most of the time reading, listening, writing or talking. Business communication is, however, different from educational or literary writing and speaking it requires precision, clarity and efficiency since business people just do not have the time to savor an idea or an expression. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Moreover, unethical behavior in the workplaces arising from the lack of ethical communication by the top management to the first-line supervisors proves the fact that employees are either directly or indirectly rewarded for unethical acts or harshly abandoned for going against the norm of practicing corruption†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Zimmerman: Jansen and Von Glinow, 2001, p. 119). As explained in this text that I researched into, Jansen and Von Glinow through their in-depth study that encouraging â€Å"counter norms† in an organisation is also a form of promoting corrupt standards in a company in order to save the firm’s name or to avoid charges by this means reflecting the decreasing ethical communication in organisations. There are many factors that help establish an organisation’s ability and skill in maintaining the stability and organisation among its employees/members. One of these factors includes attaining an organisational communication process through effective communication skills. The most prominent forms used by most organisations are the development of verbal and non-verbal communication since these are the most obvious ways of communication that provide a dialogue for employees and the management in an organisation. However, what is not realized by both the employees and management is that listening is one important communication aspect that precedes verbal and non-verbal communication. I think that in order to attain effective communication verbally or non-verbally, communicators must first learn to listen in order to assess carefully the issues at hand and the required action that must be taken. If you have a look at Appendix 2 it shows you different types of communication processes. I would recommend that you try to focus on the ‘complete network’ as this would make communications in your business better. Overall Report Conclusion and my Recommendations I think overall this is what we should be doing in order to maintain and run a successful business: * Growth- we should not be growing just yet as there are to many problems as indicated in the SWOT analysis. We should be improving on the weaknesses and consider to grow and expand in the future. * Performance Management- monitoring needs to be undertaken but only to some degree that is acceptable by you and the employees. But I think you should use some of the procedures that I have indicated in this previous section (please refer to Conclusion for Performance Management). * Performance Appraisal Systems and Motivation- Performance appraisal systems are designed to serve the company’s and employee’s interests. * Motivation- You have to consider Douglas McGregor Theory X and Theory Y. to offer the best motivation go through the chart that I have drawn and consider what you can do to have a successful motivated staff. Look at Appendix 3 for patterns of managerial approaches to motivation. * Rewards- if you offer better rewards and better benefit packages then Turnover/Retention will be low, and employees will work more and contribute their highest potential. * Employee Turnover/Retention- you need to make sure that you monitor employees sickness and absenteeism and make sure it dose not go over 8% Check Appendix 1. * Training and Development- if you train and develop employees better the function of your business will be better, you should try to encourage more employees to gain different skills and knowledge. You should also try to offer recognised qualifications. * Communication- look at Appendix 2 I recommend that you try to bring in the process of complete network communication. There are numerous factors that help conclude an organisation’s ability and skill in maintaining the stability and organisation among its employees/members, one of these factors includes attaining an organisational communication process through effective communication skills.    References I recommend that you look at the following text as this will help you improve on the factors mentioned in this report and also help you with difficult decisions about your business. I recommend looking at this text: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR: INDVIDUALS, GROUPS AND THE ORGANISATION I. Brooks (1999) 1st Ed, Pub: Financial Times HUMAN RESOURCE STRATAGIES Salman, (1998) Pub: The Open University MANAGING PEOPLE R. Tompson, 2nd Ed, Pub: Institute of Management ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR: A MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE G.B.Northcroft & M.A.Neale (1990), Pub: Ronda Colour PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT GA Cole, 4th Ed (1997), Pub: Ashford Colour Press MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES J. Weightman, 2nd Ed, (1996), Pub: Cromwell Press The following Web-Sites are useful also: www.bized.com www.hrmang.co.uk www.humanrecourses.co.uk/text/hrissues www.resourcemanage.co.uk

Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Responses - Essay Example As far as the language is concerned, I felt it was not the language that hindered the communication between Yolanda and her partners rather it was the difference in cultural values and personality types that hindered their understanding of each other, the way I see it. Rudy had made himself quite clear and so had Yolanda that she needed some time and space in order to be more intimate with him. Yolanda’s fear of losing Rudy kept her from being very open with him in this matter as to the fact that she felt that there needed to be more to love than just sexual needs. Similarly with John, she was not able to tell him straight that she wanted more to their marriage than just physical attraction and that she wanted someone with whom she could talk to for hours. I also agree with the fact that the chapters we read do portray Yolanda’s quest for identity, just as â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God† describes the identity quest for Janie. Response to Kerriann Salatti: I like your mention of Joe and her confusion with the word love. This reminds me of her allergy which she tries so hard to overcome. This fact that she is determined to get over her allergy shows the strength of her character.

Briefing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Briefing assignment - Essay Example Spokane moves to the trial court to contest Skyline’s argument on monetary damages. The trial court accepts Spokane’s application and rules in their favor .Trial court then rules that there existed no agreement despite skyline being earlier on issued winning the contract through competitive bidding. Skyline is not appeased by the trial court judgment summary and moves to the court of appeal on grounds that they won the bid and the written awarded contract was a proof of an agreement. An award can be a prove of a contract depending on terms of bidding by any party. while arguing on company experience and employee experience one need o acknowledge the fact that competitive bidding is meant to create a level playing ground and that a public institution bases public interest first hence company experience runs supreme. Monetary damages and injunctive relief apply only between two private contracts and that public entity work based on public interest rather than personal benefits. Court of appeal division three agreed with the appellant on the fact that an award proved an existence of an agreement between the two parties. The court however ruled that the appellant was not entitled to monetary damages compensation because the contract agreement differed from other private agreement. The correspondent in this case was a public entity and worked based on set public policies. In that, any decision was based on public interest rather than personal befits and that awarding monetary compensation would be on the interest of the appellant rather than the public interest. The court acknowledged the fact that an award may be challenged in a court of law hence rejects Skylines argument on their position being different from rejected bidders. Glenn agrees to become a network provider at Health Link after signing HMO and PPO agreements. This agreement provided ground for renewal and termination of the contracts. Complaints

Financial System at NEXT Plc in Relation to Its Performance Case Study

Financial System at NEXT Plc in Relation to Its Performance - Case Study Example Exploring the impact from the global conditions on the performance of the company being highly effective on firm understudy the report also assessed the future prospects for NEXT brand. The assessment upon developing concluding remarks suggests recommendations for business to maintain success. The recommendation includes a business suggestion to expand with a premium brand and adopting acquisition strategy and efforts to enhance value to gift line and sports. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Table of Contents 2 MANAGING THE ORGANISATION 5 The Financial Statements and Current Performance 5 Company Performance Comparison with Industry and Sector 8 The Impact of the Global Economy 12 Future Prospects of the Company 14 CONCLUSION 14 RECOMMENDATION 15 List of References 16 Appendix 18 INTRODUCTION NEXT has been in the business for around 150 years. Group in 1982 revolutionized business and created the brand NEXT. The brand put forward the retailing business for NEXT corporate with co llections of branded women wear and accessories. NEXT Plc offered an affordable line of offerings with distinctive styled products. Over years NEXT expanded the range to men wear in 1984; home interiors line has been introduced in 1985; children wear were introduced in 1987; in 1988 Next Directory was introduced offering a range of products for home shopping. In 1999 NEXT has launched online shopping version entitled NEXT Directory. This expansion credited NEXT Plc pioneer among the businesses offering sales services from triple modes i.e. from shops, by phone and then online. NEXT started day delivery standard and transferred almost 80% of the business online by 2001. NEXT Plc then launched ‘NEXT flowers’ followed by the launch of ‘NEXT gift line’ in the year 2005 (Next, 2012). Continuing with affordable offerings with distinguished style, NEXT Plc has expanded the signature brand in 2007 offering homeward and fashion. 2010 noted NEXT’s launch of NX Sports and then became official staff ware and another textile supplier for the Olympics Athletes Village (Next, 2012). Next Plc currently has 540 stores in the UK while NEXT Directory is serving almost 60 counties of the world with the majority of them being served directly and 14 countries being served through six partners. The success of NEXT can be gauged with fact that only NEXT Directory has 3.3 million active customers. NEXT Plc international has 170 stores in around 33 countries operated through a franchise business. The brand also has 19 company-owned stores in 7 countries (Next, 2012). Other areas of operation include NEXT Sourcing, the segment responsible for designing, sourcing, buying, merchandising and quality control operations of Next Plc products. NEXT Sourcing has the operation in the UK as well as China, Sri Lanka, India, and Hong Kong. In 2008, Next has also acquired fashion brand which is targeting younger women entitled Lipsy and the firm also generates busine ss through property management (Next, 2012). Figure 1 shows the share of business and profits in segments of business in all of Next Corporation for the year 2013. A share price of NEXT Plc has been trading at ? 43.36 as on 11/04/2013 with market capitalization? 6.99 billion (Next, n.d). Share price performance of Next Plc in comparison with FTSE and the general retailer has been shown in figure 2 in the appendix section.  

Work Now trends (complete part one) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Work Now trends (complete part one) - Essay Example On the other hand, this gives the temporary employees a chance to determine their level of interest in that company. Working as a temporary employee gives the employees an advantage over the external applicants in times of a vacancy announcement. In the recent research, about 58% of the employers will prefer to pick the temporary workers in the next five or so years to external applicants (Jim, 2006). People working as temporary employers have a chance to associate with employees who may help them gain the permanent position or at times provide them with leads, and end up getting better positions elsewhere. Other than the above-mentioned impacts of temp-to-fulltime to the employer, the costs associated with hiring permanent workers is higher compared to that of the temporary employees. As the main aim of any business is maximization of profits, this strategy saves on costs; hence, more profit. People go for temporary jobs for experience, extra cash or if they have no other source of income. However, temp-to-fulltime strategy has its own shortcomings. With this kind of employment, nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes a company genuinely needs a temporary employee for just a specified time for various reasons. It gets frustrating for a person who took up that job with expectations of ever having that position permanently. One has to try to be perfect in everything, as the slightest mistake would mean immediate dismissal. This is not fair for everyone makes mistakes. These employees enjoy lesser benefits and lower income compared to their counterpart. This is despite the fact that they often do most of the work. The best secret to make any temporary job a permanent one is to perform excellently and assimilate into the company and its culture in the shortest time possible. Coming in early, offering to stay late in the office, complete the given assignment, and presenting it in time and having the right mindset are

The Ideas about Masculinity and Femininity in Studying Empire and Essay

The Ideas about Masculinity and Femininity in Studying Empire and British Society - Essay Example The ideas of the survival of the fittest were proclaimed by Herbert Spencer2 and they are relevant to the context of the British Empire development, where males were the privileged class. The most relevant features of masculinity were competition, athleticism, and militant domination. It was a new kind of masculinity, or a colonial masculinity. A Kshatriyan model of masculinity was dominant over Brahmanic masculinity. The British Empire substituted local rituals with colonial traditions in  sub-Saharan Africa and India. They intended to civilize Africans and Indians. In British India female madness was one of the most striking issues. Thomas August refers to the British Colonial woman as to a â€Å"male mad-person"3. The male population was privileged in India by the British Empire. Maccracken-Flesher talks about the greatest social contrast naming them as a "gentlemanly colonial power" to a "feminine Orient."4The colonial India faced with gender differences and the middle Bengali s' were portrayed by the Britons as effeminate and thus politically inacceptable figures. As a result of these social changes introduced by the British Empire, there is no wonder that domestic and exotic issues went hand in hand. The ideas of family belonging and obedience in Indian society were undermined by the British social norms of development. The issues of sex and intimacy play the crucial role in comprehending the peculiarities of the nations’ development. Racial status and the role of the nation were often contrasted. The powers of the nation were challenged by retaining the powers of the national family, the exotic becomes more necessary and exciting than ever and the role of exotic males and females played a crucial role in the development of the British society. Roy Anindio underlines that when the limits and influence of nations were questioned, fears of population movement occurred5. There were many marriages between the Britons and Hindu women, known as Anglo-I ndians, or Eurasians. Nearly 90% of the British in India created such marriages. It is possible to claim that the British society in such a way expanded not only their territory, but also religion. In the end of the eighteenth century Anglo-Indians males were prohibited from military service and it was a great impact caused on the British Empire society. Anglo-Indian community became endogamous and stabilized in 1835. British males in the new world were strong fighters and bachelor settlers. In the East the majority of British men found different opportunities for assimilation and adaptation to the alien societies. They were interested in the native language and native communities6. The wives played a role of companions for their husbands. Their husbands were fighting men and it was necessary to cope with difficulties and to accompany them in difficult trips in the East. When British women had their seven years old children, they sent them to Britain, where education was better. The y often separated themselves from their children in order to prevent their husbands’ romantic relations with the Indian women. In Africa British women lived under dreadful conditions. The British males very often had their black-skinned female lovers and it was a great shock for the British women. The life of the British women in Cape was less difficult. They were served by a large number of servants. The women started playing different roles in the South African

Journalist's Perspective Influences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journalist's Perspective Influences - Essay Example Two news articles about this story appeared in the Tulsa World immediately after the event occurred, one by Rhett Morgan and one entitled â€Å"Kevin Durant’s life in a lockout.† These articles were similar in their focus on the strange way the NBA lockout has affected Kevin Durant and their relatively conversational tone, but differed in their point of view, with one telling the story from Overbey’s point of view and the other from Durant’s, and in their format, with the first being an in depth narrative and the second being a series of snippets putting the main story in context. The first article, by Morgan, begins by detailing the process through which Durant got involved in the flag football game, including the exchange of twitter messages that Durant and Overbey sent to each other. It then goes on to describe the game itself, how many fans attended, how many touchdowns Durant threw and received and so on, before closing with a series of quotes by Over by about Durant’s amazing character, lauding what a humble and fun-loving person he was to come out to the flag football game. ... Following this, it retells a large number of other activities that Durant has participated in since the NBA lockout began, including filming a movie, and playing pick-up basketball. The overall tenor of this article is relatively impersonal; it attempts mostly to inform the reader about Durant’s activities during the NBA lockout. The first similarity that both focus on the idea that the NBA lockouts have put players in strange positions, including this one of Durant playing a touch football game against a group of college students. The first article touches on the NBA lockout through Durant’s twitter messages. By quoting the detail that Durant complained that he was â€Å"bored during the NBA lockout† before requesting something to do, it draws the reader’s attention to the fact that Durant would not have been willing to do this in all likelihood were it not for the lockout, a point the article reinforces by referencing the wiped out opening game of the Ok lahoma City Thunder at the end of the article (Morgan). The second article takes a more direct approach, talking directly about the fact that Durant playing flag football is a direct result of the lockout. For instance, the article opens saying that Durant has â€Å"plenty of free time† do to the lockout, and puts the story of flag-football along with a laundry list of other things Durant has been doing to pass the time since he is unable to play in the NBA (â€Å"Life in a Lockout†). Both articles make the lockout a central part of the story of Durant playing flag football. The second major similarity that both of these articles share is the fact they have a relatively conversational tone for an article in a major news publication. The first article

The motivation theories and staff retention at web design companies Essay

The motivation theories and staff retention at web design companies (digital communication agencies) in UK, Spain and Italy - Essay Example Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs suggests that the basic physiological needs have to be met first before a person can look ahead. Only when the basic needs are satisfied he clamors for safety needs, need for love, self-esteem or self-actualization. As one need is somewhat fulfilled, the other needs become important and this motivates or influences his behavior (Accel-Team, 2006). This corroborates with Herzberg who proposed that an employee’s motivation is understood when his attitude is understood (Tietjen & Myers, 1998). Herzberg determined that happy feelings or a positive attitude was always task-related while the bad attitude or unpleasant feelings depend upon the surroundings. These are the motivators and include recognition, achievement, career advancement and the work itself. These motivators cause positive job attitudes because they satisfy the need for self-actualization, which is the last in the hierarchy of needs of Maslow. Motivation differs significantly from satisfaction. Motivation to work can come from external factors or from within. Organizational commitment itself is a motivating factor and no satisfaction with job is a demotivating factor. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs basically speculates that people’s needs are satisfied progressively, only when basic needs are met do their aspirations rise and other goals are set. Thus when the employees are motivated, their dedication and initiative increases as Brown et al., (2005) suggest that the need for self-training arises only later. Employees should be able to identify with the firm’s style which gives rise to the necessity of self-training. Knowledge about the work is essential and continued training in the digital communications firms is considered essential. According to Herzberg two factors act upon the motivation of employees – the hygiene factors and the motivators. Hygienes are the intrinsic entities while motivators are intrinsic (Tietjen & Myers, 1998). According to Herzberg

How Homeostasis affects the Interaction of Physiological Processes Essay

How Homeostasis affects the Interaction of Physiological Processes - Essay Example Due to its distinguishing features and the crucial role that it plays in performing different processes, it has acquired a significant position in physiology. The internal mechanisms of human body are controlled by the constancy of the overall environment called homeostasis. In broader terms it can be said that the different mechanisms of human body perform their functions with the help of constant PH, concentrations of electrolyte and internal body temperature. Homeostasis is basically a controlling system of all the mechanisms which facilitates their smooth activity while maintaining a suitable environment for different functions of brain. Human brain is the most sensitive area of human body which is easily and frequently affected by the fluctuations in the external environment. However, due to the unique characteristics of homeostasis it remains protected from the external adverse impacts. Recent researchers have identified astonishing factors about homeostasis which further stren gthens its position as a key system supporting the brain activities. The internal functions of brain, for instance, transfer of messages through neurons and performance of various other tasks are subject to hypo or hyperactivity if not protected by a supporting and regulating system. This function of regulating the internal environment and protecting neural circuits from stepping in to a hypo or hyperactive state is actually performed by homeostasis. This substantiates that homeostasis is crucially required for the normal and performance of physiological processes in addition to maintaining an internal body environment which is significantly suitable for all other brain functions (GINA G. TURRIGIANO et al., 2004). Physiological Processes It refer to all the physical processes which supports and guards various activities of living organisms including all the unicellular and multi cellular organisms from their birth to the end of their life. There are different physiological processes going on simultaneously in the human body including growth and development, bacterial shedding, nutrition processes, movement etc. (PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, 2009). Homeostasis is yet another type of physiological process which actually maintains a suitable working environment for other physiological processes. The working pattern of homeostasis is further divided into different procedures. For instance, it maintains the acid-base equilibrium and regulates the body temperature through a process called thermogenesis. Furthermore, it gets the feedback on different body movements through the active involvement of sensory nerves while maintaining a sound water-electrolyte balance through the kallikrein-kinin system (HOMEOSTASIS, 2013). There are various physiological changes which are directly affiliated with homeostasis. For instance, consider an example of aging which is experienced by every individual. It is a physiological change accompanied by other changes as well including increa sed blood pressure, decreased cardiac activity, etc. Physiological changes which are particularly related to the mechanism of nervous system include temporary stress and tension, excitement etc. In addition to this other physiological changes which show up as human age increases includes low transference of messages, poor memory, loss of neurons, etc. Homeostasis plays a

Kant, irrationalism and religion Essay Example for Free

Kant, irrationalism and religion Essay Abstract Kant is a philosopher, which dealt with human recognition. He has been considered as an irrationalist. Many philosophers think that he used the irrationalism to justify the trust in religion and to protect the religion from the science. In this paper I shall take a view to the philosophy of Kant on recongition and to the question if Kant is an irrationalist or not. Did he use the irrationalism to protect the religion from science? This paper shall show that Kant wasn’t an irrationalist, but he simply tried to determine the limitations of the recognition and to distinguish between what we recongize and what we simply believe. His philosophy of recognition didn’t aim at protecting the religion from the science. He tells us in some pasages of the book â€Å"The critique of pure reason† that when his theory would be accepted, the men wouldn’t concluded of what they couldn’t know really, and maybe the religion would have some benefits from it. But I think that he meant the trials to prove either the existence of God or the non-existence of God. Kanti, Irrationalism and Religion Kant was firstly influenced in his philosophy by Leibnitz and later by British empiricism. By Locke and Hume he came to the conclusion that recognition stems from the senses and he also received from Leibnizs belief that although the mind does not have any idea born, she has the innate abilities that give shape to the experience brought to it by the senses. Fundamental problem that Kant raised was on how to reconcile the absolute security that gives us mathematics and physics with the fact that our knowledge comes from the senses? Kants goal was to build the foundations of a new rationality that would be incontestable. In efforts to achieve security he assumed that the mind has three skills: 1. Reflection 2. Will 3. Feelings and he devoted a critique to each of them. Kants critique created for both rationalists and empiricists a method of transcendent or critical method, by which he meant a study of its reason, an â€Å"investigation of pure reason† to see if its judgments have universality beyond human experience and again, are necessary and related to the human experience. The logic involved in these trials may be absolutely safe and can also be applied to the world of things. Kant believed that the thought, feeling and the will are forms of reason and he decided the transcendental principles of the reason in the realm of thought, the transcendental moral principles to the will and the transcendental principles of beauty in the realm of feeling. In this paper we will try to treat if Kant is an irrational that used irrationalism to justify the religion. To clarify this we must first demonstrate his theory of knowledge and whether Kant was indeed irrational and then if he used this irrationalism to make room for faith in religion. Kant says that his goal of writing the Critique of Pure Reason was to put Metaphysics on the basis of sound and to transform it into a science. In the first entry of Critique of Pure Reason he writes: Our age is the age of criticism, to which everything must be subjected. The sacredness of religion, and the authority of legislation, are by many regarded as grounds of exemption from the examination of this tribunal. But, if they on they are exempted, they become the subjects of just suspicion, and cannot lay claim to sincere respect, which reason accords only to that which has stood the test of a free and public examination. † (Kant,2002 pg. 7,) Kant sought for the metaphysics to achieve the security of mathematics and logic. He was not a skeptic who saw the world as mere sensory appearance, but quite the contrary he was prompted to write this book as a response to the skepticism of David Hume. Kant aims to determine whether it can reach a metaphysical knowledge, and if so whether it can be arranged in a science and what its limits are. The main aim of th Pure Critique is to demonstrate how the answers to these questions can be achieved, provided that the subject is reviewed under a new angle. Kants own words regarding this are: â€Å"This attempt to alter the procedure which has hitherto prevailed in metaphysics by completely revolutionizing it . . . forms indeed the main purpose of this critique. . . . It marks out the whole plan of the science, both as regards its limits and as regards its entire internal structure† (Kant,2002). â€Å"The critique of pure reason . . . will decide as to the possibility or impossibility of metaphysics in general, and determine its sources, its extent, and its limits—all in accordance with principles. . . . I venture to assert that there is not a single metaphysical problem which has not been solved, or for the solution of which the key at least has not been supplied† (Kant, 1998). Kant divided metaphysics into two parts: the first part deals with problems that are knowable by experience such as causality, while the second part deals with the whole in general and as such we do not refer to an object that we are able to perceive, because we cannot perceive the universe as a single thing. According to Kant we can have confidence only in the first part of metaphysics (general metaphysics) and it may have scientific certainty because its facilities are given in experience and is subject to verification. On contrary, the metaphysics of the second part (special metaphysics), which is so abstract that it overcomes any kind, cannot achieve scientific safety because its concepts are blank. In the first part, metaphysics deals with everything within the universe and that it is accessible to the senses, while the metaphysics in the second half deals with the universe as a whole and undetected by the senses. Of the first questions can get a correct answer while the latter not, even though these questions is well to be made. Kant was primarily interested in clarifying whether metaphysics is possible as a science or not. He was convinced that mathematics and natural sciences were true science. But is metaphysics a science? What Kant must do to achieve a scientific metaphysics was to identify the criteria for a science and then to produce metaphysical conclusions that met these criteria. Kant believed that the first criteria of a true science were that its conclusions were both necessary and universal, as much as judgments in mathematics, and geometry are. To have such universal judgments, it’s necessary to find out how they are produced, and to do this we need to see how mathematicians and scientists achieve this. When Kant asks how metaphysics is possible, he is asking how a science of everything that exists can reach the safety of pure mathematics and natural sciences. To understand this we must understand what the concept of science is and what its elements to Kant are. We must understand the use of this concept as the standard for determining whether metaphysics in both its parts is a real science. Kant conceives the science as a system of real judgments in a specific field of research. All judgments Kant divides into two types, empirical and a priori. An empirical judgment is the judgment coming from experience and can be verified by the observation itself. Kant calls all not empirical judgments as a priori. Example of an a priori judgment is: All triangles have three angles . We verify this by observing not all triangles, but by analyzing what the subject to the judgment triangle means. We find that the real concept of the triangle is already incorporated to the concept of triangle, which is predication of our judgment. It would be contradictory to deny that the triangle has three angles. A trial verified in this way is called by Kant analytical; predicate simply explains the concept of the subject without adding anything new to him. All analytic judgments are a priori known without recourse to any particular type of experience. If all a priori judgments are analytic is another matter entirely. On the other hand we get judgment â€Å"the apple is red†. Analysis of the concept apple is not leading us to the concept red†. We need to see the apple to understand the subject. This is an empirical judgment and all empirical judgments Kant called synthetic, because they connect the subject with the predicate of the ways that are not analytical, the predicate adds a new recognition of the concept of the subject. All empirical judgments are synthetic; the survey supports the connection between subject and predicate. If all synthetic judgments are empirical-in other words if the observation is always the one that provides the link for the synthesis- is from Kant’s view of a very different matter. If metaphysics is a science consisting of judgments, these judgments are empirical or a priori? First they need to contain any existence as such, so they must be universal and necessary. For example, lets look at a judgment of metaphysics in the first part: â€Å"everything has a cause†. We cannot allow any exception to this judgment. The opposite of it would be contradictory. Lets see a judgment that belongs to the metaphysics of the second part: â€Å"the universe is eternal. Even this judgment does not allow exceptions. This means that any empirical judgment is not metaphysical. They are a priori, but are they analytical? Lets see once more the judgment â€Å"every event has a cause. † Predicate here is not included in the concept of the subject. Lets see another judgment: the universe is eternal. Even here the predicate is not included in the subject. So the typical judgments of metaphysics are synthetic and a priori. Even though they are necessary and universal, their predicates are not related to the subjects either by empirical observation or by logical connections. What makes them universal and necessary? What relationship may exist between subjects and predicate that comes neither from the experience nor is conceptual? How are synthetic judgments possible a priori? To explain the a priori synthetic judgments Kant introduces the notion of pure intuition and differentiates it from the thought. He declares that there are two basic skills of human consciousness, intuition, which is directly aware of a specific individual unit, and the thought which is indirectly aware of things through their abstract types. Each of these skills is to recognize conditions that are a priori limitations on what you can know and what cannot know from their use. A priori conditions of intuition are time and space. A priori conditions of thought are, first, a priori conditions of valid conclusions, and secondly, the conditions a priori to think about objects, forms of judgment and categories. Kant claimed that he had managed to put metaphysics of the first part in the way of science. As for Kant metaphysics is the study of everything in general, it is the study of everything that can be recognized. In this way, its findings will be a priori synthetic judgments applicable to anything that can be recognized. Kant called these researches for these a priori synthetic judgments transcendental investigation , while he is in search of conditions for recognition of all. To discover these terms means to discover to what extent is metaphysics possible as science. In the first part of metaphysics we seek transcendental conditions, universal and necessary knowledge of all things, and we are committed to stay within the limits of possible experience. The knowledge in this area consists of a final judgment S is P. We are dealing with things or objects and therefore judgments cannot be simply concepts and hence must be synthetic, adding to our knowledge. Our goal in the first part of metaphysics is to bring these items under the categories. But the categories are in themselves as empty files. They can be filled only if we look them by experience. How can one give to an abstract concept an experiencing filling? It is easy to illustrate with a first empirical content. Kant states: â€Å"The possibility of experience is . . . what gives objective reality to all our a priori cognitions. Experience, however, rests on the synthetic unity of appearances, that is, on a synthesis according to concepts of an object of appearances in general. Apart from such synthesis it would not be knowledge, but a rhapsody of perceptions which would not fit into context according to rules of a completely interconnected possible consciousness. . . . Experience, therefore, depends upon a priori principles of its form, that is, upon universal rules of unity in the synthesis of appearances. (Kant 1998). Have we arrived at the essence of metaphysics of the first part? Since the categories are a priori concepts that apply to each item, the corresponding rules for their application should be a priori rules with sensory content, unlike empirical content, a rule whose application is a retrospective sensory content. Kant is fulfilling his promise by providing us metaphysical principles which are synthetic a priori. Since all our perceptions are temporarily connected to each other, rules of application of the categories will be expressed in terms of different temporary connections that we know are a priori possible. Each of these predications, Kant calls the schema. The Schema of the category of reality is being in a specified time. The Schema of substance category is consistency of real in time. The result is vindication of metaphysics in its first part and the production of current metaphysical conclusions in this discipline. Kant believed that he had found the conditions that make possible empirical knowledge of things in general, and furthermore to show that metaphysics is possible as a science in the first part. But, what about the constituency for metaphysics in the second- in other words the study of all things considered collectively? This includes rational cosmology, the study of the universe as a whole, rational psychology, the study of the soul as something which refers to any possible knowledge, and rational theology study of the Creator and manager of everything. Kant argues that the attempt to demonstrate each of these issues is pointless. The major difficulty is that we cannot have an intuition of the universe as a whole, of the soul or God as a whole. Consequently, there is no possibility to connect the subject with the predicate in a synthetic judgment about these things, no way to verify or refute them. His conclusion is that although we may have certain knowledge in the first part of metaphysics we are excluded from the recognition in the second part of it. He reached this conclusion from a general argument, but he gives particular argument against the possibility of recognition in the second part of metaphysics. All of the alleged evidence for or against the thesis of the so-called science lead to logical absurdities. The whole universe, God, soul, his own free will and immortality can be thought of, but cannot be recognized, and the same can be said about things in themselves. All these things are noumena or simply understandable. Kant made the distinction between phenomenal and the noumenal reality. There is a difference between things we perceive and those that really do exist. The things we perceive he calls a phenomenon, while those that actually exist he calls noumena. Not only a phenomenon can be addressed to two different noumena (when two different things look the same) but also two different phenomena can be addressed to a single phenomenon (when the same thing looks different in different perspectives). Noumenon is a physical object and the phenomenon is how it looks. We cannot have any idea, what noumena are. We cannot know what is behind appearance, behind the information we receive from our senses. We cannot talk about what exists, if we don’t refer to phenomenal reality. We cannot know neither where nor noumena are, if they exist. We do not know for sure, if there is any different reality outside the reality we perceive. We cannot ever have real knowledge about noumenon in Kant’s opinion. Kant uses the word â€Å"knowledge† to refer more to what we know about the phenomenon than what we know about noumenon. This may seem like a contradiction: should not recognition be for real things, rather than simply for their appearance? But, the recognition for real things is impossible according to Kant, because we have no transcendental insight. We can think about real things, we can form beliefs about it, but we cannot have any knowledge about it because our knowledge of the world has only one source: the sensory data. (There are also other types of recognition but they do not apply to the world but only on the concepts and abstractions as mathematics. ). Since all our knowledge about the world is created by the sensory information and the sensory data are all phenomenal, then all our knowledge about the world is knowledge about the phenomena and not about noumena. I think Kant meant that although the phenomenon may be reason to talk about how something really is, only phenomena are not sufficient to show that something exists because the existence is the only feature noumena. To tell the truth one cannot have certain knowledge to show that something exists, we can only have faith that it exists. This means rocks and trees, as well as means God and the soul, but the difference is that for the trees and rocks it is not important if noumena actually exist. Even if a stone is nothing but a phenomenon, it kills again if someone hits with it, so I have to bow to avoid. Ultimately even my own head is also a phenomenon. No matter what is beyond what we know, because everything we have in the physical world are only phenomena, and this is what really counts. What can we know about things in themselves and other noumena as: God and soul? It is possible to know something about things in them, that they may not be space-time or be recognized by the application over to the categories. But this does not tell us how they are. Kant thought that we have a secure knowledge of things in themselves, that they exist, that they affect the way they affect the senses and contribute (help) content as opposed to the empirical form of recognition. We know that they exist by the fact that it would be absurd to talk about appearance if would not be out of something. We don’t know anything else about noumena. We do not know whether God exists or if everything is fixed or if we have free will, etc.. This does not mean that these concepts do not have a function. The concept of the universe as a whole, the concept of a legislator to the concept of rule and power over the universe, even though unverifiable, can serve as ideas of reasoning – as Kant calls them, that are regulatory to unify all knowledge into a system. Let us assume that we cannot know anything about noumena: is there any justification for believing that they exist or have this or that feature? By doing this question Kant did the distinction between belief and verification of a justification to accept it. The verification provides a full justification for accepting a belief and a refutation provides a justification to reject it. As long as we can prove or retort, the theoretical knowledge prevails and we are justified in accepting its results. But Kant thought he had shown that there are some things that cannot ever be prove or rejected. Then a question is arisen: is there any justification for believing than knowing? Kant said that once to the theoretical reason is given to what is up, the priority of practice asserts its interests. Where theoretical reason is concerned with what is, practical reason is concerned about what should be. The theoretical reason could not give us knowledge about subjects that go beyond the experience, therefore we should deny all its claims in this area and give these practical reason issues to the people. Kant says, â€Å"I must, therefore, abolish knowledge, to make room for belief† (Kant, 1998). Deny the knowledge and no reason, for practical reason is part of the reason, and because it limits the confidence in the minimum of required arguments, in Kants view, it is done to protect the morale -existence of God, freedom and immortality. Kant condemns the faith based on religious feelings. If we understand Kant upon his words, it will be said that he was defending the Enlightenment, the reason and the warning of disaster to come, if these will be abandoned in the name of feeling. Kant doesn’t deny the recognition, it is not a irrationalist. Kant raises a theory of knowledge, which wants to create a scientific metaphysic, rather than makes room to believe in God (religion); he tells us what we can know and what is beyond the scope of human knowledge. Kant had understood that his method would help religion. He writes that once one accept his theory, people will not disclose to unjustified conclusions on things that they cannot recognize and that religion would benefit from this, but I think he meant this as attempts to validate the idea that God exists or to prove that God does not exist. What Kant tells us is: we cannot ever know for sure that God and soul exist because we cannot have accurate knowledge of the noumenal existence. This is not an expression of irrationality, but quite the contrary, is an attempt to use rational thinking in order to distinguish it from what we know and what we simply believe. References Kant, I. (2002). Kritika e mendjes se kulluar. ( Ekrem Murtezai, Trans. ) Prishtine. (Original work published 1787) Kant, I. (1998). Critique of pure reason. (J. M. D Meiklejohn, Trans). Electronic texts collection. (Original work published 1787) Kant, I. (2002). Kritika e gjykimit. ( Dritan Thomollari, trans. ). Plejad. Bonardel, F. (2007). L’irrazionale. (Lucias della Pieta, Trans. ) Mimesis edizioni. Sgarbi, M. (2010). La logica dell’irrazionale. Studio sul significato e sui problemi della Kritik der Urteilskraft. Mimesis Edizioni(Milano-Udine)

A Brief History Of Nerja History Essay

A Brief History Of Nerja History Essay Nerja is one of the popular tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol. Bordering the province of Granada, it is eastern-most town in the Axarquà ­a and is situated right at the foot of the Sierra de Almijara mountain range. This stretch of coastline is characterized by steep cliffs and some of Andalucias best beaches. History of Nerja Prehistoric History The Nerja caves are actually situated five kilometers from the town in the nearby village of Maro. Discovered as recently as 1959 they have provided a wealth of historical information. The caves were lived in during the Paleolithic era. Initially the caves were inhabitated by seasonal hunter-gathers, however towards the beginnings of the Bronze Age, about 6000 years ago, the settlement became more permanent with evidence of farming and animal rearing. The farming gradually became more sophisticated with the use of tools and simple pottery. The caves appear to have been abandoned some 3,000 years ago. Roman period Detunda The Romans had a settlement called Detunda around 1KM from the Nerja caves. Detunda appears to have been a relatively small town and used mainly as a resting place for soldiers and tradesmen moving between Malaga Almeria and Almeria and Jaen. The remains of a old Roman road, the Castulo-Malaca road, which linked the provinces of Jaen and Almeria are still clearly visible along with an old Roman bridge. Today one of Maros most famous landmarks. Moorish times The first written reference to Nerja came from the poet Said Al-Mugrabi, during the 10th century. The whole area was under the rule of Abderramà ¡n III, the Emir of Cordoba. Said Al-Mugradi referred to a small market town called Nerixa (meaning plentiful spring water) that was famed for its silk industry. Narixa silks were actually internationally renowned with documentary evidence pointing to their popularity in the markets of Damascus. This time period was characterised by its stability and wealth. The ruins of Narixa are still visible next to the old Frigiliana turnoff in a place called Castillo Alto. word Narixa which literally means abundant spring of water. In the year 917, during the period when Spain was occupied by the Moors, the Arabian poet, Ibn Saadi, wrote: Stretched on a carpet of magic colours, while sleep closed my eyes, Narixa, my Narixa, sprang from the flowers to bathe me in all her beauty. Christian times As the Moorish began to crumble during the latter part of the 15C, things took a dramatic turn for the inhabitants of Narixa/Nerja. In 1487, with the surrender of Velez to the Catholic monarchs, Nerja quickly sent envoys to render allegiance to the Spanish King and Queen. A few days after Pedro de Cordoba took possession of the town. The initial transition period was anything but smooth. The inhabitants of Nerja were forced to renounce their Muslim faith or be expelled. At the same time, there were increased Berber coastal raids from North Africa. Making living in the Coastal towns particularly dangerous. This period was characterised by a mass exodus of the local population. Many fled into the surrounding hills, around Frigiliana. The depopulation happened at such a fast rate that Juana la Loca ordered Nerja to be repopulated with long-time Christians from the Basque Country, Valencia, Galicia and Mà ¡laga itself. During the late 17th Century the area was heavily fortified. These fortifications proved sufficient to deter any major coastal raids until the beginnings of the 19th century. The British fleet destroyed most of these coastal fortifications during the Peninsula Wars 1808-1814, to avoid them falling into the hands of the French. One such installation was the La Bateria, a large gun battery that existed in a fortified tower standing where the where the Balcon de Europe is today. On Christmas day 1884 the whole of Andalucà ­a suffered a massive earthquake, with the epicentre near Granada Arenas de Rey. Much of Nerja was destroyed. Several weeks later King Alfonso XII visited Nerja to view the destruction for himself. He is said to have declared this the Balcon de Europa while visiting the site of the La Bateria. Documentary evidence has since proved that this title predated his visit. However the name and the Kings association with it has stuck. Indeed, there is a life statue of the King on todays Balcon de Europa. Modern day Nerja With the loss of Cuba from the Spanish Empire at the end of the 19th Century, the sugar industry began to take off in Spain. The Larios family from Malaga began to capitalise on the demand for sugar and its related products (distilled alcohol and molasses) and built a series of sugar mills along the Eastern Costa del Sol. During the early 20th Century sugar cane production was Nerjas chief industry. However with the increased growing of sugar beet in Northern Europe, the industry began to decline. More valuable cash crops began to dominate the local market, with tropical fruits such as mango and papaya becoming increasingly popular. The avocado was particularly in demand and the area is still one of the major avocado growing regions in Europe. Tourism was relatively late in coming to Nerja.   sugar cane  production has given way to more valuable cash crops, particularly semi-tropical fruits such as  mango  and  papaya  and widespread  avocadoplantations in what is one of the major avocado growing regions in Europe. the loss of Cuba from the Spanish Empire at the end of the 19th century helped to stimulate sugar production in Spain. There was still sufficient demand for sugar and the related products of molasses and distilled alcohol to encourage the Larios family from Mà ¡laga to build new sugar mills and irrigation structures. Examples of these factories, in what is now called the eastern Costa del Sol, can be found in  Nerja, Maro,  Frigiliana  and  Torrox. Read more at Suite101:  Sugar Cane Production and Sugar Mills in Andalucà ­a  http://www.suite101.com/content/sugar-cane-production-and-sugar-mills-in-andalucia-a276295#ixzz13XskeLrm During the early 20th Century sugar cane production was Nerjas chief industy. Sugar-cane production became popular for a while but this declined as the growing of sugarbeet increased in northern Europe. Avocado groves flourished, and still do, and the forced growing of salad foods under glass, then plastic,   provide a valuable contribution to the regional economy. in the age of Abderramà ¡n III (tenth century), in which he refers to this place as a city-sized farming community where fine silk products were produced. Ancient Narixa stood next to a fortress, whose ruins can still be seen in a place called Castillo Alto, next to the old Frigiliana turnoff. Occupation of Southern Spain by the Moors It was during the  occupation of much of Spain by the Moors from the 8th to the 15th century that the first  record of Nerja   appeared. An Arab poet wrote in the 10th century of Nerixa (meaning plentiful spring water) as a small well-run market town famous for its silks. Indeed, this era of Moorish rule brought a certain amount of stability and wealth to the region.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Christian Purges The expulsion of the Muslins rulers from Iberia at the end of the 15th century led to widespread repression of the Andalusians by the Catholic authorities. The inhabitants of Nerja had to renounce their Muslim religion or be expelled. Many fled into the hills around Frigiliana, others followed as Berber raids from North Africa made coastal living increasingly unsafe. Nerja fell into decline despite repeated attempts to re-populate the area with Basques and other Catholics from northern Iberia, but farming continued on the surrounding plains. Fortification of Nerja Towers were constructed to fend off pirate Berber raids, and during the late 17th century a larger fortification was established on a coastal promontory in Nerja. This remained as a deterrent to erstwhile usurpers until the beginning of the 19th century. The Peninsular War (1808-1814) brought the British into conflict with Spain which, at the time, was largely under French control. In 1810, the British Fleet destroyed the defensive positions to prevent them falling under French control. The Earthquake On Christmas Day 1884 an earthquake occurred with an epicentre under Arenas de Rey near Granada. Flimsily constructed buildings were destroyed over a wide area and more than 800 people lost their lives. In early 1885 King Alfonso XII visited the area of devastation, and Nerja was included in his schedule.   He  promenaded the area known as  La Bateria, where the old fortress once stood, and remarked on the view from the promontory. The  Balcon de Europa were words associated with the King, although the term was probably in local use before his arrival. Nevertheless, in later years, it was to become a   valuable yarn for promoting tourism in Nerja. Tourism arrived in Nerja.slowly There was a gradual increase in tourism along the Costa del Sol during the early part of the 20th Century, but Nerja remained largely untouched. The small-scale fishing industry continued, and farming was the mainstay of the local community. Sugar-cane production became popular for a while but this declined as the growing of sugarbeet increased in northern Europe. Avocado groves flourished, and still do, and the forced growing of salad foods under glass, then plastic,   provide a valuable contribution to the regional economy. Occasional tourists filtered along the coast to Nerja during the 50s, and some stayed; but even in the 60s when cheap package-style tourism boomed, the coaches nearly all drove west from Malaga Airport. During the 80s, the penchant for second homes, especially amongst the British, led to a building boom. Fortunately, sensible planning permits, meant the excesses of high-rise development did not occur at Nerja. It is now a bustling town, with many second homes now becoming first homes, and a thriving ex-pat network exists. General Climate and Weather in Nerja The Sierra de Almijara rises to over 1800 metres to the north of Nerja, and this acts as  a formidable barrier to the cold northerly winds that  occasionally affect  much of the rest of Iberia during the winter months. Rainfall is largely absent during the summer months, and with a regular afternoon sea breeze, the heat of inland Spain is seldom experienced. In fact, a survey suggests, that this part of the Costa del Sol experiences the best all-year-round weather in Europe.   Around 6,000 years ago, domestication of livestock began to take place and primitive farming commenced aided by the production of simple pottery. The farming became more sophisticated and  evidence of locally produced textiles has been uncovered.  The caves appear to have been abandoned as dwelling places around 3,000 years ago. almost the Eastmostly town on in the Axarquia, with the province of Granada sitting t is the eastern-most town in the area known as the  Axarquà ­a Signs of the first human settlement in this municipality were discovered in the famous Cueva de Nerja (Nerja Cave) and belong to the Aurià ±aciense stage of the Upper Paleolithic period. Nothing is known of other civilisations that may have existed here until the period of Roman rule, when apparently a small settlement (Detunda) was established at present-day Maro. It should be noted that Maro is another population centre of Nerja, where the cliffs and the Nerja Cave itself are located. The first documented fact about the history of Nerja, however, appears in the writings of the poet Said Al-Mugrabi, in the age of Abderramà ¡n III (tenth century), in which he refers to this place as a city-sized farming community where fine silk products were produced. Ancient Narixa stood next to a fortress, whose ruins can still be seen in a place called Castillo Alto, next to the old Frigiliana turnoff. After the surrender of Và ©lez (1487), Nerja sent its envoys to that place to render allegiance to the Spanish king and queen and thus prevent bloodshed. A few days after that visit, Pedro de Cà ³rdoba took possession of the town in the name of the Catholic Monarchs. Under Christian rule, the town began to lose population, and in order to prevent greater abandonment Juana la Loca ordered Nerja to be repopulated with long-time Christians from the Basque Country, Valencia, Galicia and Mà ¡laga itself. In the late sixteenth century the first sugar mill was set up in Nerja and in the late eighteenth century a paper mill was in operation here, supplied with water from the River La Miel. This factory remained in operation until the early twentieth century. During the War of Independence, the English levelled the fortress that used to stand where the Balcà ³n de Europa is today, and also destroyed the port that had been adapted to handle coastal shipping. The name of the town comes from the Arabic Narixa, Naricha or Narija, which apparently derived from a pre-Roman name, and the translation abundant spring that some give for this word is still not very certain, although there are plenty of reasons to speak of an abundance of water in this municipality.

Child Soldiering In Uganda And Sierra Leone

Child Soldiering In Uganda And Sierra Leone A child soldier is an individual categorized as a youth that is recruited by government military and rebel forces to fight, kill, loot, destroy property, lay mines, act as messengers and sometimes used as a sexual slave (Kimmel and Roby, 2007). Children lose their sense of identity, otherwise called lost children, and are found wielding small weapons and taking the lives of others (Druba, 2002). Child Soldiering is evident in European, African, Asian and South American countries, although the focus of this essay will be on child soldiers in Uganda and Sierra Leone, where the issue has been prevalent for many years. These countries have been in a state of war for a prolonged period of time. This causes Uganda and Sierra Leone to be affected in numerous ways such as heavy drains on resources like land, labour and capital. In a war-torn country, these problems are likely to allow for a lowered respect of peoples human worth in respect to military service, making children an easy prey (H oiskar, 2001). According to The United Nations Childrens Fund (commonly known as UNICEF), there is an estimated 300, 000 youth that are involved in the practice of child soldiering today. Due to the harsh conditions that these children are faced with and the effects that they have on these children, a gruelling reality is unfolded. Child soldiering has been coined one of the worst forms of child abuse and labour (Kimmel and Roby, 2007). Many would believe that children are forcibly recruited into rebel forces. They would be correct, although many also join voluntarily. Some reasons for voluntary entry of youth into military roles are for fear of their lives, to protect their families, and for opportunities like access to food and clothing for those who are impoverished. Sadly many of these children that join out of their own free will, never see their families again and are typically estranged from their family members purposely by rebel forces in order to gain control and authority over the youths . It benefits the rebel groups if the children gain a sense of inclusion and belonging within the military setting to ensure they will not seek better opportunities outside of their services and also try to re-establish ties with their families. Doing such things would likely stop these children from re-entering the forces voluntarily (Hoiskar, 2001). To consider a circumstance in which children were forcibly recruited into the military in Uganda is the Lords Resistance Army. War has devastated Northern Uganda since 1986 (Sverker 2006). There is a popular rebel group called the LRA or Lords Resistance Army. They overthrew the Ugandan government and were known for abducting children. The forcible recruitment of child soldiers is common not only to the LRA but other rebel groups in the third world because child labour is widely known to be cheap and therefore poses many benefits. Many of the youth abducted by this group were taken during night raids on rural homes, counting anywhere from 60, 000 80, 000 children. These abductions were known to last from one day to ten years, averaging eight months approximately. The children were given only a few months of training and not long after this were they given guns (Annan and Blattman, 2010). The Lords Resistance Army also affected Sierra Leone. Since the beginning of the civil war in 1991, one million children have been displaced and some of these children on more than one occasion. Fifteen to twenty thousand have become members of this armed group, most of them being under the age of ten years old. Sierra Leone is greatly concerned with the reintegration of these children abducted by the LRA (MacMullin and Loughry, 2004). Although child soldiering is not a recent phenomenon it has substantially increased since the end of the Cold War. Not only are numbers increasing but there is also great difficulty in implementing international legal standards due to reasons such as failed states, internal conflicts, organized crime, minorities and vulnerable groups and mobile or displaced populations. When looking at modern societies that underwent transformations with the establishment of the minimum age for service in national armed forces, populations began to be controlled by mandatory public schooling and general conscription, examples being the scout movement and physical education. In attempts to better Uganda and Sierra Leones standing on the issue of child soldiering, one of the main problems seems to be declining educational background and poor reintegration of the child soldiers (Vautravers, 2008). Problems such as educational decline and poor reintegration of these war-torn children into these African societies have a devastation impact on the economy. With little attention to integration programs in the third world and great difficulty with implementing international policies on child labour such as military service, earnings and occupational opportunities for these children drop. These factors affect labour market success greatly (Annan and Blattman, 2010). Child soldiering in the third world is a topic of importance to me. In high school I took part in a fundraising charity for which I and many other students raised enough money to restore seven child soldiers in Africa. This event opened my eyes to the issue of child soldiering, particularly in Uganda and Sierra Leone, where statistics show it is most prevalent. In this essay I will be arguing that Uganda and Sierra Leones tendency to replace adult soldiers with youths is due to as well as contributing to their destitute e conomy. Theoretical Backing: Taking a look at Modernization theory, child soldiering is deemed backward or immoral in comparison to Westernized ideals. The history of child labour in Western societies is related to the history of how children were partners in a family economy. For example, in the eighteenth century, industrialization led to the employment of very small children. Transitioning into the nineteenth century, children played an important role in key industries like coal mining and textiles. The use of children as labourers was normal in these time periods for it was a necessity for the family income. Every member of a family was needed to contribute to the familys wealth in order to live comfortable and in many circumstances just scrape by. As the end of the nineteenth century was nearing, the essential role of childrens labour began to decline (Schrumpf, 2008). The shift of social roles and responsibilities brought about by war is greatly linked to the breakdown of societal structures and long-stand ing morals. Childrens involvement in war defies the established and generally accepted norms and values in regard to those responsibilities of children and adults (Honwana, 2006). When it comes to combating the prevalence of child soldiers in third world countries, it is important to consider the definitions of both a soldier and a child. Any common dictionary will define a soldier as a person who serves in an army or is engaged in any military service for a particular cause. A child on the other hand is an individual between birth and full growth, a son or a daughter with words such as foolish, petty and immature being tacked to it to portray the Westernized concept of behaviour akin to children (Collins, 2008). Therefore placing children in a position of authority over adults during war is contradictory of Westernized conceptualizations of what children are typically supposed to represent in a society. Likewise, the prevalence of child soldiers in Uganda and Sierra Leone develops a sense of patriarchy (Murphy, 2003). Modernization theory suggests that the third world should adopt the first worlds strategies for economic and societal success. This can be seen as patriarchy. In other words, this demonstrates a father-child type of relationship between the first and third world in which the first world attempts to better the third world through coercion and assimilation while not attempting to necessarily cater to cultural differences and perspectives. This is exactly what the military did to child soldiers when not considering the deleterious effects on the children which caused their failure to be reintegrated into society in turn causing economic hardship for both nations. As previously stated, Modernization theory is based solely on Eurocentric ideas of progress. This theorys goal was to create economically advanced societies with populations living according to appropriate moral codes. Firstly, child soldering can be seen as an act against Western morality. Secondly, economic modernity is seen a positive achievement. Modernization theory attempted to create a strong image of the third world to developed regions of the world and attract positive foreign investment which in turn would contribute to the poverty-stricken economies. The notion of Uganda and Sierra Leone as being incapable war-torn societies comprised of lost children unable to be reintegrated may not be as desirable for foreign investors. Research and Analysis: Child soldiering is directly related to a countrys current economical stance. The effect of war on Uganda and Sierra Leone is devastating, as the nations economy declines as capital and land are destroyed and people displaced. A high level of economic development is an important factor in establishing domestic peace. To prove this, of the ten states involved in armed conflicts from 1994-1998, no use of child combatants was evident. These places being: Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. One of the dominant shared characteristic of these ten places is that all of them had a medium rate of economic development (Hoiskar, 2001). Child soldiering has a very large impact on the economy as well as education. Injuries to human capitol could hinder a nations productivity and growth for decades (Annan and Blattman, 2010). Youths earnings noticeably drop by a third, their skilled employment halves, and schooling drops by a year. These cause consequences for lifetime labour market performance. A survey was conducted in Northern Uganda where an unpopular rebel group has forcibly recruited youth tens of thousands for twenty years. This abduction is what creates the impact on education and earnings. It is the educational deficit that largely impedes labour market success in Uganda. A widely known example is the Lords Resistance Army which was known for abducting children because child labour is widely known to be cheap and therefore benefitting of the present, already poor economy. Many of the youths were taken during night raids on rural homes, counting anywhere from 60, 000 to 80, 000 children. Abductions ranged from one day to ten years, averaging eight months approximately. Only a few mont hs after training, the children received guns. Now, no more than one thousand youth are thought to remain with the LRA at this time, the remainder being those that had perished during combat or from unsatisfactory living conditions (Annan and Blattman, 2010). This causes the interruption of education. These youth often complain of difficulty when re-entering into the school system, which creates a wide gap in education limiting their options in the labour market. Labour market performance suffers in the quality of work of child soldiers, not the quantity. This abduction appears to interrupt the ability to accumulate skills and capital and thus stalls productive employment (Annan and Blattman, 2010). Additionally, abductees are twice as likely to be illiterate than non-abductees (Annan and Blattman, 2010). Child soldiers are a known threat to national security and the stability of post-war political order, paying close attention to the lack of educated populations and increasing aggression among the nations members. This aggression is known as the gun mentality which is an adopted attitude from the military. War becomes a source of personal enrichment and empowerment. Keep in mind that many of these children are born into war and accept that war is a normal way of life. These children become motivated by patriotism and ethnic power domination which is much like brainwashing. It is unfortunate that not much commitment and sustained effort is put into reintegration of these suffering children. In Uganda and Sierra Leone, child soldiers are treated as a lost generation (Francis, 2007). Despite many opinions about child soldiers being useless, there is evidence in former-war torn and post-conflict societies that suggests ex-child soldiers can in fact be reintegrated into normal society. Th e challenges of protecting these children are important to address. Although it is difficult for international laws to be instilled in the third world due to contrasting ideals and varying definitions of what child soldiers and child labour are, what is known as paper protection is now helping to make international laws protecting children in conflict zones enforceable since 2006. It is important to remember that this is only an attempt and not a successful endeavour (Francis, 2007). Conclusion: Tasks performed by child soldiers are the new face of the traditional child labour practices across Africa, armed conflict being just an extension of these traditional practices (Francis, 2007). Although Child Soldiering is commonly addressed as an issue harmful to the children partaking in the military actions alone, this essay thoroughly demonstrated that it can also effect a countrys entire economy international investment interests. The direct and indirect effects of child soldiering on Uganda and Sierra Leones economy is evident and explored through a Modernist perspective using Rostows Modernization theory as critical analytical support. Child soldiering makes difficult the reintegration of children into society and also disadvantages children in respect to their education. Education in the army for these children is not necessary. Not only is education discouraged but these children are taken from their families and homes at a pivotal point in their adolescent school years. Children leaving the military forces in Africa face higher risk for psychological problems and alienation. They are rarely reintroduced with their family members, often because they are forced to kill them prior to entering the army. This generation of child soldiers is what the countries depend on for economic growth. If these children are already struggling with reintegration as well as obtaining their education, the countrys economical prospects seem bleak. It is for these reasons that this paper has addressed both how and why child soldiering in Uganda and Sierra Leone has lead to these nations economical and political downfalls. Reference Page Annan, Jeannie and Blattman, Christopher. (2010). The Consequences of Child Soldiering. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 92(2) Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162 Blattman, Christopher. (2007). Causes of Child Soldiering: Theory and Evidence From Northern Uganda. Annual Convention of International Studies, Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.prio.no/upload/3598/Blattman-ISA-2007 Collins Canadian English Dictionary. (2008). Child and Soldier. Harper Collins Canada. Druba, Volker. (2002). The Problem of Child Soldiering. International Review of Education, 48(3) Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.springerlink.com/content Finnstrom, Sverker. (2006). Wars of the Past and War in the Present: The Lords Resistance Movement/Army in Uganda. The Journal of the International African Institute, Retrieved February 20, 2011, from   http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.proxy.queensu.ca/resolve/17500184/v76i0002/ 200_wotpawtlrmiu Francis, David J. (2007). Paper Protection mechanisms: Child Soldiers and the International Protection of Children in Africas Conflict Zones. Journal of Modern African Studies, 45(2) Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.proxy.queensu.ca/resolve/0022278x/v45i0002/2 07_pmcsatociacz Hoiskar. (2001). Underage and Under Fire: an Enquiry into the Use of Child Soldiers. Childhood, 8(3) Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://journals2.scholarsportal.info.proxy.queensu.ca/details-sfx.xqy?uri=/ Honwana, Alcinda. (2006). Child Soldiers in Africa. University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://books.google.ca Kimmel, Carrie and Roby, Jini. (2007). Institutionalized Child Abuse: the Use of Child Soldiers. International Social Work, 50(6) Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://journals2.scholarsportal.info.proxy.queensu.ca/details- Loughry, Maryanne and MacMullin, Colin. (2004). Investigating Psychosocial Adjustment of Former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone and Uganda. Journal Of Refugee Studies, Retrieved February 10, 2011, from http://journals1.scholarsportal.info/tmp/3974326444682001496.pdf Murphy, William P. (2003). Military Patrimonialism and Child Soldier Clientalism in the Liberian and Sierra Leonean Civil Wars. African Studies Review, 46(2) Retrieved February 10, 2011, from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.queensu.ca/sici Schrumpf, Ellen. (2008). Child Labour in the West. Encyclopedia of Children in History and Society, Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Bo-Ch/Child-Labor-in-the-West.html Vautravers, Alexandre J. (2008). Why Child Soldiers are Such a Complex Issue. Refugee Survey Quarterly, 27(4) Retrieved February 10, 2011, from http://journals2.scholarsportal.info.proxy.queensu.ca/details- sfx.xqy?uri=/10204067/v27i0004/96_wcsasaci.xml