CV VS Résumé

Moving on from your personal statements and other college related essays, the next most important document would be your CV or rà ©sumà ©.   Most people don’t know that this document is just as important as your personal statements. It’s a summary about yourself, a snapshot of who you are and your history.   It is also the first document the admissions committee looks at, before reading anything else in your admissions package. Rà ©sumà ©Ã¢â‚¬  is a French word meaning to summarize; accordingly, your rà ©sumà ©Ã‚  is a summary of your profile and history.   â€Å"CV† is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase â€Å"Curriculum Vitae† which means â€Å"the course of one’s life†. Typically, a rà ©sumà ©Ã‚  is a summary of your educational background and work experience, usually no longer than 2 pages.   However, most employers and schools in the United States prefer the rà ©sumà ©Ã‚  to be no longer than one page.   A rà ©sumà © should include only basic information about your educational background, work history, and special skills or proficiencies. On the other hand, CVs are more detail-oriented and may be as long as 4-5 pages; in a CV, outlining the roles or responsibilities you have had in each of your jobs is a key requirement. A CV also includes information about your experience, degrees, research, awards, publications, presentations, and any other achievements yo u would like to present.   Whichever you choose to write, always remember that they have several things in common: The format  : keep it simple, with no pictures or colors, and be professional. Outside the US, it is often common to attach a photo to one’s CV or rà ©sumà ©; however, this will seem strange to American employers and admissions boards, who strongly prefer blind applications.   Though some online resources will tell you to create an â€Å"eye catching† rà ©sumà © – unless you are applying to an art design program you should avoid inconsistent fonts, a mix of headings and font sizes, colors, and bullet points that do not align. Above all, don’t make it look confusing and messy (refer to our samples). Be honest, and do not lie you will be found out! Represent yourself well, and you should not need to resort to exaggerating your achievements. Belief in your skills and a confident, professional approach should be enough to help you stand out. No spelling or grammar mistakes! Update your document so that you do not have any contact email problems; make sure that whoever wants to contact you can actually reach you. Relevance  : make sure the information you are providing is related to the program or position for which you are applying. The content should be targeted to a specific job or career area; if you are applying for different fields or positions, then you should have several different versions. The table below will help you understand the difference between a CV and rà ©sumà ©. For format examples, check out our samples page.

Reflective Portfolio The WritePass Journal

Reflective Portfolio Abstract Reflective Portfolio ). Initially, I felt I should wait until the right job came along, but I was advised by a friend that I should take any job within the organisation and then work my way into the position I wanted. Many jobs are advertised internally first in many employers, not just B.A. (Williams 2010). The airline industry as a whole is large, and is likely to expand particularly if the trend for cheap air travel continues. Globally, there are approximately 2000 airlines with 23,000 aircraft serving over 3500 airports. By 2006, air travel growth was approximately 5% year on year, and capacity was thought likely to double by 2021 (Hencke 2006). Within the UK, aviation is a significant contributor to the economy, with UK airports handling 230 million passengers a year. UK manufacturing, technology and service providers in the industry are considered world leaders. Nearly 150,000 people are employed in the UK directly within the industry, and the sector contributes nearly  £10 billion to GDP (The Air League [online] 2014). The strength and likelihood of growth of the sector, while not directly motivating me to want to join the industry, certainly give me confidence that I will be able to have a life-long career within the industry. In terms of different organisations, the industry i s dominated by a few large organisations, although low-cost players have changed the situation somewhat. British Airways is the largest operator, followed by Virgin Atlantic Airways. British Midland and Easy Jet are also well known. UK companies face competition from overseas providers as well (Belobaba et al 2009). I was especially drawn to working for British Airways as they are the largest provider in the UK, and as such I feel I will have more opportunities for career development. But because many other companies operate globally, I feel I am in a good position to move to different organisations in the future, not least because I speak a number of languages. Given the large number of jobs in the sector, it is unsurprising that there are a wide range of occupations and roles. The type of jobs available can be divided into three main sections: ground handling services (e.g. baggage handling), airport operations (e.g. terminal manager, customer support) and airline operations (e.g. ground handling, cabin crew etc) (National Careers Service 2014). Of the choices, I have decided to focus on roles which directly progress out of the role I am now occupying. In particular, I have mapped out a possible career development path. First, I will go for a Future Talent Customer Service Manager (FTCSM) position, which I can move to after 12 months in this role. After this I can progress to a Customer Service Manager (after 2 years), and, beyond this, to an In-Flight Business Manager (IBM). I have chosen this particular development path having considered and rejected another. In the other path I would take a less customer-facing role, becoming a Duty Off ice Manager (DOM) or Turn Around Manager (TRM). The first looks at the management of crew, while the second deals with the mechanics of putting aircraft back in the air quickly and efficiently. My decision to go for the first career route was guided by my skills in dealing with people. I feel I have demonstrated empathy with different types of people, and am practiced at dealing with people’s problems. I care about people, want them to enjoy their experiences and want to continue to be very hands-on, if not with the public then with other employees. I also feel that there’s a more defined and visible career path in the first set of roles, as I can move from FTCCSM to CSM and to IBM, and beyond. In terms of my chosen career progression, there are a number of skills and abilities the ideal candidate will have. These are not specific to B.A. or the aviation industry, but are needed across all customer service and people facing roles. A CSM/FTCSM should have: Good leadership skills Planning ability Understanding and acting on feedback Communication ability Networking ability Flexibility The ability to manage stress and pressure as well as cope with job challenges Be able to deal with conflict (Evanson 2011) In terms of this ideal checklist, I believe I already possess several of these requirements. That is, I feel I am able to deal with conflict in a low-key, non-confrontational manner (a skill honed during my time as a bouncer), I can manage stress and pressure, I am fairly good at planning, understanding feedback and communication. This is not to say I cannot improve in these areas, but I feel that the areas in which my personal profile is most mismatched with the ideal job candidate profile are: Leadership Networking Flexibility I will explore in more detail my personal circumstances and their match to the ideal profile in the next section. 3. Current Career Circumstances This section looks at my background in terms of career history, strengths and weaknesses. I then assess my competencies in terms of the ideal candidate profile I outlined in the last section. Finally, I identify areas for improvement in relation to this profile. Currently, I am working as a member of cabin crew. I have 6 months experience. I felt this position will help me advance in the industry as a whole. My previous career history has given me some very useful experience. I have had a variety of jobs from modelling to being a bouncer. While many of these positions might be considered ‘low level’ I feel they have taught me to deal with many different types of people, particularly people who are aggressive or who attempt to manipulate. Having dealt with so many tricky people, I feel I have a strong intuition about what people’s real motives are, as opposed to what they say they are motivated by, and also an ability to communicate with all sorts of people without making situations worse. Before I started my current job, I knew I wanted to work within the airline industry. I was also attracted to B.A. as I had heard they were a good employer (indeed.com [online] 2014). I treated the application process as a way of learning how to improve my interview skills. I applied to some organisations not because I especially wanted the advertised job, but in order to brush up on these skills, and become familiar with a range of the interview styles which exist in different companies. Some organisations, for example, use stress techniques to see how you cope under pressure (Parkinson 2002), others put you in either a very structured or an unstructured situation, both of which elicit different types of responses and require different approaches (Lehman and DuFrene 2010). During my 6 months in this job, I have come up against a number of new challenges which have made me more aware of my strengths and weaknesses in terms of the job I am ideally looking for. I have found that people tend to assume that working as a member of the cabin crew is easy particularly for men. Indeed, there’s a strong ‘trolley dolly’ stereotype (Bolton Boyd 2003), which I have found frustrating at times. In fact, cabin crew work is a difficult job demanding good time management, concentration, the ability to think ‘on your feet’ and solve problems quickly, and an ability to get on with many different sorts of people. In addition, you need to pass a number of tests. For example for the BA mixed fleet crew the tests include health, criminal record and different aircraft licenses. I have found out in this job that I am good at listening to others. I feel I have a natural empathy with others and want to listen to what they are saying, rather than try and organise them into my way of doing things. However, and perhaps this is connected with this strength, I am not naturally forceful and good at leading others. In fact, if I am faced with a domineering or overpowering customer, I tend to give in and do what they want. This creates problems for me, for example if what they want is against the company rules. I think if I had more leadership ability, I would be better able to convince such people that the way I want them to behave is the right one for them as well. I also feel I do not currently demonstrate leadership skills. When in group meetings I tend to hang back and do not put my point of view across. I also feel I do not make the best use of situations. For example, I was asked to train up a new member of my team, but I felt I did not do this well, I felt und er-confident of what I was doing and I think I confused the person I was training. In addition to the areas of improvement I need to work on, which I will discuss more in the next section, I need to look at ways in which I can achieve my goal of a management position. I believe that my experience so far has helped a great deal. I have already had 6 months experience working as a member of cabin crew, so I understand the mechanics of this industry, but also of this particular job. After all, many people have to spend several months, if not years, volunteering to get similar experience of their desired industry, and I have had the luck to be paid for getting to this stage. Another benefit of being in the industry is that I have had a chance to build contacts already. Networking is an extremely powerful tool for getting the job you want (Souza 2010) and continues to be useful once in the job. After all, networking can be defined simply as creating opportunities, improving relationships with other people and making useful contacts. In a job, these benefits deepen over time, as you develop a more permanent network (Fisher 2011). As such, it is useful to career progression. Another skill I need to learn is flexibility. After all, as Pryor and Bright (2011) point out, the 21st Century workplace is characterised by change. Being able to adapt to change, not to expect the workplace to stay the same for years (or even months) and having a portfolio approach to a career are becoming increasingly important. I recognise that I am somewhat inflexible, and that change scares me. I naturally prefer the security of some sort of routine. However, there are things I can do to become more flexible. To some extent, working as cabin crew has helped improve my adaptability and increased the extent to which I can have a positive response to change, as I am never 100% sure where I’ll be going over the next months, and I have become aware that people can be very different in their demands and expectations. As I deal so much with members of the public, I have learnt to adapt to circumstances as they come up in a consistent way. I think there is more I can do in this area though. To summarise, there are some key areas which I need to work on: developing my management skills (including communication) and improving my networking, as well as being more flexible and open to change. I have covered networking and flexibility in this section, and will look at leadership in the next section. 4. The Development of Key Skills: Leadership This section evaluates the personal development tools I have used to improve my leadership skills, as it has been identified above as one of the areas I need to work on. I have had extensive working experience in a variety of positions, but have not really worked in a position where I have had to lead others. This initially made me wonder if I had what it takes to be a leader, but a number of things we covered in the module have convinced me that I can lead others. Other gaps include networking skills and flexibility. Theoretical learning about leadership has helped expand my horizons in terms of career development. Before I started the module, I believed that leaders are born, not made, and that one either is or is not the sort of person who can lead others. However, we learnt about different theories about leadership, and also about ways leadership can be developed. The idea that leaders are born is also known as the ‘great man’ theory of leadership (Daft 2007). A similar theory is the ‘trait’ model (Komives et al 2009). Although these are old models, they were still influential in my thinking. My experience on the course opened my eyes about different leadership theories. Many hold that leadership can be learned, for example behaviour-based theories, contingency theories and transformational theory (Komives et al 2009; Bragg 2008). Of the three, I have been most influenced by transformational theories. Behavioural and contingency theories seem to lack soul for me. It seems to me, based on my working experience, that people need to relate to and be inspired by leaders. Transformational theory, introduced by Burns (1978), suggests that transformational leadership is related to morality, charisma, vision and values that is, the leader must inspire people. Leaders also need to work with the people they lead, sharing information (Lucas 2005, p.20). One problem I found was that while there is a lot written about transformational leadership, there is not so much about how it can actually be put into practice. I did find a model based on Burns (1985) ideas. Manktelo et al (2005) suggest a 4 step process involving Creating a picture of the future to inspire people Getting people to ‘buy in’ to the picture Manage the way the vision is made to occur Improve relationships between people involved in delivering the vision They also suggest ways in which each stage can be achieved. In order to attain my desired career goals I will certainly be using this model to help me. I also found some textbooks recommended for the module useful. Chapman and O’Neill (1999) broke leadership down into 6 practical steps. I found this useful as I find it hard sometimes to translate theory into practice. I also found Covey (1999) useful. This approach teaches one how to base leadership around principles. I have always felt that management should be to do with treating people fairly and involving them in decisions, no matter what level of the company they are working at. Gardner and Laskin (1996) have given me ideas about how to watch what other leaders do and incorporate their behaviours into my own approach. One writer I found less helpful was Watkins (2013). He suggests getting to understand the pivotal people in the organisation quickly, through understanding their motivations and the pressures they are workin g under as well as the way they see their choices. The strategy is then to apply tools of influence to sway them. I have two issues with this approach. First, I believe every worker in an organisation is equally important. I would rather get all people agreeable to a course of action than concentrate on those he sees as ‘pivotal’. By concentrating on a few, resentment might arise. I would also suggest that it might not be possible to get to know people as quickly as he thinks. Watkins (2013) assumes that people will be honest and open about their motivation in a short conversation, and from my experience this often is not the case. Overall, I believe that learning more about leadership and finding practical approaches to being a better leader, including coaching skills, is the key way to address the gap I have talked about in earlier sections between my current skill set and the skill set required for my ideal position. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, I have examined my career in the context of my past working experience, where I am at the moment, and where I want to be. A number of tools I have learned during this module, as well as through self-learning, have helped me work out the ideal profile for my desired job role. I have also identified how I might turn my current skill set into the desired one. In particular, I need to work on leadership abilities. I have found a number of practical tools to help me do this, and have explored them above. My networking skills and flexibility can also be improved. 6. References The Air League (2014) ‘UK Aviation’ [online] (cited 8th February 2014). Available from airleague.co.uk/about/position-papers/uk-aviation/ Belobaba, P, Odoni, A and Barnhart, C (2009) The Global Airline Industry, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ Bolton, S C and Boyd, C (2003) ;Trolley Dolly or Skilled Emotion Manager? Moving on from Hochschilds Managed Heart’, Work, Employment and Society, 17:2, 289-308. Bragg, D J (2008) The Application of Transformational Leadership, Proquest, USA. Chapman, E N and O’Neill, L S (1999) Leadership: Essential steps every manager needs to know (3rd edn.), Prentice Hall, USA Chon, K S, Pizam, A and Mansfeld, Y (2012) Consumer Behaviour in Travel and Tourism, Routledge, UK Covey, S R (1999) Principle-centered Leadership, Simon Schuster, London Daft, R (2007) The Leadership Experience (4th edn.), Cengage Learning, Mason OH. Day, D V, Zaccaro, S J and Halpin, S M (2004) Leader Development for Transforming Organizations: Growing Leaders for Tomorrow, Psychology Press, Bristol D’Souza (2010) Brilliant Networking: What the Best Networkers Know, Say and Do, Pearson, UK Evenson, R (2011) Customer Service Management Training 101: Quick and Easy Techniques That Get Great Results, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, USA Fisher, D (2011) Professional Networking For Dummies, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ Gardner, H and Laskin, E (1996). Leading Minds: An anatomy of leadership, Basic Books, NY. Gladwell, M (2001) Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference Abacus, London Hencke, E (2006) ‘Airline Industry Overview’, [online] (cited 8th February 2014) available from columbia.edu/cu/consultingclub/Resources/Airlines_Eric_Henckels.pdf Indeed.com (2014) ‘British Airways’ [online] (cited 8th February 2014) available from indeed.com/cmp/British-Airways/reviews Komives, S R, Lucas, N and McMahon, T R (2009) Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference (2nd edn.), John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Lehman, C and DuFrene, D (2010) Business Communication (16th edn.), Cengage Learning, Mason, OH Lucas, D B (2005) A Study of the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Constructive Organizational Culture in Small Manufacturing Companies, Proquest, USA Manketelow, J, Brodbeck, F and Anand, N (2005) How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You, Mind Tools, Swindon. Moon, J A (2013) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice, Routledge, Oxon National Careers Service (2014) ‘Finding out about aviation’ [online] (cited 9th February 2014) available from ttps://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/LMI/Pages/aviation.aspx Parkinson, M (2002) Your Job Search Made Easy, Kogan Page Publishers, London Pryor, R and Bright, J (2011) Chaos Theory of Careers: A new perspective on working in the twenty-first century, Routledge, Oxon. Watkins, M D (2013) First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, Harvard Business Press, USA Williams, C (2010) Management (6th edn), Cengage Learning, Mason, OH

The entrepreneurship in a globalising world Essay

The entrepreneurship in a globalising world - Essay Example This paper discusses the impact of entrepreneurship in a globalized world and compares the role of small and large entrepreneurial enterprises. Under the research project titled Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the London Business School together with the Babson College has analyzed the activity of entrepreneurship in above 40 countries that include several developed and developing societies. According to the GEM estimates, about 9 per cent of the total adult population is trying to establish a new venture at every point in time (Gatewood and Boko, 2009, p. 124). The GEM studies have found a strong link between the level of GDP of a country and the entrepreneurial activity going on in it. GEM estimates note that countries that have low GDP levels generally have significantly higher levels of early-stage entrepreneurial activity and a high number of small enterprises whereas in the high income countries, there is a relatively low level of early-stage entrepreneurial activity. â€Å"Countries with highest levels of GDP show increasing early-stage entrepreneurial activity, especially opportunity driven activities, as mo re individuals have the resources to go into business for themselves in an economic environment that allows for the exploitation of opportunities† (Gatewood and Boko, 2009, p. 125). The huge impact of globalization on entrepreneurship can be estimated from the fact that in certain GEM countries, at least 40 per cent of the total number of early-stage entrepreneurs expected at least 25 per cent of their consumers to belong to foreign markets (Gatewood and Boko, 2009, p. 125). The impact of entrepreneurship on globalization can be fairly understood from the effect of the European economic crisis on entrepreneurship in the US. The worst consequences of the European financial crisis are almost over as the leaders in different European countries have started to

Wikipedia entry. The Global city . Focusing on London Area Essay

Wikipedia entry. The Global city . Focusing on London Area Spitalfields - Essay Example A global city bears a large percentage of the world’s financial transaction, and there are twenty-five cities in the world which control almost the entirely global financial transactions. Among them, New York, London and Tokyo stand out as the most influential cities in the world, in matters of economy and financial transactions, and they are characterized by large scale in-migrations from different countries, societies and cultures throughout the world [1]. According to Sassen, a global city refers to the central â€Å"command and control point† of the global economy, where corporate presence is the fundamental characteristic, with many of the multinational corporations based in the city as their headquarters. Further, productive service companies such as accounting, management and law firms have also been attracted into the city, to provide services to the major corporations with their headquarters in such cities [1]. Productive Support Services in London Area Spitalf ields The concept of global city developed in the past two decades, and has become a phenomenal concept in the modern world, owing to the ability of the global cities to influence the financial and the economic activities of the world. ... Aspects of different socially stratified classes of societies The rise of the London Area Spitalfields as a global city started in the early 17th century, specifically in 1669, when Truman’s Brewery was opened and was followed by a major boost in 1682, when King Charles II issued a charter allowing for market activities to be held on two market days, namely Thursday and Saturdays [3]. It is the success of the market that encouraged people to settle in the region, and in-migration then followed, with the French being the first group to immigrate into the region, to bring their silk weaving skills which were highly desirable in the market. Subsequently, the Irish in-migrated into the region escaping from the potato famine, and were followed by the Jews. Between 1880s and 1970s, the area became an overwhelmingly Jewish community area, representing the largest Jewish community in Europe [4]. The Bangladeshi also followed the in-migration route, and by the early 20th century, the c ommunity had established itself in the London Area Spitalfields, and introduced further Eastern cultures, businesses and trades. Therefore, the London Area Spitalfields suits the definition of a Global city, because it has become the societal and cultural melting and fusion point, where different cultures from the East and the West were integrated, to create a unique regional culture of its own [5]. The evidence of the people who have given the London Area Spitalfields its unique name and culture is still observable to date, with the existence of Jewish synagogues, Methodist Chapel, Muslim mosques and Huguenot church for Christians [3]. Characteristics of London Area Spitalfields

Mterials & manufacture 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mterials & manufacture 2 - Essay Example Metal matrix composites have been receiving significant attention in recent years, particularly in the area of processing techniques. In many instances the properties of a reinforced metal have been shown to provide a performance advantage over monolithic metal, but the high cost of producing the composite has prohibited widespread commercial use. Of the many potential metal matrix systems, aluminum alloy matrix composites have been the object of much research, primarily due to the light weight, low cost, and ease of fabrication of aluminum. Within the class of Aluminum alloy matrix composites there exist two distinct material systems, namely (i) discontinuously reinforced composites, with the reinforcement taking the form of a particle, a platelet, a whisker, or a chopped fiber, and (ii) continuously reinforced composites, with the reinforcement being a unidirectional or a multidirectional array of continuous fibers. Discontinuously reinforced aluminum alloys have been fabricated by various means, including solidstate processes, such as powder metallurgy techniques (blending of metal and ceramic powders followed by hot pressing) [2], and liquid-state processes, such as compocasting (blending ceramic powder and molten aluminium, agitating and casting) and pressurized liquid-metal infiltration. During this practice work, we had study a Metal Matrix Composite (MMC). This MMC contains 10% of Aluminium oxide or Alumina (reinforcement) and 90% of Aluminium alloy matrix (2618A). The aim of MMC is to improve the properties of this material. Indeed, Aluminium is ductile and Alumina (Al203) is stiff and strong. When we combine these two materials we obtain a composite with better properties. The aim of this laboratory it’s to compare the â€Å"green† density with the sintered density. Moreover, we can see the different structures, between â€Å"green† and sintered density, by an electron microscope available in the

Cause And Effects Of Soil Erosion

Cause And Effects Of Soil Erosion The Latin word erodere,meaning to gnaw away is the origin of the word erosion (Roose, 1996). Soil Erosion is the physical removal of topsoil by various agents, including falling raindrops, water flowing over the soil profile and gravitational pull (Lal 1990). The Soil Science Society of America defines erosion as the wearing away of the land surface by running water, wind, ice or other geological agents, including such processes as gravitational creep (SCSA, 1982). Physical erosion involves the detachment and transportation of insoluble soil particles (sand, silt and organic matter). Removal of soluble material as dissolved substances is called chemical erosion and this maybe caused by surface runoff or subsurface flow where the water moves from one layer to another within the soil profile (Lal 1990). According to ASCE, 1975, the physical processes in soil erosion include detachment of soil particles, their transportation and subsequent deposition of soil sediments downslope by raindrop impact and runoff over the soil surface. Rainfall is the most important detaching agent (Morgan and Davidson 1986; Lal, 1990) followed by overland flow in entraining soil particles (Lal 1990). The process of soil erosion occurs in three main steps, detachment of soil particles, transportation and deposition of soil particles downslope by raindrop impact and runoff over the soil surface (ASCE 1975; Morgan and Davidson, 1986, Lal 1990) followed by overland flow in entraining soil particles (Lal, 1990). Soil erosion reduces soil productivity by physical loss of topsoil, reduction in rooting depth and loss of water. In contrast soil, soil depletion means loss or decline of soil fertility due to crop removal or removal of nutrients by eluviations from water passing through the soil profile (Lal, 1990). Sedimentation however, causes off site effects like degradation of basins, accumulation of silts in water reservoirs and burial of low-lying productive areas and other problems (Lal, 1990). Sediments is the main cause of pollution and eutrophication (Lal, 1990). According to Lal 1990, soil degradation may be caused by accelerated soil erosion, depletion through intensive land use , deterioration in soil structure, changes in soil pH, leaching, salt accumulation, build up of toxic elelments such as aluminum or zinc, excessive inundation leading to reduced soil conditions and poor aeration. Soil Erosion is the most serious and least reversible form of land degradation (Lal, 1977; El-Swaify, Dangler and Amstrong, 1982). Soil erosion and soil loss , according to Lal (1990) have adverse effects on agriculture because they deplete the soils productivity and diminish the resourse base. 2.2 Soil Erosion Process Geologic erosion can be caused by a number of natural agents including rainfall, flowing water and ice, wind and the the mass movement of soil bodies under the action of gravity which cause the loosened or dissolved earthy and rock materials to be removed from a place and eventually deposited to a new location (Lal,1990; Morgan and Davidson, 1986). The Soil Science Society of America (SCSA, 1982) described geologic erosion as the normal or natural erosion caused by geologic processes acting over long periods and resulting in the wearing away of mountains, the building up of flood plains, coastal plains. Etc. The slow and constructive natural soil erosion process has been significantly accelerated by human activities of poor farming practices, overgrazing, ground clearing for construction, logging and mining (Lo, 1990). Accelerated erosion not only affects the soil but also the environment and is the primary cause of soil degradation (Lal, 1990). Agriculture has been identified as th e primary cause of accelerated soil erosion (Pimentel, 1976). 2.3 Soil Characteristics in the Tropics Extremes of climate and wide variety of parent materials cause great contrast of soil properties in the tropics from soils in other temperate regions. In the tropics soils are highly variable and diverse like the vegetation (Sanchez and Buoi, 1975; Van Wambeke, 1992). The main soil types are alfisols, oxisols, ultisols and inceptisols (El-Swaify, 1990). Tropical soils low in weatherable minerals and basic cations (sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) resulted from continuous weathering of parent materials (Lo, 1990). The ability of these soils to keep plant nutrients is largely dependent on the humus content found in plant biomass and the organic matter (Rose,1993). The inactivity of soil mineral constituents (kaolin and sesquioxides) in these soils, causes deficiency in crop nutrients, lowers the capacity to retain basic cations, limits active relationship with organic matter and excessively immobilizes phosphates and related anions, a condition which are highly toxic to plant roots (Lo, 1990). Crop production in tropical soils are constrained by primarily aluminum- derived soil acidity and infertility but generally their physical properties are favourable (El-Swaify, 1990). Tropic soils have moderate to high permeability under natural conditions, but susceptible to slaking and development of impermeable crust upon action of raindrops and as a result runoff increases with continuous cultivation (Lal, 1982). This crusting cause insignificant reduction of filtration rate, increasing water runoff which leads to acceleration of soil erosion (Falayl and Lal, 1979). It is important to note however that heavy and intense rains cause severe erosion in the tropics (Morgan, 1974; Wilkinson 1975; Amezquita and Forsythe, 1975; Lal 1976; Aina, Lal and Taylor, 1977; Bois, 1978; Sheng 1982). 2.4 Soil Erosion on Steep Slope According to Lal 1990, Steeplands refer to lands with a slope gradient greater than 20%. It is important to note however that flat undulating lands have a great potential for crop production and agricultural development. Due to the possibility of soil erosion and the problem of mechanization, the steep areas are considered marginal for agriculture production (Lal, 1990). The difficult topography in steepland agriculture restricts mechanizations of operations thus, reducing all agricultural activities (land preparation, cultivation and harvesting), limiting the farmer in scale and efficiency. Inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides have to be carried manually by the farmer. As a resulted they are used scarcely. Observably any increase in the use of these agricultural inputs will result in decline in he farmers profits from the generally lower agricultural field (Benvenuti, 1988). For all these reasons steepland farmers tend to concentrate in high value crop production of limited scale (Ahmad, 1987; Ahmad 1990). It is important to note however that farmers prefer steepslopes due to cultural hand cultivation, planting and harvesting can be done in an upright fashion (Williams and Walter, 1988). Futher more subsistence farmers are found on steep slopes because of more favourable environmental conditions such as lower temperatures, reduced diseases and h igher reliability of rainfall. (Hurni, 1988). In the tropics, removal of forest vegetation causes excessive leaching and accelerated soil nutrient loss. Being highly weathered soil types , their contained minerals generally have poor ability to retain sorbed nutrients against leaching. Clay soils with high residualmiron contents are considered superior in resistance to runoff caused soil erosion; thus, soils emanated from basic igneous rocks and red soils developed from calcareous rocks are strongly aggregated due to the cementing property of iron oxides, hence, soil erosion is expected to be less than for most other soils. Also soils developed from fragmentary volcanic materials with andic properties are resistant to soil erosion (Sheng, 1986; Ahmad, 1987; Ahmad, 1990; Lal, 1990). Soils formed from shales, schists, phyillites and sandstones are considered highly erodible. Soils produced from these rocks are high in both sand or silt fraction, and clay minerals and iron oxides are generally insufficient as cementing agents for a stable-structured soil. These parent materials are generally rich in muscovite occurring in all soil particle-size fractions. Micah-rich soils are weak-structured, and thus raindrops can easily dislodged the weak aggregates, while the clay fraction dispersed in water. The resulting mica flakes settling on their flat axes in the water film on the soil surface causes soil crusting. The formation of soil crusts further restricts water entry into the soil (Ahmad and Robin, 1971; Sumner, 1995), resulting to disposal of a much greater volume of runoff water, a condition which leads to further disintegration of soil aggregates and transport of colloidal soil material (Ahmad, 1987; Ahmad 1990). Soil crust restricts gaseous exchange leading to anaerobic soil conditions, denitrification, toxic effects due to ethylene production, and mechanical impedance to seedling emergence (Ahmad 1987; Ahmad, 1990). Steep slope cultivation can cause certain instability in the ecological system with both onsite and offsite detrimental impacts (El-Swaify, Garnier and Lo, 1987). Soil, climate, land use and farming systems affect the extent and the degree of severity of soil erosion. However, regardless of soil and climatic conditions, intensively used steeplands in densely populated regions experience severe soil erosion problem. Land use influences the degree of severity of soil erosion on steeplands. Uncontrollable grazing or over grazing, exensive and abusive cultivation, diversified cropping are responsible for severe soil erosion in unprotected arable lands (Roose, 1988; Liao et al 1988). Ahmad (1987;1990) reportd soil loss of approximately 120 t0 180 tonnes per hectare in Tobago Trinidad. In Australia, annual soil loss of 200 t/ha to 328 t/ha has ben reported from sloping sugar cane plantations in central and north Queensland (Sallaway, 1979; Mathews and Makepeace 1981). There are two types of soil erosion associated with the Caribbean region, land slipping and gullying. Land slipping is a manifestation of mass movement associated with steepland agriculture and the severity being strongly influenced by the parent materials. Land clearing (example deforestation) and crop production can influence land slipping particularly in the early portion of the wet season when the cleared soil wets faster due to saturation of the soil above rock. Serious dislocations, crop loss and destruction of any mechanical anti erosion devices can result from this form of mass movements. Due to drastic changes in hydrological conditions experienced by land naturally prone already to slipping and cleared for agriculture for the first time land slippage would be of common experience (Ahmad 1987; Ahmad 1990). Gullying is another common form of soil erosion that occurs on steep land bcause of the terrain involved. This is more common on sandy soils, volcanic soils and vertisols, which are all porous materials. Soils easily attain saturated conditions upon the rapid entry of water, consequently breaking the material and ultimately, leading to the formation of gullies. Agricultural activities enables this soil erosion in steeplands by allowing rapid soil wetting upon the start of the wet season. Farming activities though unsuitably oriented field boundaries, foot tracks and the lack of provision for disposal of surface water are some main causes of gullying, even on soils not prone to this tpe of steepland soil erosion (Ahmad 1987;Ahmad 1990). Since steeplands are traditionally considered marginal for agricultural crop production, most research on soil erosion and soil conservation has been done on either flat land or rolling land with a maximum slope of about 20%'(Lal, 1988). 2.5 Factors Affecting Soil Erosion The causes of soil erosion have been intensively discussed during the past 40 years. Soil erosion is a natural process that is enhanced by human activity (Richter, 1998) and occurs in all landscapes and under different land uses. In addition to human activities, soil erosion processes are also caused by morphometric characteristics of the land surface, the erosive forces of rainfall and the erodibility of soils and soil surfaces. When rainwater reaches the soil surface it will either enter the soil or run off. Runoff occurs when the rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity of the soil. Water erosion is the result of the dispersion action of rain drops, the transporting power of water and also the vulnerability of the soil to dispersion and movement (Baver and Gardner, 1972). The effects of soil erosion is also classified: definition of gullies and explanation of gully development is given by Morgan (1996), as well as Hudson (1995) who additionally focuses on individual cases of the development of gullies. Toy et al (2002) give detailed definitions of soil erosion features and processes such as sheet erosion and inter-rill erosion, rill erosion, as well as ephemeral and permanent gully erosion. Rill erodibility depends both directly and indirectly on soil properties such as bulk density, organic carbon and clay content, clay mineralogy, cations in the exchange complex, soil pH and experimental conditions such as moisture content, aging of prewetted soil and quality of eroding water (Rapp,1998). Govers (1990) found that runoff erosion resisitance of a loamy material was extremely sensitive to variation in the initial moisture content and to a lesser extent to changes in bulk density. The process of water erosion can be separated into two components, rill and interrill erosion (Young and Onstad, 1978). Interrill erosion (sheet erosion) is mainly caused by raindrop impact and removes soil in a thin almost imperceptible layer (Foster, 1989). In interril erosion the flow of water is generally unconfined, except between soil clods and covers much of the soil surface. As the velocity of flow increases the water incises into the soil and rills forms (Evans,1980). Rill erosion begins when the eroding capacity of the flow at some point exceeds the ability of the soil particles to resistant detachment by flow (Meyer cited by Rapp, 1998). Soil is detached by headcut advance from knickpoints (De Ploey, 1989; Bryan, 1990), rill slide sloughing and hydraulic shear stress (Foster cited by Rapp, 1998) as well as by slumping by undercutting of side walls and scour hole formation (Van Liew and Saxton, 1983). These processes are usually combined into a detachment prediction equation as a function of average shear stress (Foster cited by Rapp, 1998). When the rills develop in the landscape, a three to five fold increase in the soil loss commonly occurs (Moss, Green and Hutka 1982 and Meyer and Harmon 1984). 2.5.1 Vegetative Factors The effects of vegetation can be classified into three catergories: The interception of raindrops by the canopy (DHuyvetter, 1985). Two effects are associated with this. Firstly, part of the intercepted water will evaporate from the leaves and stems and thus reduce runoff. Secondly, when raindrops strike the vegetation, the energy of the drops is dissipated and there is no direct impact on the soil surface. The interception percentage depends on the type of crop, the growth stage and the number of plants per unit area. A well distributed, close growing surface vegetative cover will slow down the rate at which water flows down the slope and will also reduce concentration of water (DHuyvetter, 1985). As a result, it will decrease the erosive action of running water. There is also the effect of roots and biological activity on the formation of stable aggregrates, which results in a stable soil structure and increased infiltration that reduces runoff and decreases erosion (DHuyvetter, 1985). Increased permeability also reduces erosion as a result of in increased water percolation due to better drainage. Stables aggregrates in the topsoil also counteract crusting. 2.5.2 Rainfall Factors Raindrop size, shape, duration of a storm and wind speed interactions controls the erosive power of rainfall (DHuyvetter, 1985). The erosivity of rainfall is expressed in terms of kinetic energy and is affected by various factors. According to Wischmeier and Smith (1965), the intensity of rainfall is closely related tot e kinetic energy, according to the regression equation E = 1.213 + 0.890 log I Where E = the kinetic energy (kg.m/m2.mm) I = rainfall intensity (mm/h) Raindrop size, distribution and shape all influence the energy momentum of a rainstorm. Laws and Parson (1943) reported an increase in median drop size with increase in rain intensity. The relationship between mean drop size (D50) and rainfall is given by: D50:2.23 I 0.182 (inch per hour). The median size of rain drops increases with low and medium intensity fall, but declines slightly for high intensity rainfall (Gerrard, 1981). The kinetic energy of an rainfall event is also related to the velocity of the raindrops at the time of impact with the soil (DHuyvetter, 1985). The distance through which the rain drop must fall to maintain terminal velocity is a function of drop size. The kinetic energy of a rainstorm is related to the terminal velocity according to the equation: Ek = IV2/2 Where Ek = energy of the rain storm I = Intensity V= Velocity of raindrop before impact Ellison (1945) developed an equation showing that the relationship between the soil detached, terminal velocity, drop diameter and rainfall intensity: E = KV4.33 d1.07 I0.63 Where E = relative amount of soil detached K = soil constant V = velocity of raindrops (ft/sec) d = diameter of raindrops (mm) I = rainfall intensity 2.5.2.1 Effect of rainfall intensity on runoff and soil loss According to Morgan (1995), soil loss is closely related to rainfall partly through the detaching power of raindrops striking the soil surface and the contribution of rain to runoff. If rainfall intensity is less than the infiltration capacity of the soil, no surface runoff occurs and the infiltration rate would equal the rainfall intensity (Horton, 1945) as sited by Morgan (1995). If the rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity, the infiltration rate equals the infiltration capacity and the excess rainfall forms surface runoff. According to Morgan (1995), when the soil is unsaturated, the soil matric potential is negative and water is held in the capillaries due to matrics suction. For this reason, under saturated conditions sands may produce runoff very quickly although their infiltration capacity is not exceeded by the rainfall intensity. Intensity partially controls hydraulic conductivity, increasing the rainfall intensity may cause conductivity to rise so that although runoff may have formed rapidly at relatively low rainfall intensity, higher rainfall intensities do not always produce greater runoff (Morgan, 1995). This mechanism explains the reason why infiltration rates sometimes increase with rainfall intensities (Nassif and Wilson, 1975). 2.5.3 Soil Factors According to Baver et al, (1972), the effect of soil properties on water erosion can be in two ways : Firstly, certain properties determine the rate at which rainfall enters the soil. Secondly, some properties affect the resistance of the soil against dispersion and erosion during rainfall and runoff. The particle size distribution is an important soil property with regards to erodibility. Generally it is found that erodible soils have a low clay content (DHuyvetter, 1985). Soils with more than 35% clay are often regarded as being cohesive and having stable aggregates which are resistant to dispersion by raindrops (Evans, 1980). Evans also stated that sands and coarse loamy sands are not easily eroded by water due to its high infiltration rate. In contrast soils with a high silt or fine sand fraction are very erodible. Erodibility of soil increases with the proportion of aggregates less than 0.5mm (Bryan, 1974). Factors which contribute to aggregate stability include organic matter content, root secretions, mucilaginous gels formed by break down of organic matter, the binding of particles by sesquioxides and the presence of a high Ca concentration on the exchange sites of the colloids instead of a high sodium content (DHuyvetter, 1985). The depth of erosion is determined by the soil profile (Evans, 1980). According to Evans soil horizons below the A horizon or plough layer are often more compact and less erodible. The texture and chemical composition of the sub surface horizon can also have an adverse effect. Normally deep gullies can be cut if the parent material is unconsolidated. If resistant bedrock is near the surface only rills will develop. Soil rich in surface stones are less susceptible to erosion (Lamb, 1950 and Evans, 1980). Stones protect the soil against erosion and also increase the infiltration of the flowing water into the soil. The antecedent soil moisture and the surface roughness are both regarded by Evans (1980) as important soil factors affecting erosion. The ability of a soil to accept rainfall depends on the moisture content at the time of the rainfall event. 2.5.3.1 Factors affecting aggregate stability Soil structure is determined by the shape and size distribution of aggregates. Aggregrate size and strengthe determine the physical properties of a soil and its susceptibility to breakdown due to water forces. Their stability will have a decisive effect on soil physical properties (Lynch and Bragg, 1985). The main binding materials giving stable aggregates in air dry state are the glueing agents in organic matter (Chaney and Swift, 1984; Tisdale and Oades, 1982) and sesquioxides (Goldberg and Glaubic, 1987). 2.5.3.1.1 Aluminium and Iron Oxides The soil used by Kemper and Koch (1966) contained relatively little free iron, although it did contribute to aggregrate stability. Their data show a sharp increase of free iron from 1 to 3%. Goldberg and Glaubic (1987) concluded that Al-oxides were more effective than Fe-oxides in stabilizing soil structure. Al-oxides have a greater proportion of sub-micrometer size particles in a sheet form as opposed to the spherical form of Fe-particles. Shainberg, Singer and Janitzky (1987) compared the effect of aluminium and iron oxides on the hydraulic conductivity of a sandy soil. 2.5.3.1.2 Organic Matter Organic matter can bind soil particles together into stable soil aggregates. The stabilizing effect of organic matter is well documented. Little detailed information is available on the organic matter content required to sufficiently strengthen aggregates with ESP values greater than 5 or 7, and containing illite or montmorrillionite, so as to prevent their dispersion in water (Smith, 1990). High humus content makes the soil less susceptible to the unfavourable influence of sodium (Van den Berg, De Boer, Van der Malen, Verhoeven, Westerhof and Zuur, 1953). Kemper and Koch (1966) also found that aggregate stability increased with an increase in the organic matter content of soils. A maximum increase of aggregate stability was found with up to 2% organic matter, after which aggregate stability increased very little with further increases in organic matter content. 2.5.3 Slope Factors Slope characteristics are important in determining the amount of runoff and erosion ( DHuyvetter, 1985). As slope gradient increases, runoff and erosion usually increases (Stern, 1990). At low slopes due to the low overland flow velocities, detachment of soil particles from the soil surface into the water layer is due to detachment alone (Stern, 1990). Additionally, at low slope gradients, particles are splashed into the air in random directions unlike the case with steeply sloping land where down slope splash occurs (Watson and Laflen, 1985). As slope gradient increases, the ability for surface runoff to entrain and transport sediments increases rapidly until the entrainment by the surface runoff becomes dominant contributing to sediment transport (Stern, 1990). Foster , Meyer and Onstad (1976) presented a conceptual model that showed that at lower slopes, interill transport determined erosion, while at steeper slopes, raindrop detachment determined it. Th uniform bed characteristics of sheet flow transport tend to be replaced by channels because of instability and turbulent flow effects (Moss, Green and Hutka, 1982). There are many empirical relationships relating soil transport by surface wash to slope length and slope gradient. Zingg (1940) showed that erosion varied according to the equation: S = X1.6 tanB1.4 Where S = soil transport cm/yr X = slope length (m) B = slope gradient (%) Studies conducted by Gerrard (1981), showed that plane and convex slopes did not differ significantly in the amount of soil lost by surface runoff, but concave slopes were less eroded. Some researchers such as Zingg (1940) and Mc Cool et al (1987) indicated that soil erosion increases exponentially with increase in slope gradient. The relationship is indicated after Zing (1940) by: E = aSb where E is the soil erosion, S is the slope gradient (%) and a and b are empirical constants. The value of b ranges from 1.35 to 2.0. The other relationship between erosion and slope gradient for inter-rill erosion is given by Mc Cool et al (1987) E = a sin b Q+C Q is the slope angle in degrees A,b and C are empirical constants. However, even if the effect of slope gradient on erosion is well recognized, several studies indicate that the power relationship between slope gradient and soil loss over predicts interrill erosion rate by as much as two or more times (Torri, 1996;Fox and Bryan, 1999), and the relationship is better described as linear. 2.8 Soil Erosion Impacts 2.8.1 Soil Physical Properties Progressive soil erosion increases the magnitude of soil related constraints for crop production. These constraints can be physical, chemical and biological. The important physical constraints caused by erosion are reduced rooting depth, loss of soil water storing capacity (Schertz et al 1984; Sertsu, 2000), crusting and soil compaction and hardening of plinthite (Lal, 1988). Erosion also results in the loss of clay colloids due to preferential removal of fine particles from the soil surface (Fullen and Brandsma, 1995). The loss of clay influences soil tilth and consistency. Exposed subsoil is often of massive structure and harder consistency than the aggregated surface soil (Lal, 1988). Development of rills and gullies may change the micro-relief that may make use of farming machinery difficult. Another effect of erosion is that the manangement and timing of farm operations. 2.8.2 Soil Chemical Properties Soil erosion reduces the fertility status of soils (Morgan, 1986; Williams et al., 1990). Soil chemical constraints and nutritional problems related to soil erosion include low CEC, low plant nutrients (NPK) and trace elements (Lal, 1988; Fullen and Brandsma, 1995). Massy et al (1953) reported an average loss of 192 kg of organic matter, 10.6 kg of N and 1.8kg per ha on a Winsconsin soils with 11% slope. Sharpley and Smith (1990) reported that the mean annual loss of total P in runoff from P fertilized watersheds is equivalent to an average of 15%, 12% and 32% of the annual fertilizer P applied to wheat, mixed crop grass and peanut sorghum rotation practices respectively. Researchers (Massy et al 1953; Lal, 1975) have also reported extensive loss of N in eroded sediments. 2.8.3 Productivity Quantifying the effects on crop yields is a difficult task. It involves the evaluation of interactions between soil properties, crop characteristics and climate. The effects are also cumulative and not observed until long after accelerated erosion begins. The degree of soil erosions effects on crop yield depends on soil profile characteristics and management systems. It is difficult to establish a direct relationship between rates of soil erosion and erosion induced soil degradation on the one hand and crop yield on the other (Lal, 1988). It is well known that soil erosion can reduce crop yields through loss of nutrients, structural degradation and reduce of depth and water holding capacity (Timilin et al, 1986; Lal,1988). Loss of production in eroded soil further degrades its productivity which in turn accelerates soil erosion. The cumulative effect observed over a long period of time may lead to irreversible loss of productivity in shallow soils with hardened plinthite or in soils that respond to expensive management and additional inputs (Lal,1988). 2.8.4 Off Site Effects of Soil Erosion. Effects of erosion include siltation of rivers, crop failure at low lying areas due to flooding, pollution of waterbodies due to the various chemicals brought by the runoff from different areas. Several studies reported the significance of the off site effects of soil erosion on land degradation (eg. Wall and ven Den,1987; Lo, 1990; Robertson and Colletti, 1994; Petkovic et al, 1999) Rainwater washes away materials that originate from fertilizers and various biocides (fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and pesticides) which are applied in large concentrations. They reappear in greatr quantities in the hydrosphere polluting and contaminating the water environment (Zachar,1982;Withers, and Lord, 2002; Verstraeten and Poesen, 2002). Chemical pollution of water mainly by organic matter from farm fields causes rapid eutrophication in waterways (Zachar, 1982;Zakova et al, 1993; Lijklema, 1995). 2.8.5 Soil Erosion Models Modelling soil erosion is the process of mathematically describing soil particle detachment, transport and deposition on land surfaces (Nearing et al, 1994). Erosion models are used as predictive tools for assessing soil loss and project planning. They can also be used for understanding erosion processes and their impacts (Nearing et al 1994). There are three main types of models, empirical or statistical models, conceptual models and physically based models (Morgan 1995, Nearing et al 1994, Merritt et al 2003). It is important to note however that there is no sharp difference among them. 2.8.5.1 Physically Based Models These models are based on solving fundamental physical equations describing stream flow and sediment and associated nutrient generations in a specific catchment (Merritt et al ., 2003). They are developed to predict the spatial distribution of runoff and sediment over land surfaces during individual storms in addition to total runoff and soil loss (Morgan, 1995). Physically based models are also called process based models (Morgan, 1995) as they rely on empirical equations to determine erosion processes. These models use a particular differential equation known as the continuity equation which is a statement of conservation of matter as it moves through space over time. The common physically based models used in water quality studies and erosion include : The Areal Non-Point Source Watershed Environment Response Simulation (ANSWERS) (Beasley et al., 1980), Chemical Runoff and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems (CREAMS) (Knisel, 1980), Griffith University Erosion System Temp late (GUEST) (Misra and Rose, 1996), European Soil Erosion Model (EUROSEM) (Morgan, 1998), Productivity, Erosion and Runoff, Functions to Evaluate Conservation Techniques (PERFECT) (Littleboy et al., 1992) and Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) (Laflen et al., 1991). 2.8.5.2 Empirical Mode

Farewell to Arms Essay -- essays papers

Farewell to Arms Death is often represented by traditional symbols ranging from the color black to the common tombstone. Besides these icons, other signs can stand for mortality including rain. In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway associates rain with death many times. Although rain is not usually considered a symbol of death, the main character Fredric Henry discovers this natural occurrence is a personal theme he relates with death. The first time Hemingway uses the connection between rain and death is during a march to the river. The group was climbing out of the embankment to cross the road, and suddenly three shots rang out, one bullet unfortunately hitting Amyo. Fredric thought to himself, â€Å"He looked very dead. It was raining†. He does not yet see that the rain is always ...

Effects Single Parents Families

Task1 Research question What is the impact of being raised in a single parent family on students of the Corinth Secondary School? Rationale I chose to research this topic because it hurts me to see my friends from single parent families fall by the way side. I believe that they fall by the way side because the absent parent is inconsiderate. He (she) never took the time to think of the many difficulties and challenges the single parent would have in raising that child, not only in disciplining, but also by not having sufficient money to feed the child and not being able to provide that child with basic school materials.To me, it is very disturbing to hear some of the stories from children of my age group who come from single parent families, for instance, having to miss school because his/her parent was not able to provide for hi/her because of a huge financial strain. Time after time, I see some of my friends with their uniforms unkempt and their stomach crying out for food. It does not make me feel any better when I hear and see those things happening around me in society and particularly at my school. Objectives This School Based assessment seeks to: Identify the effects on children who are raised in a single parent family. * Identify the effect of single parent families on the academics of children within those households. * Suggest solutions to help teenagers of single parent families cope with the effects of being raised in a single parent family. Task2 Method of investigation In order to collect data for my School Based Assessment, I have decided to use the printed questionnaire because: 1. The method is inexpensive 2. The data collected is easy to analyze 3. The identity of respondents remains confidential Task 3QUESTIONNAIRE Instructions: please place a tick in the brackets ( ) next to the response you wish to select. 1. Sex Male ( ) Female ( ) 2. Age Group 12- 14 ( ) 15-18 ( ) 18-20 ( ) 3. Do you have any younger siblings? Yes ( ) No ( ) 4. If yes how many? 1 ( ) 2 ( ) 3( ) other ( ) 5. Who do you live with? Mother ( ) Father ( ) other ( ) please state†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6. How often do you see your other parent? Often ( ) Occasionally ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 7. I have a good relationship with my other parent.To what extent do you agree with this statement? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 8. How often does your other parent spend quality time with you? Always ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Rarely ( ) 9. Does your other parent provide you with your basic needs? Always ( ) Occasionally ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 10. If you selected â€Å"occasionally†, â€Å"seldom† or â€Å"never† in the previous question, why is this so? Small income from one parent ( ) Parent just does not care ( ) 11.Does your other parent provide you with love? Always ( ) Occasional ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 12. Do you believe that yo u live in a stable home environment? Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) 13. How do you rate your performance at school? Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Poor ( ) 14. Do you believe that being raised in a single parent family affects your academic performance? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 15. Do you believe that living with one parent leads to children becoming delinquents?Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 16. Are you able to balance your responsibilities at home with your time to do school assignments? Always ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Never ( ) 17. Are you regularly in trouble at school? Very often ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Never ( ) 18. Do you think that the Government should develop and implement more policies to assist single parent families? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( )

How the Beatles Compare and Contrast Politics and Religion Essays

How the Beatles Compare and Contrast Politics and Religion Essays How the Beatles Compare and Contrast Politics and Religion Essay How the Beatles Compare and Contrast Politics and Religion Essay Apart from their musical success, The Battles were actively involved in Politics and Religion Thered never been anything like the Battles who were about music but also about something more far-reaching (McCarty, 2004 in Turner, 2006: 1). Notably, John Lennox was more involved with Politics than the other members of the group; likewise George Harrison was profusely more involved with religion. This essay seeks to explore the impact they had in the politics and religion of Britain in the sass. Although, their views on religion and politics changed time and time again, over the period of their career. Allison (2006) states in his book The Love There Thats Sleeplessness he talks about Lennox What he thought at one time is no indicator of what he thought at another. His political views, for example, were scarcely consistent (Allison 2006:53) The Battles began their musical career composing and singing songs about love which were more appealing to the youth at the time. The Battles had not started out with the thought of imparting messages to a generation. In the early days their lyric writing and grasp of social issues were the least developed of their capabilities (Turner 2006:3). However, 1966 onwards they made more lyrics with an Intellectual charge and a rebel stance questioning themselves, the world around them and the world to come. According to Turner (2006) If the Battles had a gospel, It presupposes that they believed that something was wrong with the world (Turner 2 006:8). The Battles right from an early stage opposed the system, for example they did not do very well at school, even though they had the opportunity to do so. As Turner (2006) notes, that The Battles took It upon themselves to explore the world The Battles, It seemed, went through things on behalf of their followers and then sent back their findings. They traveled the world , smoked pot ,took acid ,snorted cocaine ,lived to excess became addicted ,consulted psychics, spent millions, meditated, and then wrote their reports up in the form of songs (Turner 2006:7). They conveyed these messages very well Ana tenet Tans connecter Walt tenet Ideas most AT ten time. However, most of these social messages more often than not opposed the government and the church; this most certainly affected these institutions for example the support given by The Battles to different organizations or ideas the government were against include; the AIR, Vietnam war Millions of young people mocked pot, dropped acid, investigated Eastern religions, and marched for peace in Vietnam as a result of things the Battles did or said (Turner 2006:9). Another example given by Turner (2006) which proves this and further to discloses that the Battles also gave financial support to causes they believed in Interest in Transcendental Meditation, for example, received a tremendous boost from their corporate endorsement , and the proliferation of shaved-headed men and long-haired women singing the Hare Krishna mantra on the main streets of every major city as a direct result of the financial and moral backing their organization achieved from the Battles (Turner 2006:12). The Krishna mantra aspired to convert the West, thereby targeting John Lennox and George Harrison as disciples, again this goes to show how influential the Battles were. There are a lot of people who like us and they are influenced by us. So you know, in a small way I may be able to influence them in another direction (Harrison, 1996 in Turner, 2006:1), also in support of the former argument is AAA Urinations quote stating that The Battles had become role models for the youth of the entire Western world. Whatever the Battles did was right! Correct! Acceptable! (AAA Orientation in Turner 2006:9). In songs like the Lady Madonna and Penny Lane they questioned the society and religion. Being influential ,the government at times partnered with them to convey a message across to mainly the Youths for example in 1965,the Battles were appointed (Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) MOB, although John Lennox returned it four years after receiving it in protest against the British governments involvement in the Nigeria-Bavaria War (1967-1970) . The church on the other hand did not really want the Battles to side with them or did not show that they did anyway. The youth of today are really looking for some answers the established church cant give them, their parents cant give them material things cant give them (Lennox,1967 in Turner ,2006:134) In their quest for spirituality and to get rid of the void they felt All their material dreams had been achieved so dramatically, at such an early age, that they were starting to ask themselves what was left to look forward to. Since their early teen years theyd been motivated by the possibility of wealth, fame, sex, and acclaim, but now that they had these things a fresh purpose was required (Turner 2006:15). The Battles had acquired all the wealth and fame and still felt empty and so they rebelled against the church and the government We are not only blind in ourselves, but so is the larger social body (Addison 2006:34) I nee turned towards Eastern Religion l en soullessness Ana lack AT mystery Tanat ten young hated about modernity was replicated in the church. The alliance between industry , politics and clergy. This was partly why those disenchanted by materialism tended to be more attracted to the religions of the East that showed more respect for nature and were less interested in war and the pursuit for wealth (Turners:10) ND in this manner they viewed the church and government as similar, because they shared the same views about Wealth and how to get it. The lyrics of Girl (1965) construes the idea of materialism ( the idea of working and getting material possession) but according to them that is not where fulfillment lies because they had came from a phase where they were hyper-materialists to an anti-materialist phase ,they were conveying to their fans that all that money can buy is Just not enough and blame both the political and religious establishments encourage people to work towards attaining wealth Did she understand it when they said that a man just break his back to earn his day of leisure where They being the church and the government constantly reassure people that hard work is a means to an end, the end being fulfillment and in a Christian religious context the day of leisure refers to the Sunday (the Sabbath day) It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested (Exodus 31 :17) . The West was not very keen on the leader of the Transcendental meditation movement, Maharanis Mashes Yogi they believed he was an imposter and this is another example of how the Battles rebelled against the West. They also liked the Idea of the Eastern Religion because it differed from the Western ideology l dont believe that it ends with our Western logical thoughts (McCarty, 1967 in Turner ,2006:1) as well as it not being institutionalized or because they thought it was not, they like the do it yourself notion (no authority). Turner (2006) states however that Without the use of drugs its unlikely that they would have been as receptive to the teachings of Hinduism or would have devoted so much time to learning techniques of meditation (Turner 2006:12). The lyrics of Im Only Sleeping construes that many people do not see the real meaning of life, but run around doing things they should not be doing rather than experiencing the moment. The song is also anti- materialist and according to John Lennox the notion of sleeping is getting away from the everyday material world and entering into a world of dreams (Transcendentalism) ,fantasy, spirituality. He thinks it is superior to the everyday world. Many scholars claim that the Dream world Lennox speaks of is as a result of him being high on LSI ( Lysergic Acid Thalidomide). Drugs seemed to offer new possibilities (Turner 2006:1 5)because they had acquired all they wanted and all the institutions had preached were the pursuits for happiness but they still felt empty and so turned to drug taking , once again The Battles rebelled against the government and the church where drug taking is disapproved of. A Famous critic of the Battles, youth pastor, David A. Nobel wrote two books that relate to the Battles namely Communism, Hypnotism and the Battles and Rhythm, Riots Ana Revolution winner en stated Tanat l en Battles In particular nave a special significance to the disrupter of society for their promotion of drugs, avian-garden sex and atheism he also wrote that The revolution, though sometimes veiled, is fundamentally against Christianity and Christianity moral concepts. Karl Marx sought to dethrone God before he set out to destroy capitalism (Cited in Turner 2006:23) Religion also made them participate in politics for example Georges sympathy for TMs philosophy persisted throughout his life. As late as 1992, during the General U. K. Election, he Joined the benefit concert for the Natural Law Party , a political action of TM components (Allison 2006:45) Unlike the Government, whose policies the Battles mostly opposed such as signing petitions for legalization of soft drugs e. G. Cannabis, the supposed rumor of John Lennox funding the AIR (Irish Republican Army), opposing the Vietnam war etc. The Battles did not oppose religion but the Church (western ideology) and its leaders . However, when Lennox made the statement Were more popular than Jesus now; I dont know which will go first-rock n roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. Its them twisting it that ruins it for e (Lennox 1966, Maureen Cleave Interview for London Evening Standard) he was misunderstood and this caused uproar in the America amongst the Christians. Paul McCarty defended him stating that Of course, John never meant to say that the Battles were literally bigger than Christ. He was only referring to the lack of attendance in church. He was actually taking a sympathetic point of view (McCarty 2004 in Turner 2006:1 5). The other Battles shared Lemons belief on religion or at least they put up a brave front. The second part of his comment Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary.

Evolution of Container Shipping essays

Evolution of Container Shipping essays This report will provide information about containers and the shipment of containers in the past and present. It will tell how the idea of shipping goods in containers came about and how those ideas have progressed into what is now known as the container fleet of today. It will explain what the first containers were like and what the containers of this modern industry are like now. It will also look into the future of shipping with containers. This report shall completely inform and even interest the layman person in the modernization of container shipping. Firstly is to explain exactly what containers are. They are large boxes that actually come in a few sizes, but they all have a similar rectangular shape. The most common sizes of todays containers are 8 feet wide, 8 feet high and either 20 feet or 40 feet long. Others may be 24 feet, 28 feet, 44 feet or 48 feet long and there are, in addition, many other sizes than those. Despite all of their different sizes, one thing they do all have in common is how they are measured. They are all measured in TEUs. TEU stands for Twentyfoot Equivalent Unit. It is a measurement of the containers volume. One very important aspect about these large boxes is that they need to be made strong. This is so they can withstand rough weather at sea aboard a ship while stacked on top of one another. The bottom container in some stacks needs to support up to ten containers while on land as well. They need to be able to last for about 8 to 20 years, so they are generally made out of steel or aluminum. Since th ese containers spend much of their time at sea and are always outdoors, they need to be waterproof. These are a few physical attributes that help explain what containers may look like. There a few different types of containers, but they all meet the dimensions and requirements mentioned in the above paragraph. The first and most common is the metal box container with just a layer of dunn...

Strategic human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Strategic human resource management - Essay Example Huge amount of change also leads to uncertainty in the mind of its employees. Another problem that might arise is the resistance to change from the current situation to the new. With the informal means of communication being replaced by more formal communications, it is possible that the efficiency of the employees might decrease who have been used to communicate in a particular way. In addition, the inclusion of new product lines lead to a requirement of new skills. These skills can be obtained either through training and development of the current employees or through recruitment from outside, both of which will lead to increased costs. Steps to develop an effective HR Plan The company is going to undertake a large number of changes in the near future and it is important that an effective HR plan is defined to manage this change. In order for the plan to be successful, it is important that the organization involves all the related stakeholders. There are four major areas where the organization needs to work: Leadership alignment and stakeholder engagement, Training & education, Communication & branding and Organization redesign. The diagram on the next page shows the various activities that shall be done along with the project: Figure 1: The change management plan for Natural Knibbles Role of the HR plan in achieving its new strategic objectives The HR plan developed above will enable Natural Knibbles to achieve its strategic objectives. With the leadership alignment, the key executives will be well prepared to lead the change and cascade initiatives within the organization. All other employees will be kept involved in the change process through stakeholder engagement. Training and education throughout the change process will educate the employees on their new roles, responsibilities, the benefits of the change being undertaken and the usage of various tools that might be required after the implementation of change. It is also important that proper informatio n passes to all the relevant stakeholders of the process. Proper communication and branding will enable the management of the organization to inform the employees of how the change being implemented helps the organization achieve its mission, vision and goals. Communication is also necessary once the change has been implemented to ensure proper feedback from the employees. With the introduction of new product lines, the organizational structure needs to be redefined with new roles, responsibilities and hierarchies. It is necessary that the employees are communicated about the same clearly. The organization is envisaging large change in the way it operates and it is necessary that they implement this HR plan to make it successful. Data to be included in HRIMS and its advantages An HRIMS is intended to manage employee data in an electronic format. The organization will like to store employee information like personal details (family details, dependent details, date or birth etc.), pro fessional details (competencies, qualifications, previous employment details etc.) and payroll related data (bank account no. earnings and deduction details, tax details etc.). Implementation of HRIMS at Natural Knibbles will allow the organization to keep all its employee data at one consolidate location thereby reducing data inconsistency and receptiveness. HRIMS will also allow the organization to reduce the paperwork and the related administrative effort that is required for the same. Storing personal details will

Anchor Babies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anchor Babies - Essay Example Generally, an anchor baby can be defined as a child is born to an illegal immigrant or undocumented parents especially in the United States of America and who by the operation of the U.S law acquires an automatic citizenship thus sponsoring the citizenship of other relatives into America.1 According to the principle jus soli, any baby delivered in the United States automatically acquires U.S citizenship. This doctrine is bolstered by the dint of section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment which provides as follows; ‘All persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges and immunities of citizens of United State†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Being an inclusive, the doctrine of jus solirenders anyone to become part of U.S citizens merely through birth; citizenship therefore becomes a birth right. A closely related doctrine is that of jus sanguinis, restrictively though in its application. This is in the sense that it solely defines citizenship by blood. In the U.S, the law on citizenship allows for citizenship under both jus soli and jus sanguinisas well as by naturalisation, viz by the operation of the law to move from a legal permanent resident to citizen. As such, the public debate insinuated above has focussed on alterations of such doctrines which have the effect of tendering an amendment of the U.S Constitution. Needles to say, efforts have been made towards this course. For instance, the amendment by Representative Elton Gallegly (Republican from Simi Valley California) who in June 1995 recommended in vain an amendment to the U.S Constitution to terminate automatic citizenship for U.S born children whose parents are undocumented immigrants. H Other efforts include the enactment of several