Monday, December 30, 2019

Java Syntax Building an Input Dialog Box

Message dialog boxes are great when you want to inform the user of a message and get a simple response (i.e., a YES or OK click) but there are times when you want the user to give a little bit of data. Maybe your program wants a pop-up window to grab their name or star sign. This can be achieved easily by using the showInputDialog method of the JOptionPane class. The JOptionPane Class To use the JOptionPaneclass you dont need to make an instance of aJOptionPane because it creates dialog boxes through the use of static methods and ​static fields. It only creates modal dialog boxes which is fine for input dialog boxes because generally, you want the user to input something before your application carries on running. The showInputDialog method is overloaded several times to give you a few options about how the input dialog box appears. It can have a text field, a combo box or a list. Each of these components can have a default value selected. Input Dialog With a Text Field The most commonest input dialog simply has a message, a text field for the user to input their response and an OK button: The showInputDialogmethod takes care of building the dialog window, the text field and OK button. All you have to do is provide the parent component for the dialog and the message to the user. For the parent component Im using the this keyword to point to the JFrame the dialog is created from. You can use null or specify a name of another container (e.g., JPanel) as the parent. Defining a parent component enables the dialog to position itself on the screen in relation to its parent. If it is set to null the dialog will appear in the center of the screen.Theinput variable captures the text the user enters into the text field. Input Dialog With a Combo Box To give the user a selection of choices from a combo box you need to use a String array: //Options for the combo box dialogString[] choices {Monday, Tuesday ,Wednesday, Thursday, Friday}; //Input dialog with a combo box String picked (String)JOptionPane.showInputDialog(this, Pick a Day: , ComboBox Dialog, JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE ï » ¿ , null, choices, choices[0]); As I am passing a String array for the selection values the method decides a combo box is the best way to present those values to the user. This showInputDialog method returns an Object and because I want to get the text value of the combo box selection Ive defined the return value to be a ( String ). Also note that you can use one of OptionPanes message types to give the dialog box a certain feel. This can be overridden if you pass an icon of your own choosing. Input Dialog With a List If the String array you pass to the showInputDialog method has 20 or more entries then instead of using a combo box it will decide to show the selection values in a list box. A full Java code example can be viewed in Input Dialog Box Program. If youre interested in seeing the other dialog boxes the JOptionPane class can create then have a look at the JOptionPane Option Chooser Program.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Cash Based Accounting Accrual Based Accounting - 1107 Words

Introduction There are two based types of accounting measurement to determine the profit. They are cash basis and accrual basis. Business can use either a cash basis or accrual basis to work there profit. However, most of the company prefers to use accrual basis instead of others. In this essay, I will compare the difference between cash basis and accrual basis on expense and revenue. In addition, how can company choose their measurement of profit will also be discussed. Cash basis accrual basis Cash basis accounting is focus on cash flow, the companies record the revenue and expense when the cash flow really comes into their account. In other words, revenue is record when cash is received and expense record when cash is paid.†¦show more content†¦In accrual basis accounting, when an expense is record before cash flow really comes into the account, it will be recorded in an accrued expense account. (Bushman 2007) As a result, there will not have a delay in account. How can company choose their accounting method Most small businesses are free to choose either cash basis or accrual basis. (Fishman 2007) The cash basis accounting will be the best choice because it can save lots of expense in record-keeping. If you have a big company with lots of sales on credit. You need to use accrual basis accounting. (Fishman 2007) Big companies always have lots of sales on credit and purchase on credit, so the cash basis will have lots of delay caused by the time. In addition, big companies always have expense machines. If you use cash basis, the expense of the machine will be record to only this financial year. However, if you use accrual basis accounting, the expenses will be record into many years and it is called depreciation. The record is more accurate. The revenue record principle requires that revenue need to be record when earned, not when the cash is received and this principal is very important for all companies. Conclusion I have identified the difference between cash basis accounting and accrual basis accounting. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. So, it is very important for your company to choose which the most suitable one is.Show MoreRelatedAccrual Basis Vs. Cash Basis1737 Words   |  7 Pagestypes of accounting methods that most companies use, accrual basis or cash basis. A definition of both concepts and comparisons between the two methods will be discussed. In addition, it describes and examines the difference in the managing of those methods and which form of accounting method is more useful and beneficial to provide information to users for different purposes. In cash basis accounting, revenue is recorded only when the cash is received, and expenses are recorded only when cash is paidRead MoreAccrual Basis Of Accounting Over Cash Basis1534 Words   |  7 PagesThere has been a significant debate focusing on costs and benefits of adopting accrual basis of accounting over cash basis of accounting. This paper illustrates the concepts of accrual basis of accounting, highlights the benefits of accrual basis of accounting posed by its advocates and also briefly discusses the disadvantages of adopting accrual basis accounting. The paper also briefly discusses the recent accounting scandal of Tesco Plc. which showed that profits of the company were overestimatedRead MoreThe Accruals And Going Concern Concepts1443 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿The accruals and going concern concepts are regarded as fundamental in the preparation of financial statements. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these concepts, explaining the reasons why these concepts may be difficult to apply or may be inconsistent with other concepts. Accounting statement and records are a periodic summary of account activity within a period and the documentations involved in the preparation of it (Thomas and Ward, 2012: 4). They are done based on a set of rulesRead MoreAccrual Basis Accounting Essay example786 Words   |  4 PagesAccrual Basis Accounting Accrual accounting is a system of accounting that is based on the accrual principal accounting. This principal requires revenue to be recognized and recorded when earned. Expenses are to be recorded when they occur. The accrual basis of accounting is used by most companies. Very small businesses and individuals use cash basis accounting. The major distinction between the accrual and the cash basis of accounting is when revenue and expenses are recognized. When theRead MoreHistory Of Accounting And Private Sector1534 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Since the early 1980s public sector accounting and private sector accounting have experienced significant transformation such as decentralization, deregulation and the differences between thee two sectors are highly topical and political in many countries (Blondal 2003). The key transformation is the adoption of ‘accrual basis’ of accounting rather than ‘cash basis’ accounting by increasing number of countries (Guthrie and Ryan 1998). Meanwhile, public sectors refer specifically to organizationsRead Moreâ€Å"Compare the Relative Advantages and Limitations of Financial Statements Prepared on a Cash Basis with Those Prepared on an Accrual Basis†1025 Words   |  5 Pagesrelative advantages and limitations of financial statements prepared on a cash basis with those prepared on an accrual basis† To compare the advantages and limitations of different financial statements begins with first understanding what financial statements are and what different purposes they can be used for, as well as the differentiation between cash and accrual accounting. The cash and accrual methods of accounting are the two principle ways of keeping track of businesses takings and expensesRead MoreEconomic And Financial Decisions Are Made Based On Financial Statements853 Words   |  4 Pagesand financial decisions are made based on Financial Statements. Financial statement is a statement where it records all the financial activities and position status of a company, person or an entity. In order to ensure that statements are useful, it follows certain framework which are based on accounting principles. Accrual accounting and Going Concern Concept accounting are the two accounting principles amongst various concepts. There are other various accounting concepts such as Consistency ConceptRead More Define: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Accrual Basis1391 Words   |  6 PagesEquity 2 What is the purpose of an account? What is the purpose of a ledger? Explain the following terms as they relate to a T account: 2 (a) Debit side 2 (b) Credit side 2 How is profit determined under (a) the cash basis of accounting and (b) the accrual basis of accounting? 3 Why are adjusting entries necessary? Surely they cause too much delay in preparing financial statements, and the financial effect of any entries made is immaterial in the long run.’ Respond to this criticism. 4 Read MoreA Comparison Between Cash Accounting and Accrual Accounting1110 Words   |  5 PagesA COMPARISON BETWEEN CASH ACCOUNTING AND ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING 1. Introduction Accounting principle and theory are generally referred to two main accounting methods which include cash accounting and accrual accounting. Cash basis accounting on income and cost is determined by the amount of actual payment for reference and accounting recording mode is simple, easy to master. The use of the accrual basis of accounting is more complicated than it with a main difference of recording timing. This essayRead MoreCharacteristics Of Financial Reporting Systems1502 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction: Earnings quality could be defined as the reduction of the market’s uncertainty about the firm’s terminal value (liquidating cash flow) due to the earnings report (Ewert et al., 2009). It has been the subject of numerous empirical studies that analyze trends over time and across countries, evaluate effects of changes in accounting standards, auditing, enforcement and corporate governance, and examine its relationship with the cost of capital (Ewert, 2015, p.1). ‘It is also one of

Saturday, December 14, 2019

the increase in electoral support for the Nazi Party Free Essays

To what extent was the increase in electoral support for the Nazi Party in the years 1928-33 the result of effective propaganda and electioneering? The years 1928 to 1933 were very significant for the Nazi Party and their leader, Adolf Hitler. After the attempted Munich Putsch, the Nazi Party had well and truly entered the political spotlight of German politics and had successfully re-established itself after Hitler was released from prison in 1924. Following on from being so heavily in the public eye, the Nazi Party had a rise in support due to increased awareness of the party, but 1928 marked a steep increase in this. We will write a custom essay sample on the increase in electoral support for the Nazi Party or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are many factors that contributed to this increase in electoral support for the Nazi Party from 1928-1933, but it was largely due to effective propaganda and electioneering. Nazi propaganda was under leadership of Joseph Goebbels, who was able to identify the concerns of all sectors within the German population and use this to create a remarkable propaganda scheme. An example of this is where workers were addressed with posters depicting endless queues of unemployed people, suggesting that Hitler would be able to abolish unemployment – a miracle that was readily accepted by this group. As well as targeting specific groups, Goebbels was able to manipulate a variety of propaganda techniques, from using posters to nursery rhymes to the radio. The Nazi Party presented an image that appealed to everyone through their use of propaganda. It is because of propaganda that they were able to convince the public of their ability to transform the country to one ridden with debts, political instability and embarrassment to a global superpower that was successful in every aspect. Even now, Nazi propaganda is still viewed as a remarkable achievement for the Nazi Party and is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why Nazi support increased from 1928-1933. Electioneering is the other main reason for the increase in electoral support. In terms of Nazi policy itself, although it was controversial, Hitler was careful to be very careful about certain points – especially regarding religion. The 25 Point Programme of the Party depicted that it â€Å"represents the point of view of positive Christianity†, whereas in reality the Nazi Party stood for the complete opposite. With the majority of Germans being Christian (2/3 of these were Catholic and 1/3 Protestant), the Nazi’s could not afford to alienate the Church and risk repelling the majority of the electorate. Throughout their electioneering, the Nazi’s used the SA to intimidate the opposition and  sometimes even carry out such violent attacks that political figures, especially Communist politicians, were unable to continue their own electioneering. This allowed the Nazi party to reduce their opposition and allowed them to manipulate the public further using t heir effective propaganda. As the Nazi Party organised propaganda rallies to build up electoral support, they also organised members to attend the rallies disguised as potential voters. This gave the impression that the party was extremely popular and therefore encouraged voters that might otherwise vote for another larger party to support the Nazi’s instead. These propaganda rallies were used to persuaded all of Germany to vote for Hitler and his party because Hitler was able to constantly travel around the country using an airplane. This electioneering meant that he was able to directly address potential supports and use propaganda to convince them to vote Nazi. It could be claimed that Hitler himself contributed largely to the electoral success of the Nazi Party. Many women found Hitler aesthetically attractive and emphasis was placed on his bright blue eyes and his friendly nature towards children. Men found Hitler as a man to admire – he was charismatic and some n ewspapers even labelled him ‘Hitler the Superman’. Above all, Hitler was a brilliant auditor and had the ability to captivate audiences that was unmatched by no other politician and delivered speeches with such power that it was hard not to be swept in by his manipulative and misleading words. However, it could not be said that Hitler himself contributed to the increase in electoral support to a larger extent than propaganda and electioneering. Another factor that could be argued to have resulted in the increase in electoral support is the very climate of Germany during that time. Following on from the failure of war in 1918, Germany was stampeded with crises after crises. In economic terms, the funding of the war had resulted in inflation and forced Germany to borrow loans from the USA in order to pay the  £6600 million in reparations. This meant that when America suffered from the Wall Street Crash, Germany was hit by Depression in 1926. Living standards plummeted a nd Germany was on the verge of a civil war. Consequently, the German people looked towards extremist parties to provide them with the revolutionary change needed to return Germany to a least a partial stability. Again, whilst this was a big factor in increase of Nazi support, the situation in Germany was balancing out, especially as the effects of hyperinflation were weakening by 1925. Therefore, the hardships that Germany faced during this period cannot be accountable for the increase in the Nazi Party’s electoral success compared to the propaganda and electoral success that was constant throughout 1928-1933. In conclusion, the increase in electoral support for the Nazi Party in the years 1928-33 was the result of effective propaganda and electioneering to a far extent. A variety of factors contributed to this increase, including Hitler’s personality and the downfall of Germany during the post-war years. However, the strongest factors were persistently the Nazi’s propaganda campaign that was led by Goebbels and their electioneering methods. Through this, they were able to specifically target groups within the electorate and develop the Nazi image itself which drew support from voters and caused the German people to trust them to restore Germany’s former status. How to cite the increase in electoral support for the Nazi Party, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Clinton Administration and NATO Expansion free essay sample

A look at the Clinton Administrations involvement with the NATO expansion. This paper discusses the Clinton administrations political, strategic and ideological motivations for supporting NATO expansion and whether the future of NATO will be as a collective defense pact or as a vehicle for democratic expansion. From the paper: On March 16, 1999, the flags of the first three ex-communist countries to gain admission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic were hoisted above NATO headquarters in Brussels, marking the final act in the first stage of NATO expansion. Fifty years after its creation, with former Warsaw Pact members joining what began as an anti-Soviet alliance, NATOs original purpose of keeping the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down seems to no longer apply. The Russians no longer possess the ability (and some would argue the desire) to realistically threaten European security. With growing assertiveness in European affairs, the Germans are not down, but their increased role in politics, economics, and security of Europe does not inspire the panic it would have so soon after World War II when the alliance was formed. We will write a custom essay sample on The Clinton Administration and NATO Expansion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Friday, November 29, 2019

Volumetric Analysis Lab Report Essay Example

Volumetric Analysis: Lab Report Paper At the equivalence point, all the KIP present has been neutralized by the added Noah and the solution is still colorless. However, if we add just one more drop of Noah solution from the burette, the solution will immediately turn pink because the solution is now basic. Titration of an unknown l. A measured amount of an acid of unknown concentration is added to a flask using a burette. An appropriate indicator such as phenolphthalein is added to the solution. (The indicator will indicate, by a color change, when the acid and base has been neutralized). 2. Base (standard solution) is slowly added to the acid, . The process is continued until the indicator shows that naturalization has occurred. This is called the END POINT. The end point is usually signaled by a sharp change in the color Of the indicator in the acid solution. In acid-base iterations, indicators are substances that have distinct different colors in acid and base (Phenolphthalein pink in base, colorless in acid). 4. At the equivalence point, both acid and base have been completely neutralized and the solution is still colorless. However, if we add just one more drop of Noah solution from the burette, the solution will immediately turn pink cause the solution is now basic. We will write a custom essay sample on Volumetric Analysis: Lab Report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Volumetric Analysis: Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Volumetric Analysis: Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Monday, November 25, 2019

French Nasal Vowels for English Speakers

French Nasal Vowels for English Speakers When we speak of nasal vowels in French, we are referring to certain characteristically French vowel sounds that are produced by expelling air through the nose. All other French vowels sounds are pronounced mainly through the mouth, with no obstruction of the lips, tongue or throat. Nasal Vowels and Nasal Consonants Vowels followed by m or n, as in the words  un, on and an, are  nasal. Try to say them and youll see that air is expelled primarily through the nose, not the mouth. This doesnt hold  true, however, when the nasal consonants m or n are followed by another vowel. In this case, the vowel and consonant are both voiced. For example: un  Ã‚  Ã‚  nasalune  Ã‚  Ã‚  voiced There are also nasal vowels in English, but they are a bit different than French nasal vowels. In English, the nasal consonant (m or n) is pronounced and thus nasalizes the vowel that precedes it. In French, the vowel is nasal and the consonant is not pronounced. Compare the following: French  Ã‚  on  Ã‚  anEnglish  Ã‚  own  Ã‚  on French Vowels in General Overall, French vowels share a few characteristics:   Most French vowels are pronounced further forward in the mouth than their English counterparts.The tongue must remain tensed throughout the pronunciation of the vowel.French vowels do not form diphthongs, which is  a sound produced by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another (as in  coin,  loud  and  side  ).  In English, vowels tend to be followed by a y sound (after a, e, i) or a w sound (after o, u). In French, this is not the case: The vowel sound remains constant; it does not change into a y or w sound. Thus, the French vowel has  a purer sound than the English vowel. In addition to nasal vowels, there are other categories of French vowels as well. Hard and Soft Vowels In French, a,  o, and  u  are known as hard vowels while e  and  i  are considered soft vowels, because of certain consonants (c,  g,  s) change pronunciation (hard or soft), in agreement with the vowel that follows them. If theyre followed by a soft vowel, these consonants become soft as well, as in manger and là ©ger. If theyre followed by a hard vowel, they, too, become hard, as in the name Guy. Vowels With Accent Marks Physical  accent  marks on letters, a required feature of French orthography,  can and often do change the pronunciation of vowels, as in the scores of French es with either accent  grave  (pronounced eh) or the acute accent  aigue (pronounced ay).

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Final paper - Essay Example Therefore, in this paper, I will be discussing institutional racism based on stereotypes and how it has come to affect Middle Easterners. I will attempt to make a comparison between past and present treatment of students of Middle Eastern origin in the United States as well as show different places where this type of discrimination might take place. Furthermore, I will discuss how stereotypes of these individuals often affect these individuals in both their public and personal lives based on my own experiences. In the United States, institutional racism has become a part of everyday life for many individuals especially from the Middle East or for those Americans who have origins in this region. In my experience as a student of Middle Eastern origin, institutional racism enforces stereotypes of people from this region without necessarily taking into account their individual differences. I have been faced with many problems during my stay in the United States and this has been based on beliefs by ordinary Americans that because of the way I look, I am a threat to them. There was an instance where after going into a restaurant to get something to eat, I was viewed suspiciously by not only its staff, but the customers as well. Many of these customers actually moved away from the table that I took and despite waiting for a long time, no one seemed to be willing to come to my service. This was within my first few days in the United States and my dreams of this country being a bastion of liberali sm were shattered as I came to realize that the stereotype of Arabs as terrorists had become firmly entrenched in American viewpoint (Oswald 1775). I later came to experience open discrimination at the University of Arizona when attending classes, and this became a trend because whenever I entered a classroom, and took a seat, the students who had been sitting all around me would move away from me and take other seats. Only those who did not seem to have a problem with me or my

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Case Study 9&10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case Study 9 - Essay Example In fact, â€Å"cultural sensitivity, cultural intelligence, and certain specific global leadership skills are essential for inspiring people from cultures other than ones own† (DuBrin, 2013, p. 451). In the given example, the way Calvin interpreted the remark given by his team-leader in Great Britain demonstrates the low level of his cultural sensitivity. Actually, he tried to find the reason of low sales in lack of cooperation within his international team not in his managerial skills. Hence, the most important issue is that he tries to fix international challenges in American way. In order to provide the solution, above all it is necessary to mention that commitment is an essential part of each team. Therefore, each member of the company should easily recognize the general aim in order to stay motivated at the workplace. In a given example, the very idea of creating disaster insurance is referring to the universal value of security. Nevertheless, the company did not appropriately notice the difference in specific causes of insecurity. For instance, USA suffers from hurricanes, Japan is facing constant earthquakes, and Great Britain is not that preoccupied with natural but artificial anomalies. Consequently, the final product must be different for these countries to increase commitment of the international team. The advantages of this approach are evident in world experience. In this context, McDonalds company is the best example of effective management in international teams. It gives enough freedom to the local representatives to sale the goods in favor to local tastes. However, the potential disadvantage is that team can become so independent that it will not need American managers to be successful on the local market. In other words, it can be too late to change the interpersonal relations within the company. Thus, there are several methods to increase the effectiveness of the international

Monday, November 18, 2019

Industrial Activity and Environment in China Article

Industrial Activity and Environment in China - Article Example There is a need to find some ways to enable economic growth as well as reducing the environmental pollution. The article discusses the economic aspects with respect to the environmental perspective. However, China is considered as the reference country to depict the industrial growth and the concentration of different harmful pollutants to the atmosphere. As China has the world’s biggest population, the number of industries in China is increasing day by day and with the increase China has become the biggest producer of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that with this massive amount of air pollution about 300, 0000 people die annually. There is a need to consider the environmental health with the economic growth. Despite the fact that the China has the world’s biggest population, the average air pollution decreased due to the certain efforts of China’s environmental regulatory authorities. Results show that the average atmospheric SO2 levels decreased around 1997 to 2002, while, a little increase was seen in 2000. However, an increase in the average atmospheric SO2 is seen around 2002 to 2004. Similarly the average level of soot emission also decreased around 1997 to 2002 and a minor increase was seen around 2002 to 2004. The similar case is with the dust emissions from industries. These are the three major components of air pollution. The decrease in these three components consequently lowered the pollution intensity, which was at the recorded level in 1998 and now it is on the lowest level. The major producers of the pollutants are the China’s manufacturing industries like the steel/iron industries in China. Thus the industries are considered as the dirtiest industries among all other.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Logical Database Design for HR management System

Logical Database Design for HR management System Task 1.1 The background information of the organization and operation that would support. In an organization a HR department is responsible for record each employee. Where the employees have an identification number, job identification code, e-mail address, manager as well as salary. They also track those employees earn incentive or commissions in addition to their salary. However, the company also tracks their role in the organization. Each job also recorded according to the characteristics. Moreover, ever jobs have job title, identification code, maximum and minimum salary of the job. There are few employees work for a long time with the company and they have held different department within the company. If any employee resigns, then the job identification number and department are recorded. The company also track the location of its departments and warehouses. Every employee must assign with a department where departments are identified by the unique identification number. Those departments are associated with different locations. The company need to store the location such as the state, city, postal code, street name as well as county code. The company also record the county name, currency name and the region. This database supports a better employee management plan as well as their departments, location and associated jobs. However, the company would have a better structure to store their confidential information. This database will provide a better extracted information to developed their insufficiency. This efficient data structure allows them increases their storage as well as it exclude the redundancy in data. Task 1.2 a conceptual database design and list of enterprise rules Figure 1: EER-diagram showing all enterprise rules (Source: Created by author) Task2.1: A Logical Database Design for HR management System Figure 2: logical database design (Source: Created by author) Task2.2: Create the tables using Oracle DBMS - Table structure for COUNTRIES - DROP TABLE MYDB.COUNTRIES; CREATE TABLE MYDB.COUNTRIES ( country_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL , country_name VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , region_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL ) LOGGING NOCOMPRESS NOCACHE ; - Table structure for DEPARTMENTS - DROP TABLE MYDB.DEPARTMENTS; CREATE TABLE MYDB.DEPARTMENTS ( department_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL , department_name VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , manager_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , location_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL ) LOGGING NOCOMPRESS NOCACHE ; - Table structure for EMPLOYEES - DROP TABLE MYDB.EMPLOYEES; CREATE TABLE MYDB.EMPLOYEES ( employee_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL , first_name VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , last_name VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , email VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , phone_number NUMBER(12) NULL , hire_date DATE NULL , job_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , salary NUMBER(10,2) NULL , commission NUMBER(10,2) NULL , manager_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , department_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL ) LOGGING NOCOMPRESS NOCACHE ; - Table structure for JOB_HISTORY - DROP TABLE MYDB.JOB_HISTORY; CREATE TABLE MYDB.JOB_HISTORY ( employee_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL , start_date DATE NULL , end_date DATE NULL , job_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , department_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL ) LOGGING NOCOMPRESS NOCACHE ; - Table structure for JOBS - DROP TABLE MYDB.JOBS; CREATE TABLE MYDB.JOBS ( job_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL , job_title VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , min_salary NUMBER(10,2) NULL , max_salary NUMBER(10,2) NULL ) LOGGING NOCOMPRESS NOCACHE ; - Table structure for LOCATIONS - DROP TABLE MYDB.LOCATIONS; CREATE TABLE MYDB.LOCATIONS ( location_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL , street_address VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , postal_code NUMBER(10) NULL , city VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , state VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL , country_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL ) LOGGING NOCOMPRESS NOCACHE ; - Table structure for REGIONS - DROP TABLE MYDB.REGIONS; CREATE TABLE MYDB.REGIONS ( region_id VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NOT NULL , region_name VARCHAR2(30 BYTE) NULL ) LOGGING NOCOMPRESS NOCACHE ; Task2.3: Create the four most useful indexes - Indexes structure for table COUNTRIES - - Checks structure for table COUNTRIES - ALTER TABLE MYDB.COUNTRIES ADD CHECK (country_id IS NOT NULL); - Primary Key structure for table COUNTRIES - ALTER TABLE MYDB.COUNTRIES ADD PRIMARY KEY (country_id); - Indexes structure for table DEPARTMENTS - - Checks structure for table DEPARTMENTS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.DEPARTMENTS ADD CHECK (department_id IS NOT NULL); - Primary Key structure for table DEPARTMENTS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.DEPARTMENTS ADD PRIMARY KEY (department_id); - Indexes structure for table EMPLOYEES - - Checks structure for table EMPLOYEES - ALTER TABLE MYDB.EMPLOYEES ADD CHECK (employee_id IS NOT NULL); - Primary Key structure for table EMPLOYEES - ALTER TABLE MYDB.EMPLOYEES ADD PRIMARY KEY (employee_id); - Indexes structure for table JOB_HISTORY - - Checks structure for table JOB_HISTORY - ALTER TABLE MYDB.JOB_HISTORY ADD CHECK (employee_id IS NOT NULL); ALTER TABLE MYDB.JOB_HISTORY ADD CHECK (department_id IS NOT NULL); - Primary Key structure for table JOB_HISTORY - ALTER TABLE MYDB.JOB_HISTORY ADD PRIMARY KEY (employee_id); - Indexes structure for table JOBS - - Checks structure for table JOBS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.JOBS ADD CHECK (job_id IS NOT NULL); - Primary Key structure for table JOBS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.JOBS ADD PRIMARY KEY (job_id); - Indexes structure for table LOCATIONS - - Checks structure for table LOCATIONS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.LOCATIONS ADD CHECK (location_id IS NOT NULL); - Primary Key structure for table LOCATIONS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.LOCATIONS ADD PRIMARY KEY (location_id); - Indexes structure for table REGIONS - - Checks structure for table REGIONS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.REGIONS ADD CHECK (region_id IS NOT NULL); - Primary Key structure for table REGIONS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.REGIONS ADD PRIMARY KEY (region_id); - Foreign Key structure for table MYDB.COUNTRIES - ALTER TABLE MYDB.COUNTRIES ADD FOREIGN KEY (region_id) REFERENCES MYDB.REGIONS (region_id) ON DELETE CASCADE; - Foreign Key structure for table MYDB.DEPARTMENTS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.DEPARTMENTS ADD FOREIGN KEY (location_id) REFERENCES MYDB.LOCATIONS (location_id) ON DELETE CASCADE; - Foreign Key structure for table MYDB.EMPLOYEES - ALTER TABLE MYDB.EMPLOYEES ADD FOREIGN KEY (job_id) REFERENCES MYDB.JOBS (job_id) ON DELETE CASCADE; ALTER TABLE MYDB.EMPLOYEES ADD FOREIGN KEY (department_id) REFERENCES MYDB.DEPARTMENTS (department_id) ON DELETE CASCADE; - Foreign Key structure for table MYDB.JOB_HISTORY - ALTER TABLE MYDB.JOB_HISTORY ADD FOREIGN KEY (employee_id) REFERENCES MYDB.EMPLOYEES (employee_id) ON DELETE CASCADE; - Foreign Key structure for table MYDB.LOCATIONS - ALTER TABLE MYDB.LOCATIONS ADD FOREIGN KEY (country_id) REFERENCES MYDB.COUNTRIES (country_id) ON DELETE CASCADE; Task2.4: Data Population The below figures showing all data in each table: Table countries: Table departments: Table employees: Table job_history: Table jobs: Table locations: Table regions: Task2.5: SQL Query writing Query 1 SELECT MYDB.COUNTRIES.country_name FROM MYDB.COUNTRIES Query 2 SELECT MYDB.REGIONS.region_name, MYDB.COUNTRIES.country_name FROM MYDB.COUNTRIES INNER JOIN MYDB.REGIONS ON MYDB.COUNTRIES.region_id = MYDB.REGIONS.region_id Query 3 SELECT MYDB.JOB_HISTORY.start_date, MYDB.JOB_HISTORY.end_date, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.first_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.last_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.email FROM MYDB.EMPLOYEES FULL OUTER JOIN MYDB.JOB_HISTORY ON MYDB.JOB_HISTORY.employee_id = MYDB.EMPLOYEES.employee_id Query 4 SELECT Count(MYDB.EMPLOYEES.employee_id) AS Number Of Employee FROM MYDB.EMPLOYEES Query 5 SELECT MYDB.EMPLOYEES.first_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.last_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.email, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.phone_number, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.hire_date, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.salary, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.commission FROM MYDB.EMPLOYEES ORDER BY MYDB.EMPLOYEES.first_name ASC Query 6 SELECT MYDB.EMPLOYEES.first_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.last_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.email, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.phone_number, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.hire_date, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.salary, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.commission FROM MYDB.EMPLOYEES WHERE MYDB.EMPLOYEES.email LIKE %gmail% Query 7 SELECT MYDB.EMPLOYEES.first_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.last_name, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.email, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.phone_number FROM MYDB.EMPLOYEES INNER JOIN MYDB.JOB_HISTORY ON MYDB.JOB_HISTORY.employee_id = MYDB.EMPLOYEES.employee_id WHERE MYDB.JOB_HISTORY.employee_id IN (MYDB.EMPLOYEES.employee_id) Query 8 MYDB.EMPLOYEES.email, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.phone_number, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.hire_date, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.job_id, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.salary, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.commission, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.manager_id, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.department_id, MYDB.EMPLOYEES.employee_id FROM MYDB.EMPLOYEES, (SELECT MYDB.JOB_HISTORY.employee_id fromÂÂ   MYDB.JOB_HISTORY) subquery1 WHERE subquery1.employee_id=MYDB.EMPLOYEES.employee_id Asabe, S.A., Oye, N.D. and Goji, M., 2013. Hospital patient database management system: A case study of general hospital north-bank makurdi-nigeria. Compusoft, 2(3), p.65. Coronel, C. and Morris, S., 2016. Database systems: design, implementation, management. Cengage Learning. Dorok, S., Breß, S., Teubner, J. and Saake, G., 2015. Flexible Analysis of Plant Genomes in a Database Management System. In EDBT (pp. 509-512). Hussain, M., Pandey, A.C. and Pachauri, S., 2013. Performanc Tuning of Database Management System by Fuzzy Controlled Architecture. Pragyaan: Journal of Information Technology, p.30. Jahn, M., Schill, E. and Breunig, M., 2013. Towards a 4D database management system for geothermal projects: an example of the hydraulic data of Soultz. In Second European Geothermal Workshop. Lee, H., Chapiro, J., Schernthaner, R., Duran, R., Wang, Z., Gorodetski, B., Geschwind, J.F. and Lin, M., 2015. How I do it: a practical database management system to assist clinical research teams with data collection, organization, and reporting. Academic radiology, 22(4), pp.527-533. Li, Z. and Shen, H., 2016. Database Design on Teaching Management System Based on SQL Server. Mohamed, A.R., Kumar, P.V., Abhilash, S., Ravishankar, C.N. and Edwin, L., 2013. Design and Development of an Online Database Management System (AGRI-TECHBASE): For Agricultural Technologies of ICAR. In Driving the Economy through Innovation and Entrepreneurship (pp. 869-877). Springer India. Nidzwetzki, J.K. and GÃ ¼ting, R.H., 2016. DISTRIBUTED SECONDO: An extensible highly available and scalable database management system. Reddy, T.B.K., Thomas, A.D., Stamatis, D., Bertsch, J., Isbandi, M., Jansson, J., Mallajosyula, J., Pagani, I., Lobos, E.A. and Kyrpides, N.C., 2014. The Genomes OnLine Database (GOLD) v. 5: a metadata management system based on a four level (meta) genome project classification. Nucleic acids research, p.gku950. Sui, X.L., Wang, D., Liu, X.Y. and Teng, Y., 2014. Database Design of NC Cutting Tool Matching and Management System. In Advanced Materials Research (Vol. 981, pp. 546-550). Trans Tech Publications.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Sound Of Hollyhocks :: essays research papers

The theme of Hugh Garner's 'The Sound of Hollyhocks'; concerns one of Canada's most serious social problems. The theme suggests how condescension and discrimination can have devastating effects on the people around us. The story is set in Pinehills Clinic where alcoholics and psychotics are placed to recover. Wilf Armstrong, an alcoholic at the clinic, ends up with 'Rock Hudson';, who is a psychotic at the hospital, as his roommate. 'Rock Hudson'; was the nickname given to William Cornish Ranson by some of the other alcoholics. Rock was forced into mental illness by his mother because his wife, Sarah, was from a different social class. Rock comes from a rich family and he met Sarah at one of his father's branch of banks. They got married secretly because Rock knew that his mother would object such a marriage since Sarah came from a poorer and less prestigious background. The first meeting between Sarah and Rock's mother proved to be a disaster. Due to Rock's mother's disapproval of S arah, Sarah and Rock's marriage starts to fall apart. One thing leads to another, and Sarah and Rock's marriage ends with Sarah's abrupt death. This pushes Rock into his present state of hearing flowers talk to him. This is a great example of how social problems such as condescension and discrimination can have devastating effects on those around us. If Rock's mother had not shown such hostility towards Sarah and Rock, they wouldn't have grown apart and Sarah would not have died and Rock would not have gone crazy. So Rock's mother, who originally just wanted the best for his son, becomes the person that pushes Rock into his mental illness, which ultimately lead to his death. Things like this happen every day in Canada and around the world. Awhile ago, several 'skinheads'; were tried for beating a Sikh man to death due to racial and religious differences.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Locke’s teachings on economic growth and material prosperity Essay

According to Locke, God gave man common ownership of everything under the sun (10). God at the same time gave man the reason, which He intended him to use so as to convert what was owned communally into individually. Man went ahead in using his God given reason and he reasoned that he can put in some labor – which is his by right, and in so doing, he attached the common property with his own property (reading labor) and in the process converted the ownership from communal to individual’s (Locke12). Man created ownership so as to make what is communally owned useful and at the same time avoid the process of gaining consent of all the other owners. One was only considered a rightful own if the item in his possession was for his enjoyment and not to be spoilt. This does not apply to plants and animals alone, but the same can be put in practice when dealing with land. To avoid conflict between men, God gave every man ability to work, so the piece of land one improved through labor was his for the taking, and the limit of how much one can own was to be determined by how much he can work and the number of his needs. Labor became something very important in that, it was through it that the value of land was measured against and also the more one labored the more his living standard improved. That is the reason as to why Locke proposed that the England day laborers lived well than American King, because the former knew how to increase the value of land through labor and this translated to a better life. What Locke is highlighting is that, among the three: land, nature and labor, the latter comes on top of the former two (16). Skills and inventions are the offshoots of labor and they came to make life even more comfy. With the increase in number of people and animal and the use of money, scarcity of land emerged which drove the value of the land up. Man decided to put some policies so as to avoid conflict that would have arisen due to scarcity of the land the same role played by industry and labor there before (17). To avoid wastage, man came up with the idea of trading of things which would otherwise spoil if not consumed fast and in the process of looking for something durable and valuable. This is how money came in being. The qualities of valuability durability and scarcity made money to be even more important than labor and it did what the latter could not have done: enabling man to expand his possessions. So it is true to say that reached his goal of economic growth and material prosperity through the advert of money. But this is not the only ingredient. As from the above discussion, land, government policies, nature and labor are other requirement. For one to be set on the way of wealth creation, it is paramount to balance all these factors. I do agree with all of Locke arguments for he is capturing the reality of today. The only important ingredient that he has not elaborated in a detailed way is market, which is another important pillar of wealth creation. Without the above ingredients, wealth creation will remain but a pipe dream. All these factors have contributed to unequal ownership of property. This situation has brought forth some challenges, one of it being the emergence of social classes: proletariats, bourgeoisies and aristocrats all of which are in constant conflict. This contributes to high crime rates, prostitution, corruption just to mention but a few vices. Works Cited Locke, John. Second Treatise of Government. 9 Mar. 2008. 11 Aug. 2010. http://www. earlymoderntexts. com/f_rights. html

Friday, November 8, 2019

Why did Charles I decide to dissolve parliament in 1629 Essays

Why did Charles I decide to dissolve parliament in 1629 Essays Why did Charles I decide to dissolve parliament in 1629 Essay Why did Charles I decide to dissolve parliament in 1629 Essay Essay Topic: History There were many factors that contributed to the breakdown in trust between Charles I and his Parliament in 1625-29, which finally led to his decision of dissolving Parliament. I intend on concentrating on the main key factors, which built up over a specific timeline, and give evidential and factual suggestion and analysis to show that Charless decision was not unjustified, yet incorrect on his behalf, where he is to blame. The first topic, which was Charless most troublesome in contributing to further problems, and Parliaments most influential power, was Parliaments reluctance to grant Charles money. Charles needed money from Parliament in 1625 for possible war against Spain. They offered i 140,000, yet this was inadequate. Charles was dissatisfied as he hoped Parliament would be as co-operative as the previous. This in itself was wrong as Parliament were not informed of the actual size of money wanted and the specific time to be offered. Tonnage and poundage was customs revenue (tax) traditionally granted to the King by the first Parliament of his reign and provided a large portion of his income. In 1625 this became an issue because Charles did not receive full amount and as Parliament were worried about the issues to which it would be used, and also they wanted to change the system this would prevent him granting more, therefore limiting his power. This in fact was a wrong move on Parliaments side as it pushed Charles further away. This also caused further problems as Charles carried on collecting. Charles was suspicious about Parliament, as he could not understand why they would not finance a war that they had approved. They also blamed Buckingham for mishandling the session and the Kings affairs; Charles regarded this attack as an attempt to undermine his authority. He then believed that conspirators wishing to undermine royal authority were leading the Commons astray. Vice-Versa, Parliament was confused at Charless refusal to negotiate with them in the usual way. They had found cause to doubt his word in breaking the promises of war and marriage negotiations. Neither Charles nor Parliaments actions in this case were justified. There was clear misinterpretation of Parliaments concerns, as they did not mean to offend. Between 1625 and 1627 Charles raised money by securing a loan against the Crown Jewels, and selling Crown land. Charless decision on a forced loan was controversial as it made the Crown poorer in the long term and was illegal and left people unhappy. The evidential conclusion to this was the occurrence of the Five Knights case. This proved to be important, as the protesters tried to test the legality of their imprisonment, which would then test the legality of the forced loans would have to be tested in court. The Attorney General (royal legal officer) on Charless side tried to change records, on Charless request, so when this story emerged Charless reputation was damaged. This was a decision Charles should have regretted that left Parliament seething. In 1628 Parliament offered five subsidies and tonnage and poundage. This was only dependant upon an agreement of the role of Parliament. Charles raised extra money he needed in 1628 by seizing goods from merchants who had refused to pay tonnage and poundage, one of whom was an MP. These methods increased Parliaments distrust of him, as they wanted some security for the future. The reluctance to grant Charles money in accordance to the first three points was Parliaments major downfall, which could be the largest contribution to the dissolution of Parliament in 1629. The second influential topic in the dissolution of Parliament was Parliaments dislike of the Duke of Buckingham, which was caused by foreign policy failures. In terms of foreign policy in 1625, Charles and Buckingham hoped to set up an anti-Spanish front to force the Hapsburgs to restore the Palatinate to Charles brother-in-law. They hoped to achieve this aim through: 1) an alliance with Christian IV of Denmark in exchange for financial support from England, whereby he would attack the Catholic Hapsburgs in north Germany. 2) Financially supporting the Dutch in the same cause. 3) An English army of 6000, to be provided for the German Protestant mercenary commander. 4) A sea war against Spain to try and cut off its supplies of gold and silver from South America. These steps when carried out were a failure on a large scale, which left Charles embarrassed. England landed itself in war with both Spain and France. Buckinghams decision to help the Huguenots, besieged by the French was horrendous. He led the disastrous military landing, which finished in a retreat in ships without helping the defenders of La Rochelle, who eventually surrendered to the French. Basic indication and logic suggest that this decision was bad for all and another cross on Charless achievements. The Duke of Buckingham became a focus of MPs discontent by the 1626 Parliament because he was influential on court and Charles. He had also moved towards Arminianism, which was suspicious when combined with lax enforcement of the laws against Catholics. Buckinghams control of the armed forces prompted fears that he was intending to seize control of the Government and establish a Catholic state. The commons identified him as a source off all its concern and refused to work with Charles while the Duke was in office. Charles reaction to this was annoyance and the dismissal of Parliament. Parliament had again made another error by refusing to work with the Duke, as there may could have been an easier solution, after all their main objective as Parliament and King is to ensure the smooth operation of the country and provide the best well being and society possible while creating a strong economy. Charles blamed Parliament for the assassination of Buckingham in 1628 because Felton said he had been inspired by the remonstrance, which named Buckingham as the cause of the nations ills. This may only be a minor factor, but was a major contribution emotionally in addition to Charles already growing unhappiness with Parliament. Another key factor in the long list in why Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 was Parliaments fears of the Kings support of Arminianism and Charles fears of Puritan MPs. Charles helped the Arminian High Church party to become more prominent through his favour and proclamation, which attacked the Puritan mainstream of the Church of England. He further irritated Parliament and the Church of England (which to be noted he was head of) by allowing controversial and banned sermons to be published. This was unpopular with the Archbishop who was then suspended, which enraged many. A bad idea was apparent through replacing the Arch Bishop with a man who had influence and who could promote the Arminians, and attack Calvinist puritan ministers. The Arminian High Church promoted the divine right of the King, supported the forced loan and used Gods messenger as a defensive device. The King in this instance went with what he wanted, but what was not necessarily best for the country. This lack of thought and analysis of a delicate situation which he could of stepped down from or lowered his support suggests that his true objective and role as King was not met and only made situations worse for himself. The last topic with some specific significance to why Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 was Parliaments attempts to stop what they saw as abuses of royal powers, and Charless reaction to these. To ensue that the Privy Council followed him even when Parliament didnt, Charles eliminated opponents, which narrowed the range of opinion represented on the Council, which also ceased to offer alternative advice after an open discussion. This sneaky form of deviation caused hot hostility and a prominent show of difference between the court and Parliament. What the court, Privy Council, and nobility wanted was often different to Parliament. Nobility were shielded from the reality of every day life in the land of the average person and therefore logically we can analyse that their decisions may have been incorrect for the ideal solution. On Charles behalf, this was a clear mistake. The Petition of Right introduced in 1628 by MPs was the definition of traditional rights of the subject, which had existed time out of mind. It laid out points stating the illegality of the forced loans, that no free man should be imprisoned without just cause shown, that soldiers should not be billeted on private individuals against their will, and marital law was illegal. The MPs introduced this because it acted as a safeguard, with the force of law. Charles did not accept this view of the role of Parliament and viewed the debates with deep disfavour. He wanted expressions of absolute trust and loyalty not restrictions on his freedom of action. Parliament were only alienating his affections further. When Charles tried to adjourn Parliament in 1628 after he was not granted customs, the speaker went to rise from his chair at the end of the session and was met with force by being held down by two MPs while another called out three resolutions. Sir John Eliots three were as a capital enemy to the King and commonwealth 1) anyone who promoted innovation in religion, popery or Arminianism 2) anyone who counselled the collection of tonnage and poundage without Parliamentary consent 3) anyone who voluntarily paid the duties. Charles dissolved Parliament after this because he was frustrated in his attempt to rule in accordance with tradition when the commons would not grant him the revenues that were traditionally due to him. In conclusion the four key areas, which included Parliaments reluctance to grant financial support, Parliaments hostility towards the Duke of Buckingham, the Kings support of Arminianism, and Parliaments attempts to stop abuses of royal powers, gradually caused a high amount of tension between the two. But I have also found extra reasons underlying within this area that all input significance into Charless final decision to dissolve Parliament in 1629. Distrust as a result of Charless manipulation of law in response to Parliaments reluctance to financially support him led to misinterpretation of each others intent, foreign policies and its failure with increased problems with the Duke, religion and Charless specific support of Arminianism with change to ranking within the Church, the repeated dissolution of Parliament, the war and its effects, and Charless personality and beliefs. These all had a significant part to play in why Charles I dissolved Parliament in 1629. I have analysed and interpreted events to finalise a short list of reasons, which I now believe do not fully justify Charles for having good reason to dissolve Parliament. Out of all the explored sources it is evident that Charles mistakes fully outnumber Parliaments.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Continentality in South Texas essays

Continentality in South Texas essays Is it true that the further away from the ocean it is, the wider the temperature range? The theory of continentality is true. The further away from the Gulf of Mexico, the higher the temperature range will be. The theory of continentality is that the further away from a major ocean, the greater the temperature range is. For this project three major cities in South Texas were chosen; Galveston, Houston and San Antonio. I chose each of these cities, because I am planning to move to San Antonio or Houston after I graduate. The weather in that area of the country is very different than it is here and I thought it would interesting to find out just a little more about the climate in that area. Each are a further distance from the ocean, respectively. Galveston is a coastal city. Houston is approximately 30 miles from the ocean and San Antonio is about 200 miles from the ocean. I took a road trip there for spring break of this year and just by observation, noticed a steady difference as I got closer to Galveston. First, San Antonio was very hot and dry. It wasnt extreme weather when I was there, but a typical spring day. As I got closer to Houston, it became a little cooler and much more humid. Im not going into humidity at this time, however the closer I got to Houston, the more humid it was. When I arrived in Galveston, it was a lot cooler and even more humid than Houston. So I determined at that time that continentality, although I didnt know that is what it was called at the time, was the reason for the steady difference as I got closer to the ocean. My hypothesis was based solely on the week I spent in south Texas and then on the theory of continen ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Historical Film Movement Film Noir as the Forerunner of the Present- Essay

Historical Film Movement Film Noir as the Forerunner of the Present-day Crime and Action Movies - Essay Example He presented a different kind of suspense thriller and was the first to attract attention from French film critics. His films presented the audience the flaws of the characters. He created the first psychological thrillers, one of them was Psycho, released in the 1960s. Psycho is based on the story of a serial killer named Ed Gein who was featured in a novel by Robert Bloch (1998). The term ‘psycho’ refers to the psychological state of a criminal, or someone who has committed or is about to commit a crime without consciously knowing it. Movies based on serial killing have been popular, but in the 60s, there were a few serial killings, one of these was perpetrated by the notorious Ed Gein (also one of the inspirations for the character of Hannibal Lector). Hitchcock bought the rights to the novel for $9,000.00. We can see at the start of the movie the use of shadows and windows. Marion and Sam peer out of the window through the blinds. Some other props used are stuffed birds’ shadows as they loom over Marion as she eats, and the perpetrator of the killing – the ‘mother’ – is seen in only shadows. Mirrors are used, reflecting the character Marion as she packs, later her face in the policeman’s sunglasses, and her hands as she counts out the money. Janet Leigh’s character Marion Crane is an effectively realized character, one who shares similarities with Norman Bates. Both are on the run – she, literally, from her past, and Norman from the present and future – and both have secrets. Marion’s secret has to do with the contents of her purse which contains a stack of bills that belong to her boss. Norman’s secret concerns the contents of his house, a spooky old hilltop mansion overlooking the Bates Motel in which Norman’s long-dead mother continues to reside, barking orders and hurling insults at her wayward son. One of the memorable scenes of Psycho is the shower scene which became controversial during Hitchcock’s time, but for which earned him the reputation as the maker of valuable film noirs.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Label and Delinquency (Criminal Justice) Assignment

Label and Delinquency (Criminal Justice) - Assignment Example Finally, this paper aimed to assess the robustness of labeling in explaining the different types of delinquency (Adams, et.al., 2003). The analysis on this paper which shall now follow aims to offer an overview of how this research was conducted, the subjects used, and the overall findings of the research. It also aims to present a personal opinion on whether or not this student felt that the authors looked at relevant and pertinent information and data in the article, including the most interesting findings in the article and why. Finally a recap of the pertinent findings and this student’s overall opinion on the article including recommendations on how this article may be improved shall be presented in this paper. The research was conducted by assessing the high school students’ attitudes and behaviors regarding drugs and delinquency in Mississippi. Respondents were juveniles who were held in two training schools in July of 1992. The respondents were mostly from the rural areas. These respondents were also remanded to the custody of the Mississippi Youth Services for behavior which ranged from status offenses to gang-related activities. The research was conducted on group settings with about 25 juveniles per group. A research questionnaire was answered by said respondents. Researchers used overhead projectors and they read each item to the different respondents. There were 337 juveniles who were qualified for the research, and about 277 ended up participating in the study. Reasons like court appointment, preparation for release, and solitary confinement prevented the other respondents from participating in this research. Teachers, peers, and parents were also included as respondents. T hese three groups assessed the informal labeling placed on these delinquents. The data gathered was later coded based on the different variables included in this research. After coding, an index of six contrasting descriptive adjectives was used to

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Langauge structure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Langauge structure - Assignment Example Arabski (1979 pp.135-143) says that making errors is part of the process of acquiring a language and is mostly influenced by transference and simplification. English and Arabic languages are different in many ways and as expected Arab speakers encounter many phonological, morphological and semantic problems when learning English. Arabic speakers do not recognize how to use adjectives in sentences. This is because in Arabic adjectives come after the noun whereas in English adjectives come before the noun. Most Arabic speaks erroneously transfer their knowledge of adjectives during the course of learning English (Cruse 1986 pp.40). This paper will discuss how Arab speakers struggle using adjectives while giving specific learner errors. The discussion will focus on some published language teaching material and it will analyze, compare and evaluate these errors. Project Description Theoretical Framework Studying errors second language learners make is a field that has created a buzz amon g linguists. Several theories have been advanced, and one such theory is the Contrastive Analysis This is a process that explains the comparative aspects of the Mother tongue (MT) and the Target Language (TL). James (1998) provides examples for instance consonant clusters, tense and comparison of the form and meaning of the two languages. This according to Fries (1945) is supposed to determine the oddities that result to interference and error. The reason being a second language learner may find some aspects of the target language easy to learn and others hard. The assumption second language learners make is that it will be easy to learn those aspects that are similar to their native language and very difficult to learn those aspects that are different from their native language. Contrastive Analysis has been conducted on many languages. Khuwaileh and Al Shoumali (2000) studied the writing of Arabic learners of academic English. He was focusing the frequent errors on coherence tense errors, lack of cohesion and parts of speech errors. The study compared the Arabic language and English. Bataineh (2005) investigated the problems Arab learners of language and translators’ encounter when translating Arabic sentences. The focus was on articles. Contrastive Analysis has faced some criticism and thus other theories emerged to fill the gap. The theory advocating for the existence of a â€Å"psychological structure latent in the brain† brought in the idea of Interlanguage (IL) seen in the process of learning a second language. Selinker (1972 pp.209-231) claimed that second language learners created some interim grammars in trying to achieve the target language but this vocabulary changes depending on the task of extraction and the context. IL is influenced by Transfer of training, Language transfer, Strategies of second language communication, Overgeneralization and Strategies of second language learning. As it is impossible to acquire a second language w ithout making errors, many linguists have invested time and resources in analyzing errors and why they occur. There are several reasons for studying errors. According to Corder (1975 pp.122-154) errors can tell a linguist how much a second language learner has acquired and what other aspects of the language require to be emphasized. Also as, James (1980) put it, errors are also markers of how the process of acquiring a second

Monday, October 28, 2019

Consistent Philosophy of Life Essay Example for Free

Consistent Philosophy of Life Essay Abstract This paper focuses John Allison’s management style, what he finds to be the essential characteristics of a leader, and how he employs ethics and principles in this everyday life, in business, and as an educational leader. He is the former CEO of BBT and current leader of the CATO Institute. There is little distinction between Allison’s â€Å"leadership style† and his philosophy. His philosophy can be directly applied to any situation, challenge, or circumstance. Allison is purpose driven and mission oriented, and he applies a set of ten principles to achieve his mission. This paper will also look at how Allison defines a vision, mission, values and principles. Each of the ten principles are examined, and finally, the paper will look at some of the detractors of Allison’s philosophy. John Allison, Consistent Philosophy of Life, Effective Manager of Business, and Important Contributor to Society. John Allison lives by a clear philosophy that permeates every aspect of his life. He built a multi-billion dollar bank (BBT) on it, and managed to stay away from toxic investments that led to the downfall of many banks because of it. He is now taking this highly moral, completely integrated, and fully comprehensive philosophy to the rest of society by donating time and money to universities by explaining the morality of capitalism and rational thought. Most recently, he was appointed to lead the Cato Institute, a Libertarian think-tank. An effective manager instills purpose in themselves and their employees and lives by a set of values or principles that manifests purpose into reality. The purpose needs to be clear and the principles must be interconnected and consistent. Failure on one principle is failure on all principles; and thus, the vision, mission, and goals of an organization are jeopardized. This concept is consistent with six competencies detailed in Hellriegel, Jacosn, and Slocum’s text book, Managing, A Competency-Based Approach. For example, an organization determines that it must outsource a piece of their production (Strategic Action). Therefore, executive management must effectively work with operations professionals (Teamwork), who must develop and action plan (Planning Administration) and Communicate that plan to line managers. It is imperative that executive management carefully considered the cultural drivers of the country that they are entering (Multi-Cultural). Finally, whether this strategy is effective hinges upon whether all levels of employees have good Self-Management skills. Failure on any part of these competencies will lead to failure on the whole. Hellreigel’s six competencies pass John Allison’s integration test; however, John’s principles remove the organizational lens of the six competencies to make them more basic and universal. This paper looks at John Allison’s management style and how it is driven by his vision, mission, and principles. Success with these principles will lead to the success of the six competencies. Finally, this paper will spend some time with the detractors and misunderstandings of John’s philosophy. John Allison’s Management Style It is impossible to explain John Allison’s management style without getting into the details of his basic philosophy first. The Richard Craver of the Winston-Salem Journal interviewed Allison in July 2010, and he noted that, â€Å"the key lesson of Allisons success is that if you get the basics right, the details will follow, and you will run your business right. If you get the basics wrong, youll eventually make a fatal mistake in the details† (Craver 2011). Allison’s basics are a purpose driven life and organization that is achieved through principles. This philosophy is detailed in a 30 page employee handbook that all employees are expected to understand and has remained consistent at BBT for over 20 years. As a result, â€Å"[BBT] attracts employees who agree, and repels employees who disagree. After a quarter century, they have established a culture of great coherency, and in business, that is a great power† (Craver 2011). From a bigger picture perspe ctive, John Allison’s management style is utilitarian in its approach; however, this implies that BBT’s goal is to simply be profitable. However, profitability is a means to the overall vision of BBT, which is to make the world a better place to live in (Allison 2011). Allison explained in a lecture at Wake Forrest University that money is not the end game; instead profits are the means of the overall goal (Allison 2011). The utilitarian methodical approach may be considered amoral, at best; however, it becomes highly moral in the context of a moral vision and purpose. At the individual level, BBT does not simply manage employees, instead, they develop leaders. Allison explained that â€Å"Most business failures are due to leadership failures; most of those are the result of personal leadership failures† (Allison 2011). Therefore, each employee is not just given a handbook of BBT’s vision, mission and values, but they also attend a presentation given by Allison himself. In this presentation, Allison explains that there are two fundamental aspects to leadership. First, leaders must create a sense of purpose in themselves and their employees. Purpose creates passion. Second, leaders must live principles that turn purpose into reality (Allison 2011). Living these principles motivates average performers to perform at an above average level and prevents the Great from becoming average. Allison’s Clear philosophy: Allison’s philosophy can be summarized by a general vision that is manifested by a mission statement. The vision is â€Å"To make the world a place that you want to live in† (Allison 2011). The mission is to apply principles that improve the odds of staying alive, becoming successful, and ultimately being happy. The ten principles are further defined herein and are universally applied to individual and organizational missions. Allison’s personal vision and mission parallels BBT’s vision and mission statement, which is â€Å"To make the world a better place by: Helping our clients achieve economic success and financial security; creating a place where our employees can learn, grow and be fulfilled; making the communities in which we work better places to be; and thereby, optimizing the long-term return to our shareholders, while providing a safe and sound investment† (Handbook 5). With the Vision and Mission clearly defined, Allison’s ten prin ciples are: Principle 1 – Reality The reality principle is an Aristotelian concept that A=A. In an interview with New York Times, Allison said that, â€Å"Wishing something is so does not make it so† (Martin 2009). Although this concept seems very simple, there are plenty of examples in history where individuals, governments and businesses evaded reality. Allison projected that, â€Å"I guarantee that long before the rest of us knew, those geniuses at Lehman Brothers, knew that something was wrong, but they evaded it† (Martin 2009). Reality is independent of authority. For example, the ratings agencies had a level of authority in the market place; however, the ratings agencies evaded the reality that subprime lending was unsustainable. BBT avoided the subprime market by not evading reality and being responsible for evaluating authority and determining what was true (Allison 2011). Reality is also independent of popularity. For example Galileo bucked the popular idea that the earth revolved around the su n. Principle 2 – Reason / Objectivity Allison contends that mankind’s competitive advantage is that humans have the ability to think and develop concept formation. Allison avoids religion; however, this concept is not in conflict with a Christian’s perspective with some distinction. God created man in the image of God. Therefore, to reason is to approach God and to fulfill His intention for mankind. Allison applies Aristotle’s model of thought. First, base premises on facts; second, use inductive and deductive reasoning; third, integrate conclusions that are not contradictory; and forth, use conclusion to reach a higher level of thought (start the cycle again). Deductive reasoning is the concrete application of a general principle. Inductive reasoning is the taking a general principle and applying it to a specific application. BBT has been a highly strategic organization, which requires objective thought and facing reality. In the late 1980’s, laws were about to change that would allow banks t o enter other states. Realizing that North Carolina would soon be flooded with competition from larger banks, he began a series of intra-state acquisitions prior to the changing of the laws. This allowed them a head start on the out-of-state competition while giving BBT the experience to perfect the merger process well before the larger consolidation of the industry. Allison recognized the reality, used inductive and deductive reasoning to conclude that they would need to get bigger, be purchased, or struggle as a result of the changes in the law, and then was able to move on with a new premise of how to become bigger. Despite the popular opinion that BBT was paying too much for some of its acquisitions, the strategy paid off. BBT defended its role as acquirer of choice, and stressed the strategic nature of its acquisitions. It had developed a reputation as one of the most successful integrators of acquired banks in the industry. Darn few have been able to get away with a consolidation strategy, but one of the best is BBT, an SNL Securities analyst told the Business Journal Serving Charlotte and the Metropolitan Area (BBT.com). Allison also uses reason to implement a method of philanthropic activities in order to be more effective based on BBT’s core strengths. Allison explained in Philanthropic Magazine that, â€Å"The money that was being spent wasn’t going to promote the well-being of our company or our country. We needed to focus our contributions on something that will matter, and we think that presenting the concepts that undergird capitalism is essential for both BBT’s well-being and the well-being of the society in which we live† (Sparks 2011). Principle 3 – Individual Allison contends that all thought happens at the individual level. â€Å"Our brains are not physically connected† (Allison 2011). Teamwork is important principle, but new ideas are generated by the individual. A team can improve the idea or even give some the inspiration to develop a new idea, but the thought came from one’s mind. This principle also means that the individual is responsible for themself. â€Å"A manager cannot be responsible for their employees,† Allison explained in his lecture. A manager, parent, or leader can only guide people, but the individual must make choices and affix attitudes for herself/himself. Understanding this concept is very liberating not only for the individual employee, but also for the organization. At the employee level, ownership of their own role gives them a sense of importance. At the organizational level, businesses benefit by having limitless ideas that bubble up to management. In Craver’s interview with Allison, he noted that, â€Å"The decision not to write mortgage loans of the type that are now called toxic was made by a fairly low-level executive without even consulting Allison† (Craver 2011). Allison continues the concept of liberating the individual by saying, â€Å"Man has rational capacity, and a capitalist system allows him the greatest individual freedom to exercise that capacity for creativity and innovation—and to be rewarded accordingly. It is, in a very deep sense, a just system† (Sparks 2011). Principle 4 – Productivity Productivity is a measurable at the organizational level though output and profitability. A profitable business is a good thing. More fundamentally, productivity is the â€Å"gut-level commitment to get the job done† (Allison 2011). From a Christian’s perspective, production and productivity is a very spiritual concept; the idea that something tangible was formed from the intangible. This is especially spiritual when the idea was inspired through prayer and worship. There is a parallel between with the most miraculous event in history, when the spirit became flesh, and when someone’s idea becomes reality. The root word for sacrifice is â€Å"to approach† (Wigoder 873); therefore, when a person creates, she is performing a kind of sacrifice; not in the sense that something is given up, but instead, both the tangible world and the spiritual world are in agreement; â€Å"On earth as it is in heaven.† Allison’s professional trajectory certainly is one of productivity. He started at BBT, once known as the Branch Banking and Trust Company, in 1971 and became chief executive in 1989, when the bank had $4.7 billion in assets. By the time he retired as C.E.O. in December, he had overseen 60 bank and savings-institution acquisitions and turned BBT into the 11th-largest bank in the nation, with $152 billion in assets, according to the bank (Martin 2009). Allison commented on BBT’s Sterling Award winners (internal awards based on productivity). He noted that the same people won 25% of these awards, and that they all shared a commonality. All of them discussed what they were doing, and were not stuck on the obstacles. There is a basic belief in their ability to achieve (Allison 2011). Principle 5 – Honesty Without honesty, nothing else works, whether that is capitalism, a church, a business, or a government. Marilyn Fedak is a retired Investment Manager that works with John Allison on making the case for the free market at the university level. In a joint conference with Allison, she refers to the importance of honesty, At its best, the free market produces a â€Å"virtuous cycle,† but it has to be rooted in trust and the rule of law. Trust and predictability are everything. Capitalism is based upon the idea that, implicitly or explicitly, you’re making contracts with people all day long, and if you can’t trust that the laws in place will prevail and that the other person is going to fulfill their side of the bargain, well, then no transactions are going to take place. (Sparks 2011) Allison explains that being honest 100% of the time is a true test of integrity. For example, â€Å"You can be wrong and be honest. We are not omniscient.† Therefore, â€Å"We must mean what we say and know what we mean† (Allison 2011). This phrase encompasses two concepts. One, cumulative white lies lead to a black lie. For example, some managers are less than honest on performance reviews by sugarcoating or enabling underperformance. Then, the manager reaches a breaking point, or the poor performance leads to major mistake. The employee never gets the chance to correct their actions due to their manager not being honest. On the other hand, the manager may be wrong in his/her premise that the employee is the problem. The real problem may be a poorly designed system, which could have been addressed during the performance review. The concept of cumulative white lies is also evident in personal relationships. Allison gives an example of a married couple, â€Å"the husband gets mad at the wife for not hearing what he didn’t say† (Allison 2011). Two, it is up to the individual to take responsibility for their claim to knowledge. â€Å"Sometimes the best answer is, ‘I don’t know’† (Allison 2011). Principle 6 – Integrity Integrity is defined as the consistent application of moral principles. David Leoper is the CEO of Wealthcare Capital Management. He also subscribes to Allison’s objectivist philosophy. Leoper references Ayn Rand’s description of morality as the, â€Å"Judgment to distinguish right and wrong, vision to see the truth, courage to act upon it, dedication to that which is good, and integrity to stand by it at any price† (Geracoiti 2011). By this definition, integrity is akin to faith. One may not immediately understand the consequences of breaking a moral principle, but she or has faith that such actions will have an eventual consequence. A key example of Allison’s integrity was after the Supreme Court’s infamous Kelo decision. BBT was the only major bank not to provide financing for projects that used land seized through eminent domain for private purposes. â€Å"We thought that was a violation of a principle that is necessary for a free society,† Allison says. The bank’s decision, â€Å"turned out to be great economics, which doesn’t surprise me at all† (Sparks 2011). Later in 2011, Don Luskin moderated a conference with John Mackey of Wholefoods and John Allison. Mackey was highly criticized for his public stance against Obamacare and was nearly thrown out of his own organization. Mackey’s conclusion was that he will think again before making political comments. Allison, however, disagreed and explained, I’m a person that believes very strongly in my principles, and I can’t sacrifice them in my business, regardless of the consequences in the short-term. We took a strong position on eminent domain, after the Kelo decision. I couldn’t tell my customers and employees that we have principles, but in this case we’d turn a blind eye to people’s property being expropriated to be given to other private people. In our case, it was successful. We got thousands of people moving their accounts to BBT because of our position on eminent domain, because we acted on principle. That’s the same reason we refused to write loans to people who couldn’t afford them. I did it because I never want to have to tell someone that I did something that I thought was morally wrong. (Vegter 2011) Allison took a visible stance against the federal government once again in 2008 when he submitted a 14-point letter to Congress in which he objected to the bailout of the financial-services industry out of concern that it will hurt, â€Å"well-run financial institutions such as BBT (Craver 2011). His integrity was questioned when BBT accepted TARP monies shortly after the closed-door session with the nation’s political leaders. Shortly thereafter, Allison stepped down as the CEO so that he could start his education campaign. His work at the university level and at the CATO Institute is an effort to stop governmental force being exerted against independent businesses again. Principle 7 – Justice / Fairness According to Allison, â€Å"The good news is that we are all unique individuals† (Allison 2011). Managers that make the average above average and to keep the great from becoming average instill justice in the workplace. Allison believes that, â€Å"Egalitarianism is one of the most destructive ideas in our society† (Allison 2011). Managing equal outcomes not unequal input is truly unjust. Since individuals are not the same in their talents and abilities, a manager’s key function is to evaluate and judge others. This is a difficult function; therefore, Allison prescribes a three point method for judging others in order to stay fair. The person needs to be judged (1) as an individual, based on (2) the personal merits and based on (3) what matters in that specific circumstance. Therefore, â€Å"We reject collectivism and how they judge, which is based on their memberships groups, such as race, sex, nationalism, etc. [Collectivists] are always wrong because they are making an individual decision based on a group observation. An Individual cannot be a group† (Allison 2011). Principle 8 – Pride Aristotle described pride as the ultimate virtue because in order to have pride, all other virtues (justice, honesty, integrity, and rational independent thought) needed to be mastered. The pride described here is not arrogance or hubris, but instead, it is the reward to do good deeds and the reward for having done good deeds. Allison describes this as the â€Å"psychological rewards;† However, the rewards for Christianity are much more profound. The apostle Paul speaks of a healthy pride that one should have in oneself and others (2 Cor 5:12; 7:4; 8:24; Gal 6:4). Christianthinktank.com quoted the Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament that â€Å"Even Lexicons based on semantic domains have entries for ‘pride (legitimate)† (Chistianthinktank.com 2012). Allison equates pride with strong ethics. In a defiance allusion to Warren Buffet’s quote about ethics, Allison says, â€Å"The next time you face an ethical decision, ask yourself if you would be willing to tell the people that you love, care about, and judge to be of high-esteem the decision you made, not the newspaper.† Principle 9 – Self-Esteem / Self-Motivation Allison believes that this principle is the foundation of happiness. In his lecture, he states that, â€Å"You must believe at a very deep level that you are capable of being good and that you have the moral right to be happy.† He explained that this is, â€Å"The most important and controversial thought that I have to share with you today† (Allison 2011). On several occasions, Allison has made reference to the â€Å"sandbox example.† It is a story about a boy named Johnny that is playing with his toy truck in the sandbox. Fred then comes and takes Johnny’s toy truck because he wants to play with it. A fight then ensues, and Johnny’s mother comes over and says, â€Å"Johnny, be a good boy and share with Fred.† Allison asks, â€Å"What message does that give to Fred? More importantly, what message does that give to Johnny?† (Allison 2011). The heart of self-esteem is that a person can only control his or herself, not others. Therefore, the individual can only be in charge of their attitudes and their work; and thus, must be focused on them. Egalitarians are focused on others, and as a result, are adverse to others for being great. This is envy, which is the ultimate immoral pastime. Allison explains that, â€Å"you may be able to fool your boss, but you will never fool you. Do your best, and self-esteem increases. Do less than your best and self-esteem decreases† (Allison 2011). The trader principle fits with any of the other ten principles, but it particularly fits with self-esteem and self-motivation. The trader principle simply means that because people are self-interested, only win-win relationships are sustainable over the long term. All other relationships are either a lose-lose or eventually a lose-lose. Free-market capitalism is a highly moral system because it incentivizes good behavior and provides for a system for people to interact with others in search for win-win relationships. Allison explains this concept as the new leader of the CATO Institute: One of the things that I really want to do is make this a moral fight instead of a fight around the technical aspects of economics. The libertarian vision is a moral vision and we own the moral high ground. A free society is the only society in which people can think for themselves and pursue their rational self-interest. Freedom creates the ability, through creativity and incentive, to raise the quality of life for everyone. When I was CEO of BBT we saw the opportunity, on many occasions, to create products and services that would improve the quality of life of our clients but some government regulation prevented us from doing it. Unfortunately most business leaders are not really capitalists. They are crony capitalists looking for some way to use the government to give them a special advantage. Cato is a defender of real capitalism, real free markets (Benko 2012). Principle 10 – Teamwork In a philosophy that is built on the individual and self-motivation, teamwork may be overlooked as a key principle. However, teamwork is essential in an organization and a society. Teamwork allows much more to be produced. Craver noted in his interview with Allison that, â€Å"What makes Allison unusual among leaders is that his philosophy is one of realism — not phony idealism. Its all about excellent individuals making personal contributions to a joint effort — for the purpose of making profits, not saving the whales. Allison candidly says, in effect, a team is made up of people, each of whom is an I. We insist that you be an individual, and that if you want to be on the team, you have to voluntarily buy into the mission we have all chosen to share (Craver 2011). Detractors of Objectivism Forbes dubbed John Allison as the â€Å"Philosopher King;† however his philosophy is not easily accepted by many. The first and most relevant critique is that God is absent from this philosophy. This paper has included some allusions to how objectivist principles can mesh with Christian ideals; however, the architects of this philosophy, namely Ayn Rand, were atheists. The incongruities of this philosophy and Christianity largely lie in the concept of natural order (mother-nature) and the belief in God that is not visible (faith). As explained above, Christians cross this intellectual divide by substituting â€Å"natural order† or â€Å"mother nature† with God. There are also some differences in the idea of selfishness and self-sacrifice. More research is needed to find intellectual bridges; however, some of these conflicts are semantic in nature. Nonetheless, there is a logical case for God, and Christians knows that God reveals rational thought, purpose, creati vity, motivation, and reason through prayer. There is some confusion between being selfishness and self-destructive. Detractors of objectivism and capitalism contend this it is a â€Å"dog-eat-dog† system that takes advantage of others. Allison argues that taking advantage of others is truly self-destructive, not selfish. If a business takes advantage of a customer, then the customer will alert the market-place; and thus, the business will be harmed. Businesses take advantage of others through the political process, but that is not capitalism, and as Allison said, is not congruent with his philosophy. Finally, detractors find Allison’s philosophy lacks emotion. Allison disagrees and says that emotions can be a good thing. â€Å"Passion is an emotion, and you need passion in life† (Allison 2011). Allison believes that emotions are learned, not magical. This certainly seems to be true with some emotions, such as phobias; however, to the Christian, emotions can be divine inspiration. Allison warns leaders to check their premises when their emotions are at odds with reason. He further advises to always go with reason over emotion. Christians would disagree, at least in part. A Christian may always go with reason over emotion, but only after prayer and meditation and when reason and emotion are in-line. Certainly, a Christian should go to God in prayer to check their premises and motives. Life becomes easier to live, organizations are easier to lead, and employees are easier to manage if one has a clear philosophy and set of principles. With this in mind, BBT’s senior management style is written in its literature as being as â€Å"participatory, team oriented, fact-based, and rational† (BBT History 111). They define management concepts as, â€Å"obtaining and retaining excellent people, training employees well, give employees the appropriate level of authority and responsibility, expect a high level of achievement, and reward performance accordingly† (BBT History 112). All of these definitions and concepts line-up with Allison’s core philosophy. BBT’s website explained that, â€Å"Allisons management style stressed decentralization, striving for a community banking feel at the branch level† (BBT.com). The individual, self-esteem, productivity, and teamwork principles are the driving principles for this decision. Moral Clarity leads to better decision making, longevity, success, and happiness. This is good for all the stakeholders involved in the organization. This paper will conclude with scripture that encapsulates the role between managers and employees and consistent with most of Allison’s principles. Ephesians 6:5-9 says: Ephesians 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. References Allison, John (7/21/11), â€Å"Principled Leadership† Lecture at Wake Forest University Schools of Business. http://vimeo.com/27183721 BBT (1998), â€Å"The BBT Philosophy† Mission and Values guidebook. BBT (2012), Our Account, History of BBT 10th edition 2012. Benko, Ralph (7/2/12), â€Å"Who Is JohnAllison? A Randian, Libertarian Business Icon Takes Over the Cato Instituteâ€Å" http://www.forbes.com/sites/ralphbenko/2012/07/02/who-is-john-allison-a-randian-libertarian-business-icon-takes-over-the-cato-institute Craver, Richard (7/10/11), â€Å"My Interview on John Allison – Today’s John Galt,† Winston-Salem Journal http://www.iamjohngalt.com/2011/07/my-interview-on-john-allison-todays.html Geracioti, David (Apr. 12, 2011), â€Å"Cold Call: Wealth Manager Operates Firm on Rand’s Objectivism† Wealthmanagement.com, http://wealthmanagement.com/institutions/cold-call-wealth-manager-operates-firm-rand-s-objectivism Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (Vol. 1, Page 310). New York: United Bible societies.] Hellriegel, D, S. E. Jackson and J. W. Slocum, Jr. Management: a Competency-Based Approach. (2008). Cincinnati: Cengage. ISBN 0 32 4421400 Martin, Andrew (8/1/09), â€Å"Give BBT Liberty, but Not a Bailout,† New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/business/02bbt.html?_r=0 Perman, Matt (4/29/30), â€Å"A Christian View of Management in Ephesians 6:5-9.† What’s Best Next http://www.whatsbestnext.com/2011/04/a-christian-view-of-management-in-ephesians-65-9/ Sparks, Evan (2011), â€Å"Intellectual Capital†, Philanthropy Magazine, http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/intellectual_capital The Holy Bible. NIV forwards Charles F. Stanley and Andy Stanley Side by side bible NIV KJV. 2011 Biblica, Inc. Wigoder, Geoffrey; Paul, Shalom M.; Viviano, O.P., Benedict T. Stern, Ephraim (1986) Illustrated Dictionary Concordance of the Bible. G.G. The Jerusalem Publisying House ltd. Zigarelli, Michael (2003), â€Å"The Priorities and Practices of Christian Leaders,† Regent Business Review, http://www.cbn.com/finance/rbrchristianleaders.aspx

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Understanding Educational Aspirations And Expectations

Understanding Educational Aspirations And Expectations It is no longer questioned that high education level and human capital formation promote human well-being and are one of the main preconditions for economic growth (Romer, 1989:28). Moreover, along with evolving globalization, competition and economic challenges world is facing, returns to academic achievements have become larger than ever (Harmon and Walker, 2001:39), and low academic achievements can be seen as a constraint for economic independence. It has been observed that during the World financial crisis unemployment has risen exactly among the less educated people  [1]  . Therefore, it would be just natural if we would see more young adults, from both genders and all ethnic and social groups, reaching for higher educational levels and taking advantage of possibility to gain higher returns. However, evidence shows that educational attainment among youth differs significantly (e.g., Betz and Fitzgerald, 1987). Therefore, the question remains: why equally talented individual s with similar abilities and initial preferences make different academic choices, and why some of them end up in lower paying jobs and occupations? Economists have tried to explain this phenomenon with the existence of credit market imperfections, which individuals from less advantageous backgrounds might be facing (Loury 1981, Galor and Zeira 1993, Piketty 1997). However, these hypotheses are questioned in a large body of literature. Although in developing countries credit constraints might be a partial explanation for differences in educational attainment, this does not fully explain the differences in the developed world. Evidence shows that in developed word families facing economic constraints, when it comes to education, represent only a small part of the community (Cameron and Taber 2002). Besides, nowadays there exist many organizations and funds which are providing scholarships and financial help to students from low income families  [2]  . Therefore, it is essential to look for other, more internal reasons that could explain differences in educational choices and attainment among young adults with equal abilities a nd preferences. For being able to understand and change ones educational and career choices, it is crucial to understand what determines his or her aspirations. However, explaining it is not a straight forward task. Aspirations are determined already in early childhood and are prone to changes throughout the life. Moreover, sometimes high educational aspirations are not sufficient to guarantee a better outcome. This phenomenon exists due to aspiration-expectation gap, when ones desired goals do not coincide with the expected outcome due to the disbelief to a successful result. This pattern is especially observed among women and certain ethnic groups. Therefore, it is not only crucial to look at the level of educational aspirations, but it is also essential to ask if ones aspirations are always fulfilled. Although a considerable amount of literature has examined educational and career aspirations of young adults, the existing literature tends to provide somehow different conclusions; therefore, a comprehensive and critical literature review, overlooking different factor influence ones academic and career aspirations, is still missing. The purpose of this study is to contribute to an understand of how factors like gender, ethnicity, peers, parents, teachers and self-efficacy beliefs influence young adult academic and career aspirations and decision making. This thesis will also explain why sometimes high aspirations for girls and Black students do not lead to higher educational outcomes; the existence of an aspiration-expectation gap will be supported by the latest empirical data. Further, this thesis will discuss the existing policy measures aimed to promote and raise children educational attainment. Hence, the research questions of this thesis are: What are the determinants of educational and career aspirations? Why high educational aspirations do not always lead to better outcomes? What are the existing policies and projects in order to raise ones educational and career expectations? The focus of the thesis will be qualitative studies and will be based on an extensive literature review, covering various study fields, explaining the determinants of educational and career aspirations (Part I). Part II will provide different theories explaining an aspiration-expectation gap for girls and Black students; the existence of it will be supported by the latest quantitative data from U.S. Census Bureau 2010. Further Part III will concentrate on the overview of the policy measures and government projects that have been implemented in order to raise ones expectation level and close the aspiration-expectation gap. Chapter 1 Literature review of the determinants of educational and career aspirations This chapter introduces the determinants of educational and career aspirations and expectations. It begins with an introduction of the necessary definitions. Further, it is explained how ones aspirations and expectations are formed by providing different views and findings from an existing literature. 1.1 Defining educational and career aspirations It is believed that student educational and career aspirations are the most relevant factors determining ones future educational attainment (Gottfredson 1981; Trice and King, 1991). Therefore, it is essential to understand the exact meaning of aspirations. However, there has not been reached a consensus of one and certain definition; therefore, various explanations have been provided by different authors. Markus and Nurius (1986) have reported aspirations as ones ideas and hopes of possible selves, i.e., what a person would like to and what would not like to become or achieve. In psychology, aspiration level has been defined as the level of quality of a task which one desires to attain. It is a determinant of an individuals performance level in the future. It has been hypothesized that aspiration level varies from persons to person and place to place and is determined by factors that may change and influence aspirations level during the lifetime  [3]  . Likewise, the Wisconsin model  [4]  , which is a socio-economical model developed by Sewell and his colleagues in 1969 meant to explain ones social mobility and its determinants, provides definitions of educational and career aspirations. The educational aspiration level variable in the model is explained as the level of education one would like to attain, e.g., not continue higher education after high school, finish vocational school or attains college or university degree. Sewell et al. (1969) defines career aspiration level as ones ambitions and thoughts about their future occupation. However, some studies have suggested that high educational aspirations do not necessarily lead to high educational attainment (Empson, 1992; Conroy, 1997). Gottfredson (1981) has identified this phenomenon and has provided explanation to it. She suggests the existence of realistic aspirations or expectations and idealistic aspirations. The former is applied when ones educational and career aspirations are tempered by knowledge of obstacles and opportunities (Brown, 2002: 91), while the idealistic aspirations are ones desired goals and ideal education and occupation, in other words best possible life outcome. If there is a difference between these two types of aspirations and ones idealistic aspirations do not reflect ones expectations or realistic aspirations, there exist an aspiration-expectation gap (Danziger and Eden, 2006). Hence, in this thesis Gottfredsons theory about two types of aspirations and Danzigers and Edens definition of aspiration-expectation gap will be used. Firstly, determinants of idealistic aspirations will be discussed. Later this thesis will elaborate on the external factors that shape ones expectations or realistic aspirations. For the sake of simplicity, in the following text this thesis will refer to realistic aspirations as expectations while to idealistic aspirations as aspirations. 1.2 Determinants of educational and career aspirations and expectations Understanding the exact elements that determine ones educational and career aspirations and expectations is a tricky task. Existing evidence shows that there are many factor and circumstances that can shape them in a positive or negative way. Therefore, to contribute to a clearer understanding, in the following sections this thesis will deeply and broadly examine the determinants of aspirations and expectations. 1.2.1 Initial endowments determinants of ones aspirations We will firstly look at the initial endowment determinants, i.e. gender and ethnicity, which influence ones aspirations. These factors are extremely powerful in shaping ones academic and career aspiration level already in an early childhood. 1.2.1.1 Gender: Gender effect has a relevant role in determining ones aspiration level. A considerable amount of literature has focused on gender-related differences in academic and career aspirations (Howard, 1979; Betz and Fitzgerald, 1987; Danziger and Eden, 2007). Different views exist on the nature of the differences among both gender aspirations. Patton and Creed (2007) has argued that male students tend to hold higher aspirations for education level and position in the labor force, while Mau and Bikos (2000), approaching the same question, found the opposite. They claimed that girls are more likely to hold higher aspirations than men. Overall, most of the studies have supported Mau and Bikos (2000) view (Figure No.1) (e.g., Clift and Vaughan 1997; Butlin 1999; Anisef et al., 2001; Perry et al., 2009). Also, during the last decades female educational attainment and workforce has increased rapidly (Schoon, Martin and Ross, 2007); however, it has been observed that not too many women expect to follow careers which are mainly associated with the opposite sex, such as science and technology, despite the fact that these careers usually yield higher salary. This pattern becomes even more compelling as there is no evidence observed of differences i n quantitative abilities in tasks related to science and technology between both genders (Betz and Hackett, 1981). Figure No.1: Source: Looker, D. And Thiessen, V. (2004:Figure 1) 1.2.1.2 Ethnicity: Research has shown that educational and career aspirations vary across different ethnic groups. However, the results found in different studies yield different conclusions. It has been wildly assumed that the highest educational aspirations are held by Asian (especially Chinese) students (e.g., Cheng and Stark, 2002; Willitts et al., 2005). Their high aspirations are formed earlier than ones for other ethnic groups and are held constantly high throughout life (Kao and Tienda, 1998). Most of the researches contacted have found that White boys have the lowest aspiration level between all the other ethnic groups (Figure No.2) (Dillard and Perrin, 1980; Strand, 2007) and their educational achievements during the last years have increased less than for other ethnic groups (Figure No.3)  [5]  . White boys were found to hold lower aspirations than their Black peers in the research conducted by Wilson and Wilson (1992). Contrary, Cook et al. (1996) discovered that middle class White male s had higher educational aspirations than low-income African American males. However, this conclusion does not seem straight-forward as the differences might be also explained by the economic factors. Figure No.2: Figure No. 3: Data source: S., Strand (2007: 39) Data source: Department for Children, Schools and Families: Statistical First Release, England (2010: 12) Although, Strand (2007) has found that Black Caribbean and Black African students might have higher academic aspirations than White students, their higher educational attainment seems to be much lower (Figure No.4). Therefore, a question arises: what are the factors that do not allow high aspiration transformation into high achievements? The answer lies in the aspiration-expectation gap on which this thesis will elaborate in chapter 2. Figure No.3: Source: Jusan Ng (2011) 1.2.2 External factors determinants of ones expectations In the next two sub-sections, this thesis will concentrate on external factors, i.e., peers, teachers and parents, which can positively or negatively influence ones academic and career expectations. 1.2.2.1 Peer effect: A variable studied in the literature concerning the determinants of academic and career expectations is the peer effect. The peer effect refers to the positive or negative influence significant others have on ones expectations and level of achievement (e.g., by providing one with feedbacks, models or norms how they should behave, think and act in certain situations). Among their peers young adults develop their identities and self concept; therefore they are essential socialization agents for a young individual (Bandura, 1989; Brown et. al., 1994; Black, 2002). Although, some have argued that children expectations are more likely to be shaped by the characteristics of a family than by the characteristics of peers (Duncan et. al., 2001), relevant amount of the literature shows that peers play a crucial role in influencing ones achievement level and educational expectations (Peterson et al., 1986; Willms 1986; Goldstein et al., 2005). Ide et al. (1981) examined ten studies published form 1966 to 1978 that concerned the peer effects influence on ones academic achievements and expectations. In all these studies, they found a significant correlation. This finding is consistent with Downs and Rose (1991) who argue that peer effect is contributing to the construction of ones behavior and academic expectations. Another, slightly different view is held by Haller and Butterworth (1960) who look more critically on the straight forward correlation between ones academic expectations and peer influence. Although, they do not reject it, they emphasize that the initial factors, like characteristics and family backgrounds, could play a key role in bringing together similar individuals in that way forming homogeneous groups of peers. According to Jonsson and Mood (2008) children with high academic expectations and achievements are likely to connect with those sharing the same interests and expectations. Oppositely, adolescents, who have worse attitude to school and lower expectations, will most probable be attracted to peers with similar views (Ryan, 2000). In sum, it has been found that being around a certain group of people will have an effect on a persons future, specifically, it will impact the academic level or career one will expect to achieve. However, the degree of the importance of peers is ambiguous as different studies yield different results. 1.2.2.2 Teachers and parents influence: As discussed earlier peers have a certain influence on shaping ones academic expectations (e.g., Peterson et al., 1986; Willms, 1986; Black, 2002); however, a significant amount of literature points out the importance of familys and teachers influence on children long term decisions, e.g., occupation considerations (Jurkovic and Ulrici, 1985; OBrien, 1990; Furman and Buhrmeister, 1992; Wall et al., 1999; Duncan et. al., 2001). It is believed that teachers and parents can positively influence ones confidence and beliefs of his or her abilities, thus, persuading that the person is capable of being successful in further life (Van Auken and Stephens, 2006). According to Wall et al. (1999) parents as a support and role model have influence on ones conception about educational and career opportunities. Parents social support is directly linked with students school experiences, achievements and behaviors (Nurmi, 1987). There also exist a positive correlation between parents expectations for their child and childs expectations for himself (e.g., Davies and Kandel, 1981; Hossler and Stage, 1992). Family support can encourage the student to devote bigger effort to learning and school tasks (Gilbert et al., 1993). It is also observed that children who have the highest self-efficacy are the ones with the biggest family social support (Dubow and Ullman, 1989). In contrast, the ones with low family cohesion are more exposed to depression, low self-efficacy and self-esteem (Moran and Eckenrode, 1991; Cauce et al., 1992; Hirsch and DuBois, 1992). Moreover, Wall et al. (1999) has claimed a stronger correlation between young male expectations and the family support than the one for girls. In the research by Roper, (2008) it was shown that parent expectations and student GPA are correlated (Table No.1). Children with higher grades tended to have parents with higher expectations for them. According to De Coulon et al. (2008) also parents education level plays a significant role in formation of children expectations. In their research, they found a significant correlation between low literacy rates of parents and low test scores by their children. It was shown that parents with the lowest literacy skills were the least supportive and encouraging in relation to education. As a result, children with such parents were more likely to report dissatisfaction with school and develop low educational expectations. Table No.1: Source: Roper (2008: 2) A significant amount of literature has discussed parents and family role in shaping ones expectations, however, the body of literature about teachers expectation influence is rather small. Cheung (1995) found evidence on positive teacher influence on ones academic achievements. Teacher support has shown to have a bigger influence on women, student from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic minority perceptions of academic and career opportunities (Ellis and Lane, 1963; Wall et al., 1999). However, it is often blamed that teachers have insufficient expectations for their students, especially for students in rural areas and for certain student groups (Bishop, 1989; Hilliard III, 1991). It is shown that teachers tend to establish better contact and attitude forward students with higher ability (Bamburg, 1994). This is seen as a problem because children tend to internalize and adopt teacher perceptions about their abilities, which as a result, in case of low teacher expectations can lead to psychological constraints for self-efficacy and self-esteem (Raffini, 1993). To sum up, a considerable body of literature has shown that teachers, parents and peers can influence ones academic and career expectations. Young adults tend to internalize expectations that others have about him or her and accordingly adjust their own educational and career expectations. 1.2.3 Self-efficacy beliefs As already discussed, all of the beforehand mentioned factors, i.e., gender, ethnicity and social support, have an effect on shaping ones behavior, thoughts and attitudes towards different tasks, education levels and occupations. However, in order to be able to reach the aspired goals it is also extremely beneficial that one has a high self confidence in what he is doing. It was shown that teachers and parents have the ability to influence ones self-beliefs what in turn leads to higher or lower level of academic expectations of that individual. Therefore, this section will discuss why high self-efficacy beliefs, i.e., ones belief that she or he is capable of producing certain level of performance to attain certain goals (Bandura et al., 2001), are important in determining the outcome. The importance of self-efficacy on ones educational expectations have been wildly studied in the literature (e.g., Bandura, 1994; Lent and Brown, 1996; Nauta et al., 1998; Brown Lent, 2006); it has been proven that individuals self-efficacy beliefs have a significant importance in promoting positive outcomes and reducing the possibility of negative outcomes (Oyserman et al., 2006; Destin and Oyserman, 2009). Students who have high self-efficacy are more productive, efficient and confident about their performances than their peers with the same ability but lower self-efficacy. It has been also shown that they put more effort and are more concentrated on the task than others, as well as they are more committed to their goals (Bandura, 1997; Schunk and Pajares, 2005). Therefore, the ones with high self beliefs perform better and based on better outcomes have higher future academic and career expectations (Brown Lent, 2006) (Figure No.5)  [6]  . Figure No.5: Source: Looker, D. And Thiessen, V. (2004: Figure 10) Chapter 2 Aspiration-expectation gap In the previous chapter, determinants of ones academic and career aspirations and expectations were discussed. It was shown by the evidence from the existing literature, that girls are more likely to hold higher aspirations than boys (e.g., Clift and Vaughan 1997; Butlin 1999; Anisef et al., 2001; Perry et al., 2009) and Black adolescents hold higher aspirations than Whites (e.g., Wilson and Wilson, 1992; Strand, 2007). It was also shown that social support has an influence on forming ones expectations. However, high aspirations do not always lead to high educational attainment and high position in the labor force (Strand, 2007). It has been suggested that the problem lies in the difference between aspirations and expectations. Unfortunately, often academic and career expectations of girls, Black Africans and Black Caribbean students are lower than their aspirations due to some perceptions in the society, perceived barriers or even academic feedback (e.g., Gottfredson, 1981; Armstrong Crombie, 2000). As a result, this can lead to underachievement and lowered self-efficacy beliefs (Bandura et.al. 2001). This chapter will approach this phenomenon by providing existing and relevant theories that tend to explain the reasons of an existing aspiration-expectation gap for females and ethnic minorities. Later, empirical data obtained from U.S. Census Bureau results will be provided to help us to confirm or reject some of the existing theories and hypothesis, therefore, giving the final concussions. 2.1 Gender: One of the explanations for different gender-related career expectations is that women career decisions are more complex than those of men. This arises from a bigger involvement in family and children lives or possible early pregnancy (Vonderacek et al., 1986; Lucas et.al., 1997; Eccles, 2005). Even more, women academic and career expectations can be shaped by existing stereotypes or strong gender identity because of social role perceptions (Eagly, 1987; Akerlof and Kranton, 2000; Danziger and Eden, 2007; Gupta et al., 2008). 2.1.1 Stereotype activation theory: Gender stereotyping can influence a persons decision making when it comes to academic or career choice (Heilman, 2001; Nosek, Banaji and Greenwald, 2002). Gupta et al. (2008) examined the impact of stereotypes on both genders intentions to follow traditionally male-related occupations. They found evidence showing that people were likely to internalize stereotypes and act according to them, choosing tasks associated with their own gender. This pattern is more observable if the stereotype is wildly accepted in a culture (Heilman, 2001). According to Day (1990) many women have high aspirations; however, usually they do not expect to be able to have the occupation they would like to in case it is more male-dominated. Wall et al. (1999) was examining the correlation between career expectations and career aspirations. As a result, they found inconsistency between women career expectations and aspirations, i.e., their expectations were most of the time lower than their aspirations. The phenomenon was explained by stereotypes in the society about gender-related jobs and women beliefs about the limits of what they possibly can achieve. 2.1.2 Social role and socialization theory: Another important theory explaining differences in men and women career and academic expectations is the social role theory. The theory, developed by Eagly (1987) is based on the historical division of men and women roles in the society, where women were associated with household responsibilities while men had responsibilities concerning livelihood of the family. Consequently, career expectations started to differ among men and women. Furthermore, the gender-related roles were usually transmitted to future generation making the distinction between appropriate gender roles in the society even stronger (Eagly, 1987). Moreover, the academic and career expectations are shaped by socialization processes people experience in childhood. Socialization shapes people perceptions of what is appropriate for themselves and for others, including what is expected from both genders (Seymour, 1999). Further, in early childhood children learn these roles associated with their gender, which in turn, shapes later perceptions about different types of jobs and influences their academic and career expectations (Danziger and Eden, 2007). According to Eagly and Wood (1999) and Franke et al. (1997) both genders tend to adjust their expectations in accordance with their social roles and expect to have occupations connected with their own gender (Dunne, Elliott and Carlsen, 1981). This leads to men occupying men-related professions and attaining higher educational levels while women tend to enter more female-related studies and jobs and attain lower educational levels (Powell and Butterfield, 2003). Although, gender stereotyping has been diminishing and the gender gap in education has been decreasing (Power and Wojtkiewiez, 2004), there are still fewer female than male representatives in men-related studies and profession fields (Powell and Butterfield, 2003); this shows that Eaglys (1987) social role theory is a considerable attempt to explain the differences between female and male academic and career expectations. 2.2 Ethicity: There are two main views, respectively structuralist and culturalist, that tend to explain differences in educational attainment between ethnic groups. 2.2.1 Structuralist theory: According to structuralist perspective, differences in educational choices between ethnic groups can be explained by external factors. The most influential factor, following structuralist theory, shaping ones expectations is the teacher support. This view has been supported by Ellis and Lane (1963) and Wall et al. (1999) who state that teacher support have an influence on ethnic minority students perceptions about academic and career opportunities. Unfortunately, most of the time teacher expectations are negatively correlated with ethnic minority group students expectations (Strand, 2007). In his report, Strand (2007) found evidence that teachers are likely to develop lower expectations for certain ethnic groups, especially for Black students. They also tend to hold unequal attitude towards White and Black student behaviors due to racism and social stereotypes. This, as a result, leads to a situation where ethnic minority students, following teacher beliefs about them, lower their ow n expectations of the possible outcomes regardless to their initial high aspirations. This, in turn, can explain the differences in educational attainment between Black students and their other ethnicity peers. However, the hypothesis, that educational expectations and attainment between ethnic groups can be fully explained by racism and social stereotypes have been criticized. Modood (2003) has argued that Asian students tend to face more social pressure and racial harassment than Black Caribbean and Black African students, yet their achievements are outstanding and there is no evidence that Asian students would experience aspiration-expectation discrepancies due to the racism toward their ethnic group. Although, there exist several problems with the structuralist core assumptions, their ideas present useful and testable information that helps to explain and understand the reasons behind Black African and Caribbean student aspiration-expectation discrepancies. 2.2.2 Culturalist theory: According to culturalist point of view, differences in educational choices rise from internal factors, like internalization of historical and social norms or constraints. Therefore, culturalist perspective can partly fill the missing holes in the structuralist theory and explain why, for example, Asian students perform better than their Black peers although are both prone to racial harassment. Caplan et al. (1991) has argued that Asian performance is significantly better than one for other ethnic groups due to their cultural perceptions and understanding. It is claimed that Asian students tend to hold higher sense of responsibility for their family and prioritize self-reliance more than students from other ethnic groups, especially, Black Africans and Black Caribbeans. It is observed that Black Caribbean boys on average experience bigger peer pressure than other ethnic groups. They are exposed to the pressure to adopt the lifestyle of street culture, which negatively influences their academic performance (Sewell, 1997). Ogbu and Fordhams (1986) have contributed to the explanation why Black students tend to have low educational attainment despite the fact that they are holding high educational aspirations. They focused on two opposite ways how students are thinking and behaving, i.e., acting White and acting Black. Due to the previously mentioned peer pressure of adopting the street culture, acting White, i.e., doing well at school, is not seen as appropriate behavior for Black students. Therefore, Black students choose to keep their identities and are avoiding acting White, what results in lower educational achievements and attainment than in case of an absence of this pressure. Another factor that triggers the low educational attainment for Black African and Caribbean students is the socio-historical factor (Ogbu, 1991). Based on the historical roles in the society for Black population, Black African and Black Caribbean students may under value the necessity of investment in education. This is due to job ceiling they might feel they are facing. It has been suggested that Black people do not have the same economic opportunities as White people in the job market. In a recent study, Fouad and Byars-Winston (2005) found that, despite the high aspiration level among the Black students, they expected fewer job offers and opportunities than their White counterparts. Therefore, it is easy to understand why Black student do not see education as an essential tool for being able to gain a high position in the labor force and their academic attainment is lower than the one for other ethnic groups. This in turn, unfortunately, has resulted in a tendency that Black peopl e are overrepresented in low skilled jobs and are a considerable propo