My Educational Goals and Philosophy Statement Essay -- Philosophy of E

My Eclectic Educational Philosophy Thinking back on the years of high school, I remember having wonderful experiences both inside the classroom and out. I had influential teachers and the drive to succeed in order to obtain a higher education. I realize that not all students have that drive to continue their education, but as an aspiring educator I wish to seek and find that drive in each of my students. The famous philosopher and educator, John Dewey, once said, "The aim of education is to enable individuals to continue their education -- or that the object and reward of learning is continued capacity for growth." As a facilitating instructor, I plan to pursue this "aim of education" with an eclectic blend of elements stemming from philosophies of education that already exist while creating and incorporating my own. The definition of progressive education is an educational philosophy emphasizing democracy, student needs, practical activities, and school-community relationships. Part of this philosophy with which I identify so well is the idea that the teacher should be more than just a regurgitation of their content area. I feel that an important element in teaching students and students reaching their goals is student-teacher interaction. The students should be more involved in classroom decisions when appropriate and as often as possible because, after all, it is their classroom on an everyday basis as well as mine. Because educating young minds will soon be my responsibility, I believe that part of that responsibility is to teach every child that enters my room the proper skills to become more advanced learners and listeners. So, incorporating student intervention in the classroom decisions will help a... ...dle. I do understand however, on the contrary, that too much communication can be a bad thing, so my job is to only teach appropriate levels of communication and ways to use it. Being a teacher is something I have always wanted to do with hopes that one day I will be able to have a classroom of my own filled with bright colors and fun, reliable resources. I picture books everywhere of every culture providing inspiration, excitement, and aspiration for each of my students. Artwork will hang from the walls and the desks will be in a neat linear design while smells of candy fill the room; my students will never need for anything. Today, as a college student making my way closer to my future, my hopes of having that classroom are now becoming a reality. As clique as it sounds, I dream of being the teacher that each child wants to have -- some day I will.

Syllabus Planning

Syllabus Design Syllabus: A syllabus is an expression of opinion on the nature of language and learning; it acts as a guide for both teacher and learner by providing some goals to be attained. Hutchinson and Waters (1987:80) define syllabus as follows: At its simplest level a syllabus can be described as a statement of what is to be learnt. It reflects language and linguistic performance. This is a rather traditional interpretation of syllabus focusing on outcomes rather than process. However, a syllabus can also be seen as a â€Å"summary of the content to which learners will be exposed† (Yalden. 1987).It is seen as an approximation of what will be taught and that it cannot accurately predict what will be learnt A language teaching syllabus involves the integration of subject matter and linguistic matter. Difference between Syllabus and Curriculum Curriculum is wider term as compared with syllabus. Curriculum covers all the activities and arrangements made by the institution through out the academic year to facilitate the learners and the instructors. Where as Syllabus is limited to particular subject of a particular class. Syllabus Design To design a syllabus is to decide what gets taught and in what order.For this reason, the theory of language underlying the language teaching method will play a major role in determining what syllabus should be adopted. Theory of learning also plays an important part in determining the kind of syllabus used. For example, a syllabus based on the theory of learning evolved by cognitive code teaching would emphasize language forms and whatever explicit descriptive knowledge about those forms. A syllabus based on an acquisition theory of learning, however, would emphasize unanalyzed and carefully selected experiences of the new language.The choice of a syllabus is a major decision in language teaching, and it should be made as consciously and with as much information as possible. There has been much confusion over the yea rs as to what different types of content are possible in language teaching syllabi and as to whether the differences are in syllabus or method. Several distinct types of language teaching syllabi exist, and these different types may be implemented in various teaching situations. TYPES OF SYLLABI Although six different types of language teaching syllabi are treated here as though each occurred â€Å"purely,† but in practice, these types rarely occur independently.Almost all actual language teaching syllabi are combinations of two or more of the types defined here. For a given course, one type of syllabus usually dominates, while other types of content may be combined with it. Furthermore, the six types of syllabi are not entirely distinct from each other. For example, the distinction between skill-based and task-based syllabi may be minimal. In such cases, the distinguishing factor is often the way in which the instructional content is used in the actual teaching procedure.The characteristics, differences, strengths, and weaknesses of individual syllabi are defined as follows: 1:- Product-Oriented Syllabus This kind of syllabuses emphasizes the product of language learning and is prone to approval from an authority. There are three types of syllabus described in the following: (i) The Structural Syllabus Historically, the most prevalent of syllabus type is perhaps the structural or grammatical syllabus in which the selection and grading of the content is based on the complexity and simplicity of grammatical items.The learner is expected to master each structural step and add it to her grammar collection. As such the focus is on the outcomes or the product. One problem facing the syllabus designer pursuing a grammatical order to sequencing input is that the ties connecting the structural items may be rather weak. A more fundamental criticism is that the grammatical syllabus focuses on only one aspect of language, namely grammar, whereas in truth there exi st many more aspects of language. Finally, recent research suggests there is a isagreement between the grammar of the spoken and of the written language; raising complications for the grading of content in grammar based syllabuses. (ii) The Situational Syllabus The limitations found in structural approach led to an alternative approach where situational needs are emphasized rather than grammatical units. Here, the principal organizing characteristic is a list of situations which reflects the way language is used in everyday life i. e. outside the classroom.Thus, by linking structural theory to situations the learner is able to grasp the meaning in relevant context. One advantage of the situational Syllabus is that motivation will be heightened since it is â€Å"learner- rather than subject-centered† (Wilkins. 1976). However, a situational syllabus will be limited for students whose needs were not encompassed by the situations in the syllabus. This dissatisfaction led Wilkins to describe notional and communicative categories which had a significant impact on syllabus design. (iii) The Notional/Functional SyllabusWilkins' criticism of structural and situational approaches lies in the fact that they answer only the ‘how' or ‘when' and ‘where' of language use (Brumfit and Johnson. 1979:84). Instead, he enquires â€Å"what it is they communicate through language† Thus, the starting point for a syllabus is the communicative purpose and conceptual meaning of language i. e. notions and functions, as opposed to only the grammatical items and situational elements. In order to establish objectives of such a syllabus, the needs of the learners will have to be analyzed on the base of communication need.Consequently, needs analysis has an association with notional/functional syllabuses. White (1988:77) claims that â€Å"language functions do not usually occur in isolation† and there are also difficulties of selecting and grading functi on and form. The above approaches belong to the product-oriented category of syllabuses. An alternative path to Syllabus Design would be to adopt process oriented principles, which assume that language can be learnt experientially as opposed to the step-by-step procedure of the synthetic approach. 2:- Process-Oriented SyllabusesProcess-Oriented Syllabuses are developed as a result of a sense of failure in product-oriented courses to enhance communicative language skills. Syllabus is a process rather than a product. That is, focus is not on what the student will have accomplished on completion of the program, but on the specification of learning tasks and activities that s/he will undertake during the course. (i)Procedural/Task-Based Syllabus Prabhu's (1979) ‘Bangalore Project' is a classic example of a procedural syllabus. Here, the question concerning ‘what' becomes subordinate to the question concerning ‘how'.The focus shifts from the linguistic element to the ed ucational, with an emphasis on learning or learner. Within such a framework the selection, ordering and grading of content is no longer wholly significant for the syllabus designer. Arranging the Syllabus around tasks such as information- and opinion-gap activities, it was hoped that the learner would perceive the language subconsciously whilst consciously concentrating on solving the meaning behind the tasks. There appears to be an indistinct boundary between this approach and that of language teaching methodology.A task-based syllabus assumes that speaking a language is a skill best perfected through practice and interaction, and uses tasks and activities to encourage learners to use the language communicatively in order to achieve a purpose. Tasks must be relevant to the real world language needs of the student. That is, the underlying learning theory of task based and communicative language teaching seems to suggest that activities in which language is employed to complete meani ngful tasks, enhances learning. (ii)Learner-Led SyllabusThe notion of basing a syllabus on how learners learn language was proposed by Breen and Candlin (1984). Here the emphasis lies on the learner, who it is hoped will be involved in the implementation of the syllabus design. By being fully aware of the course they are studying, it is believed that their interest and motivation will increase, coupled with the positive effect of nurturing the skills required to learn. However, as suggested earlier, a predetermined syllabus provides support and guidance for the teacher and should not be so easily dismissed.Critics have suggested that a learner-led syllabus seems radical and utopian in that it will be difficult to follow as the direction of the syllabus will be largely the responsibility of the learners. This leads to the final syllabus design to be examined ; the proportional syllabus as suggested by Yalden (1987). (iii)The Proportional Syllabus The proportional syllabus basically a ttempts to develop an â€Å"overall competence†. It consists of a number of elements within the main theme playing a linking role through the units.This theme is designated by the learners. It is expected initially that form will be of central value, but later, the focus will turn towards interactional components. The syllabus is designed to be dynamic, not static, with sufficient opportunity for feedback and flexibility. The shift from form to interaction can occur at any time and is not limited to a particular stratum of learners. As Yalden observes, it is important for a syllabus to indicate explicitly what will be taught, â€Å"not what will be learned†.This practical approach with its focus on flexibility and spiral method of language sequencing leading to the recycling of language, seems relevant for learners who lack exposure to the target language beyond the classroom. Practical Guidelines to Syllabus Choice and Design It is clear that no single type of content is appropriate for all teaching settings, and the needs and conditions of each setting are so particular that specific recommendations for combination are not possible. However, a set of guidelines for the process is provided below. Steps in preparing a practical language teaching Syllabus Choice: 1.Determine, to the extent possible, what outcomes are desired for the students in the instructional program i. e. what the students should be able to do as a result of the instruction. 2. Rank the syllabus types presented here as to their likelihood of leading to the outcomes desired. Arrange the six types with preference you going to give to each type. 3. Evaluate available resources for teaching, needs analysis, materials choice and production and in training for teachers. 4. Rank the syllabi relative to available resources. That is, determine what syllabus types would be the easiest to implement within available resources. . Compare the lists made under Nos. 2 and 4. Making as few adj ustments to the earlier list as possible, produce a new list of ranking based on the availability of resources. 6. Designate one or two syllabus types as dominant and one or two as secondary. 7. Review the question of combination or integration of syllabus types and determine how combinations will be achieved and in what proportion. In making practical decisions about syllabus design, one must take into consideration all the possible factors that might affect the teachability of a particular syllabus.By starting with an examination of each syllabus type, tailoring the choice and integration of the different types according to local needs, one may find a principled and practical solution to the problem of appropriateness and effectiveness in syllabus design. Suggested Steps for Planning Syllabus: †¢Develop a well-grounded rationale for your course. †¢Decide what you want students to be able to do as a result of taking your course, and how their work will be appropriately as sessed. †¢Define and delimit course content. †¢Structure your students’ active involvement in learning. Identify and develop resources. †¢Compose your syllabus with a focus on student learning. Suggested Principles for Designing a Syllabus that Fosters Critical Thinking: †¢Critical thinking is a learnable skill; the instructor and class fellows are resources in developing critical thinking skills. †¢Problems, questions, or issues are the point of entry into the subject and a source of motivation for nonstop inquiry. †¢Successful courses balance the challenge to think critically with supporting students’’developmental needs. †¢Courses should be assignment centered rather than text and lecture centered.Goals, methods and evaluation emphasize using content rather than simply acquiring it. †¢Students are required to formulate their ideas in writing or other appropriate means. †¢Students should collaborate to learn and to stretch their thinking, for example, in pair problem solving and small group work. †¢Courses that teach problem-solving skills nurture students’ metacognitive abilities. †¢The developmental needs of students are acknowledged and used as information in the design of the course. Teachers in these courses make standards explicit and then help students learn how to achieve them. Syllabus Functions: Establishes an early point of contact and connection between student and instructor †¢Describes your beliefs about educational purposes †¢Acquaints students with the logistics of the syllabus †¢Contains collected handouts †¢Defines student responsibilities for successful course work †¢Describes active learning †¢Helps students to assess their readiness for your syllabus †¢Sets the course in a broader context for learning †¢Provides a conceptual framework †¢Describes available learning resources †¢Communicates the role of techn ology in the course †¢Can improve the effectiveness of student note-taking Can include material that supports learning outside the classroom †¢Can serve as a learning contract Checklist Syllabus Design: †¢Title Page †¢Table of Contents †¢Instructor Information †¢Letter to the Student †¢Purpose of the Course †¢Course Description †¢Course and Unit Objectives †¢Resources †¢Readings †¢Course Calendar †¢Course Requirements †¢Evaluation †¢Grading Procedures †¢How to Use the Syllabus †¢How to Study for This Course †¢Content Information †¢Learning Tools Course Objectives: †¢What will the students know and be able to do as a result of having taken this course? What levels of cognitive thinking are required from students to engage in? †¢What learning skills will the students develop in the course? †¢Instructional Approaches: †¢Given the kind of learning I'd like to encourage and foster, what kinds of instructional interactions need to occur? Teacher-student, student-student, student-peer tutor? †¢What kinds of instructional approaches are most conducive to helping students accomplish set learning objectives? †¢How will classroom interactions be facilitated? In-class? Out-of-class? Online? Electronic discussion? Newsgroups? Chatroom?Course Requirements, Assignments: †¢What will students be expected to do in the course? †¢What kinds of assignments, tests do most appropriately reflect the course objectives? †¢Do assignments and tests bring forth the kind of learning I want to foster? Assignments (frequency, timing, sequence)? Tests? Quizzes? Exams? Papers? Special projects? Laboratories? Field trips? Learning logs? Journals? Oral presentations? Research on the web? Web publishing? Electronic databases? †¢What kinds of skills do the students need to have in order to be successful in the course? Computer literacy?Research skills? Wr iting skills? Communication skills? Conflict resolution skills? Familiarity with software? Course Policies: †¢What is expected of the student? Attendance? Participation? Student responsibility in their learning? Contribution to group work? Missed assignments? Late work? Extra credit? Academic dishonesty? Makeup policy? Classroom management issues? Laboratory safety? Grading, Evaluation: †¢How will the students' work be graded and evaluated? Number of tests? In-class? Take-home? Point value? Proportion of each test toward final grade? Grading scale? How is the final grade determined? Drop lowest grade? †¢How do students receive timely feedback on their performance? Instructor? Self-assessment? Peer review? Peer tutors? Opportunities for improvement? Ungraded assignments? Texts/Resources/Readings/Supplies: †¢What kinds of materials will be used during the course? Electronic databases? Electronic Course Reserve? Course Webpage? Software? Simulations? Laboratory equi pment? †¢What kinds of instructional technologies will be used? †¢Course Calendar: †¢In what sequence will the content be taught? When are major assignments due?Fieldtrips? Guestspeaker? Schedule for Term Examination? Result? Vacations? †¢Study Tips/Learning Resources: †¢How will the student be most successful in the course? †¢What resources are available? Online quiz generator? Study guides? Lecture notes online? Lecture notes on reserve in library? Guestspeaker to explain/demonstrate online resources? TA? Peer tutors? Study groups? Academic Services Center? Writing Center? Evaluation of online resources? Citation of web resources? Student Feedback on Instruction: †¢Anonymous suggestion box on the web and E-mail. Student feedback at midterm for instructional improvement purposes. †¢End-of-term student feedback. Supplement to departmental student feedback form. Bibliography 1. Brumfit, C. J. and Johnson, K. (1979) The Communicative Approach To Language Teaching. Oxford University Press. 2. Hutchinson, T. and Waters, A. (1987) English For Specific Purposes: A Learning Centred Approach. Cambridge University Press. 3. Long, R. W. and Russell, G. (1999) â€Å"Student Attitudinal Change over an Academic Year†. The Language Teacher. Cambridge University Press. 4. Nunan, D. (1988) Syllabus Design.Oxford University Press. 5. Prabhu, N. S. (1987) Second Language Pedagogy. Oxford University Press. 6. Richards, J. C. and Rodgers, T. S. (1986) Approaches And Methods In Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press. 7. White, R. V. (1988) The ELT Curriculum: Design, Innovation And Management. Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 8. Widdowson, H. G. (1978) Teaching Language As Communication. Oxford University Press.. 9. Wilkins, D. A. (1976) Notional Syllabuses. Oxford University Press. 10. Yalden, J. (1987) Principles of Course Design for Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Bless Me Ultima Ultima Is a Witch Essay

In the book Bless Me, Ultima, Ultima is an old woman who was invited to stay at our protagonist house, Antonio, to live the remainder years of her life with the Marez family. But there is a controversy to who is Ultima, a witch or curandera? Ultima calls herself a curandera, someone who uses herbs and old customs to heal someone else, but some people in the book call her a bruja, which is Spanish for witch. Ultima is called a witch many times in the novel but neither denies nor accepts the accusation. The Author of the book, Anaya Rudolfo leaves us with the question of who really was Ultima, a witch or curandera? In my opinion I believe that Ultima is a witch. Throughout the novel Ultima shows many characteristics of being a witch and in this essay I will show you how Ultima is a witch. First is the relationship between Ultima and the owl. In the book when Ultima moves in with the Marez family, an owl follows. The owl can be a symbol of witch and is even said so in the novel, â€Å"In many cuentos I had heard the owl was one of the disguises a bruja took†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg13). Ultima has a very strong connection with the owl and is even said that the owl was Ultima’s soul or life force. An example of Ultima and the owl being the same person is at the end of the novel when Antonio buries the owl, â€Å"†¦ and after mass we would take her body [Ultima] to the ceremony in las Pasturas for burial. But that would only be prescribed by custom. Ultima was really buried here. Tonight† (pg262). That quotation means that when Antonio buried the owl he was also burying Ultima because they shared souls. If Ultima has the soul of witch then she herself has to be evil. Another evil connection between Ultima and the owl is when in page 134 of the book Ultima’s owl rips out Tenorio’s eye. If Ultima was really a curandera would she really hurt a man, when her duty of a curandera was to help and help people? Next are the acts of Ultima. Ultima shows many witch like personality when she was curing Lucas. First was that she had dolls of the three witches and she had used them like voodoo dolls, â€Å"†¦and when he breathed on them they seemed to squirm in her hands. I shuddered to see those clay dolls take life. Then she took pins†¦she stuck a pin into each doll† (pg101). Here Ultima appears to do some evil voodoo ritual. A curandera relies on herbs and nature to heal people and not evil voodoo. Second is the fact that she cursed someone, â€Å"†¦ and what you sought to do will undo you† (pg101). Here is where Ultima was removing the curse that was placed on Lucas, Antonio’s uncle. Ultima does not only remove the curse but sends it back to witches that cursed Lucas. If she was a curandera shouldn’t she have the intents to only heal Lucas instead of also cursing the witches too? Last is the quote â€Å"You must understand that when anybody, bruja or curandera, priest r sinner, tampers with the fate of a man that sometimes a chain of events is sent into motion over which no one will have ultimate control. † This happens and it leads to death of Tenorio’s daughter, enraging him, to kill Narciso. Ultima knew this and it ended up killing a man. Could this have been an evil plot by Ultima? Last is the source of Ultima’s powers. The idea of Ultima’s powers are brought up in page 93, â€Å"Toma, Tenorio shouted. He crossed his fingers and held the sign of the cross in front of Ultima’s face. She did not budge†¦Either she was not a bruja, or their way of thinking, she had powers that belonged to the devil himself. † It is possible for Ultima to have the powers of the devil because off all the past reasons listed. She has done evil for the reasons show before and now since she can take the cross you can see that she has powers stronger than a witch, or even powers â€Å"from the devil himself†. To further proof of her devil gifted powers you can see from this quote, â€Å"Would the magic of Ultima be stronger than all the powers of the saints and the holy mother church†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg97). Here you can see that Ultima’s powers are not of the church and are stronger. Last is the ultimate test that was made in the book. Ultima was given the test to walk through a door that had the mark of a cross made by two blessed needles. She successfully goes through the door but with an exception. Everyone goes home thinking she is not a witch, but Antonio finds the needles on the ground. If the needles were on the ground then Ultima could have walked through the door with ease. Ultima could have sabotaged the needles when the idea of the test was first brought on. Her knocking down the needles can prove her fear of God and everything holy, saying she is a witch. In conclusion you can see that Ultima is a witch. She has a spiritual connection with an animal that is said to be a witch, which is her owl. Ultima also has the soul of a witch. Ultima has practiced voodoo in the book along with cursing other people. Finally her powers are from the devil himself. Because of all the reasons stated I believe that Ultima is a witch in the story Bless Me, Ultima.

Our Town Essays (452 words) - Our Town, Emily Webb, Free Essays

Our Town Essays (452 words) - Our Town, Emily Webb, Free Essays Our Town Our Town, by Thornton Wilder is a play that takes place in a small fictional town of Grover's Corner, New Hampshire; beginning in 1901 and ending in 1913. The play takes the audience through the cycles of life, with the purpose of getting a universal message stating that life shouldn't be taken for granted. Emily Webb, one of the most important characters in the play, is Wilder's character in which he uses to show the audience a universal message that anyone would understand and relate to. Emily is a character that is normal enough so that the audience could relate to her; and yet be different in little ways that makes people love and adore her. For example, Emily went through the most common events in a woman's life: marriage, childbirth, and death in the play. These cycles makes her common, thus relatable to the audience. Without going through common events in life, the character would seem distant and likeable to the audience. Similarly, when Emily said that she expects a man to be perfect, it makes her special. Wilder put in that scene because he believed that even though there is a basic image of an average person, to be truly average, the character must have a difference to separate the character from the crowd. If the character doesn't have any differences, then the character would be faceless; impossible for the character to take a major role in the play. Emily is portrayed uniquely in her own way, and yet is still within the boundaries of everyone else. The character Emily plays a crucial scene in the play, the part where Emily went back to her twelfth birthday. At first, Emily wanted to go back and relive the happiest day of her life, but Mrs. Gibbs stopped her and told her to visit a normal day instead. Mrs. Gibbs knew what would happen to Emily if she had relived a joyful day in her life. If Emily had went back to a special occasion, she would've been overwhelmed by the all the beauty that she didn't pay attention to. Therefore, Emily went to relive her twelfth birthday, but wasn't as happy as she thought she would have been. Emily couldn't understand why her own mother wouldn't even spare the time to look at her on her birthday. She then concluded that the living is ignorant and doesn't appreciate the small things that are in their lives every day. The character Emily is perfect just the way she is. If Wilder changed Emily, the universal message might not be as effective as it is now. Meaning that the audience wouldn't like the idea given from a character that is unlike them.

Unmarried Women Are More Politically Liberal. Heres Why.

Unmarried Women Are More Politically Liberal. Heres Why. Theres long been evidence that unmarried women are more politically liberal than married ones, but theres never been a good explanation for why this is the case. Now there is. Sociologist Kelsy Kretschmer of Oregon State University (OSU) found that women who are not married tend to be more concerned about the social status of women as a group, which makes them more politically liberal and likely to vote Democrat than married women. Kretschmer told the American Sociological Association (ASA), Over 67 percent of never married women and 66 percent of divorced women perceive what happens to other women as having some or a lot to do with what happens in their own lives. Only 56.5 percent of married women hold the same views. Kretschmer presented the study, coauthored with OSU political scientist Christopher Stout and sociologist Leah Ruppanner of the University of Melbourne, at the August 2015 meeting of the ASA in Chicago. There, she explained that women who are not married are more likely to have a strong sense of linked fate, which is the belief that what happens in their own lives is connected to the social status of women as a group in society. This means they are more likely to believe that gender inequalitymanifested for instance in the gender pay gap, the gender wealth gap, and discrimination in education and the work placehas a significant impact on their own life chances. To conduct the study, the researchers drew from the 2010 American National Election Study and included data from women respondents 18 years and older, who they sorted as married, never married, divorced, or widowed. Using this data, they  found that a sense of linked fate has a significant impact on ones political orientation and behavior. Using statistical analysis the researchers were able to rule out income, employment, children, and views on gender roles and discrimination as factors that explain away the gap in political preference between married and unmarried women. A sense of linked fate is in fact the decisive variable. Kretschmer told the ASA that women with a sense of gendered linked fate, who tend to be unmarried, think in terms of what will benefit women as a group. This means that they are likely to support candidates who promote, and political measures for, things like wage equality, workplace protections for pregnancy and maternity leave, anti-domestic violence laws, and welfare expansion. Kretschmer and her colleagues were motivated to do this study because the concept of linked fate has been used by other sociologists to help explain why strong racialized voting patterns exist among Blacks and Latinos in the U.S., but not among other racial groups. The concept had never been used to examine political behavior among women, which is what makes the study and its results notable and important. The study also revealed that women who have never been married are more likely than those who are married to believe that is important to have women politicians, and that  married and widowed women demonstrated the same degrees of linked fate. The researchers pointed out that widowed women are likely to still be engaged in the marriage institution via things like a husbands pension or social security, so they tend to think and act more like women who are married than those who are not (never been, or divorced). While notable, its important to recognize that this study demonstrations a correlation between marriage status and a sense of linked fate, and not causation. At this point it is impossible to say whether linked fate influences whether or not a woman will get married, or if getting married can reduce or eliminate it. Its possible that future research will shed light on this, but what we can conclude, sociologically speaking, is that cultivating a sense of linked fate among women is necessary to making political and social change that advances equality.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 11

Marketing - Essay Example I found the group activities that were part of the course to be quite stimulating. I will admit that the ‘Functional Presentation’ part of the course provided a greater challenge for me than did the mainly theoretical part of course; however, both sections challenged me to find new ways of learning. I found out that most of the time, businesses in today’s world operate in an environment where customers not only have much more information regarding the available financial services, but they also have greater demands. Financial services have to be offered in environments that meet with the customers’ expectations. In the present banking environment, for instance, the way in which financial services are packaged can win a deal or lose it. In the past, how a service was packaged was deemed to be irrelevant; what mattered was the product or service being offered. In the present environment, however, nothing could be further from the truth. The marketing of finan cial services has come to be regarded as one of the most significant aspects of developing a financial institution. It is an investment that brings great proceeds when well managed. However, there are still many financial corporations that regard it as being something to be looked into when all the other more ‘solid’ objectives have been considered. Service marketing is usually confused with the function of advertising or selling. In reality, marketing takes many factors into account. Some of these include employer branding, corporate culture, reputation, corporate social responsibility, market research, ethics, distribution, price points, product development, new business prospects and communication with customers,. For service marketing to be successful, the main strengths of the firm have to be clearly articulated. In one of the groups I was a part of, which were formed to determine the factors that can result in the success of financial services marketing, we came u p with some of the questions that are necessary for every team member to realise what will draw customers. Some of these questions included: What services set our financial services corporation apart from our business rivals? What are the services that make our company exceptional or unique? Which are the ‘behind the scenes’ abilities, or intellectual assets that make the success of our company hard to copy? Which technologies does our firm have that give it an edge over its business rivals? As a group, we came up with a strong brand for out service offerings. The brand included strong expressive messages that could capture the attention of potential customers. We decided to advertise this brand through smart campaigns and creative copywriting. Our company’s strategy was one that stimulated curiosity and enhanced our business’ image. We choose to market it through various communication mediums such as online exposure, business to consumer models, as well a s business to business or business to consumer communication. To ensure that we benefitted from the talents of the best graphic designers for our digital campaigns, we, as a group, interviewed various experts within the student community. One big advantage of having an online business presence is that a company can receive feedback from all over the world. Gaining the attention of curious overseas entrepreneurs greatly inspired our group to try even more

The Charter of Fundamental Freedom adds little to the body of general Essay

The Charter of Fundamental Freedom adds little to the body of general principles developed within the EU system. Discuss - Essay Example Subject to the principle of proportionality, limitations may be made only if they are necessary and genuinely meet objectives of general interests recognised by the union or the need to protect the rights and freedoms of others.†(Art. 52.1)1 It can be argued that the charter of fundamental rights of the European Union does not introduce human rights to the EU context. Most national constitutions include their own human rights catalogue. This in itself cast doubt at to whether the charter added much to the EU principles. â€Å"The provisions of this charter are addressed to the institutions and bodies of the Union with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity and to the member states only when they are implementing Union law.† The charter have a political objective of enhancing European identity among the citizens. The distinction between the political pitfalls and the legal achievements of the constitutional process extends to the charter of fundamental rights. It can be said that the original simplicity of a single constitutional document including among others, the charter of fundamental rights is replaced by the continuation of the acrimonies temple construction of different Treaties, and legal sources. A typical example, is the recent coming into force of the Lisbon treaty in which obscurity replaces real clarity. Legal reforms measures are easily maintained, while the political objectives are largely abandoned. The so called identity-enhancing potential of the charter of fundamental rights is further diminished by the protocol number 30 attached to the treaty of Lisbon which concerns the application of the charter to Poland and the UK. In addition, the charter of fundamental rights, solemnly proclaimed at Nice in December 2001, constitutes a powerful assertion of the importance of weaving the protection of fundamental rights deep into the very fabric of the