Why Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone is banned Essay

Why Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone is banned - Essay Example The novel was first released in 1997 but was later surrounded by a lot of controversies and criticism which later led to its abolition. Any literature art is written to portray a given theme that the audience and readers can relate to. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the major themes are witchcraft, death, corruption and prejudice, power, friendship, and rebellion. A few of the themes in this novel may have bad impacts on the lives of children who are the target audience as expressed by various critics. However, most of the themes featured in the novel are important in the education of children which makes the book worthy of positive consideration. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone brings out the self sacrifice as an important virtue. The author portrays death not as something to be afraid of in life but rather as something forms part of a natural cycle that must just be embraced by people. This is the reason Lily Potter offered to sacrifice her own life in order to save Harry. This is also revealed in the events that saw Harry’s determination to stop evil Voldemort from harming innocent people without cause. After Voldemort’s attempt to kill Harry aborts, he continues to live as â€Å"shadow and vapor†. The theme of death as presented in the book is positively used since it shows that it is important to offer to save other people’s lives without fear - just like Harry did to save people from being killed by Voldemort (Strimel 35-52). Harry’s act of self sacrifice is seen when he offers his pasty although he â€Å"had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with† Rowling 171. The novel is educative since it shows the importance of love in at school and in the society at large. Harry’s appreciation of love is seen in the following event: â€Å"It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sa ndwiches lay forgotten)† (Rowling 171). Love is portrayed as a virtue in the novel The Author reveals the theme by explaining that Harry probably survived death when he was to be killed by Voldemort because of the love from his mother, Lily (Mitchell 82). Lily showed the love for his son Harry by offering her life instead of that of his son Harry. Harry is also seen as a character who is loving and this makes him make every attempt to defeat Voldemort. Voldemort, however, does not understand the importance of love in the society and only wants to kill others as he believes that he is immortal. This is because where love exists, peace will always reign. The book also shows that that where hostility and enmity reign supreme, the result may be death and destruction, as opposed to peace and prosperity. Friendship is another virtue portrayed in the novel which makes the book worth being considered as good literature for children. Albus Dumbledore notes that â€Å"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends"  (Rowling 221). Throughout the novel, the author brings out the importance of friendship in confronting challenges and difficult tasks. At the onset of the novel, Harry is described as an orphan who is accustomed to loneliness and isolation until he joins school. Despite Harry not being in a position to have the love and friendship from family members, he is able to make friends at Hogwarts School with his fellow students like Hermione and Ron. This friendship is manifested strongly as his two friends try and make effort to assist him overcome challenges at school. This is seen during Professor Snape’

Pharmacology Pharmacokinetics Pharmacodynamics History And Development Biology Essay

Pharmacology Pharmacokinetics Pharmacodynamics History And Development Biology Essay The hemp plant cannabis sativa, versatile plant named by Swedish botanist Linaeus in 1735 originated in Central Asia has been widely distributed around the world. The earliest use of the drug has been known to be in existence since 700 BC in Assyrian tablets drug finding its place even in the British Pharmaceutical Codex, as late as 1949(G. Geoffrey, W. Brain and R. Philip;2004). Cannabis is an annual dioecious developing from seed, fast growing plant which reaches the maturity in 60 days. It has a lance shaped leaflets with saw tooth edge with woody angular hairy stem with a height of 50 ft or more. Cannabis indica is smaller subspecies it a height of 4 feet other varieties are obtained by crossing cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. Cannabis is used as psychoactive drug. Around 20 million people in USA and Europe and many other part of world use cannabis on a regular basis although consumption is illegal in most of the countries. The psychoactive ingredient of cannabis is delta-9-tetra hydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis is also known by the names like marijuana, hashish, charas, bhang, ganga and sinsemilla among this hashish and charas are most potent with THC content 10 20%. High concentration of THC can be found in the fine droplets of sticky resin produced by glands at the base of the fine hairs that coats leaves and flower heads (J. Robert,A primer of Drug Action; 1998). Fig 1 Cannabis sativa (http://ja.treknature.com) Fig 2 Cannabis tincture (http://www.medicalmarijuanacure.com) History and Development of Cannabis Fig 3 (M.D. Vincenzo; 2006) Chemistry of THC: Chemical structure of THC was elucidated in 1964; thereafter many chemical analogues have been synthesized and tested. Phenolic hydroxyl group(C-1) is for cannabiniol activity, side chain(C-9) is important as potency can be increased by increase in chain length, also methyl group substitution at side chain carbon adjacent to aromatic ring and northern aliphatic hydroxyl group enhances the activity of THC.THC was isolated during the world war II from red oil fraction of cannabis and other optically active component isolated was cannabidiol. ( G. Geoffrey, W. Brain and R. Philip;2004) Fig 4 Structures of delta-9-tetra hydrocannabinol(THC) IUPAC Name: (à ¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬  )-(6aR,10aR)-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6H- benzo[c]chromen-1-ol Molecular weight: 314.45 daltons. Formula: C21H30O2 Pharmacology (Cannabiniod receptor): First cannabinoid receptor was identified in 1990 which lead to further studies. In central nervous system cannabinoid receptor are found in G-proteins with seven transmembrane spanning segments which are strongly expressed in basal ganglia, cerebellum and hippocampus, at higher concentration expressed on afferent spinal cord regions and at lower concentrations at brain stem it has a chain of 473 amino acids with a hydrophobic domain (B. David, P. Gareth, G. Gavin, and T. Alan; 2003).Second receptor (CB2) is expressed by leucocytes and in haemopoeitic development. Endocannabiniods have cannabinoid receptor binding activity and function of the endocannabinoid system is to regulate synaptic neurotransmission. First endocannabiniod was observed in 1992 by Devan and co-workers from porcine brain which was anandamide it showed behavioural, hypothermic, and analgesic effects similar to that of cannabinoids many other are found in central nervous system (CNS) but exact physiological roles a re not yet know ( L.A.Matsuda, S.J. Brownstein, et al;1990). Fig 5 CB expression on brain. (B. David, P. Gareth, G. Gavin, and T. Alan; 2003) Pharmacodynamics: Effects of THC on CNS studies shows impairment in learning, psychomotor performance and associative processes. Heavy users showed impairment in attention and à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"amotivationalà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  syndrome with chronic use of marijuana(R.I. Block, R. Fairnpour, and K.Braverman;1998). Commonly seen physiological effects on cardiovascular system are increased blood pressure, heart rate with dry mouth, dizziness and slight nausea(H.G.Pope and D.Yurgelun-Todd;1996). Long-term use leads to immunosuppression of immune system, also Cannabiniod receptors inhibit intracellular adenylate cyclase second-messenger system resulting into decrease spleen cell liberation on immune response and increase the susceptibility of infections or disease. Chronic use results into reduction in fertility and sexual potency in the individual.( P.A. Fried;1995). THC readily passes through placenta and affects the new born with visual perception, language comprehension and frequent me mory loss. ( M.A. Huestis, A.H. Sampson, B.J. Holicky, et al;1992) Pharmacokinetics: Most commonly cannabis is taken by smoking which is through inhalation followed by rapid absorption from lungs into the bloodstream though bioavailability is less (10-27%).Oral administration has plasma levels much lower compared to Intra-venous infusions and inhalation this is due to first pass metabolism in the liver resulting in to poor bioavailability. Bioavailability is higher by sublingual and rectal administration. Cannabinoids are lipophilic in nature (log Kow=7.4) and gets widely distributed in brain, kidney, liver and fat with steady release in the blood,90% of cannabinoids are bound to plasma proteins and 10% to red blood cells( M. Wahlqvist, M.I. Nilsson, F. Sandberg, S;1970). Phase I metabolism of cannabinoids is catalysed by cytochrome P450 in liver with oxidase system. Majority of THC metabolites are excreted in faeces (65%) and rest in urine through glucuronide conjugates (M. Bornheim and A. Correia;1989). Tolerance and dependence: The long known use of the drug has not really given a clear scientifically proven picture that the drug or the derivatives of the plant are beneficial for therapeutic purposes (A. Duffy and R. Milin; 1996). Although there are no severe dependency problems, on the hind side, the toxic nature of Cannabinoids, has also seen increased heart rate, lowering of blood pressure, euphoric intoxication and toxic psychosis resulting from a loss of cognitive performance. Extensive clinical trials over the years have seen the drug being classified into lesser harmful categories, classified into Schedules from 1 to 3, with 3 being of least harm (C. P. OBrein; 1995). Funded by Medical Research Council, the research includes testing on 660 patients over a time period of 3 years. Another research involves 400 patients who would be treated with different forms of cannabis plant and compared with conventional analgestics. The trails are supported by nations like UK, USA, Switzerland, Germany with each country supplying the distinct Cannabis extracts. Another trial in UK is for treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders and use a sub-lingual spray as the method of drug delivery. Each of the manufactured extract needs to comply with the Good Manufacturing Practice(s) that oversees selection of plant material, solvent used, and the entire processing itself. (C. P. OBrein; 1995). Analytical Methods: Initial screening of drug of abuse is generally carried out by immunoassay and confirmation of the results is done using chromatographic methods. Radioimmunoassay is generally used for detection cannabinoids in the biological samples. Gas chromatography (GC) is most frequently used analytical method to analyse product but due to decarboxylation during the analysis in neutral forms determination of acidic cannabinoids is not possible. High speed liquid chromatography (HPLC) method used for determination of composition of cannabinoids is one of the efficient and the simplest way to elucidate major cannabinoids but overlapping of peaks is a concern (Y. Ruiqin, X. Wenlin;2006). Though combination of mass spectroscopy and HPLC rectifies errors due to overlapping of peaks and combination of HPLC/GC can produce effective analysis. (B. Benjamin, D. Benjamin, L.Pierre, T.Laetitia, D.Nathalie, D.Lies, V. Alain, H. Philippe, C.Corinne,Innovative; 2009). Fig 6 GC chromatogram of a standard solution of D9-THCA-A analysed (F.E. Dussy et al; 1996) Fig 7 HPLC chromatogram of THC recorded at 220nm (F.E. Dussy et al; 1996) Small amount of sample can be reused with simple operation using solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) to study cannabinoids followed by GC/MS for target molecule confirmation and determination presence of THC in saliva and hair using SPME-GC/MS can be determined (F.E. Dussy et al;1996).LC-IT/MS is used for quantification and conformation of various cannabinoids in a single method though this method is cost effective so use is limited.(A.A.M. Stolker, J. van Schoonhoven, A.J. de Vries, I. Bobeldijk-Pastorova, W.H.J. Vaes, R. van den Berg;2004) Legalization: The legal position held on this drug is still in a state of confusion with no conclusive evidence on the actual therapeutic effects it has. Many countries have softened their stand on the punishment for possession of cannabis, with Netherlands going to the extent of decriminalizing soft drugs in 1976. Belgium followed suit, with the clause that it should not lead to social nuisance, risks and problematic consumption. The USA took a U turn to prohibit the drug due to not enough evidence after certain states allowed the use of the drug for medicinal purposes. Canadian law allows the usage of drug for exceptional cases of patients with prior support from the medical practitioner. Due to its activity on the nervous system, the drug has primarily been used in medicinal treatment of muscle spasms, menstrual cramps, rheumatism, tetanus convulsions, rabies and epilepsy with the current day applications being witnessed in treatment of anorexia, bronchial asthma, epilepsy, glaucoma, hypertension, muscle spasticity, nausea, vomiting and pain. But these applications have just fetched two licensed cannabinoids for medicinal purpose THC (Marinol) and Nabilone, both of which are synthetic (A.C.Moffat; 2006). Conclusion: The Cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa.) is used as recreational drug with a long history and is a part of traditional medicine from the past. The relatively recent discovery of cannabinoid receptors and the human endocannabinoid system has opened up a new and exciting field of research. Bioavailability is obtained by rectal and sublingual administration and rapid absorption takes place with intra-venous and inhalation. But despite the potential, cannabis is categorized as a narcotic drug it is prevented to develop into modern medicine. Dependence and addiction to this drug is quite rare. Psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has received great attention, and much is known about its biological effects and mechanisms of action, analytical methods, pharmacokinetics, and structure-activity relationships, it will be a challenge to see cannabis as a routine medicine for various disorders.

Symbolism in Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge Essay -- essays re

In Arthur Miller’s tragic drama, ‘A View from the Bridge’, we see that the bridge itself is a symbol of the linking of two cultures, Italian (namely Sicilian) and American (namely New York), whereby the manifestation of these two cultures dwell in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Despite this, differences between the two are distinctly evident from page 17 to 18, and it is the purpose of this essay to discuss how Miller conveys these differences in the given pages. Miller uses language effectively in this play, his use of dialogue, of which makes up the bulk of the drama is his main tool in conveying the large cultural differentiation between Red Hook and Sicily. We know only of Sicily by the way in which Marco and Rodolpho describe it, similarly we do not get to see all of Red Hook (the composite set is all the audience sees) yet we know how it is by the way players talk about it and how they interact with each other within the community. Marco is the first of the two immigrants that enter the Carbone household to shed light on the differences between Sicily and Red Hook, when asked if he had...

Light And Darkness Essay

As the sun rises, birds begin to sing the joy of light and as the day ends, the birds fly back into the darkness of night. The darkness of our lives is often transformed by the delusion of light. In James Baldwin’s essay, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the title itself sets up an irony that is explored throughout. The name â€Å"Sonny,† when read, sounds like â€Å"Sunny,† meaning brightness, light and hope. The word â€Å"Blues† presents the reader images of night, darkness and sadness. The darkness represents the reality of life on the streets of Harlem, a community living in an environment where there is no escape from the reality of drugs and crime. The dreadful nature of the streets lures adolescents to use drugs as a means of escaping the darkness of their lives. The main character, Sonny, a struggling Jazz musician, finds himself addicted to heroin as a way of unleashing creativity and artistic ability within him. Using music as a means of crea ting structure in his life, Sonny attempts to step into the light, a life without drugs. Coping with the light and darkness of siblings can be one of life’s most exhausting challenges as they grow-up and struggle to form their own identities. The different images of light and darkness serve as the abstract framework for Baldwin’s essay. This imagery is first viewed when the narrator, Sonny’s older brother, thinks about Sonny’s fate in the dark subway. â€Å"I stared at it in the swinging light of the subway car, and in the faces and bodies of the people, and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside†(270). The â€Å"swinging lights of the subway car† allows him to read about Sonny’s arrest, while the â€Å"darkness roared outside.† This allows the narrator to realize that he has to find a way to absorb and live with this new understanding of Sonny as an addict and as a blues musician. The darkness is the representation of the community of Harlem, where like the passengers on the subway, the community is trapped in their surroundings by economic, social, or physical barriers. The dreadful life of darkness has overwhelmed everyone and everything living in Harlem. The narrator, an algebra teacher, is fearful for his students who are falling into a life of crime and drugs. The harsh realties of the street have abandoned the light from the faces of his brother and his students. â€Å"These boys, now, were living as we’d been living then, they were growing up  with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual possibilities. They were filled with rage. All they really knew were two dark nesses, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness, and in which they now, vindictively, dreamed, at once more together than they were at any other time, and more alone†(271). This illustrates how darkness has engulfed the lives of the children without them realizing it. In addition, the misdirection of the movies has kept these boys from achieving and doing anything with their lives. The community of Harlem, filled with disaster, is following the dull path of previous generations. As Sonny and his brother return to the streets of their youth, they recognize the similarities between their childhood and the lives of the children who are growing up in the hostile community of Harlem. The vivid description by the narrator describes how over the course of time the neighborhood has not changed for the better, yet for the worse. He describes how â€Å"most of the houses in which we had grown up had vanished, as had the stores from which we had stolen, the basements in which we had first tried sex, the rooftops from which we had hurled tin cans and bricks. But houses exactly like the houses of our past yet dominated by landscape, boys exactly like the boys we once had been found themselves smothering in these houses, came down into the streets for light and air and found themselves encircled by disaster†(275). This shows how the children, seeking to escape from the darkness of their houses, fled into the streets for refuge. However, the children only found more darkness creeping around in their community. Darkness can be fearful and soothing. â€Å"The night is creeping up outside, but nobody knows it yet. You can see the darkness growing against the windowpanes and you hear the street noises every now and again but it’s real quiet in the room. For a moment nobody’s talking, but every face looks darkening, like the sky outside. Everyone is looking at something a child can’t see. For a minute they’ve forgotten the children. Maybe somebody got a kid in his lap and is absent-mindedly stroking the kid’s hair. The silence, the darkness coming, and the darkness in the faces frighten the child  obscurely. He hopes that the hand which strokes his forehead will never stop-will never die. But something deep and watchful in the child knows that this is bound to end, is already ending. And when the light fills the room, the child is filled with darkness. The darkness outside is what the old folks have been talking about. It’s what they’ve come from. It’s what they endure. The child knows that they won’t talk any more because he knows too much about what’s happened to them, he’ll know too much too soon, about what’s going to happen to him† (277). The light is a consciousness of the dark and reality. With the light comes the understanding of the world for the child lying in his mother’s lap. Although the child may want to learn the truth, by doing so he exposes himself to the world and looses part of his innocence and childhood. Therefore, the child may wish to remain in darkness. The images of light and darkness, which serve as truth and reality, are used to show the struggle between Sonny and the narrator. The narrator recalls a story his mother once told him about an uncle whom a car of drunken white men killed. The narrator’s father â€Å"never in his life seen anything as dark as that road after the lights of that car had gone away†(279). The narrator’s father so depressed by the incident that he â€Å"never did get right again. Till the day he died he weren’t sure but that every white man he saw was the man that killed his brother†(279). The story serves as a lesson for the narrator to â€Å"hold on to your brother and don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him† (279). In the story, this significant event alters the narrator’s responsibilities as an older brother. With this new responsibility comes the burden of raising his younger b rother, Sonny. However, when the narrator confronts Sonny to discuss his future, he refuses to accept his brother’s goal of becoming a jazz musician. After going through many hardship and pain, the narrator eventually realizes that â€Å"Sonny was at that piano playing for his life†(283). The narrator accepts Sonny’s life as a musician when he accompanies him to a nightclub in order to hear him perform. Within the nightclub, there is a struggle between light and darkness. As Sonny and the rest of his quartet wait to go on  stage, his brother notices that â€Å"the light from the bandstand spilled just a little short of them and, watching them laughing and gesturing and moving about, I had the feeling that they, nevertheless, were being most careful not to step into the circle of light too suddenly; that if they moved into the light too suddenly, without thinking, they would perish in flame†(290). This indicates that, to embrace the truth and gain awareness too fast is painful and devastating. As Sonny plays the piano, the older leader of the band, Creole, leads him into the light, into the water. â€Å"He w anted Sonny to leave the shoreline and strike out for deep water. He was Sonny’s witness that deep water and drowning were not the same thing-he had been there, and he knew. And while Creole listened, Sonny moved, deep within, exactly like someone in torment. Creole wasn’t trying any longer to get Sonny in the water. He was wishing him Godspeed† (291-292). Creole is helping Sonny to unleash his artistic ability not through drugs, but through the emotion of pain and suffering. Music is a way of creating order in a disordered world and the narrator sees that musicians are trying to â€Å"find new ways to make us listen. For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness† (291). The daily struggles of life are all the same for everyone, yet the manner in which it is confronted and dealt with is different. Within this consciousness of reality, there is peace and hope that makes the darkness and life worth living. The two brothers, the narrator and Sonny, deal with the harsh realities of their daily lives and are surrounded by a world full of shadows and light. Together they face the inescapable and all encompassing darkness that had plagued their lives. Using music as a form of communication, the brothers are able to overcome their differences and create order in their disordered life. The painful realization of the truth has enabled them to redirect their lives and rebuild on a relationship tarnished by drugs and poverty.

Analysis of National and Cultural Stereotypes

Academic English for Business and Management Compare and contrast the two articles, making clear your criteria for comparison. To what extent do these articles show that national and cultural stereotypes are no longer a useful way of examining the human condition and economic activity? Choose an element in the articles which you find interesting and explain your reaction to it by giving examples from your own experience. Your full name: Binjie He Word count: 1152 As the development of globalization, world becomes smaller and smaller.People who lived with each other become closer. Meanwhile, international trade is booming, and products could be bought in supermarkets from almost every area in the world. As a result, national and cultural stereotypes attract more attentions than ever before. This essay will compare and contrast two articles, â€Å"East meets west† (Yong, 2009) and â€Å"International Communication† (Piller, 2011), discuss the two authors’ opinions towards national and cultural stereotypes and present my own opinion from personal experience.However, before the discussion I will summarize the similarities and differences based on their type, audience, tone, structure, focus and the attitude to stereotypes. The final section will give an example of Haier, China. My aim is to eliminate people’s misunderstanding of stereotypes. There are two similarities according to the two articles. Firstly, both the two articles describe different reactions of people belonging to the same situation from different countries through examples.Secondly, both of them admit that the mindsets of people are different from various areas, and offer evidences for national and cultural stereotypes. As well as the above-mentioned similarities, there are several differences. At first, the types of these articles are various. Yong’s is an article, while Piller’s is a textbook. Next, the audiences of Yong’s are general public and in terested amateurs. On the contrary, Piller’s are students and academics. In terms of the tone, Yong appeared to be a professor, while Piller spoke as a friend of the audiences. What’s more, Yong states the opular notions and his own opinion at the beginning of the article. He cites several experiments which supported popular stereotypes, then recent research is used to prove his opinion in the body, and a conclusion of his view is presented at the end of the article. Piller’s structure differs from Yong’s in that Piller gives an overview of the article at first, positive and negative examples are enumerated in the middle, and finally key points of the article are clearly listed. Moreover, the focuses of these articles are different. Except stereotypes, Yong emphasizes much on psychology.Conversely, Piller pays more attention on business, especially advertising. What’s interesting is that Yong opposed to stereotypes, which is different from Piller. The comparison of the two articles have been clear, and it will be vital to discuss to what extent do these articles show that national and cultural stereotypes can contribute to the human condition and economic activity. Yong doesn’t agree with stereotypes in his article. He argues the popular stereotypes that easterners and westerners have distinct world views are far too simplistic.There are pieces of research he conducted as follows. First of all, Yong agrees it is the contexts that evoke people’s mindset rather than history. Then, he suggests â€Å"while the psychology of westerners may be superficially distinct from easterners, when social isolation is an issue there is little difference between the two† (Yong, 2009, p. 34). It is indicated in Trey Hedden’s research that east Asians used the same brain areas with Americans when working harder, and people had to think harder to perform tasks outside their cultural comfort zone.Which was also found by Hedden is that it’s easy to flip between different modes of thinking in people with roots in more than one culture (Yong, 2009). It is generally said that easterners have a holistic world view and westerners are more analytical, while Yong reveals â€Å"we are all capable of both analytic and holistic thought† (Yong, 2009, p. 35). Greatly various from Yong, Piller argues that the stereotypes in advertising should be better utilized. She believes the use of language other than the national one is the key means to achieve intercultural commodification rather in branding and promotion.The most significant she stated is that although the commercial use of English rarely connoted an ethno-cultural stereotype, the use of other languages can connote stereotypes, which is beneficial for advertising. In the same way, the using of exotic languages in brands and advertising is popular in China. One of the examples is Chinese famous major appliances brand Haier. The company only had a Chinese name at its first stage. As the development of business, it entitled an English name of ‘Haier’, which is a word does not function linguistically in English but the pronunciation of it is similar to its Chinese name.What’s more, it seemed modern and international to the customers and easy for them to distinguish it from all the national brands at that time. It is also the first step to be an international enterprise to Haier. After that, the brand Haier was gradually accepted in and abroad. Up to now, Haier has been providing customers with high quality products for 27 years and is the number one brand of Major Appliances in the world with 7. 8% retail volume share in 2011. It also ranks number one for several of its product ranges including refrigeration appliances, home laundry appliances and electric wine cellars.As a forerunner in the industry, Haier emphasize much on customers’ needs and innovation. Since different people will have vario us requirements to the same appliance, what is the most important is satisfying the needs of local customers. Their global presence allows Haier to localise their production and build high-quality products tailored to local needs. Such examples about language using in brands and advertising are too numerous to mention one by one. Another element that I interested in is cultural differences’ relationship to logic, which apparent obviously in China.Logic is based on education and culture. â€Å"Harmony† is our traditional mindset which is taught at their early ages. That’s why Chinese always try to find a middle ground between two opposing positions to avoid conflicts. That’s why most Chinese students assessed the situation from both sides and try to reconcile the differences between mothers and daughters, while Americans are tend to inclined to reject one proposition for the other (Yong, 2009). Owing to this mindset, Chinese are afraid to be different from others.They want to be the â€Å"middle† people, who are neither the first, nor the last. In conclusion, I agree with the two authors’ opinions in these articles. As far as I am concerned, we should avoid racism because there are few differences between easterners and westerners. It is hoped that national and cultural stereotypes could be used on a positive way. In recent days, numberless examples of the using of languages in brands and advertising could be seen everywhere. What we should not ignore is that numerous of exotic languages benefit advertising a lot if sed properly and accurately. In my opinion, if an English name was used in brands or advertising, people could distinguish it from other national brands easily, and an international stereotype could also functional well. Finally, people’s logic is greatly based on their education and culture. It is the â€Å"harmony† education in China that makes Chinese ‘middle’ people. References Piller, I. (2011) ‘Intercultural Communication for sale’ in Intercultural Communication: A Critical Introduction. Edinburgh University Press Yong, E. (2009) ‘East meets west’ New Scientist March 2009 issue

Domestic Violence Act 2005 Essay Example

Domestic Violence Act 2005 Essay Example Domestic Violence Act 2005 Essay Domestic Violence Act 2005 Essay The Protection Of adult females From Domestic Violence Act, 2005 Introduction In our society work forces are considered as defender. When a miss marries, it is expected that her hubby will protect, in Hindu society during ‘Rakshya Bandhan’ a sister ties ‘rakhi’ to brother’s arm by sing him as a defender. Then inquiry arise â€Å"where adult females are most unsafe† ? Normally people believe that largely merely in public topographic points like in coachs, trains, and call centres etc. adult females are most insecure during dark. But how far this idea is true? Harmonizing to â€Å"National Family Health Survey† ( NFHS, 2005-2006 ) , 40 % of adult females were victims of assault at place of domestic force. Using funding from â€Å"Planning Commission† of India, â€Å"Yugantar Education Society† conducted another study across five provinces ; these are undivided Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It was found that a big per centum of adult females were victims of force in place itself. So what environment can be safe from such type of assault, when force is abused inside their place? How those adult females will acquire justness? Domestic force doubtless is an issue sing human rights and force of any sort is a barrier for development of a state. Furthermore in India adult females are socially dominated over the period of clip to accept, digest and to stay soundless about such experiences. Although this phenomenon prevalent in our society it has remained mostly delusory in public. In India in 1983 force against adult females was lawfully acknowledge as a offense. The offense is indictable under subdivision 498-A of Indian penal codification. But at that clip no civil jurisprudence was at that place to turn to such type of force and besides it was argued that penalty can non be the best solution. Finally after long treatment and women’s run since late 19Thursdaycentury to protect adult females in our society â€Å"Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act ( PWDVA ) , 2005† was introduced. The act was came into force in 2006, it guaranteed article 14, 15 and 21 of Indian fundamental law. Under this act, victims can lodge kick against physical, sexual, verbal and emotional maltreatment. Brief position of chief characteristics of the Act â€Å"Protections of Women from Domestic Violence Act† gave a comprehensive definition of â€Å"Domestic Violence† . It included all facets of force like physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic maltreatment. Harmonizing to the act any people like neigh bore bits, comparative can lodge kick on behalf of the victims, there are no restraints for the betrayer. Victims can claim the losingss caused due to force by the respondent and besides Rs 20000 /- and one twelvemonth punishment can be imposed. Finally one most of import characteristic is that justness should be supply within a certain limited continuance, foremost hearing by the tribunal should be within 3 yearss from the ailment housing and whole instance must be disposed of within 60 yearss. All the characteristics indicate a much more positive attitude towards adult females safety. Although this act lawfully ensures adult females protection, in world there are many issues sing execution of the act. Anyways for the first clip one act has been passed which included about all facets of domestic force. A broader Interpretation and Implementation issues of the act â€Å"Domestic Violence† against adult females is a common signifier of force in Indian society due to patriarchal nature. PWDVA, 2005 includes commixture of both civil and condemnable jurisprudence, so it besides facilitates many registered organisation, those are working for the adult females protection. Under this act â€Å"Protection Officers† are appointed across the all provinces in territory degree but the deficiency of preparation and substructure has ensuing negative result. Due to this deficiency of preparation, even within the legal system un-fare determination has been taken against adult females. It may go on through constabularies, tribunal or any other legal governments. Due to several instances magistrates may widening the continuance of tribunal procedure and coercing victims to come several times. In assorted instances even constabularies, Judges finds hard to understand and construe. This consequences, except physical force other force like mental, se xual and economic torment are non taken in to account due to miss of proper grounds. There is another on-going issue of execution is that ‘allocation of funds’ . â€Å"Among the 28 provinces, 15 have provided separate budgetary allotment for execution of the act, like Haryana has started a Plan strategy PWDV and Madhya Pradesh launched ‘Usha Kiran Yojana’ for execution of PWDVA in 2008† . So such province initiated, ensures financess allotment for execution of the act. But issue is that still twelve provinces do non hold an excess budget for PWDVA ( Jhamb, 2007, p.45 ) . Harmonizing to NFHS, 2005-2006 these provinces holding higher incidence of force, but they claim that they are using for PWDVA through the on-going adult females public assistance strategies. For example- â€Å"Bihar claims that through the Nari Shakti scheme a entire allotment of 10 crore covers the PWDVA. Another case, Jharkhand claims that any disbursals for PWDVA are covered through plans like Dowry Elimination, Elimination of Witchcraft etc.† ( Jhamb, 2007 , p.46 ) Hence it is necessary to measure the extent of proper use of allocated financess. Comparison of allocated financess made by the provinces will give merely an elusive image because Ministry of Women and Child Development does non put any minimal criterion for assorted commissariats under the act. So the PWDV act, 2005 demands to be interpreted with much more reason and unfastened mindedness. Social Impact and Critiques Even though many insufficiency on implementing the act, 1000s of ailment have been lodged across all the provinces and success to acquire satisfactory judgements. Reason behind this rapid action by the authorization may be the proviso that instance must be solved within 60 yearss. So Women are coming frontward for the justness due to legal support by the act and besides up to some extent this act enable to make an environment of force free for adult females and to restrict the bing patriarchal doctrine in our society. On 21 January, 2013 to measure the impact of execution of the PWDV act policy shapers came together during the launch of 6Thursdaystudy supervising act â€Å" Staying Alive: Evaluating Courts Orders† . The study has discussed the cardinal strength of the PWDV act and its lacking in execution. Harmonizing to the Stay Alive study it was found that- Married adult females are the largest user of PWDV act, so by widows, divorced adult females, girls and sisters. Womans are bit by bit become more dependent upon the PWDVA for their protection. Domestic force now no more become restricted to physical force. There are several instances have been filed which are non physical force like verbal and sexual. It was besides argued that this act is making unfairness to work forces. This act is to the full dedicated to adult females, but non refering about those work forces confronting force from adult females. Dowry is still a dominant factor for domestic force ; it is more common in the provinces of north-west India. Up to few extent commissariats of act has able to cut down domestic force and besides has brought in the alterations to patriarchal attitude of the males but there is no punishment for make fulling false instances, this led to lifting in false prosecution in marital discourse. Apart from that there should be proper consciousness and societal acknowledgment with rigorous execution of the Act, so that it can convey a behavioural alteration to society to a great extent. Decision If we look at statistical figure from â€Å"National Family Health Survey, 2005-2006† of domestic force, proportion of adult females experienced different sorts of force varies greatly by province, but physical force entirely most common signifier of force across all the provinces of the state. The frequence of physical and sexual force is least in Himachal Pradesh ( 6 per cent ) , following in Jammu and Kashmir ( 1percent ) , and in Goa 15 per centum. On the other manus, highest in Bihar by 56 per centum and 45-47 per centum are in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura. ( NFHS, 2005-2006, ch. 15 ) So from the NFHS survey’s informations we can recognize that in every province of India domestic force is a common phenomenon. The tendency of force threatens the authorization of adult females, every bit good as it is a barrier to the socio-economic development of the state. Again from the NFHS informations â€Å"37 % of married adult females and 16 % of single adult females have experienced force. But surprisingly among them merely 2 per centum of the abused adult females were asked for legal protection, so there is need to convey consciousness among women’s in our society, so that they can able to raise their voice against force. Our society, legal defenders should recognize it is the force of human rights. The jurisprudence sends out a powerful message to our society that the male high quality based on patriarchal doctrine will non be tolerated. In order to convey justness and to ease the execution of the act, our bing societal norms and construct of maleness that consequences gender favoritism demand to be transformed to accomplish meaningful responses to Domestic Violence Act. Mentions Badrinath, P. ( 2011 ) .The Challenge of subjectiveness within Courts: Interpreting the Domestic Violence Act. Economic A ; Political Weekly, XLVI( 12 ) , 15-18. Jhamb, B. ( 2011, 13 August ) . The Missing Link in the Domestic Violence Act.Economic A ; Political Weekly, XLVI( 33 ) , 45-50. International Institute of Population Science A ; Macro International. ( 2007 ) .National Family Health Survey ( NFHS-3 ) , 2005-2006: Bharat: Volume I. Bombay: IIPS Lawyers Collective Women’s Rights Initiative. ( 2013 ) . Sixth Monitoring A ; Evaluation Report on the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. Staying Alive: Evaluating Court Orders. Retrieved from Lawyers Collective Women’s Rights Initiative web site: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.lawyerscollective.org/publications/6th-monitoring-and-evaluation-report-staying-alive-evaluating-court-orders.html

Yeha - Saba (Sheba) Kingdom Site in Ethiopia

Yeha - Saba' (Sheba) Kingdom Site in Ethiopia Yeha is a large Bronze Age archaeological site located about 15 miles (25 km) northeast of the modern town of Adwa in Ethiopia. It is the largest and most impressive archaeological site in the Horn of Africa showing evidence of contact with South Arabia, leading some scholars to describe Yeha and other sites as precursors to the Aksumite civilization. Fast Facts: Yeha Yeha is a large Bronze Age site in the Ethiopian Horn of Africa, established in the first millennium BCE.  Surviving structures include a temple, an elite residence and a set of rock-cut shaft tombs.  The builders were Sabaean, people from an Arabian kingdom in Yemen, thought to be the ancient land of Sheba. The earliest occupation at Yeha dates to the first millennium BCE. Surviving monuments include a well-preserved Great Temple, a palace perhaps an elite residence called Grat Beal Gebri, and the Daro Mikael cemetery of rock-cut shaft-tombs. Three artifact scatters probably representing residential settlements have been identified within a few kilometers of the main site but have not to date been investigated. The builders of Yeha were part of the Sabaean culture, also known as Saba, speakers of an old South Arabian language whose kingdom was based in Yemen and who are thought to have been what the Judeo-Christian bible names as the land of Sheba, whose powerful Queen is said to have visited Solomon. Chronology at Yeha Yeha I: 8th–7th centuries BCE. Earliest structure located at the palace at Grat Beal Gebri; and a small temple where the Great Temple would be constructed later.Yeha II: 7th–5th centuries BCE. Great Temple and the palace at Grat Beal Gebri built, elite cemetery at Daro Mikael begun.Yeha III: Late first millennium BCE. Late phase of construction at Grat Beal Gebri, tombs T5 and T6 at Daro Mikael. Great Temple of Yeha The Great Temple of Yeha is also known as the Almaqah Temple because it was dedicated to Almaqah, the moon god of the Saba kingdom. Based on construction similarities to others in the Saba region, the Great Temple was likely built in the 7th century BCE. The 46x60 foot (14x18 meter) structure stands 46 ft (14 m) high and was constructed of well-made ashlar (cut stone) blocks measuring up to 10 ft (3 m) long. The ashlar blocks fit together tightly without mortar, which, say scholars, contributed to the structures preservation over 2,600 years after it was built. The temple is surrounded by a cemetery and enclosed by a double wall. Foundation fragments of an earlier temple have been identified beneath the Great Temple and likely date to the 8th century BCE. The temple is located on an elevated location next to a Byzantine church (built 6th c CE) which is higher still. Some of the temple stones were borrowed to build the Byzantine church, and scholars suggest there may have been an older temple where the new church was built. Construction Characteristics The Great Temple is a rectangular building, and it was marked by a double-denticulate (toothed) frieze that still survives in places on its northern, southern, and eastern faà §ades. The faces of the ashlars display typical Sabaean stone masonry, with smoothed margins and a pecked center, similar to those at the Saba kingdom capitals such as the Almaqah Temple at Sirwah and the Awam Temple in Marib. In front of the building was a platform with six pillars (called a propylon), which provided access to a gate, a broad wooden door frame, and double doors. The narrow entrance led to an interior with five aisles created by four rows of three squarish pillars. The two side aisles in the north and south were covered by a ceiling and above it was a second story. The central aisle was open to the sky. Three wooden-walled chambers of equal size were located at the eastern end of the temple interior. Two additional cultic rooms extended out from the central chamber. A drainage system leading to a hole in the southern wall was inserted into the floor to assure that the temple interior was not flooded by rainwater. Palace at Grat Be'al Gebri The second monumental structure at Yeha is named Grat Beal Gebri, sometimes spelled as Great Baal Guebry. It is located a short distance from the Great Temple but in a comparatively poor state of preservation. The buildings dimensions were likely 150x150 ft (46x46 m) square, with a raised platform (podium) of 14.7 ft (4.5 m) high, itself built of volcanic rock ashlars. The exterior faà §ade had projections at the corners. The front of the building once also had a propylon with six pillars, the bases of which have been preserved. The stairs leading up to the propylon are missing, although the foundations are visible. Behind the propylon, there was a huge gate with a narrow opening, with two massive stone doorposts. Wooden beams were inserted horizontally along the walls and penetrating into them. Radiocarbon dating of the wooden beams dates construction between early 8th–late 6th centuries BCE. Necropolis of Daro Mikael The cemetery at Yeha consists of six rock-cut tombs. Each tomb was accessed via a staircase along 8.2 ft (2.5 m) deep vertical shafts with one grave chamber on each side. The entrances to the tombs were originally blocked by rectangular stone panels, and other stone panels sealed the shafts at the surface, and then all was covered by a mound of stone rubble. A stone enclosure fenced in the tombs, although it is unknown whether they were roofed or not. The chambers were up to 13 ft (4 m) in length and 4 ft (1.2 m) in height and were originally used for multiple burials, but all were looted in antiquity. Some displaced skeletal fragments and broken grave goods (clay vessels and beads) were found; based on grave goods and similar tombs at other Saba sites, the tombs probably date to the 7th–6th c BCE. Arabian Contacts at Yeha Yeha period III has traditionally been identified as a pre-Axumite occupation, based primarily on the identification of evidence for contact with South Arabia. Nineteen fragmentary inscriptions on stone slabs, altars and seals have been found at Yeha written in a South Arabian script. However, excavator Rodolfo Fattovich notes that the South Arabian ceramics and related artifacts recovered from Yeha and other sites in Ethiopia and Eritrea are a small minority and do not support the presence of a consistent South Arabian community. Fattovich and others believe that these do not represent a precursor to the Axumite civilization. The first professional studies at Yeha involved a small excavation by the Deutsche Axum-Expedition in 1906, then part of the Ethiopian Institute of Archaeology excavations in the 1970s led by F. Anfrayin. In the 21st century, investigations have been conducted by the Sanaa Branch of the Orient Department of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the Hafen City University of Hamburg. Sources Fattovich, Rodolfo, et al. Archaeological Expedition at Aksum (Ethiopia) of the University of Naples Lorientale - 2010 Field Season: Seglamen. Naples: Universit degli studi di Napoli LOrientale, 2010. Print.Harrower, Michael J., and A. Catherine D’Andrea. Landscapes of State Formation: Geospatial Analysis of Aksumite Settlement Patterns (Ethiopia). African Archaeological Review 31.3 (2014): 513–41. Print.Japp, Sarah, et al. Yeha and Hawelti: Cultural Contacts between Saba and Dmt; New Research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 41 (2011): 145–60. Print.Lindstaedt, M., et al. Virtual Reconstruction of the Almaqah Temple of Yeha in Ethiopia by Terrestrial Laser Scanning. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 38.5/W16 (2011): 199–203. Print.Phillipson, David W. Foundations of an African Civilisation: Aksum the Northern Horn 1000 BC–A D 1300. Suffolk, Great Britain: James Currey, 2012. Print. Wolf, Pawel, and Ulrike Nowotnick. The Almaqah Temple of . Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 40 (2010): 367–80. Print.Meqaber Gaewa near Wuqro (Tigray, Ethiopia)

Complete List of 100+ Free Online High Schools

Complete List of 100+ Free Online High Schools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Online high schools can be a way for students to take high school classes and graduate at theirown pace, without having to adhere to strict schedules and the distractions of a traditional school. So if you feel that an in-person school isn't right for you for whateverreason, an online school might be the perfect fit. We’ll give you a list of all the (tuition free!) online high schools available in the United States, as well as how they work, and how and why an online high school could be right for you. So let's get started! What Is an Online High School? Anonline high school is any school that teaches and takes place virtually, rather than in-person. Some online high schools are hybrid programs where students must spend a portionof their time in a physical location, but a fully online high school program takes place completelyvirtually. Students in completeonlineprograms do not go to a physical building to learn each day, but instead are allowed to learn in any place with an internet connection, takingcourses online and typically interacting with their teachers via virtual classrooms, through email, and/or over the phone. A typical school day for students enrolled in online high schools is much like a typical day for other public school students, with about 5-6 hours spent learning and engaging in classwork, and additional time spent on homework. So, although studentscan generally set their own schedules with an online school, the amount of time required for coursework and studies remainsthe same whether the school takes place online or in person. In addition to the standard coursework,many online high school programs offer school activities, trips, contests, and virtual clubs to help students interact and get to know one another. So online students can often reap many of the same the benefits they could get from an in-person school, with all the additional perks of attending school online. Different Types of OnlineHigh Schools Just like physical schools, online highschools can be divided into two broad categories of public and private schools. And just like physical schools, the differences between the two types can be broken down like so: Online publichighschools(which can also becharter schools) use state-licensed and certified teachers, charge NO tuition, follow state education standards, and award you with a legal high school diploma upon completion of the required credits and courses. These schools are government funded, just like physical public schools. Online private high schools follow their own education requirements and standards (rather than state standards),charge tuition,and will ultimately award you with a high school diploma once you have completed the program. These schools are privately funded, just like with physical private schools. Whether private or public, manyonline schools require theirstudents to be a resident of the state or a particular school district, while other schools accept studentswho live inany stateor school district (or students who have no fixed address). Other online schools accept out of state students, but charge them tuition that in-state students do not have to pay. Ultimately, it's up to the applicant to double-check whether the school of their choice has any restrictions based on student address. Not every state has an online public school, so studentswho live in one of these states (or students who have no fixed address) and want to attend high school online must either enroll inan online school thataccepts out of state students or in a private online high school. If money is your main concern, then public school is definitely the way to go. List of All Free Online High Schools in the US Because we're focusing on only the free online high schools in this article, we are only listingonline public high schools in the US. After the list of the online public schools in the States, we will give a breakdown of the benefits of attendingan online high school and whether or not it could be the right fit for you. To navigate more quickly to your state of choice, click on one of the states below: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,North Carolina,Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,South Carolina, South Dakota,Texas, Utah,Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming [Note: if your state is not listed, it does not currently have a free online high school.] Click here to skip the list and go straight to reading about reasons to attend an online high school. Alabama Alabama Virtual Academy Conch County Virtual School Alaska Fairbanks Correspondence KPBSD Connections Frontier Charter School iGrad Alaska Arizona Agave Middle and High School Arizona Connections Academy Arizona Virtual Academy Hope High School Online Humanities and Sciences/International Commerce High School Insight Academy of Arizona Pinnacle Online High School Primavera Online High School Sequoia Choice Distance Leaerning Southern Arizona Community Academy Arkansas Arkansas Virtual Academy California A3 World Language Academy(Available for students living in: Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties) A3 California Prep(Available for students living in: Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Impreial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo and Yuba counties) Academy of Arts and Sciences(Available for students living in: Contra Costa, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Solano, Sonoma, Tulare and Ventura counties) California Connections Academy, a consortiumof four different schools: Capistrano(available for students living in:Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties) Central(available for students living in:Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties) North Bay(available for students living in:Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Yolo counties) Ripon(available for students living in:Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and Stanislaus counties) California Virtual Academies Clovis Online School (Available for students living in:Fresno, Inyo, Kings, Madera, Merced, Mono, Monterey, San Benito, and Tulare counties) Delta Charter Schools Gateway Virtual Academy(Available for students living in: Merced, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Tuolumne counties) Insight Schools of California Inspire Charter Schools iQ Academy of California, Los Angeles(Available for students living in: Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura counties) Keith McCarthy Academy(Available for students living in the Lake Elsinore School District) Method Schools(Available for students living in: Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Kern counties) Moreno Valley Online Academy(Available for students living in the Moreno Valley Unified School District) Riverside Virtual School Sierra Plumas Virtual Academy(Available for students living in Sierra County) Colorado 70 Online(Available for students living in the Pueblo County School District 70) Colorado Preparatory Academy Colorado Virtual Academy Destinations Career Academy of Colorado Grand River Academy Peak Virtual Academy(Available for students living in the Montrose School District) Pikes Peak Online School PSD Global Academy Springs Studio for Academic Excellence World Academy Florida Bay Virtual Instruction Program(Available for students living in Bay County) Calhoun Virtual Instruction Program(Available for students living in Calhoun County) Clay Virtual Academy(Available for students living in Clay County) Collier Virtual School(Available for students living in Collier County) Florida Cyber Charter Academy(Available for students living in Clay, Duval, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, and Osceola Counties) Florida Virtual School Franklin Virtual Instruction Program(Available for students living in Franklin County) Glades Virtual Instruction Program(Available for students living in Glades County) Indian River Virtual Instruction Program(Available for students living in Indian River County) Jackson County Virtual Instruction Program(Available for students living in Jackson County) Liberty County Virtual Instruction Program(Available for students living in Liberty County) Madison County Virtual School(Available for students living in Madison County) Miami-Dade Online Academy(Available for students living in Miami-Dade County) Mosaic Digital Academy(Available for students living in Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties) MyDistrict Virtual School(Available for students living in: Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lafayette, Levy, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, and Union counties) Nassau County Virtual School(Available for students living in Nassau County) Okaloosa County Virtual School(Available for students living in Okaloosa County) Osceola Virtual School(Available for students living in Osceola County) Polk County Virtual School(Available for students living in Polk County) Santa Rosa Online(Available for students living in Santa Rosa County) Sarasota Virtual School(Available for students living in Sarasota County) St. Johns County Virtual School(Available for students living in St. Johns County) Volusia Virtual School(Available for students living in Volusia County) Washington County Virtual School(Available for students living in Washington County) Georgia Georgia Cyber Academy Thomas County Virtual Program(Available to students living in: Thomas, Brooks, Mitchell and Colquitt counties) Wilcox County Schools Online Education Program(Available to students living in Wilcox County) Hawaii Hawaii Technology Academy Idaho Icon: Idaho Connects Online School Idaho Connections Academy Idaho Distance Education Academy Idaho Technical Career Academy Idaho Virtual Academy iSucceed Virtual High School Illinois Chicago Virtual Charter School(Available to students who reside within Chicago city limits and can attend the Learning Center for instruction once a week) Cambridge Academy at Cambridge Lakes Charter School Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired Indiana Hoosier Academies Iowa Iowa Virtual Academy Kansas Basehor-Linwood Virtual School Haven Virtual Academy Insight School of Kansas Insight School of Kansas Adult Kansas Connections Academy Kansas Virtual Academy Lawrence Virtual School Turning Point Virtual Program Louisiana Grambling Laboratory Virtual School Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy Mentorship Academy Southern University Laboratory Virtual School Vernon Parish School District Maine Maine Virtual Academy Massachusetts Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School Michigan Insight School of Michigan Jenison International Academy(Available to students who live in Ottawa, Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, Montcalm, Ionia, Barry, and Allegan counties) Michigan District Virtual Programs Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy Michigan Virtual Charter Academy Westwood Cyber High School Minnesota Bluesky Charter School eMinnesota Online Academy Insight School of Minnesota iQ Academy Minnesota LinK ¹Ã‚ ² Lakeville Minnesota Connections Academy Minnesota Virtual Academy Minnesota Virtual High School MN Online High School VIBE Academy Wolf Creek Online Charter School Mississippi Mississippi Virtual Public School Nevada Nevada Connections Academy Nevada Virtual Academy Northeastern Nevada Virtual Academy New Hampshire Virtual Learning Academy New Jersey Newark Prep Charter School(Available to students residing within the city of Newark) New Mexico New Mexico Virtual Academy North Carolina North Carolina Virtual School Ohio Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow Insight School of Ohio Ohio Connections Academy Ohio Distance and Electronic Learning Academy Ohio Virtual Academy TRECA Digital Academy Oklahoma Insight School of Oklahoma Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy Oregon Albany Online! Bend-La Pine Schools Online(Available to students in grades K–12 residing in the Bend-La Pine district and surrounding areas.) Crater Lake Charter Academy(Available to students residing in Jackson County School District and neighboring districts) Hermiston Online Program(Students from Hermiston district preferred, but will accept out of district students) Insight School of Oregon- Painted Hills Monroe School District Online(Available to students residing in Benton County.) North Wasco Virtual Academy Oregon Connections Academy Oregon iSchool Oregon Virtual Academy Pennsylvania 21st Century Cyber Charter School Achievement House Cyber Charter School Agora Cyber Charter School Bald Eagle Area Cyber Academy(Available to students who reside within district) Bangor Area School District Cyber School(Available to students who reside in Bangor, East Bangor, Portland, and Roseto, Lower Mount Bethel, Upper Mount Bethel, and Washington.) Berks Online Learning(Available to students residing in Berks County.) Boyertown Area School District Brandywine Heights Area School District Carlisle Area School District Central PA Digital Learning Foundation Conestoga Valley Virtual Academy(Available to students residing in Conestoga Valley School District) Ephrata Virtual Academy(Available to students residing in the Ephrata Area School District) Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School Reach Cyber Charter School Southeast Delco School District Steelton-Highspire School District(Available to students in the Steelton-Highspire School District) Tulpehocken Virtual Academy(Available to students in Tulpehocken Area School District.) South Carolina Provost Academy of South Carolina South Carolina Connections Academy South Carolina Virtual Charter School South Dakota Black Hills Online Learning Community Texas Texas Online Preparatory School Texas Virtual Academy Texas Virtual School Utah Utah Virtual Academy Washington Insight School of Washington Internet Academy iQ Academy Washington(Available to students who live in the Evergreen Public School District) Learning 2 eSchoolof Wichita Mid Columbia Partnership North Franklin Virtual Academy(Available to students residing within North Franklin District) Washington Virtual Academies West Virginia West Virginia Virtual School Wisconsin Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin IQ Academy Mighty River Virtual Academy Oregon School District Online Sparta Area School District Wisconsin Rapids Virtual School Program(Available to students residing in Wisconsin Rapids School District) Wisconsin Virtual Academy Wisconsin Virtual Learning Wyoming Washakie #1 Online(Available for students living in Washakie #1 County school district) Wyoming Connections Academy Wyoming Virtual Academy Reasons to Attend an Online High School Attending high school online isn't right for everyone, but for some, it can be the best way to earn a high school diploma. If you're thinking about enrolling in an online public school, you may want to think about whether these reasons apply to you and your circumstances. Schedule and Study Flexibility Taking courses online, rather than in person, allows students to set their own study schedules. So long as you engage in the school program for the necessary number of hours per week and complete your assignments, most programs allow you to study when and where you want. So if you're someone who hasan outside interestthattakes considerable time and needs to be scheduled arounddedicated athletes, artists, peopleworking full time, or anyone else who has tocommithours outside of school every weekattending high school online can give you the necessary flexibility to balance school with your other activities. Can Set Your Own Learning Pace Online high schools allow students to learn at their own pace, whether that pace is faster or slower than that of a typical physical public school.Because the courses in an online program are self-directed, this allows students to settheir own learning speed,rather than feeling frustrated that aclass is going too fast or too slow based on the needs of a whole group ofstudents. So if you are an academic achiever who wants to get ahead of your grade/age level, or are someone who is falling behind academically and need to slow down from your grade/age level, an online high school experience might be the right fit for you. Can Study From Home or on the Move There are an endless variety of reasons why taking classes and studying from home may be preferableto taking classes at a physical school. For these people, taking classes online is the perfect way to stay in school without being beholden to attending school physically. Perhaps you have a family that frequently moves and so cannot stay in one place for long enough to attend aphysical school. Perhaps you are someone who doesn't have easy access to a physical school or feels that nearby schools are unsuitable for whatever reason.Or perhaps you aresomeonewitha chronic medical condition or someone who needs to be otherwise home bound. Whatever the reason you may find taking classes from home is more suitable than taking classes outside the home, online high schools can provide the accommodationand adaptability that so many students need to complete their studies An Option for Teenagers or Adults Who Never Finished High School On average, people who receivea high school diploma earnmore than those who receivea GED. So, if you're someone who never attended or completed high school for any reason, you might think about earning an official diploma rather than testing out for your GED. An online high school program could be the right fit for you if younever completed high school, butstill want the complete high school experienceandan accredited diploma to show for it. What's Next? Want to learn more about online high school programs? Check out what it means for a high school to be accreditedand how to avoid non-accredited online schools. Still undecided whether or not an online high school is right for you? Learn more aboutthe pros and cons of attending an online high school. Thinking about different kinds of alternative schools (other than online)? Check out our guide to alternative schools and how they might be the right fit for you. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Courtney Montgomery About the Author Courtney scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT in high school and went on to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology. She is passionate about bringing education and the tools to succeed to students from all backgrounds and walks of life, as she believes open education is one of the great societal equalizers. She has years of tutoring experience and writes creative works in her free time. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Europe between Wars 1919-1939 and European Crisis Assignment

Europe between Wars 1919-1939 and European Crisis - Assignment Example The Weimar Republic had to face and go through a severe economic fall in the first years of the decade because of the debt and the reparations caused by the War and the Treaty of Versailles, which culminated in 1923 with the devaluation of the Mark (the currency). Communism attracted many followers after the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War, and so communists (Bolsheviks) adopted a policy of mixed economies in the period between 1921 and 1928. Fascist movement as a response and a solution for the prevention of the communism spread in many countries in Europe, with Germany having the leading role. This period was believed to be the third period of anxiety for Europe (the previous two that could be compared in intensity with this one being the one of the ancient world and the Reformation). Totalitarianism as a concept in political theory arose in the XX century. Although there are slight differences and variations among totalitarian regimes, the chief characteristics of totalitarianism are: a) Totalitarian regime encompasses the whole of the society, and authoritarian government, as a variation focuses only on governance. For a regime to be considered totalitarian, government and society must be closely intertwined and there is only one political party; b) Totalitarianism holds strict government control of the media which is to be used only as a means of propaganda; c) There is no personal liberty in cultural, political and artistic expression among the people; d) People must be utterly devoted to the state and must never criticize the government or any of its segments as they and their whole families may "disappear" or end up in prison as "political" prisoners. e) Nazism and Fascism are considered totalitarian regimes of the right, while Stalinism is the totalitarianism of the left.

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History vietnam war - Essay Example His sole aim was to free the country from the foreign occupation. His headquarters were in a cave in northern Vietnam. He gained popular support soon, and on 2-9-1945, he declared the establishment of an independent Vietnam with a new government named as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The French fought back, with determination to retain the territory. Ho was with the US in the initial stages for strategic reasons. He supplied intelligence input to them about the Japanese during World War II. He wanted the US support against the French. But to challenge and contain the spread of Communism was the main goal of the US, as part of its international policy. So Ho’s strategy to get aligned with US, did not work, as US feared about the Communist influence on Vietnam. It supported the French. It sent military aid to the France to defeat Ho in the year 1950. In 1954, the French suffered a massive defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and decided to pullout from the soil of Vietnam. The ceasefi re would follow the temporary division of Vietnam, amongst the communist and non-communist supporters. A general election would be held in 1956 to reunite the country and bring it under one government.

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Criminal Justice Capstone - Research Proposal Example This paper explores gun violence, the triggers and ways to curb it. Gun violence is a problem that can be traced to the advent of guns. But unlike ancient aggressive actions of individuals, violence in the current era of sophisticated guns has been more serious and damaging to the victims and the society in general. The influx of firearms in Arkansas has served to offer a more sincere means of threats as well as a faster medium of taking out human life. The initial interaction American society had with guns in the mid-nineteenth century was exceptionally lacklustre (Hogeboom, 2000). The extension of the acquisition of guns to civilians created the unintended result of an effective means of death, especially in states with poor anti-gun laws like Arkansas. The slacken rules of owning a gun without proper license in the state has led to rampant cases of murder in the state (Devi, 2012). The intense measures of violence associated with guns over the years have prompted various actions to be taken in order to minimize the injurious situations that have occurred and continue occurring in the state. Other states, however, have implemented laws that offer exceptionally punitive penalties for unlawful possession of a gun. Task forces that seek to limit the amount of illegal weapons available within the public have also sprouted in the state, but with little if any achievements made so far (Stell, 2004). In light of this, researchers have proposed that further action in the form of tighter legislation should be enacted to limit cases of gun violence in Arkansas (Lot, 2013). However, a major source of contention stems from the Second Amendment, which legalizes gun ownership for security and sporting events (Faria, 2012). This paper explores th e issue of gun violence in Arkansas and proposes strategies that if implemented would curb the problem. The grave issue of gun violence in Arkansas

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Seminar in criminology - Discussion 10 - Essay Example However, it cannot be determined chiefly by looking at the offender’s arrest data. The drawback is that not all forms of crimes get recorded in official police documents. Nonetheless, by measuring the time that has elapsed until the offender committed another crime is one of the ways of measuring recidivism and has no drawback. Interviewing the offender to establish whether he or she has committed more crimes after enrolling in a probation program is also helpful. The drawback is that the offender may lie. Another way to measure would be to make charts of the new offenses that the offender commits over the amount of time that elapses. Lastly, making an analysis of the criminal events that the offender carries out such as violations, convictions and new arrests is also helpful. The drawback in this case is that not all offenders get arrested based on truthful causes. Burgess found that those offenders who had no favorable items and those who had nine unfavorable items were the ones who were not likely to succeed while on probation (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge, 2014). On page 294, it is evident that Burgess found that they only had a 45% chance of succeeding (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge,

Information flows and financial management Essay - 2

Information flows and financial management - Essay Example This essay intends to give an implicit description on its operation and transacting. More importantly, the first two scenarios in the test-drive manual. The scenarios are, project code and transfer of funds. This introductory part intends to acquaint a first time user. It entails procedures followed and observations made when running the test drive through the two stated scenarios. Project code is a simple document that adds to the Kauli Financial system. The person who enter a document in this system is referred to us the author or initiator. On completion of selecting and accumulation of data, the system is able to route the eDoc automatically for online approval. Routing is only possible if its setting in the system is active. This process starts by clicking the â€Å"Main Menu† tab. On â€Å"Look up and Maintenance† tab click ‘Project Code’. The Look up screen appears. At this point, click â€Å"Create new† to create a new electronic document. The eDoc format appears with an assigned identity number on the top of the screen (Dan, 2011). In reference to the directive on the manual on how to find valid principal names by using several and different characters, it was unsuccessful (Dan, 2011).Tom Edwards is an alternative principal name in the project manager principal space. After the above steps, submission of the form for approval is done by clicking on the â€Å"submit† tab. The screen indicated the following details: The specified project manager principal name, the specified chart code and the specified organization code does not exist. However, using valid codes and principal name, the form’s submission succeeds. This technicality happens because of the rules guiding validation. These rules are unique in each institution (Dan, 2011). The question in this observation any first time user might ask is, â€Å"why the form was not successfully submitted?† Answering this

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Figurative Language versus Literal Language - Essay Example An analogy is used to compare two things, and its function is to explain or clarify. An example of an analogy is your brain is like a sponge. An ideal circumstance to use this example would be when explaining how one’s brain is capable of absorbing information - much like a sponge soaks up water. This particular analogy may be misconstrued if the individual hearing this phrase is unaware of the similar functions between a brain and a sponge and that they are both capable of holding a large quantity. A metaphor is when two completely different objects, concepts, or actions are compared. The purpose of a metaphor is to provide a greater comprehension of what is being described. An example of a metaphor is time is money. Time is nothing like money, but this phrase can be appropriately used when the speaker is trying to instill into workers, for example, the importance of not wasting time, which could lead to wasting time. This phrase could be misunderstood if the listener is unable to see how time and money are associated. A simile is a figure of speech that allows two dissimilar things to be directly compared using words â€Å"like† or â€Å"as† to connect them to each other. The purpose of a simile is to reveal the relationship between two completely unlike things. An example of a simile is as busy as a bee. This example best describes how quickly and efficiently that someone is working, comparing them to the energetic work ethics of a bee as it keeps its hive operative. This phrase might lead to misunderstanding if the listener is unfamiliar with the workings and importance of a bee to the success of its hive. A cliche is a phrase that is overused and lacking original thought, often causing the phrase to lose its original meaning. The function of a cliche is to explain a concept with more accuracy than a metaphor or original description. One of the most common cliches is time heals all wounds. This phrase is best used when comforting someone after

Information flows and financial management Essay - 2

Information flows and financial management - Essay Example This essay intends to give an implicit description on its operation and transacting. More importantly, the first two scenarios in the test-drive manual. The scenarios are, project code and transfer of funds. This introductory part intends to acquaint a first time user. It entails procedures followed and observations made when running the test drive through the two stated scenarios. Project code is a simple document that adds to the Kauli Financial system. The person who enter a document in this system is referred to us the author or initiator. On completion of selecting and accumulation of data, the system is able to route the eDoc automatically for online approval. Routing is only possible if its setting in the system is active. This process starts by clicking the â€Å"Main Menu† tab. On â€Å"Look up and Maintenance† tab click ‘Project Code’. The Look up screen appears. At this point, click â€Å"Create new† to create a new electronic document. The eDoc format appears with an assigned identity number on the top of the screen (Dan, 2011). In reference to the directive on the manual on how to find valid principal names by using several and different characters, it was unsuccessful (Dan, 2011).Tom Edwards is an alternative principal name in the project manager principal space. After the above steps, submission of the form for approval is done by clicking on the â€Å"submit† tab. The screen indicated the following details: The specified project manager principal name, the specified chart code and the specified organization code does not exist. However, using valid codes and principal name, the form’s submission succeeds. This technicality happens because of the rules guiding validation. These rules are unique in each institution (Dan, 2011). The question in this observation any first time user might ask is, â€Å"why the form was not successfully submitted?† Answering this

Self Disclosure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self Disclosure - Essay Example Self disclosure is a major decision on the part of the personal as its sharing is liable to make the person vulnerable. There are different types of situation that may warrant self disclosure of confidential information. According to Fisher, an eminent psychologist, 'Pick someone you can trust... Try to gain enough understanding and objectivity that you can then develop a strategy for further disclosure" (Fisher, 1994). The most important is the sharing of intimate details of one's personal health and family history with the physician or doctors or counselors who need the information to diagnose the medical illness. Patients afflicted with HIV/AIDS, mental illnesses, substance abuse and other sexual diseases, generally do not prefer to share this information with heir friends and relatives for fear of being treated as social pariahs. The social stigmas attached with the diseases makes people wary of sharing this vital information which is not only dangerous for the person concerned b ut it also threatens the well being of the people associated with it. It is therefore, important that such people disclose this information with their friends so that both of them can take appropriate precautions while maintaining their relationship. Another area where self disclosure becomes important is the marriage or part... But it is equally true that self disclosure is not risk proof and may become counter productive and adversely effect the relations. But overall, self disclosure, within the marital relationship, is considered to be a bonding factor and encourages trust building that helps overcome their differences. The advent of internet has redefined the communication and has become one the most powerful tools of information. While easy access to information through internet has been hailed as the most radical process of dissemination of information, the lack of effective control over the same has become a cause of great concern with the increasing cases of variety of cyber crimes. Identity theft and identity fraud are cyber crimes that have serious repercussions on the society as people's identity and their confidential information is used by the cyber criminal to committed different types of illegal activities. Hence, discretion is self disclosure is advisable. Conclusion One can therefore conclude that self disclosure that leads to sharing of personal information amongst the friends and acquaintances is not always a straight option and might involve huge adverse ramifications for the person. The self disclosure of confidential information makes people susceptible to blackmail by vested interests and people must use their discretion and divulge information that is necessary and pertains to the issue in question. Reference Fisher, D. (1994). A psychiatrist's gradual disclosure. New York State, Office of Mental Health, OMH News, 6(9), 16. Available from: [Accessed 19 February,

What Is Absenteeism And What Causes Absence Management Essay

What Is Absenteeism And What Causes Absence Management Essay An employees deliberate or habitual absence from work. In todays working organisations everybody misses a day of work now and then. But when an employee misses too many days of work it can be a big problem for the organisation and this can cause serious problems when all other employees have to cover for the missing worker or in worse cases the work simply doesnt get done. Absenteeism occurs when the employees of a company do not turn up to work due to scheduled time off, illness, injury, or any other reason. Recent studies have reviled that Absenteeism sometimes put the figure much higher. One recent Gallup poll did not put a price tag on the sniffles and swollen eyes, but claimed that more than 3 million workdays per year are lost when working people stay home because their allergies are acting up. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a study in 1994 claiming that clinical depression alone resulted in more than 213 million lost workdays, costing $24 billion. Furthermore, a 1995 study discovered a correlation between absenteeism and employee turnover. Companies with high rates of absenteeism were found to be more likely to have their employees leave for jobs with other firms. In light of such findings, employers have recognized that a generous absence policy can be profitable and contribute to employee satisfaction and stability.  [1]   If we look back the history, there is only a small written history of absenteeism in business literature, probably because until the 20th century businesses had a simple rule, No work: no pay. Then labour unions forced the companies into contracts to allow employees to take time off from work for illness or vacations and the practice of offering paid sick days become widespread. These practices still vary among companies and union contracts and normally there is an average of four to ten sick days per year is standard. Companies have realized that human absence management policies are cost effective; even many companies were unwilling to off paid leave to their employees. In fact, there is an estimate in the current studies regarding absenteeism that those company who have effective employee absence strategies can reduce their overall payroll costs by atleast 10 percent. HOW MUCH ABSENTEEISM COST THE BUSINESS: Most recent studies on absenteeism have claimed that missing employees cost companies millions of pounds in lost revenue each year. There have been several surveys to find out how much exactly does absenteeism cost the organisations, some of them are as under: According to a new survey by Mercer,  The Total Financial Impact of Employee Absences, the total cost of absence can equal as much as 36% of payroll (compared to 15.4% for health care coverage). Of that figure, 9% accounts for unplanned absences. Planned absences, like vacations and holidays, average 26.6%. For a midsize business, this unplanned absence can account for as much as $4.5 million per year and unplanned absences like casual sick days result in the highest per-day productivity loss, 21% versus just 15% for planned absences like vacation days. On an average, employees have 5.3 unplanned absence days per year.  [2]   The other most recent survey on the common causes of absenteeism by BBC has revealed that within the UK 93% of workers cite cods and flu as their common reason for being away from their work. IHC estimates that 13.4 million working days a year are lost to stress, anxiety and depression, and 12.3 million to back and upper limb problems. And the overall cost to UK industry? A whopping  £11.5bn in 2002 was paid out in wages to absent employees and on additional overtime and temporary staff cover, according to the CBI. One such firm that has decided to tackle the problem of workplace absence is investment management company INVESCO. Based in the City of London and Henley-on-Thames and employing 1,000 permanent staff, it realised that absenteeism, whether to visit a doctor, physiotherapist or councillor, was costing it an estimated  £38,000 a year after carrying out a study into the problem in late 2002.  [3]   Absence from work costs British industry  £10.2bn a year, mainly through minor illnesses, stress and family responsibilities, according to a new report. A survey of more than 530 firms for the Confederation of British Industry estimated that 200m days were lost through sickness absence last year, an average of 8.5 days per worker.  [4]   The  Massachusetts Institute of Technology  (MIT) is a  private  research university located in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, United States, MIT has released a study in 1994 that, Clinical depression alone resulted in more than 213 million lost workdays, costing $24 billion.  [5]   According to an annual survey report of CIPD in 2009, it is stated that the annual cost of absence, is highest in the public sector, averaging  £784 per employee per year. Manufacturing and production employers recorded the next highest cost at  £754 per employee per year. Absence costs among non-profit organisations also fell slightly to  £698 from  £741 per employee per year.  Private services organisations recorded the lowest annual absence costs, averaging  £666. However, the findings showed that only 41% of employers monitor the cost of employee absence, a figure which has remained stubbornly low over the last few years.  Annual Absence Labour Turnover Survey 2008  by the CBI and insurer AXA revealed that of the 172 million sick days lost to absence in 2007, more than one in ten (12%) are thought to be non-genuine. These 21 million sick employees cost the economy  £1.6bn and two thirds of employers think that people use them to extend their weekends.  [6]   Another company Hewitt Associates  which is based in  Lincolnshire,  Illinois  is a global  human resources  (HR)  outsourcing   and  consulting  firm which delivers a wide range of integrated services to help companies manage their total HR and employee costs and improve their workforces has confirmed that: Sickness costs UK companies more than  £1,000 per employee every year. In addition, absenteeism is costing employers at least  £662 per employee, although this rises by as much as 60% once indirect costs, such as lost productivity, overtime and recruitment, are included. The first Hewitt Healthcare Fundamentals Survey, found that many companies are under-estimating their rate of absenteeism and its financial impact as less than two thirds of companies indicated that they properly record employee absenteeism. The survey showed that the biggest causes of absenteeism are flu, muscular injuries such as back pain and repetitive strain injury, and stress and depression. Some 56% of respondents said that stress is an issue for their organisation yet only a third provides stress management coaching for their managers. The report makes it clear that stress is predicted to be the main cause of employee ill-health in the next three years. If the UK economy worsens, stress levels can undo ubtedly be expected to rise further, making this the biggest threat to employee health in the UK. Poor health and work absenteeism has long been recognised as a problem for UK employers. According to a recent review by Dame Carol Black, the National Director for Health and Work at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, the total cost of sickness and absenteeism to the UK economy is over  £60 billion.  [7]   Forum of Private Business (FPB) an online forum has recently conducted a survey on how much absenteeism is costing the business in the United Kingdom. This forum warned that the cost of a single day of workers absenteeism within UK because of the freezing winter conditions could be at least  £230 million. FPB also stated that: Employee absenteeism represents a huge cost for many small businesses. According to the FPBs recent cost of compliance survey, small business employers in the UK spend a total of  £391 million per year on absence control and management more than on any other aspect of employment law.  [8]   WHAT CAUSES ABSENCE? The most common main causes of sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees have been identified as: Manual Non-Manual Minor illness (cold, flu, stomach upsets headaches) Minor illness (cold, flu, stomach upsets headaches) Back pain Stress Musculo-skeletal injuries Musculo-skeletal injuries Home/family responsibilities Back pain Stress Home/family responsibilities Recurring medical conditions Recurring medical conditions Injuries/accidents not related to work Other absences not related to ill-health The latest studies and surveys have revealed that an increase in stress related absence is continuing in number of employers these days. INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS International comparison of absence rates is equally useful and informative. The title sick man of Europe was once given to Britain because of apparently poor industrial relations record. This title can be given to any other country now as absence rates in the UK are among the lowest of any EU member country. Table 1 illustrates this point: Country Short-term Absenteeism rate Long-term Absenteeism rate Denmark UK Austria Sweden Ireland Norway Netherlands France Germany Belgium Italy Portugal 3.5 3.6 4.1 4.4 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.8 6.9 8.0 9.1 5.5 12.7 3.0 10.4 13.3 11.1 6.5 6.6 5.5 11.2 Source: Adapted from CBI, Focus on Absence, 1989  [9]   THEORIES RELEVANT TO ABSENTEEISM MOTIVATION THEORY The word motivation is used to describe certain sorts of behaviour. The purpose of motivation theories is to predict behaviours. Motivation is not the behaviour itself, and it is not performance. Motivation concerns action and the internal and external forces which influence a persons choice of action (Mitchell 1987).  [10]   HERZBERGS TWO FACTOR THEORY Herzberg used the critical incidental method and his original study was chosen because of the growing importance in the business world and his study was consisted of interviews with 203 accountants and engineers  from different industries in the Pittsburgh area of America. The responses to these interviews were generally consistent and revealed that there were two different sets of factors affecting motivation and work. This led to the Two Factor Theory of motivation and job satisfaction. Herzberg concluded that the factors as company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions, and salary are not motivators but are hygiene factors. According to Herzbergs theory, the absence of hygiene factors can create job satisfaction and on the other hand their presence does not motivate or create satisfaction. In contrast, he determined from data that the motivators were elements that enriched a persons job he found  five factors  in particular that were strong  determiners of job satisfaction: Achievement Recognition The work itself Responsibility Advancement  Ã‚   According to Herzberg theory these motivators who also can be known as satisfiers were associated with  long-term  positive effects in job performance while the hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) consistently produced only  short-term changes in job attitudes and performance, which quickly fell back to its previous level. In summary,  satisfiers describe a persons relationship with that she or he  does, many related to the tasks being performed.  On the other hand dissatisfiers have to do with a persons  relationship to the context or environment  in which she or he performs the job.  Ã‚  The satisfiers or motivators relate to what a person does while the dissatisfiers relate to the situation in which the person does what he or she does. Herzberg argued that extra compensation only work in the short term and other hygiene factors only avoid dissatisfaction and that satisfaction comes from intrinsic motivators. Herzberg developed the job enhancement process and brought out the following features in his theory: Direct feedback non-evaluative feedback on work performance which goes straight to the employee, not through a superior. New learning employees given opportunities to learn new and meaningful skills Scheduling employees are permitted to organise their own work patterns within reasonable limits Unique expertise using ones special skills and knowledge Control over resources having an individual budget for which one is responsible Direct communications authority being able to communicate as necessary to get the job done Personal accountability the employee is directly accountable for the work.  [11]   ATTRIBUTION THEORY Attribution theory suggests that we observe a persons behaviour and then try to establish whether internal or external forces caused it. If it is judged to be internal, it is seen as being under the persons control; if it is judged to be external, it is seen as a result of the situation. Attribution is said to be subjected to a number of considerations, because we judge actions in a context. For example, we judge how distinctive behaviour is and whether behaviour is unusual for a particular person. Attribution theory is very much relevant to absenteeism as for example the employee is absent from work and the circumstances are that his or her attendance record is exemplary, then the behaviour could be considered unusual and an external cause (that is, that the behaviour is outside the control of the individual) will be attributed. If the absenteeism fits in with the general pattern of behaviour, then an internal attribution will be attached (that is, it will be seen as being under the persons control). DOUGLAS MCGREGOR THEORY X THEORY Y According to Douglas McGregor there are two distinct views of human beings, the first one is basically negative, labelled as Theory X, and the other basically positive, labelled as Theory Y. McGregor concluded, after viewing the way in which managers dealt with employees, that a managers view of the nature of human beings is based on a certain grouping of assumptions and that he or she tends to mold his or her behaviour toward employees according to these assumptions: According to McGregors Theory X, there are four assumptions held by managers which are: Employees inherently dislike work and whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it. Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with punishment to achieve goals. Employees will avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible. Most workers place security above all other factors associated with work and will display little ambition.  [12]   In contrast to these negative views about the nature of human beings, McGregor listed the four positive assumptions that he called Theory Y: Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play. People will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives. The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibilities. The ability to make innovative decisions is widely dispersed throughout the population and is not necessarily the sole province of those in management positions.  [13]   HOW TO MEASURE ABSENTEEISM To measure worker absenteeism the most obvious way is to record how many days have employees not come in to work. The companies should have some sort of clock-in or accountability set-up making this step relatively simple. Once the numbers are available, surely it would be interesting to know how many of those workers were genuinely ill. Measuring absenteeism can serve as many as four purposes for organisations, which includes the following: Administering payroll and benefits programs Planning human resource requirements for production scheduling identifying absenteeism problems measuring and controlling personnel costs (Gandz and Mikalachki, 1979) Actual assessment and analyzing is a key aspect of managing absence effectively. Organisations must assess if they have complications with absenteeism, its extent and find out the best way to tackle it. In the latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) absence survey, less than half of employers monitor the cost of absence,  and just under  half of organisations have set a target for reducing absence and only 38% of organisations benchmark themselves against other employers.   To analyse particular arrangement of absenteeism and underlying the basis, employers should acquire and use data, for example, the management approach of an appropriate manager or an increase in workloads. This can also provide the evidence of how absenteeism impacts on the bottom line and why it value investing in an effective absenteeism management programme. HOW TO MEASURE TIME LOST? To evaluate absenteeism there are a number of different measures that can be used, each of which can gives information about the different aspects of absenteeism. Some of the factors are described as under: LOST TIME RATE Lost time rate measure  articulate the percentage of the total time available which has been lost due to absence: Total absence (hours or days) in the period  x 100   Possible total (hours or days) in the period   For instance, if the total absence of the employees in the period is 155 person-hours and the total time available is 1,950 person-hours, the lost time rate will be:   155 x 100 = 7.95%   1,950   This can also be calculated separately for the individual departments of different groups of employees to uncover particular absence problems within an organisation. FREQUENCY RATE The frequency rate method shows an average number of absences per employee, which is expressed as a percentage. This does not give any indication of the length or duration of each absence period, nor any indication of employees who take more than one spell of absence and it is calculated as under:   No of spells of absence in the period  x 100   No of employees   For example, if an organisation employed on average 110 workers in one month, and during this time there were a total of 24 spells of absence, the frequency rate will be:   24  x 100 = 21.82%   110   To find out the individual frequency rate, we have to count the number of workers who take at least one interval of absence in the period, rather than to total number of intervals of absence. BRADFORD FACTOR This method expresses the persistent short-term absence for individuals, by measuring the number of spells of absence, and is therefore a useful measure of the disruption caused by this type of absence. It is calculated using the formula:   S x S x D S = number of spells of absence in 52 weeks taken by an individual   D = number of days of absence in 52 weeks taken by that individual   For example:   10 one-day absences: 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000   1 ten-day absence: 1 x 1 x 10 = 10   5 two-day absences: 5 x 5 x 10 = 250   2 five-day absences: 2 x 2 x 10 = 40   The trigger points will differ between organisations. The underlying causes will need to be identified for all unauthorised absence. ABSENCE POLICIES The companies should have clear policies in place which support their business objectives and culture and this is the first step to managing absenteeism efficiently. Under the current legislation employers are required to provide their staff with knowledge on any terms and conditions relating to inadequacy for work due to the sickness or injury, including any arrangement for sick pay. Effective absenteeism policies must spell out clearly employees rights and responsibilities when taking time off from work due to sickness or any other reason. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is Europes largest HR development professional body which support and develop the management and development of people within organization, has explained that the following few facts are most considerable and the policies should: Provide details of contractual sick pay terms and its relationship with statutory sick pay Outline the process employees must follow if taking time off sick covering when and whom employees should notify if they are not able to attend work Include when (after how many days) employees need a self-certificate form Contain details of when they require a fit note from their doctor Explain that adjustments may be appropriate to assist the employee in returning to work as soon as is practicable   Mention that the organisation reserves the right to require employees to attend an examination by a company doctor and (with the workers consent) to request a report from the employees doctor Include provisions for return-to-work interviews as these have been identified as the most effective intervention to manage short-term absence.  [14]   HOW TO MANAGE ABSENTEEISM Before we discuss how to manage absenteeism we look the types of absenteeism. There are many other reasons why people take time off from work. These can be categorised as under: Non permitted absence or continuous lateness Long-term sickness absence Short-term sickness absence (uncertificated, self-certificated, or covered by a doctors fit note which replaced the sick note from April 2010) Other authorised absences:  for example,  annual leave; maternity, paternity, adoption, or parental leave; time off for public or trade union duties, or to care for dependents; compassionate leave; educational leave. Other than these above categories of absenteeism there are two main types of absenteeism, know as short term absenteeism and long term absenteeism. We discuss in detail how to manage these two main types of absenteeism: MANAGING SHORT-TERM ABSENCE Short term absence also known as absence interventions. The most effective interventions in managing short term absence include the followings: A proactive absence management policy Return-to-work interviews Disciplinary procedures for unacceptable absence levels Involving trained line managers in absence management Providing sickness absence information to line managers Restricting sick pay Involving occupational health professionals The most common method which is currently being adopted by many organisations is return-to-work interviews which can help identify short-term absence problems at an early stage. These return-to-work interviews provide an opportunity to managers to start a dialogue with staff over underlying issues, which might be causing the absence.   Tim Holden, the Managing Director of  FLUID, draws on more than 10 years experience as an award-winning recruiter and trainer. FLUID works with organisations to enhance their attractiveness to both current and future employees. Holden suggests that: The use of disciplinary procedures for unacceptable absence may be used to make it clear to employees that unjustified absence will not be tolerated and that absence policies will be enforced.  Ã‚  [15]   According to CIPDs recent survey it has been revealed that, only 12% of organisations use attendance incentives or bonuses as a tool of absence management according to our latest absence survey. LINE MANAGERS ROLE To control and reduce the causes of absenteeism, line managers have a substantial role to play, either directly or indirectly. How managers behave is very important because it has a significant effect on employee health and comfort. Many recent researches show that line managers are the type of employees most likely to be reported as bullies within organisations. Management style within an organisation is also one of the top causes of stress at work.  Ã‚   In any organisations the managers need good communications skills to encourage employees so that they can feel free to discuss any problems they may have at an early stage so that they can be given support or advice by the managers before matters escalate. According to all the recent studies and surveys it is stated that despite of all the importance of line manager/supervisor involvement, there are only 50% organisations are training their line managers to get the skills needed to do this effectively. The organisations should train their line managers to get the following skills to handle the absenteeism properly and they should have a good knowledge of: Their companys absence policies and procedures What is their role in the absence management programme How to act upon any advice given by the doctor to the employee. All the related legal and disciplinary aspects of absence including potential disability discrimination issues   How to maintain absence record-keeping and understanding facts and figures on absence The role of occupational health services The proactive measures to support staff health and wellbeing Operation (where applicable) of trigger points Development of return-to-work interview skills Development of counselling skills. MANAGING LONG-TERM ABSENCE The current studies and researches on long term absence have shown that absence of  eight days or more justify about one third  of total time lost through absence and absence of four weeks or more accounts for more than 15%. Consequently it is very vital that organisations have an approved strategy in place to help their employees to get back to work after a continuous period of sickness or injury-related absence. The knowledge of potential disability discrimination claims is also critical these days.   THE ROLE OF LINE MANAGERS   The role and responsibilities of the line manager in the management of absence should be clearly defined. However, these days the role of line managers is paramount. It is the line managers responsibility to manager his or her departmental, or unit. Therefore it is his/her responsibility to see that these resources are used as effectively as possible. This means that levels of attendance should be good and absence kept to a minimum. The line managers should follow the companys approach to management style, organisation and allocation of work, as this will be a vital part of any strategy to control absence. In addition it is his/her responsibility to follow the company absence polices and procedures to staff. In addition, the line manager will be one of the main influences on an individuals view of the company attitude to absence. It is therefore important that the actions, and words of line manager support the companys position. Taking a difference stance on the management of absence, whether more strictly or leniently, will cause problems for the individual manager and for the organisation. Line managers must be able to rely on the support of senior management for decision they take in line with the companys policy, their responsibilities are as under: To effectively organize and allocate work; To use an appropriate management style; To ensure that all staff are adequately trained for their role; To communicate the absence policy and procedures to all subordinates; To apply policy and procedures in a consistent and fair manner; To deal with requests for prior approved absence; To keep accurate and up-to-date records of absences; To investigate reasons for unexplained absences; To carry out return to work interviews; To instigate disciplinary procedures, when required; To provide adequate feedback to senior management; To ensure adequate personal development and training to be able to meet these responsibilities effectively. As we already discussed the role of line manager in managing the short-term absence, now we discuss the role of the line manager in managing long-term absence which is also crucial for managing long-term absence and other interventions are also important, which include:   The occupational health involvement and proactive measures to support staff health and wellbeing The line management involvement as part of the absence management programme Restricting sick pay Changes to work patterns or environment Return-to-work interviews Rehabilitation programme There are also four typical components in the recovery and return-to-work process, which are discussed as under: Keeping in contact with sick employees   The line manager should ensure that a regular contact is maintained using both sensitive and non-intrusive approach with the employee and this should be agreed with the member of staff and manager and, also where appropriate, with the union or employee representative. Planning and undertaking workplace controls or adjustments   There can be some obstacles which may cause delay, interruption or difficulties to an employees return to work. A risk assessment can analyse measures or adjustm