Policy And Practice In the Education of Bilingual Children Essay

Policy And Practice In the Education of Bilingual Children - Essay Example The physical environment of the school and classroom Upon entering the school, a large map welcomes people with the sign that read: â€Å"Welcome to our school. We come from all over the world and we speak 27 languages†. For each language, it was connected to the country of origin as indicated in the map. This sign gave a very warm welcome to anyone who visited the school no matter what culture he or she comes from. An IT room is available for any EAL learner to use whenever one needs to consult a computer for spelling or grammar or anything that pertains to the English language. This additional resource to support their learning is another indication that the school anticipates learners’ needs and provides them when called for. The classroom observed had a big inflatable globe which represents a wide range of diversity is accepted there. The children can freely explore the globe and search for their own countries and link it to their native language. A trained EAL teac her was employed by the school to help facilitate the cognitive, language and literacy development of foreign children. Adults play a huge role in the language development of children, as they need someone who uses simple language in correct form and is flexible enough adjust his language to suit the child’s (Clay, 1988). Having a good second language teacher is essential to learning the language more fluently. The researcher does not discount the fact that imitation of proper pronunciation and intonation is necessary. Hence, learners should have attentive ears and retentive minds, and of course, cooperative tongues to be able to speak fluently in such language. Children also need opportunities to practice speaking and listening to the second language outside the language lessons, so that... This paper approves that in EAL, scaffolding comes in three forms, One is scaffolding by adults by making their expectations clear by sharing learning objectives and criteria for success with the students by way of modeling and demonstrating the English language, ‘recasting’ of the children’s language from their L1 and providing them with opportunities to use their whole language repertoire to aid them in understanding their L2. The teacher may also use scaffolding through visual support, via pictures, props, models, frames and language prompts, graphic organizers, diagrams, maps, plans and essentially all the print and picture cues they put up in the environmental setting. This report makes a conclusion that the numerous issues on second language learning, especially English, only prove that it is creating much impact on the development of children from diverse cultures. More and more people consider its advantages and possible disadvantages. Such amount of attention is worth it because people think up of ways on how to maximize its benefits. Learning another language apart from one’s native language helps children be ready to be highly competent in an increasingly globalized world. However, although they become bilingual, it should not be forgotten that they also become bicultural, and learning of one language and the culture that goes with it does not mean forgetting their original one. Teachers should take into consideration that their non-English speaking students should learn English in both its context and language elements so the students gain a better understanding and appreciation of the English language.

Response to The Omnivore's Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Response to The Omnivore's Dilemma - Essay Example Because of these extensive choices, dilemmas are arising in the human’s minds regarding how food items are produced, whether naturally or artificially, whether unethical practices are followed, in total dilemma of what food to eat. â€Å"When you can eat just about anything nature has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety† (Pollan 3). So, the main intent of the author, Michael Pollan is to provide the readers with an overview of the production process of various food choices, so the readers can select the apt foods, they want to consume. To learn for himself, and also to inform the readers about the production processes and thereby about food choices, Pollan follows the food chains of the three major food categories, which provide us the food– industrial food, organic food, and foraging food. That is, he examines the food chains of these three food categories from the initial till it reaches the humans stage (factory production and s upermarkets in the case of Industrial food, agricultural farms, small scale producers and vendors in the case of organic food and finally hunting expedition in case of foraging). â€Å"To this end, he embarks on four separate eating adventures, each of which starts at the very beginning — in the soil from which the raw materials of his dinners will emerge — and ends with a cooked, finished meal.† (Kamp 2006). The other main intent of Pollan is bring into focus how corn plant has came to dominate majority of the food choices in the American diet, and so allocates sizable portion of the book (close to 7 chapters) discussing about it. Although, corn is a benign plant, which is grown in large numbers throughout America and consumed directly in minimal quantities, it is actively used in the production of various food items, food additives, preservatives, etc. That is, after corn is produced, it is milled or refined or recompounded, and then it could â€Å"become any number of things, from ethanol for the gas tank to dozens of edible, if not nutritious, products, like the thickener in a milkshake, the hydrogenated oil in margarine, the modified cornstarch,†¦the ubiquitous sweetener known as high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).† (Kamp 2006). With such extensive ‘applications’, Corn plant production is crucial to the survival and functioning of the various food industries. Because of which, the industrial food industry is implementing various dubious and unethical production practices to produce corn in a large scale manner. With heightened production, the corn has become cheap and plentiful, with Pollan even stating that it has become a â€Å"remarkably inexpensive industrial raw material.† (Kamp 2006). As a result, Pollan argues, food is much cheaper and more plentiful than it used to be, but unfortunately the health of the humans and that of the environment has deteriorated. Pollan also had the intent to bring out th e negatives of the organic food industry as well. Although, the organic industry mainly produces environment friendly and healthy foods for the people to consume, the production process in that industry also has started bordering on commercialization. That is, producers are adopting many of the methods of the industrial fo

Globalization And Intercultural Communication Cultural Studies Essay

Globalization And Intercultural Communication Cultural Studies Essay What is Globalization? Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. What is intercultural communication? Intercultural communication, more precisely then, is defined as the study of communication between people whose cultural perception and symbol system are distinct enough to alter their communication e.g. In China, KFCs Finger licking good was translated as Eat your fingers off. Chevrolet attempted unsuccessfully to market its Nova compact car in Latin America countries. In Spanish no va means does not go or it does not run. In todays global scenario governments, organizations and companies are getting involved more and more. And because of globalization there has been fundamental change in who, where and why we do business and it is not constrained by borders or distance. More and more people from the remote locations in overseas location or from different cultural backgrounds are chosen to run the organization. To secure success in todays globalised workplace there is a need for effective and clear intercultural communication. How people communicate, manage, work together, approach deadlines, negotiate, meet, greet and build relationships are important aspects of intercultural communication within the context of globalised business or organization. It is becoming much more related on two fronts 1. Businesses with a mix of cultures working together and 2.Businesses wanting to trade successfully abroad. It leads to bad presentation and lost deals if people are unaware of how to get along and get business done. For achieving business goals and higher profitability it is necessary to understand intercultural communication differences, manners, etiquette, protocol and communication styles. To achieve competitive edge it is necessary to know intercultural communication. It is necessary for people to get it right and get it right at the first time. Intercultural communication plays an important role whenever an organization looks for a new supplier, giving a presentation or negotiating a contract. In conclusion, the need for intercultural communication skill is obvious we are all working in an interconnected global economy and it is important to build good relationships with people from other cultures. Globalised world economy is having a positive effect on individuals and companies. People extend their inter personal skills, flex their creative muscle and learn new ways of doing things when they are forced to think outside the box. It is necessary to build a good relationship with people in todays interconnected global economy which tells us the need for intercultural communication is important. This leads to better business. Key aspects of intercultural communication: Perception: The internal process by which we select, organise and intercept information from the outside world is known as Perception. In other words, what we tend to notice, reflect upon and respond to in our surroundings is our perception and it is significant to us. Because of which no two person can have same perception of our surroundings. It is especially in the case if we interact with people who come from very different cultures different from our own. The way in which each one of us perceives the world is learned and is part of our own cultural experience. Certain kind of food or the responses like we have to going to see the doctor is the judgement we make and we all react to these different events in the way our culture has taught. Our perceptions are culturally determined and in turn influence the way we communicate. Beliefs: The judgements which we make about what is true or wrong is known as Beliefs. It is usually linked to objects or events that pose certain characteristics that we believe to be true with or without proof. E.g. we have beliefs about religion (God), events (meeting was successful), other people (she is friendly) or even about ourselves (I am hard working). Most of our beliefs are ideas about how things work, why things are the way they are, and where things come from. Many of our beliefs are concerned with providing an explanation for things which would otherwise be unpredictable or inexplicable, such as weather, death and romance. Values: Values are defined as an enduring set of beliefs that serve to guide or direct our behaviour. It represents the norms of the culture and specify, for instance, what is good or bad, right or wrong, rude or polite, appropriate or inappropriate. In other words they provide us with a set of rules for behaving , making choices and reducing uncertainty. Like our perceptions and beliefs, values are learned and hence subject to interpretation. When we interpret behaviour, an object, or an event, we are applying value judgements, which reflect our particular culture. Culture and Pragmatics and Interactional Norms Whenever there is any effect on cultural on communication, text structure are more affected then in the case of inter culture communication. The meaning of equivalent units in terms of contexts of use, and the sorts of interactional trajectories are established by the effect of culture. The culturally based nature of meaning in language use is seen in example, which features an exchange in English between an Australian child and his French mother. Thank you Son: Hi Mum thanks for picking me up. Mother: Thanks for picking you up! Did you think? I wasnt going to come? But Im your Mum; of course I was going to come. Its dark and youre little. Of course I was going to pick you up. In the example a child thanks his mother and the mother reacts negatively. The meaning of thanks for picking up leads to the contention of the issue. Thanking is a mark of appreciation in Australian cultural framework, which means appreciating for something thats has been done for ones benefit. It shows gratitude for the mothers action. But the mothers response in this frame does not make any sense: expressions of appreciation do not typically occasion expressions of anger within this framework. The meaning of thank you is different in the French framework. In the French framework, especially between intimates, thanking is not an automatic acknowledgement for something which is done by another for ones benefit. Rather in close relationships thanking is reserved for unusual or unexpected actions things which are additional to the normal relationships between people. The sons thanking is hearable as a sign that picking me up is not an anticipated act, but rather something extraordinary or strange something this child had not anticipated of the mother. The mothers reaction was towards the construction of the act that is being appreciated and concurrently of the other as the sort of person who would not pick up her son at night and not towards the thanking. An implied criticism is hearable in thanking of the mother. The conflict here is motivated by perceptions of what counts as an appreciable act. For the son, any beneficial act is appreciable but for the mother this is not the case. The translation of the following sentence is similar but it has different meaning in the Australian English and Polish sentences. Why dont you close the window? Dlaczego nie zamkniesz okna? The English version forms a polite request framed indirectly as a idea, while the other sentence imply stubborn and unreasonable behavior on the part of the addressee. The word to word translation may be same but it is different in the cultural context. Another example would be as follows, Pass me the book. Passe-moi le livre. The sentence in English enacts a relatively low level of politeness in terms of the social relationships, but the French example could be used in a considerably wider range of contexts. In fact, the form passe, which is the tu-form of the verb, encodes a close social relationship which would make example a more natural formulation of the request. In comparison with the following examples, Could you pass me the book? Pourrais-tu me passer le livre? After reading the example a feeling arise as the words in English sounds polite to the ears in the discussion between the family members over the wide range of topics. In the French example it implies where there is a close interpersonal relationship (tu) and it crucially involving more politeness. This type of constraints will be used, where the non-family members uses their interpersonal relationship (tu) to bring harmony among the group which is involving an effort of the addressee or it can be rejected legally. The construction of the words in passing of the book is a challenging task and there is the confusion between the structure and situation. In the communication between people, culture plays an important role and it influences the speaker to choose words in a particular language. This simple example proves, as in a social interaction in English, How are you is the most frequently used greeting words. The first question which comes in my mind is what is Globalisation? Globalization refers to the growing interconnectedness of different parts of the world, a process which gives rise to complex forms of interaction and interdependency. (Thompson 1995) Globalisation as a concept refers to both to the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole. (Robertson 1992) Globalisation refers to all those processes by which the peoples of the world are incorporated into a single world society, global society. (Albrow 1990) The second question comes in my mind is what is Intercultural Communication? Communication between two people from different cultures is said to be intercultural communication. It comes in to existence when a person from one culture tries to communicate with the person from another culture, a communication is understood. The potential for misunderstanding and disagreement is great whenever there is a cultural difference in these kinds of contacts. It is to be said that there is a relationship between culture and language. In other words, language is a guide to culture. Other scholars argue that language merely reflects, rather than shapes, our thinking, beliefs, and attitudes. Despite these differences in approaches, all scholars still agree that a close relationship exists between language and culture. Language plays very important role in both globalisation and intercultural communication. Whenever an organisation wants to start a new business it is important for them to know the local language of the host country. If an organisation does not have any idea about the local language, it will be very difficult for them to conduct business in that country and also it will be difficult for them to sell their product in the local market. Now days every organisation around the world is trying to recruit some local employees so that it will be easy for them to communicate with the local customers. It is also necessary for an organisation to the business etiquette of the host country. When I talk about etiquette it means dress, clothing, body language, gestures, dining, gift-giving, meetings, customs, protocol, negotiations, and general behaviour. Another important factor which affects globalisation is culture. It plays an important role for any organisation. If an organisation fails to understand the culture of the host country they could face the following cultural effects, Consumer behaviour Local demand Buying decisions Brand image. Knowledge of Native culture is useful when dealing with home markets but it has little value when dealing in foreign markets. Culture acts as a hidden entry barrier, but it can be overcome with cultural sensitivity, hard work quality. Culture influences managerial styles and management decisions. It also affects the nature of business negotiations. The example for the effect of culture on an organisation is as follows: McDonalds in India. When McDonalds entered the Indian market, it introduced itself as the American style fast food outlet. They priced their product according to the Indian customers attitude, thinking etc. They were one of the first international fast food outlets which were successful in India. The only mistake McDonalds made was they did not read the Indian culture properly. In India beef or cow is to be considered as God in many religions. And McDonalds use beef oil to cook their food. When the Indian consumer came to know about this fact, they started avoiding eating food at McDonalds. Because of this mistake, the brand image of the McDonalds was affected. The education system in India is totally different from Australian education system. In India, teaching style is very different when you compare it to the Australian style. In India, Prof. is the one who speaks in the class for the majority of time and its more of theoretical knowledge then practical knowledge. But when you see the Australian style of teaching, the student are given chance to speak in the class and ask questions whenever they have a doubt. And in Australia, there is a mixture of both practical and theoretical knowledge. So for any Indian student coming to Australia, its difficult for them to adapt to the Australian education system very quickly. It is also necessary to know the gesture or greeting in different country or different culture. For e.g. in India people normally greet by saying Namaste which means Hello in English. They would normally join their hands and say Namaste. But in Australia, people greet in different way i.e. they would normally hug and say hello or shake hands and say Hello. But in India people try to avoid the body contact with the other people when they are greeting them.

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay -- Employment, Change Proces

Writing Assignment #4 Strategic human resource management can be defined as the linking of human resources with strategic goals and objectives in order to improve business performance and develop organizational culture that foster innovation, flexibility and competitive advantage. In an organization SHRM means accepting and involving the HR function as a strategic partner in the formulation and implementation of the company's strategies through HR activities such as recruiting, selecting, training and rewarding personnel (Sinha, 2007). This is the effective way of organizing the workforce by the adoption of a specific strategy, where employees' performance can help to achieve the planned organizational targets, such as increasing revenue or improving the profit margin. However, there is no common strategic human resource definition that fits every situation (Lotinggi, 2008). This paper will focus on strategic human resource management at Smarte Carte, Inc. and attempt to make a determination if the co mpany uses SHRM effectively or if there are areas where improvements could be made. Smarte Carte Inc., is a vending services company that specializes in unattended vending in four segregated markets: luggage carts for rent at airports, shopping carts and baby strollers at shopping malls, electronic locker storage at a variety of locations such as transportation facilities, ski resorts, theme and water parks, and massage chairs located in airports, malls, fitness centers, and now even Wal-Mart. They have operations throughout the U.S. and Canada and a growing presence in Australia and New Zealand. Smarte Carte’s corporate office is located in St. Paul, MN where they employ 65 employees while employing approximately another ... ...ing enough in internal training and compliance audits to lower their risk in expensive employee litigation. Two key strategies that Smarte Carte has implemented in the recent past is a greater reliance on expert outside legal counsel for fighting and resolving labor law cases and adding employment practices liability insurance to prevent or cap large settlements in labor law disputes. With employment law becoming an increasingly complicated dimension of the employment relationship, it is more likely that managers unversed in the changing aspects of laws may commit violations (Mello, 2011). The reality of it boils down to even when you’re correct and did everything right in handling an employee situation, it costs an organization a significant amount of money defending itself. Smarte Carte’s strategy for utilizing outside counsel and EPLI is a good strategy.

Negative Effects of Genetically modified food Essay

Since the beginning of life, nourishment is the first requirement for all kind of alive. According to Chassy (2007), early humans lived a hunter gatherer lifestyle and that around 10000 years ago they started to transition into an agricultural lifestyle. Also they feed animals to their milk, meat and eggs. Later, some people interested in agriculture in order to survive and earn money. In today’s world, technological developments and medical improvements resulted in higher life standards and world population become more and more crowded. Lots of farmers and food companies emerged in order to meet the needs of this growing population. Organic foods started to be insufficient for human beings because of the increasing population. As a result of this insufficiency, people seek different kind of foods with the help of technological developments and they created genetically modified foods (GM foods). Genetically modified crops first appeared commercially in the mid-1990s and today GM crops are grown commercially by 8. 25 million farmers on 200 million acres spread throughout 17 countries (Schmidt, 2005). Genetically modified foods or biotech foods can be described simply as foods derived from genetically modified organisms. These crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. In his essay â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods: An Insight† Raaz Maheshwari (2012) explains that â€Å"Genetically modified foods are derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering, using a process of either Cisgenesis or Transgenesis. These techniques are much more precise than Mutagenesis (mutation breeding) where an organism is exposed to radiation or chemicals to create a non-specific but stable change. † At the beginning, these crops have a bright and promising future. However, safety of genetically modified foods was started to questioned and become a central issue driving the genetic engineering controversy today (Carman, 2004). Although some scientists claims that food derived from GM crops on the market does not have greater risk to human health than organic foods, there is a idespread research on several negative effects of GM foods , including safety issues, economic concerns and environmental hazards. Recently, concerns about GM foods have raised by all environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations, other scientists and government officials. Also, they criticized potential hazards of GM food (Whitman, 2000). Specifically, this study posed the r esearch question: What are the general negative effects of genetically modified foods on earth’s ecology and human health. As I mentioned earlier, humanity always requiring all kind of food. Although they meet their requires from hunting very beginning, agriculture is the main food resources when the first crop harvested. However food resources doesn’t enough for humanity because of huge crowds, because of th? s reason people find a new form of food which named genetically modified foods or biotech foods. These foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Since mid-1900s genetically modified foods using our daily meal and from these time these foods always negotiated. There is no exact consequences of these negotiations. However, there are lots of negative effects of genetically modified foods on earth’s ecology and human health such as; allergetic diseases, poisoning both human and animals and killing beneficial insects. To begin with, lots of result of researches show us genetically modified foods are dangerous for natural life. According to Batalian(N. D. ) studies about GM products shown that these products can kill beneficial insects which most notably the monarch butterfly larvae. He also said there are other studies related to the death of bees which are died during a contained trial with Monsanto’s Bt cotton, springtails and ladybird beetles. He said his same essay other studies about GM potatoes, spliced with DNA from the snowdrop plant and a viral parameter, show us these potatoes was poisonous to rats. Between the many insect pollinators of agricultural crops, honey bees are the best known (O’Callaghan, 2005). According to O’Callaghan, cotton nectar is really attractive to them and produces useful honey, but if these cottons are genetically modified from engineers it can be harmful for bees why these cottons not natural and it includes different types of proteins and concentrations. Another effect of GM foods on natural life about gene transfer to non-target species. Deborah B. Whitman said his article â€Å"Another concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These ‘superweeds’ would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. † Genetically modified foods effects the natural life where the people plant them. For example GM trees or ‘super-trees’ are being developed which can be sprayed from the air to kill literally all of surrounding life, except the GM trees (Batalian,N. D. ). He also said these trees are often sterile and flowerless which is in contrast to rainforest teaming with life, or where a single tree can host thousands of unique species of insects, fungi, mammals and birds in an interconnected ecosphere. There are also terminator trees which has developed plants with the New Zealand Forest Research Agency to create still more lethal tree plantations. These super deadly trees are look like super-trees, however these kind leaves exuding toxic chemicals to kill caterpillars and other surrounding insects(Batalian,N. D. ) Like the other effects of GM foods it also causes increasing numbers of resistant pests. According to Mellon (N. D. ), â€Å"There are signs that the most popular HT crops-those resistant to the herbicide glyphosate-will lose effectiveness as weeds become resistant to the herbicide. Scientists expect that BT crops, too, will succump to pests that evolve resistance to the BT toxins. Secondly, consumption of genetically modified foods from humans effects their health negatively. First effect of GM foods on human health is allergenicity. According to Bakshi (N. D. ), food allergy is a very important health issue with the prevalence of immunoglobulin E antibody-mediated food allergies among adults being approximately 2% and nearly 5% in children. Bakshi also said consumption of genetically modified foods may trigger all ergic reaction. For example Bakshi said kiwi fruit not associated with any allergies in the 1960s. However , there are some people who are currently allergic to it; the allergenic protein in the kiwi fruit was identified to be actinidin. Bakshi also said â€Å"Genetically modified foods can introduce novel proteins into the food supply from organisms that are never consumed as foods. Some of those proteins could be allergenic. † Second effects of GM foods on human health is antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is the ability of an organism to be unaffected by the antibiotic, occurs naturally by evolution. According to Bakshi(N. D. , genetic engineering usually involves the use of genes for antibiotic resistance as ‘selectable markers. ’ These markers help to choose cells that consolidated foreign genes. There are concerns that these chosen genes might recombine with pathogenic bacteria in the environment or with naturally occurring bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals who consume genetically modified food, contributing to the growing public health risk associated with antibiotic resistance for infections that cannot be treated with traditional antibiotics. It must be true negative effects of GM foods because lots of European countries including Britain have refused to allow the Novartis Bt corn to be grown because the ampicillin resistance gene might be transferred from Bt corn to bacteria which these bacterias making a far less effective antibiotic against bacterial infections (Bakshi,N. D. ). Similarly Bakshi , enhs. umn. edu, said â€Å" In recent years health professionals have become alarmed by the increasing number of bacterial strains that are showing resistance to antibiotics. Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics by creating antibiotic resistance genes through natural mutation. Third effect of GM foods on human health is cancer and degenerative diseases. According to article of Batalian (N. D. ) , lots of researches show us GM foods or hormones which is used for increased milk production in cow causes breast and prostate cancer. Also he said some of Canadian researches prove that GM organism which injected rats mammals l ike humans, this organism damaged thyroid cysts and internal organ. Besides , consuming GM foods causes autoimmune diseases, inflammation, arthritis and lymphoma(Batalian,N. D. ) Lastly, gene transfer from GM foods to body cells can cause disease. According to WHO(N. D. ), â€Å"Gene transfer from GM foods to cells of the body or to bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract would cause concern if the transferred genetic material adversely affects human health. This would be particularly relevant if antibiotic resistance genes, used in creating GMOs, were to be transferred. † In the light of all above mentioned studies, it could be said that scientist have not discovered the true researches consequences about genetically modified foods. They growth a non-natural nutrition, however they do not know their effects on human body and environment. It can be cause lots of bad diseases on human body and harm environment. Because it is dangerous for all kind of alive and natural systems, GM foods production processes should be controlled by new ministry and GM foods may be tested before selling in markets. Those who are support GM foods said these foods have benefits on future hunger and they also support we all need these foods in future. According to Feuilherade (2011),humanity needs 40% more foods by the middle of the century and GM foods is the only solution of this big problem. He also add these foods are healthy for human body because if we change the DNAs of foods, lots of vitamins and drugs may added inside the foods. However, www. webmd. com(N. D. ), mentioned these foods are not natural and has no guarantees, also has some important risks, such as; introducing allergens and toxins to food, accidental contamination between genetically modified and non-genetically modified foods, antibiotic resistance and adversely changing the nutrient content of a crop. Scientists and governments always discuss this topic, however there is no exact result about harms or benefits of GM foods. Nobody do not know consequences of GM foods. Maybe after 50 years it will cause lots of diseases even will kill millions of people. There should be more and more researches about these foods and scientist and governments should give more importance, also all government which country interest growing GM foods, they should open new ministry and specific research center of GM foods before sell these product to innocence people. In conclusion, about GM foods, there are lots of researches and its effects on health and environment are not obvious. The scientist will move to improve these foods and sell them billions of people worldwide. With the support of governments and big bosses, poor and ignorant people buy these uncertain foods. Finally, I personally believe that GM foods will cause lots of die forth coming years, because of these reason these procedure should limited and controlled strictly by the government before selling. Also natural agriculture should be supported and use of organic food promoted.

Economic Policy and Practice

Economic Policies And Practices ECO2072 / Professor Gordon 4/5/2013 Assignment Due Date – 4/3/2013 Economic Policies And Practices Understanding the foundation for which our economy and society as a whole is built upon, the need for a controlled and managed monetary system to function effectively in order to facilitate trade and stabilize the flow within our economy is a must.To facilitate this need the federal government implements tools for analyzing the economy in order to regulate and control, and decisions are made based on the inputs and observations made to stabilize and enable the money to grow and retract as required within our economic system. Again, based on the aforementioned, the phrase â€Å"money makes the world go around† therefore can be attributed to the controlled systems, policies and/or a networks of our federal government for which are governed to enhance and manage both the levels of and effects of our financial monetary system.As we proceed, we w ill attempt to explain various government policy changes or unplanned events which can and may occur, and the resulting economic events or activity that will be impacted within our economy and the effects it has upon and within our economy. Implemented Budget Plan Resulting In Increases In Debt And No Plan For Problems As we look at our Federal Governments role in execution and control of our nation’s budget and the current budget deficit we can only pray that those in charge of the decisions utilize the tools available to them to manage and soften the blow to the economy as the deficit grows.Where in the case our government employs a budget plan over several fiscal years and results wherein our economy sustains significant increases in the nation’s debt and displays no signs of relief nor presents no plans to deal with the problems, several outcomes would be likely in the economy. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 32, P. 706 describes one effect being where government spending exceed s government revenue thus representing negative public saving, therefore reducing national savings, thus reducing the supply of loanable funds, Increasing interest rates, and crowds out investment.Amadeo, 2013 shares additional effects of this scenario wherein the deficit adds to a country’s debt each year and as the debt increases and the interest on the debt must be paid, it increases spending while adding no benefit to the economy. If the interest payments continue to rise, it can begin to create a drag on the economy’s growth. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 32, P. 706 states additional effects in that when budget deficits raise interest rates, both domestic as well as foreign behaviors cause U. S. net capital outflow to fall.Therefore, in an open economy, our government’s budget deficit raises the economy’s real interest rates, thus crowding out domestic investment, and causing the currency to appreciate, consequently pushing the trade balance toward deficit. Enac tment Of New Tariffs And Quotas On All Imports The economy uses a model of aggregate demand and aggregate supply as a means to analyze the economic fluctuations of supply and demand. This model depicts both the overall price levels in the economy and the overall quantity of goods and services produced in the economy.If in fact the Federal Government were to enact new tariffs and quotas on all imports, the economy would indeed experience effects from this activity. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 725-726 describes the model of aggregate demand and supply being what most economist use to explain short-run fluctuations in economic activity around the long-run trend. The aggregate demand curve displays the quantity of goods and services for which households, firms, the government, and customers abroad want to buy at each price level.The aggregate supply curve shows the quantity of goods and services that firms choose to produce and sell at each price level. The impact the economy would incur i n the case of tariffs enacted being taxes imposed on imported goods is the increase of the price of the goods in the domestic market, therefore domestic producers benefit due to they receive higher prices, the government benefits through the collection of tax revenues thus resulting in less goods produced and the consumer pays higher prices (Investopedia, 2013).In the case of quotas and their effect on the economy, we find that quotas are numerical limits which are imposed on imported goods and in such a case of enactment consumers are truly harmed by the quotas while domestic and foreign producers will benefit once again by receiving higher prices for goods and services (Investopedia, 2013). Loss Of Confidence In Leadership In Ability To Manage And Create Jobs The Federal government is the entity that steps in when our economy incurs unhealthy conditions within its business cycle.It is presumed that our government has tools to detect and analyze our economy to understand those even ts that have the potential to alter the economy’s equilibrium. With respect to the aforementioned, problems arise when the general public loses confidence in the leadership and their ability to manage the economy to include job creation. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 741 shares, that in the scenario of lack of confidence we find that consumers again alter their plans for the future cutting back on purchases and spending.The effect of this cutback impacts the aggregate demand curve as well as the aggregate supply curve thus impacting either the short-run equilibrium and/or the long-run equilibrium. The consequences result in falling incomes and rising unemployment due to reduction of output mirroring the shift in aggregate demand responding to lower sales and production. Amadeo, 2013 states; â€Å"consumers who drive 70% of the economy won’t spend if they don’t believe the future will be safe and secure.Therefore, the underlying role of the government is to create co nfidence, powering the economic growth needed to create jobs†. Decrease Taxes In Effort To Stimulate The Economy Another tool within our government and its fiscal policy to regulate and control economic growth is the taxation level. Some claim that, tax rate cuts can lead to increased economic growth, and wealth, while others claim that by reducing taxes correlates to the benefiting of the wealthy due to they pay the most taxes already.Our government possesses the powers to tax which in turn gives it greater control over its revenues. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 34, P. 773 shares, that when our government reduces personal income taxes, it increases the take-home pay of consumers. These households will save some of this additional income, and will also spend some of it on goods and services. Because reducing taxes increases consumer spending thus stimulating the economy, the tax cut shifts the aggregate-demand curve to the right. Conversely, a tax increase represses consumer spending and shifts the aggregate-demand curve to the left.The greater question lies in ‘what is the impact in our economy of a tax reduction for those making over $250,000’? Amadeo, 2013 shares that, the government considers those families that earn more than $250,000 yearly are wealthy and therefore should pay more taxes due to their ability to afford it. Amadeo, 2013 continues by stating that, economist say they do not spend these tax cuts, but save and invest them and therefore tax cuts for the wealth do not stimulate the economy. Investment Level’s Decrease Due To Lack Of Confidence In EconomyThe economy revolves around the ability of consumers to invest their moneys in goods and services or deposit ones excess money into interest bearing savings accounts wherein which the financial institutions would use the funds to make loans to consumers for the purpose of investing in personal interests. The ability to invest is crucial to the long-run of our economy’s succe ss and the functions of aggregate demand and supply and when these levels of investment decrease due to a lack of confidence in the economy several consequences begin to unfold in the economy. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 41 shares that, during such an event many people lose confidence in the future and alter their plans, therefore households cut back on their spending and refrain from major purchases, and businesses retract from the purchases of new equipment. AmosWeb, 2013 states; â€Å"the confidence that consumers have in the economy affects their willingness to undertake consumption expenditures†. Any change in the confidence of consumers wherein by changing consumption expenditures, will induce changes in the economy’s aggregate demand therefore causing a leftward shift of the demand curve. Interest Rates Kept Artificially Low By Fed’s For Several YearsThe economy revolves around the interest rates on the many investments of the consumers and plays a crucial p art in the spending on goods and services. The impact on the economy can be said to be two fold in the event that interest rates are kept artificially low by the Federal Reserve over a lengthy period of time. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 728 states that, interest rates affect spending on goods and services, therefore a lower interest rate makes borrowing less expensive and it encourages businesses to borrow to invest in operations and equipment as well as it encourages consumers to borrow to invest in self and home.This said, lower interest rates increase the quantity of goods and services in the economy. Conversely, Shilling, 2012 shares that artificially lower interest rates can have negative impacts on consumers in where those who are saving money are now receiving minimal to little return on their bank and money market accounts. Additionally, the day of the free checking accounts are fading away as well as banks and thrifts who deal with the lower interest earnings are increasing th e amounts of required balances on checking accounts that pay zero interest up to a set minimum.It is also noted that many savers are leaving the money markets funds for the protection of accounts covered by the Federal deposit insurance corp. which is displayed in the M2 velocity of money. Conclusion Based on the aforementioned and the understanding of the foundation for which our economy and society as a whole is built upon, the need for a controlled and managed economic system to function effectively in order to facilitate trade and stabilize the flow within our economy is a must.To facilitate this need, the federal government implements policies and practices within the economy in order to regulate and control, and base decisions on those inputs and observations in order to stabilize and enable the money to grow and retract as required within our economic system to maintain a balanced equilibrium. Again, based on the aforementioned, the phrase â€Å"money makes the world go arou nd† therefore can be attributed to the controlled systems, policies and/or networks of our federal government for which are governed to enhance and manage both the levels of and effects of our financial monetary system.Reference Amadeo, K. (2013). Budget deficit. U. S. Economy, Retrieved from http://useconomy. about. com/od/glossary/g/Budget_Deficit. htm Amadeo, K. (2013). Job creation – statistics, ideas, and job creation by president. U. S. Economy, Retrieved from http://useconomy. about. com/od/Employment/tp/Job-Creation. htm Amadeo, K. (2013). Should families making over $250,000 a year get tax cuts? President George Bush Tax cuts, Retrieved from http://useconomy. about. com/u/ua/usfederaltaxesandtax/Tax-Cuts-Should-The-Wealthy-Get-Tax-Cuts. htm AmosWeb. (2013). Consumer confidence, aggregate demand

Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution

Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution Battle of San Jacinto - Conflict Date: The Battle of San Jacinto was fought April 21, 1836 and was the decisive engagement of the Texas Revolution. Armies Commanders: Republic of Texas General Sam Houston800 men2 guns Mexico Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna1,400 men1 gun Background: While Mexican President and General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo in early March 1836, Texan leaders gathered in Washington-on-the-Brazos to discuss independence.   On March 2, a formal declaration was approved. In addition, Major General Sam Houston received an appointment as commander-in-chief of the Texan Army. Arriving in Gonzales, he commenced organizing the forces there to offer resistance to the Mexicans. Learning of the Alamos fall late on March 13 (five days after its capture), he also received word that Santa Annas men were advancing northeast and pushing deeper into Texas. Calling a council of war, Houston discussed the situation with his senior officers and, being out-numbered and out-gunned, decided to commence an immediate withdrawal towards the US border.  This retreat forced the Texan government to abandon its capital at Washington-on-the-Brazos and flee to Galveston. Santa Anna on the Move: Houstons hasty departure from Gonzales proved fortuitous as Mexican troops entered the town on the morning of March 14. Having overwhelmed the Alamo on March 6, Santa Anna, who was eager to end the conflict, split his force in three, sending one column towards Galveston to capture the Texas government, a second back to secure his supply lines, and launched a pursuit Houston with the third. While one column defeated and massacred a Texan force at Goliad in late March, another harried Houstons army. Having briefly swelled to around 1,400 men, the Texan force began to erode as morale sunk during the prolonged retreat. Additionally, concern arose in the ranks regarding Houstons willingness fight. Concerned that his green troops would only be capable of fighting one major battle, Houston continued to avoid the enemy and was nearly removed by President David G. Burnet. On March 31, the Texans paused at Groces Landing where they were able to take two weeks to train and re-supply. Having ridden north to join his lead columns, Santa Anna first conducted a failed endeavor to capture the Texan government before turning his attention to Houstons army. Having departed Groces Landing, it had turned southeast and was moving in the direction of Harrisburg and Galveston.On April 19, his men spotted the Texas Army near the confluence of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. Moving closer, they established a camp within 1,000 yards of Houstons position. Believing that he had the Texans trapped, Santa Anna elected to delay and postpone his attack until April 22. Reinforced by General Martà ­n Perfecto de Cos, Santa Anna had 1,400 men to Houstons 800. The Texans Prepare: On April 20, the two armies skirmished and fought a minor cavalry action. The next morning, Houston called council of war. Though most of his officers believed they should wait for Santa Annas assault, Houston decided to seize the initiative and attack first. That afternoon, the Texans burned Vinces Bridge cutting off the most likely line of retreat for Mexicans. Screened by a slight ridge that ran across the field between the armies, the Texans formed for battle with the 1st Volunteer Regiment in the center, the 2nd Volunteer Regiment on the left, and the Texas Regulars on the right. Houston Strikes: Quickly and quietly advancing, Houstons men were screened by Colonel Mirabeau Lamars cavalry on the far right. Not expecting a Texan attack, Santa Anna had neglected to post sentries outside of his camp, allowing the Texans to close without being detected. They were further aided by the fact that the time of the assault, 4:30 PM, coincided with the Mexicans afternoon siesta. Supported by two artillery pieces donated by the city of Cincinnati and known as the Twin Sisters, the Texans surged forward yelling Remember Goliad and Remember the Alamo. A Surprise Victory: Caught by surprise, the Mexicans were unable to mount an organized resistance as the Texans opened fire at close range. Pressing their attack, they quickly reduced the Mexicans to mob, forcing many to panic and flee. General Manuel Fernndez Castrillà ³n attempted to rally his troops but was shot before they could establish any resistance. The only organized defense was mounted by 400 men under General Juan Almonte, who were forced to surrender at the end of the battle. With his army disintegrating around him, Santa Anna fled the field. A complete victory for the Texans, the battle only lasted 18 minutes. Aftermath: The stunning victory at San Jacinto cost Houstons army a mere 9 killed and 26 wounded. Among the wounded was Houston himself, having been hit in the ankle. For Santa Anna, the casualties were much higher with 630 killed, 208 wounded, and 703 captured. The next day a search party was sent out to locate Santa Anna. In an attempt to avoid detection, he had exchanged his generals uniform for that of a private. When captured, he nearly escaped recognition until other prisoners began saluting him as El Presidente. The Battle of San Jacinto proved to be the decisive engagement of the Texas Revolution and effectively secured independence for the Republic of Texas. A prisoner of the Texans, Santa Anna was compelled to sign the Treaties of Velasco which called for the removal of Mexican troops from Texas soil, efforts to be made for Mexico to recognize Texas independence, and safe conduct for the president back to Veracruz. While Mexican troops did withdraw, the other elements of the treaties were not upheld and Santa Anna was held as a POW for six months and disowned by the Mexican government. Mexico did not officially recognize the loss of Texas until the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ended the Mexican-American War. Selected Sources Texas AM: Battle of San JacintoTexas State Library: Battle of San JacintoSan Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site

Role of Each Mode of Transport

Role of Each Mode of Transport According to Anderson (1999), transport is the movement of people, goods, and services from one location to another. Effective transport systems play a critical role in achieving the economic and social needs of a given society. Air, land, and water are the most common modes of transportation in the United States of America and many other nations in the world. Air transport is usually facilitated by aircrafts. Land transport on the other hand is facilitated by rail and road.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Each Mode of Transport specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Water transport occurs on seas, lakes, rivers/canals and so on. Transport in general plays a significant role in developing and sustaining economic, demographic, and political factors of a given community and the world at large (Frankel, 2011). Effective modes of transport facilitate the expansion of town and cities by enhancing the movement of people as well as goods and services. Transport mechanisms also assist in the spread of individuals resulting in growth and development. In the United States of America, roads are the most common modes of transportation accounting for approximately 68% of the national demographics (Frankel, 2011). Interstate highway systems have been built to facilitate the movement of people within a given locality or from one state to another. In most parts of the country, people own personal vehicles. However, in urban centers where there is massive traffic congestion, transport is facilitated by mass transit and railways transport. Unlike in the 1940s, railway transport system in the USA mainly consists of freight train shipment (Frankel, 2011). The use of passage trains has greatly reduced as a result of changes in economic needs as well as the introduction o faster and more reliable transportation systems such as bus shuttles, personal vehicles and airplanes. However, railway transport in USA account s for 32% of the national demographics (Frankel, 2011). As of 2004, the USA has been ranked 17th in the world as the nation with the busiest airports. Over the years, there has been a significant increase in air transport in USA especially between states. Water transport in the United States is regarded as the cheapest mode of transport. However, due to lack of efficient water ways, it is the least common mode of transport. Development of Transport Modes In the USA, rail transport developed as a result of the presence of a wide spread railroad network that covered most parts of the USA. Transforming from early passenger cars that were common during the 19th century to high speed commuter trains, the efficiency of rail transport highly increased due to technological advancements (Garrison Levinson, 2006). However, since the 1940s, this trend was interrupted with the introduction of more efficient modes of transports such as roads and air.Advertising Looking for essay on tran sportation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Companies such as General Motors increased their outputs rates producing more cars that were faster, safer, and more comfortable. Consequently, the completion of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System in 1950 greatly improved road transport in USA. This system sustains both local and long distance. Covering over 47,000 miles, this system is regarded as the largest and most efficient road system in the world. Air travel also experienced significant changes from the simple planes that were built prior to the Second World War to bigger, faster, and more efficient planes whose production commenced during the second half of the 20th century. Companies such as Boeing came up with new models of aircrafts that could carry more passengers and travel longer distances improving air travel. However, the use of water transport has greatly decreased due to its in efficiencies over the years. H istory of Transportation Systems Between 1820 and 1850, USA watched closely the success of railways transport in England. To develop such an infrastructure, several states granted charters to railway building companies, most of which Army Corps Engineers to design their routes and systems. The Baltimore Ohio railroad was among the railroads that were completed during this time. The second half of the 19th century saw massive advancements and improvements in the railways sector. The transcontinental railroad that linked eastern USA with California was completed during this time enhancing trade and the movement of people (Baker Gerhold, 1993). On the other hand, the construction of modern roads commenced during the Renaissance Period (Baker Gerhold, 1993). After the success of the Wright brothers in 1903 to successfully fly a device that is heavier than air, the use of aircrafts became common especially during the first and Second World War (Jones, 2011). Consequently, aircrafts sta rted to transport cargo as well as passengers to different parts of the world. Water transport was the most common mode of long distance travel during before the introduction of air travel. Despite the setbacks that it has been experiencing, a lot of cargo is still transported in ships all around the world. Consequently, technological advancement such as the radar system has increased the efficiency and reliability of water transports. However, like rail transport, the number of passengers using water transport in the USA and many parts of the world has declined. The Role of the Government, Politics and the Economy in the Development of Transport In the USA, it is the role of State governments to maintain all highways within their jurisdictions. However, the federal government plays a critical role in building and maintaining freeways.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Each Mode of Transport specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Lear n More In the States that are located in the East Coast and the Midwest, all highways are under the management of the government or private corporations (Garrison Levinson, 2006). Therefore, users are expected to pay toll tax while using these roads. However, the situation is quite different in the States that are located in the West Coast as the roads are free to be used by any individual (freeways). In the USA, all roads have been constructed to enhance the nation’s economic development. Therefore, regions that have a high population density coupled with high levels of economic activities usually have better and more complex roads as compared to regions that are sparsely populated with low levels of economic activities (Garrison Levinson, 2006). It is as a result of this fact that states such as New York, California, and Texas have complex road networks. On the other hand, the running and management of railways systems and water ferries might be under public or pr ivate corporations. However, their development highly relies on their effectiveness and efficiency as well as the economic impacts that they have. Consequently, airlines are owned by civilians or by public corporations. However, most airports are owned and managed by local authorities with the exception of privately owned airports. A lot of legislations have been passed to ensure that transportation in the United States is safe and well maintained. To achieve this, the Congress established the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) in 1966 (DOT, 2012). With the help of agencies such as Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railway Administration and Maritime Administration, the DOT passes legislations, manages, and monitors all modes of transportation within the United States of America to ensure that the social, political, and economic needs of the nation are met. The Impacts of Technology on Transport Technology has played an essential role in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of transportation systems in the world. The wheel is perhaps the most significant innovation in road transport. At the same time, the development of the sail played a critical role in enhancing naval transportation systems. However, at the present moment, technology affects transportation in a variety of facets. In the modern age, innovation comes from a variety of technologies to achieve a specific goal or a given set of goals. Therefore as Uyterlinde (n.d.) asserts, it is difficult to directly point out the impacts that a given form of technology has on the transport industry. During the early days, the main setback that was experienced in the transport sector was efficiency. Transportation was slow, uncomfortable, and required a lot of energy consumption hence making it to be expensive.Advertising Looking for essay on transportation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the 1940s and 1950s for instance, air travel was not popular since aircrafts could not travel fast and for long, flights were uncomfortable since the cabins were unpressurised and they aircrafts were powered by propellers making the ride noisy (Uyterlinde, n.d.). However, modern and more powerful aircraft were introduced by Boeing. In 1959, Boeing 707 was released. This plane was jet-powered, much faster, more comfortable and could carry more passengers. This innovation enhanced international air travel. With increased speeds, safety is another challenge that the transport industry has been facing. Every year, hundreds of thousands of accidents on the road, air, and at sea are reported. In the process, many people lose their lives and many more are injured. To tackle this issue, car manufacturing companies have come up with innovations that improve the safety of passengers by having reliable braking systems, safety belts, and strong chassis that protect an individual in case of an accident (Smith, 2005). With the help of radar technology, safety in aircrafts and sea vessels has been enhanced as well. Radar technology enables one to determine the exact location of an aircraft or a vessel and whether it is on course. Radio technology has also enhanced communication between radio stations and vessels. This technology is critical especially during emergencies. However, with the modern technology, speed, safety, comfort, and technology have been catered for effectively. Through the research and development (RD), car, plane, and ship manufacturing companies have been able to meet the needs of their target market as well as the needs of the society at large by coming up with creative and innovative designs that provide their users with comfort, speed, and reliability. For instance, manufactures have come up with engine designs that not only reduce fuel consumption but increase the overall power output. At the same time, most designs of motor vehicles, planes, boats, and ships are environment friendly. Therefore, the RD teams take into consideration the needs and trends of the public and come with designs that are effective, efficient and sustainable (Jones, 2011). Development of National and International Rules and Regulations In the United States of America, the United States Department of Transport (DOT) is the body that has the mandate to make rules and regulations that regulate transportation within the nation (DOT, 2012). Before the DOT makes any regulations, rules, or procedures that govern transportation in the United States, several considerations are put in place. First, the proposed or amended legislation needs to be consistent with the status and executive orders that give the DOT the power to make and amend transportation rules. Other factors that need to be considered include presidential directives and other related orders (DOT, 2012). Once these standards have been met, the body can commence the process of rule making. Acc ording to the DOT, rule making can result in the introduction of new rules and regulations, amendment of existing ones, or the re-introduction of old rules (DOT, 2012). The DOT can introduce rules and regulations from directives of a statute. Consequently, when the DOT or other bodies operating under its umbrella identify a problem, then it is the duty of the organization to come up with effective rules and regulations that would prevent its further occurrence. Ultimately, the public can file a petition to the DOT to develop laws and regulations that will meet their collective needs and demands. With the presence of these requirements and standards, the policies, rules and regulations that are developed by the DOT are therefore sustainable, effective and efficient since they are consistent with the constitution of the United States, the mandate of the organization as well as the transportation needs of the people of the United States. To a larger extent, the DOT in conjunction with transport agencies of other nations come together to make universal laws to govern international transportation. According to UNCTD (2001), this is an essential move as it guarantees consistencies in transportation across borders. This rule ensures that individuals and corporations in the transport industry enjoy their privileges and respect the law whether they are in the United States or outside its borders. Other than guaranteeing consistency in law, the policies, rules, and regulations that govern the transport sector ensure that safety is maintained, the rights of every party within the transport industry are respected, and people adhere to the rules and regulations that have been set by the law. Transportation Organizations The United States Department of Transport plays a critical role in developing policies, rules, and guidelines that govern transportation within the United States. However, for these laws to be implemented effectively and efficiently, organizations within th e transport industry need to operate as a system with clearly defined rules and boundaries. This will ensure that the process of moving people and goods from one location to another is efficient (Garrison Levinson, 2006). In the United States, there are various transport organizations. Therefore, with the presence of organizations, the process of developing, implanting and monitoring transportation rules and regulations is hierarchical. After following the required rules and procedures, the DOT comes up with rules and regulations that will govern the transport industry. The application of these rules and regulations falls under the jurisdiction of respective bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Highway Administration (FHA), Federal Railway Administration (FRA) and Maritime Administration (MARAD). These bodies ensure that the rules and regulations that have been passed by the DOT are followed by organizations that offer transportation services under thei r jurisdiction. Therefore, these bodies team up with individuals and corporations that own and control transport services such as airlines, taxi companies, ferrying companies and so on to ensure that they are aware and follow the rules from the DOT. At the same time, these bodies get feedback from these organizations and individuals as well as their views, attitudes, and perceptions of various factors that affect transportation within the United States. With this information, The DOT will analyze its performance and determine whether to come up with new rules, amend existing ones or re-introduce old rules. Thus, the presence of organizations and systems ensure that the transport industry operates in a consistent, effective and efficient manner hence enabling it to achieve its social and economic goals. Political, Legal, and Policy Issues that affect Transport Legislation As it has been stated severally in this paper, the DOT has been given the mandate to come up with regulations, ru les and policies that govern transportation within the United States of America. Consequently, the Science, Commerce, and Transportation committee as well as the Environment and Public Works committee are the main committees within the congress that are involved with regulating and monitoring transport activities within the USA (Garrison Levinson, 2006). Therefore, before the DOT or any other agency within or outside the government comes up with a directive, rule or regulation that should be implemented, all the involved bodies and agencies need to be involved in the entire process. Most importantly, for the proposed laws and policies to be applicable within the United States, they need to conform to the requirements of the constitution. Within the United States, any law that contradicts with the constitution is regarded as null and void. With these systems in place, it is the duty of the DOT to ensure that the proposed policies, rules, and regulations work to enhance the transport ation system of the United States. Therefore, these policies need to consider the views of the people whom they are to govern. These rules also need to be practical, reasonable, and sustainable. Most importantly, the rules and regulations that govern the transport industry need to be consistent with the local, state, as well as international, rules and regulations since all modes of transport pass through different jurisdictions. Intermodal Transportation Intermodal transportation involves the use of more than one mode of transport to reach a given destination (UNCTD, 2001). This practice has been common within the society. For instance, before taking a flight, it is common for many individuals to use an alternative means of transport to come to the airport and also to leave the airport. The main aim of transport systems is to increase the ease and efficiency of moving. With this in mind, the USA came up with the Intermodal Surface Transport Act that was enacted in 1991 to ensure th at individuals enjoy the benefits of a given mode of transport at the expense of the other (Garrison Levinson, 2006). For instance, it is advisable to use rail transport in huge cities within the United States since it is faster, it can accommodate a lot of people and it eases traffic congestion. From the rail stations, people can walk, drive or take a taxi to their destinations. Therefore, given the strengths and weaknesses of different modes of transport, the intermodal transportation concepts ensures that given specific circumstances the advantages of a given mode of transport are utilized to overcome the weaknesses of another. In the process, a self-sustaining concept of transport that is effective and efficient is realized. References Anderson, J. (1999). A Review of the State of the Art of Personal Rapid Transit. Journal  of Advanced Transportation, 34(1), 3–29. Barker, T. Gerhold, D. (1993). The Rise and Rise of Road Transport, 1700–1990.  New York: Cambri dge University Press. DOT. (2012). Rule Making Process. Retrieved from dot.gov/regulations/rulemaking-process Frankel, J. (2011). Assessing Euro Zone Transport Systems. Economic Policy, Vol. 4 No. 15, pp. 576-627. Garrison, W. L. Levinson, D. M. (2006). The transportation experience: Policy,  planning, and deployment. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Jones, E. (2011). The Impacts of Changing Technology on Transport. Retrieved from skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-189_t-505_c-1865/nsw/history/australia-s-social-and-cultural-history-in-the-post-war-period/the-impact-of-changing-technology-on-everyday-life/transport-1950s-1960s Smith, A. (2005). Exploring radio frequency identification technology and its impact on business systems. Infomation Management and Computer Security, 2(1), 16-28 Trani, A. (2005). History of Air Transport. Retrieved from http://128.173.204.63/courses/cee5614/cee5614_pub/airtran_history.pdf UNCTD. (2001). Implementation of Multimodal Transport Rules. Retrieved from http://unctad.org/en/Docs/posdtetlbd2.en.pdf Uyterlinde, M. (n.d.). Sustainable Innovations in Road Transport: Assessing the Impact  of New Technology on Energy Use and Emissions. Retrieved from ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2008/m08080.pdf

Mentality and Mindfulness Meanings

Mentality and Mindfulness Meanings Mentality and Mindfulness Meanings Mentality and Mindfulness Meanings By Mark Nichol Mental and its lexical relations, all pertaining to workings of the mind, as well as mind and words and phrases derived from that word, are listed and defined in this post. Mental Mental is descended from the Latin noun mens, meaning â€Å"mind.† It means â€Å"pertaining to the mind,† though it also has a slang connotation of being irrationally agitated, as when somebody is said to be â€Å"going mental.† Demented, likewise, is used both technically, to mean â€Å"mentally impaired,† and informally, to describe someone who is mentally unstable to a dangerous extent; dementia refers to cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease as well as to insanity. (Demential is a rare adjectival form.) Mentality means â€Å"intelligence,† though it more often refers subjectively to one’s way of thinking, as in the phrase â€Å"small-town mentality.† Mentation, meanwhile, is the process of thinking, and from this word science fiction author Frank Herbert derived Mentat, the name of a class of humans endowed with powerful cognitive abilities who take the place of computers in a future technophobic society. Mentalist is a dated term for a mind reader, someone who claims to be able to detect the thoughts of others. The noun mention can refer to a formal acknowledgment of recognition (as in a special mention or an honorable mention) or can denote calling attention to something; it serves as a verb for both meanings as well. A mentor is a person who provides guidance and advice to a person seeking to develop knowledge and skills. The term mentee was superfluously coined to describe the latter person; protà ©gà © serves that purpose well enough. To comment is to note or remark, or provide an explanation or illustration, or a critique or judgment; as a noun, the word refers to any such communication. (A commentary is a formal comment, usually expressed in speech or writing, though it may also refer metaphorically to a phenomenon that unintentionally speaks judgmentally to a state of affairs, as in â€Å"The unsightly litter is a sad commentary on the decline in the sense of personal responsibility.†) A memento is an object that prompts memories, such as a souvenir. (The Latin phrase â€Å"memento mori† means â€Å"reminder of mortality.†) A reminiscence is a recalled memory of an experience; to bring one to mind is to reminisce. The Latin forebear is seen in the Latin phrase â€Å"mens rea,† meaning â€Å"guilty mind,† and â€Å"mens sana in corpore sano,† which translates to â€Å"a sound mind in a sound body.† â€Å"Compos mentis,† meanwhile, means â€Å"of sound mind†; â€Å"non compos mentis† is a legal and medical term denoting the absence of a capacity to understand a situation. The ubiquitous suffix -ment, referring to a condition or state, an action or a location of an action, or an agent, means, or result of an action, is unrelated. Mind The word mind, from the Old English term gemynd, is cognate with mens as well as a href=http://monere, meaning â€Å"warning† (the source of monitor, admonish, and other words). The noun mind is often considered synonymous with brain, referring in general to an organism’s mental activities and capabilities, but the latter term denotes the organ that controls body functions, prompts physical responses, and facilitates learning; the mind is more accurately described as the part of a person that thinks, reasons, decides, perceives, and feels. Other senses include â€Å"memory† (as in â€Å"Keep that in mind†), â€Å"intention† (â€Å"Have you changed your mind?†), â€Å"opinion† (â€Å"She spoke her mind†), and â€Å"mood† (â€Å"I’m not in a good state of mind right now†). In addition, the word denotes a collective mental quality (as in â€Å"hive mind†) or a person of superior intelligence (â€Å"one of the great minds of our age†). Meanwhile, a minder is someone who attends to or oversees someone or something. To mind is to attend to, notice, or pay attention, or to obey or follow instructions, or to be careful or concerned. A reminder is a note about something to remember or a memory aid; the verb form is remind. The phrase â€Å"never mind† is employed to denote something less likely than something else (as in â€Å"I couldn’t even run a mile right now, never mind a marathon†) and is an idiom meaning â€Å"disregard what I said.† The use of Nevermind as the title of an album by the band Nirvana likely contributed to the frequent erroneous occurrence of the phrase as a closed compound, but any treatment of the term as one word other than in a colloquialism such as â€Å"It don’t make me no nevermind† (meaning â€Å"It doesn’t matter to me†) is an error. To be aware or attuned is to be mindful; the quality is mindfulness. To be mindless is to act without thinking or using critical-thinking skills; mindlessly is the adverbial form. Mind control is the practice of influencing someone’s beliefs, thoughts, and actions through hypnosis, propaganda, or other forms of persuasion or suggestion and, in fiction, manipulation of the person’s brain using some sort of technology. Meanwhile, a mind-set is a way of thinking. (Writers often treat this word as a closed compound, but dictionaries still favor the hyphenated form.) A mastermind is someone responsible for plotting or strategizing a scheme or a plan; the word is often used in the context of illicit or otherwise undesirable activities, as in â€Å"criminal mastermind.† One of limited intelligence or judgment is feebleminded (in the first sense only) or simpleminded. One who is forgetful is absentminded. Adverbial forms of these words are produced by adding the suffix -ly. Something that is astonishing, exciting, inspiring, puzzling, or otherwise stimulating or that has the potential to figuratively or literally alter one’s perception is referred to as mind-bending, mind-blowing, or mind-boggling. Such a phenomenon itself is called a mind-bender, mind-blower, or mind-boggler. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesConfusing "Passed" with "Past"Using "zeitgeist" Coherently

Television advertisement vs social media Article

Television advertisement vs social media - Article Example Television marketing is one of the most popular and widely used modes of marketing all over the world including the MENA region. Companies place ads on television channels that are brought on air during popular television programmes so that the majority of people can view them. â€Å"Many businesses find a well-crafted television advertisement gives them an effective way to appeal to their target market† (Wagner n.d.). The normal length of television commercials ranges from 15 seconds to 2 to 3 minutes. Television ads are also played in the form of paid advertisements. Moreover, a direct response strategy is also being used widely in order to get instant feedback redundant from the viewers. Advertisements for direct response can run up to 15 to 30 minutes, and at the end of those advertisements a telephone number is shown to viewers in order for them to call the company and place the order. Along with television marketing, another form of marketing that is rapidly gaining fame and success in the MENA region is social media marketing. Social networking websites are playing a valuable role as effective marketing channels for all types of companies whether large, small, or medium-sized (Kelly 2013). With the advent of the social media as an effective network for marketing and advertising, companies started using social networking websites for achieving better response, as well as to provide customer service through enhanced level of interaction with the customers of the company (Richardson, Gosnay and Carroll 2010, p. 58). â€Å"The main goal of social media marketing is to ensure high participation of target audience in campaigns and content shared by the company† (Rajarammohan 2012). Social media is considered to be a complementary mix of all other advertising and marketing efforts (Evans 2012). It also plays an effective role in marketing and advertising of products. According

HR Scorecard Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR Scorecard - Assignment Example As noted by Becker, Huselid and Ulrich (2001), a company has competitive advantage if it has what it takes to make customers select its products and services over what other competitors offer. Meanwhile, through the use of the HR scorecard to determine the best working outcomes for employees, it is possible to be guaranteed that the employees will show an attitude towards work that is directly responsive to customer request, expectations and needs, making customers select them over other competitors. In the implementation of the HR scorecard however, there are some challenges that may be encountered. The first of this has to do with the assignment of assessment metrics to work outcomes that are considered more qualitative. Typical example of such work outcome is customer satisfaction. The second challenge has to do with cooperation from employees in the implementation of the outcomes with the HR scorecard (Lawler, Jamrog & Boudreau, 2011). The challenges can be minimized by having a communication system that fully involves employees and clearly explains the modalities of the HR scorecard to

Aldous Huxleys Brave New World and the Movie Gattaca - Genetic Enginee Essay

Aldous Huxleys Brave New World and the Movie Gattaca - Genetic Engineering and Its Effects on People - Essay Example On the other hand, Gattaca by Niccol seeks to present a biological vision whereby in the future, liberal eugenics drives the society through the selection of potential children through pre-implantation genetic processes. Through this envisioned process, best hereditary traits of the parents are maintained and passed down to their children while comparatively vague traits undergo elimination. Most importantly, the movie shows concern on the effects and consequences of the reproductive technologies that facilitate eugenics. Evidently, both Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Gattaca by Andrew Niccol seek to enhance and adapt the engineering advancements allowing genetic alteration to produce a new generation of humans. However, both illustrate a certain degree of fear of the outcome as well as the effects resulting from excessive genetic engineering on people. At the outset, evidence shows Dr Lamar’s battle within himself stating human nature as the problem. He says that creation of genetically superior society consequences to snatching away of the rights and dreams of the society born as â€Å"God-children.† This quote clearly illustrates the detrimental idealism behind genetic engineering. Realistically, the story in Gattaca mainly seeks to show how aspects of desire and heart prove to be immeasurable but in an ironic way. Moreover, Lenina in Brave New World quotes that everyone works for everyone else. This quote focuses on insisting on the neutrality of humans even with the attempts to create a difference through genetic alteration. Furthermore, this quote depicts the equality of both â€Å"species,† regardless of caste, to death. Moreover, Gattaca portrays a new world in which everybody, especially the successful, undergoes genetic alteration to perfect their DNA. Vincent further insists on the need for genetic alteration to become successful when he quotes that the normal humans who have not been genetically altered are outcasts with less capability in the real world.  Ã‚  

Proposal for Exec Hotels for Business Improvement Essay

Proposal for Exec Hotels for Business Improvement - Essay Example However, the costs associated with a new focus on tourism business are currently beyond the company’s capabilities. It has been determined that renewed local marketing is the best methodology to ensure revenue growth outside of the London centre of operations. 2. The business case Occupancy rates at hotels in Europe have seen stability in the last few years, with an average rate of 63 percent in London (Carlson Wagonlit, 2011). However, many European capitals are being hit hard currently with the economic global downturn, therefore the business should focus on its local business and presence (brand reputation) in the United Kingdom rather than expanding abroad. The company staff and executive leadership team are currently well-versed in local UK cultures, values and systems and by remaining in the UK for expansion, it will avoid the high costs of training and human resources restructuring for other European countries. The goal is to improve occupancy rates during the weekend where business is the most incapacitated, however the challenge to Exec Hotels is ensuring a method to fill weekend rooms without focusing on the new tourism market. This can be accomplished by staying true to the current values and operational know-how that currently exists in the UK marketplace. 3. The methodology for revenue improvements Competitive advantage for medium-sized hotels lays specifically in market innovation practices (Lin & Wu, 2008).

EBays Globalization Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EBays Globalization Strategy - Case Study Example The researcher states that the current economic downfall and the uncooperative financial trends of the dollar are other major factors that have worsened the existing scenario. eBay has now decided to revamp the entire website and measures to provide buyers more protections, sellers with loyalty programs are on the anvil. The core competency of eBay is its online auctions. The online auction marketplace model was the main factor that spelled success for eBay over the years. As the company does not think and act like a retailer, their initial strategy of not dealing in any way with the fixed-price market suited their core competency to a very great extent. Now, with its foray into this unvisited and untapped segment of the market, eBay is facing the dire consequences of not sticking to its original plan. This year eBay reported a revenue decline of around 16%, which it’s the first of its kind for this e-commerce company. An analyst at New York-based Sanford C. Bernstein, Lindsay says â€Å"Its a sign that eBay hasn't been able to buck the trend of poor consumer turnout during the holiday season. Unless they can get the core marketplaces business to turn around, and a fair bit of that will depend on the economy, then they're going to have to look at some more strategic measures.† The business model of eBay initially was to mainly help people trade practically anything on earth and conduct commerce through the Internet on a global basis. â€Å"A weakness in consumer spending and strength in the U. S dollar has reduced the value of overseas sales.† EBay’s main aim earlier was to make the process of online buying and selling fun using the system of the auction. Their main focus was using umpteen entrepreneurial strategies and business skills to create smart and efficient tools for the website and use a winning strategy to become the most popular and well-known e-commerce company and the best Internet retailer of all time.

Patsy Cline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Patsy Cline - Essay Example The posthumous Patsy bears only a partial resemblance to the live Patsy, who we can now know only through interviews and pictures." (Jensen, 107) An analysis of what has happened to Patsy Cline's image over time reveals how femininity is constructed in country music and popular culture, in general. This paper, therefore, focuses on the life and music career of Patsy Cline in relation to her country music, which discloses the true merit of her music and answers the question what makes her so important a musical genius. Patsy Cline has been remarkably considered to be the most influential country musician of the last century, and her posthumous influence on the development of country music is even more significant. Her performance career started in the mid 1940s and came to a startling close with her murder in a plane crash in 1963. Patsy started her recording career in Nashville by the year 1955 and soon became a member of the Opry. Her rich tone and emotionally expressive bold contralto voice earned her a great status among her contemporaries. These qualities, accompanied by her image as the sole mover in the country music industry, made Patsy an international figure, and they also inspired several vocalists of different music genres. Therefore, the image of Cline as the most celebrated of the country musicians is categorical. She was a country pop star and her fame was established by the various performing on radio and television broadcasts etc. Patsy Cline has been a country artist who consisten tly fought the pop styling, and one of the major factors ensuring her success as a renowned musician is her desire to be... Patsy Cline has been remarkably considered to be the most influential country musician of the last century, and her posthumous influence on the development of country music is even more significant. Her performance career started in the mid 1940s and came to a startling close with her murder in a plane crash in 1963. Patsy started her recording career in Nashville by the year 1955 and soon became a member of the Opry. Her rich tone and emotionally expressive bold contralto voice earned her a great status among her contemporaries. These qualities, accompanied by her image as the sole mover in the country music industry, made Patsy an international figure, and they also inspired several vocalists of different music genres. Therefore, the image of Cline as the most celebrated of the country musicians is categorical. She was a country pop star and her fame was established by the various performing on radio and television broadcasts etc. Patsy Cline has been a country artist who consisten tly fought the pop styling, and one of the major factors ensuring her success as a renowned musician is her desire to be consistent with country style as against the trends of popular pop music of the time. Though her voice had been flat, rich and ‘pop’ sounding, she always chose to be a country singer, and her resentment of being forced into recording slower, more melodic material earned her the crown of country music.

EBays Globalization Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EBays Globalization Strategy - Case Study Example The researcher states that the current economic downfall and the uncooperative financial trends of the dollar are other major factors that have worsened the existing scenario. eBay has now decided to revamp the entire website and measures to provide buyers more protections, sellers with loyalty programs are on the anvil. The core competency of eBay is its online auctions. The online auction marketplace model was the main factor that spelled success for eBay over the years. As the company does not think and act like a retailer, their initial strategy of not dealing in any way with the fixed-price market suited their core competency to a very great extent. Now, with its foray into this unvisited and untapped segment of the market, eBay is facing the dire consequences of not sticking to its original plan. This year eBay reported a revenue decline of around 16%, which it’s the first of its kind for this e-commerce company. An analyst at New York-based Sanford C. Bernstein, Lindsay says â€Å"Its a sign that eBay hasn't been able to buck the trend of poor consumer turnout during the holiday season. Unless they can get the core marketplaces business to turn around, and a fair bit of that will depend on the economy, then they're going to have to look at some more strategic measures.† The business model of eBay initially was to mainly help people trade practically anything on earth and conduct commerce through the Internet on a global basis. â€Å"A weakness in consumer spending and strength in the U. S dollar has reduced the value of overseas sales.† EBay’s main aim earlier was to make the process of online buying and selling fun using the system of the auction. Their main focus was using umpteen entrepreneurial strategies and business skills to create smart and efficient tools for the website and use a winning strategy to become the most popular and well-known e-commerce company and the best Internet retailer of all time.

Cognitive Development May Progress Gradually or Through a Series of Stages Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Development May Progress Gradually or Through a Series of Stages Essay Cognitive development can be defined as the growth of our knowledge in understanding the world around us. This growth can be developed gradually, in other words, it is seen as a continuous process by collecting more information. Another way of developing cognitively is through a series of stages which involves some sort of revolution from one period to another in one’s lifetime. Jean Piaget, a cognitive developmentalist believed that humans go through a series of stages in life in order to reach their full cognitive ability. In this essay, we would briefly talk about Piaget’s Stage Theory and its criticisms. Piaget divided his theory into four different stages of development. The first one is known as the sensorimotor stage which is applied to infants for approximately the first two years of their lives. At this stage, infants discover the world mainly by their senses and actions. One of the main concepts Piaget penned is object permanence. This is the knowledge of the existence of objects even when we cannot directly sense it. Piaget suggested that babies lack this concept through his study; A not B task. In this study, the experimenter hides a toy under Box A then the baby would search for it under Box A. This procedure was repeated and eventually in front of the baby, the experimenter hid the toy under Box B. The baby searched for it under Box A instead of B even though they saw the experimenter hid it under Box B. Therefore, this study shows that the baby lacked the concept of object permanence. They are known to be in a state of solipsism, also known as the failure to differentiate between themselves and the surroundings. Based on observation conducted on his own children (1952), Piaget divided this stage into six different sub stages. However, Piaget’s claims on object permanence have been criticized. Baillargeon et al. (1985) found in their research that infants as young as three-and-a-half months have developed the ability of object permanence. This was backed up by Bower Wishart (1972) whereby they discovered that even after the lights were switched off, the babies continued to search for the object shown. Hence, they do possess the ability of object permanence. The second stage is the preoperational stage which occurs when the child is aged 2 to 7. On this stage, the child solves problems by using symbols and develops the skill for languages. According to Piaget, the child is egocentric which means he sees the world from his standpoint but not others. The solution to this is to apply operational intelligence. The process of solving problems by using logic. Another concept which Piaget is concerned with is conservation. It is the understanding that any quantity remains the same even if physical changes is made to the objects holding the medium. In addition to these concepts, centration, also defined as the focus on a single aspect of a problem at a time. Piaget states that at this stage, the child fails to decenter. Conversely, Borke and Hughes (1975) found contradicting evidence against Piaget’s on his study of the three mountains task. They used the same elements of the task and discovered that children had no problem with identifying the perspectives of the others when the task is shown in a meaningful context. Hence, from the result obtained, Hughes found that the children did not display any characteristics of being egocentric. Furthermore, Gelman (1979) found in his study that four year olds altered their explanations of things to get their message across clearer to a blindfolded listener. If Piaget’s concept of egocentrism was correct then, this shouldn’t have happened. In addition, Flavell suggested an alternative to this issue by coining the Level 1 and Level 2 perspective-taking abilities. In Level 1, one thinks about viewing objects but not the different perspectives that can be seen of the objects while in Level 2, one is able to imagine the views of the objects from different angles. Flavell concluded that it is not compulsory that children think others share the same perspective as themselves but they do struggle to imagine what others can see. Therefore, this shows that Piaget’s claim on egocentrism could be correct or wrong. Moreover, in Donaldson’s Children’s Minds (1978), she argued that children misunderstood the questions which Piaget asked while conducting the studies. This was the reason why Piaget obtained the results in his studies involving the concept of conservation especially. Donaldson stated that Piaget’s tasks had no meaningful context for the children to understand, hence they answered what they thought the experimenter expected of them. This claim was supported by Rose Blank (1974) where they found children often succeeded in the conservation task. Further research was done by Samuel Bryant (1978) who used conservation of number, liquid quantity and substance and obtained similar conclusion with Rose Blank’s. Donaldson also stated that children were unintentionally forced to produce the wrong answer against their own logical judgment. One of the explanations is that the same question was asked repeatedly before and after transformations presented to them and this in turn caused the children to believe that their original answer was wrong. Thus, the idea of children assuming the fact that reality changes according to appearance could be incorrect. In addition, Piaget may have underestimated a child’s cognitive ability because based on Mitchell Robinson’s (1992) study; they demonstrated that children from the age of 4 could locate the correct answer to a solution by canceling out the alternatives. This process is also known as inference by elimination. The children were presented with a set of cartoon characters, three of which were well-known. They were asked to identify a superhero which was unknown. The researchers discovered that majority of the children selected the unknown character without doubt. Another example of a child’s ability is their capability with syllogisms which consists of logical problems accompanied by a general rule that enables people to create a statement. Dias and Harris (1990) stated a general rule that all fish live in trees and Tiddles is a fish, then it is logical to assume that Tiddles live in trees. After presenting this to the children, they insisted that Tiddles lives in the water instead. However, after the experimenters presented them with another rule, they were ready to use the rule to make inferences. Therefore, these evidences show that Piaget may have underestimated the abilities of younger children. Subsequently is the stage of concrete operation which happens to children around the age of 7 to 12. Now the child is able to solve their problems in a logical manner but the problem has to be either real or concrete. The final stage; formal operations which takes place when the child turns 12 and continue into their adulthood. In this stage, one would be able to solve problems systematically and logically even if the problem is a hypothetical situation. Wason and Johnson-Laird showed that most intelligent adults do not fulfill Piaget’s ideal cognitively developed person through selection task. This claim is proved in Cheng and Holyoak’s (1985) study where the results strongly show that majority of the participants does not display the reasoning of an adult in the stage of formal operations. In other words, this experiment is a clear indication that the formal operations stage does not exist. One of the critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory in general is John Flavell (1982) who claimed that Piaget did not define the cognitive processes clearly. Furthermore, Braine and Rumain (1983) who conducted an analysis on the contents and the structure of the theory found that Piaget’s theory could be flawed. These are only the few critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory. Thus, the theory is constantly being questioned due to its impact in the field of cognitive psychology. After stating the basic facts of the theory as well as giving some examples of the critics of Piaget’s concepts and ideas, we are now able to get an overview of the debate. Overall, there are evidences which propose some of the concepts to be reviewed again and maybe even rejected. However, from the researches conducted on Piaget’s theory as well as the impact of it, alternative theories were penned down. For example, Vygotsky’s theory which takes on a more social based view of describing the cognitive development. In conclusion, Piaget’s theory have been applied in various institutions especially education but it is also being criticized by many in the field, therefore, it is only fair to conclude that Piaget’s theory may need to be modified in order to create a more accurate theory to explain the way we understand the world.