The Affordable Care Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 20

The Affordable Care Act - Essay Example The Affordable Care Act is beneficial because it has made substantial progress in reducing the number of Americans with no health insurance. Low-income residents have immensely benefited because most of them are now able to access and afford insurance. Those who gained insurance through the law have seen a reduction in disastrously high medical bills that hospitals forced them to pay in previous instances. Whether the Act has made the American population healthier is still uncertain. Similarly, there is no significant decrease in chronic illness patients, neither is there an increase of checkups (Sanger-Katz 1). It was also intriguing to learn that young Americans remain on their parents’ insurance plans until they turn twenty-six years of age. This is a positive step of the act, because traditionally, most citizens between nineteen to thirty years of age do not have insurance. In consequence, this reduced the number of uninsured Americans. Sanger-Katz affirms that most young Americans, especially college graduates, now access customary primary care doctor before the institution of the law, because they do not have to go without medical care because of costs. Even so, there was minimal change in the rest of the population in terms of access to primary care.

Vulnerable Population Essay Example for Free

Vulnerable Population Essay Children are one population group of the society that is vulnerable. The U. S. A agencies for Development, most vulnerable children are those who get inadequate support from adults due to abandonment, chronic illness i. e. those who have AIDS or those that are suspected to have it. Other causes of vulnerability emanate from the destruction of social systems that used to protect children in the community. Such destruction comes around due to conflicts, violence, and living outside family care. These bad conditions expose children to serious survival risk. The UNAIDS projects that by 2010 there will be 20-25 million AIDS orphans. Orphans are confronted by a large number of challenges. They don’t easily have access to funds for food, clothing, basic healthcare, or school fees. The desperation that comes out of this scenario makes the children more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse that ends up making them contract the disease. According to the 2006 act: safeguarding vulnerable groups, chapter 47. subsection 21; controlled activity relating to children; schedule 3 parts 1 sub paragraph 4 in reference to offence committed against children it states culpable conduct is that which puts or is likely to put the child in danger, conduct involving material on sex, graphical material conduct. In part 2 of the same subsection a person endangers a child in cases where; they harm the child, put the child into risk, attempts to harm or incites someone else to harm the child. ( Act, 2006) According demographics of there are groups in the category of children that are more vulnerable than others. Orphans are the most vulnerable section among the vulnerable children. Others are the children who come from poor families, children from minority ethnicities, or children with disabilities among others. In a study done on Hester-sway area of local community, in a population of 11,730 it was identified that high risk group areas for children constitute twenty percent of the population. Speakers addressing the congress on the world aids day cited orphaned children and children suffering from the deadly AIDS disease as the most vulnerable group. Children who lack parental care consequently lack a source of primary care. Under this category we have orphans, refugees, detainees, abducted children, children under care of caregivers, and children in prolonged stay at the hospital, or detained seekers of asylum who happen to be children. (Cox, The child is first exposed to risk when there occurs a separation of the family unit. Placement of children to institutions such as care institutions that may follow is not good for the well being of the child. It is known that children who lack protection and guidance of their parents or guardians are more predisposed to becoming victims of violence, discrimination, trafficking, exploitation etc. Children who get orphaned in conflict situations such as war face malnutrition, physical and psychological trauma, illness, and suffer faulty development emotionally. Unprotected girls run the risk of being sexually abused, while boys in similar situation are prone to forced participation in armed conflict and violence The numbers of children facing orphanage situations are many across states. Central and eastern Europe has 1. 5 million children living in public care. In Russia, despite a fall in birth rates over the last ten years, numbers of children left without parental care continue to soar. Worldwide armed conflict separated or orphaned a million children. Of all refugees five percent are unaccompanied children, and finally the estimated number of total orphans in the in the world is 143 million. (Unicef, 2008) Putting the children into institutions is often a move that is meant to keep them out of the society. This is caused by certain biases members of the society harbor for the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups such as orphans, children suffering from AIDS, and children with disabilities among the others. Institutionalized, in this sense, amounts to deprivation of the right of the persons to freely associate with other members of the society. The conditions in the institutions of essentially violate the children’s. In the institutions there is rampant discrimination, neglect, denial of the right to education and participation among other abuses. Being victims of blatant discrimination, vulnerable children under five years of age carry the bulk of disease and mortality rates for the world’s population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) this is caused by lack of health support services which leaves the children in risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS. In Eastern Europe the stigma surrounds HIV causes many cases of abandonment of children by their HIV positive mothers. ( Unicef, 2004) The children end up neglected, either on the streets or in an institution. And following the sense of lack of support from the society the children end up being dehumanized, others become social misfits due to substance abuse and their condition generally worsens. According to research it has been established that the risk of orphan hood or suffering from the dreaded HIV is not reserves of a few but all people can suffer from it. This is due to the escalation of violence and the unpredictability of contracting aids. Similar risks exist in the categories of disability, and poverty, that threatens everyone in the modern times. In a new vision then, vulnerable children should be seen as children who face increased risk of negative outcome compared to average children in the society. If the society doesn’t change the stereotyping it has condoned on the vulnerable groups the same may soon or later affect them the same way. Appropriate interventions that can help the orphaned and vulnerable children should be structured alongside the specific needs of the children. This should be done with the children’s circumstances, gender age etc. There should be improvement of nutritional status for the children from poor backgrounds, and proper integration that is tailored to restore the mental health of the children. In any case the vulnerable children are only disadvantaged by discrimination the society has for them. Their situations are not a cause for failure and if they are given fair chances in the society they can perform even better out of sheer resilience. (Molenaar, 2002) Doctors Of the World (DOW) work among vulnerable groups. In an analysis of their target groups they concluded that children are the most vulnerable group. For the organization violation of the Childs healthy development amounts to violation of their rights. The society emphasizes and works towards protection of basic rights of children i. e. those orphaned, disabled, institutionalized, and those on the street. With a perspective like that of the DOW we see that the vulnerability risks of the child are enormous, but can be surmounted. Through an approach such as theirs, that are principally done with the cooperation of the governments and civil societies, people can build capacities for and develop children welfare, and substantially reduce the risks that make children vulnerable all over the world. Juvenile crime has sent many young people to juvenile detention in America today. Most of the young detainees are held on nonviolent cases such as mental health, failed families. Instead of addressing the young persons need for treatment, they are locked up that can only keep them, not help them positively. (Liss, 2005) References Cox, T. (2000), Combating Educational Disadvantage: Meeting the Needs of Vulnerable Children, Routledge. Liss, S (2005) No Place for Children: Voices from Juvenile Detention University of Texas Press. Molenaar M.(2002) Assessing and Promoting Resilience in Vulnerable Children: A Handbook on Social Work and Student Counseling, Kingsley Publishers Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse, Unite for Children press centre http://www. unicef. org retrieved November 20, 2008 Children on the Brink (2004). A Joint Report of New Orphan Estimates and a Framework for Action. UNICEF/UNAIDS/USAID http://www. cheltenhampartnership. org. uk/libraries/documents/neighbourhood%20policing/hestersway profile . pdf. Retrieved; November 20, 2008.

AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

To talk about AIDS today, one has also to talk about sexuality. Nowadays AIDS is largely related to sexual activities since AIDS is a consequence of the virus HIV, which can be transmitted during sexual relations. The movie that we saw, Philadelphia, deals with this. It tells the story of a homosexual man who contracted HIV during sexual intercourse with another man. After some years he starts to suffer from AIDS and the discrimination that came along with it. He was a successful lawyer, and was fired only because he had AIDS. What is AIDS? AIDS is a stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a disease caused by the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) virus. An HIV-infected person receives a diagnosis of AIDS after developing one of the CDC-defined AIDS indicator illnesses. An HIV-positive person who has not had any serious illnesses also can receive an AIDS diagnosis on the basis of certain blood tests. A positive HIV test result does not mean that a person has AIDS. A person may carry the virus inside his body for as long as 10 years (or more) without showing an illnesses caused by AIDS. Infection with HIV can weaken the immune system to the point that it has difficulty fighting off certain infections. These types of infections are known as "opportunistic" infections because they take the opportunity a weakened immune system gives to cause illness. Many of the infections that cause problems or may be life-threatening for people with AIDS are usually controlled by a healthy immune syst em. The immune system of a person with AIDS is weakened to the point that medical intervention may be necessary to prevent or treat serious illness. Today there are medical treatments that can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system. There are other treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS. As with other diseases, early detection offers more options for treatment and preventative care. HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by sharing needles and/or syringes (drug injection) with someone who is infected, or, less commonly, through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors. Babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth or through breast-feeding after birth. There are a couple of myths about how the HIV is transmitted. Some people fear that HIV might be transmitted in other ways; however, no scientific evidence to support any of these fears has been found.

Man Needs the Environment

The environment is the place wherein man lives; it is his dwelling place. Man and the environment has a significant connection which entails that man cannot be detached from it, because his awareness and knowledge about things are both gained from his experiences that take place within his surroundings. Consequently, man tries to settle himself in his environment, both social and physical approaches, in order live life effectively and productively. Man and the social environment. A quality that distinguishes man from other animals is his social nature.Man cannot be compared with other animals because he is placed above and dwells in a habitat where a social interaction is a prerequisite and basic function. â€Å"No man is an island; no man can stand alone. † – This saying implies that man is intrinsically a social being. He cannot detach himself from others and all other creatures in the world; he is intended to be a being-that-exists-with-others-in-the-world. Man has h is respective social roles: being-through-others, being-with-others, and being-for-others. These social roles would help an individual establish his social identity.Man is a being-through-others. From man’s conception and birth, he is dependent on other people. He cannot grow up, work, and live neither as efficiently nor effectively, except through others. His life and death will only have meaning when considered in reference to others like him. Also, man is considered as a being-with-others. Despite the efforts to live independently, man cannot and should not live in total isolation rather he should deal and mingle with the people around him. His togetherness towards other creatures characterizes human nature.And in dealing with other individuals, he builds up inter-human relationships. As a result of the social bonds from these relationships, man’s major social needs: attention, affection, and acceptance are being fulfilled. Moreover, with the inter-human relationshi ps he has and the exposure to his environment, his awareness is increased. He will become more conscious and observant of the events and people around him – issues, situations, problems, and conditions. The â€Å"hows† and â€Å"whys† of human actions and interactions will be learned resulting to growth of man’s knowledge.On the contrary, considering that a man who is gifted and is isolated from others since birth; man who doesn’t involve and have social relations ever since, impossibility of man’s survival arouses. In other words, man cannot be said to be a real man only with his biological birth but only when he forms social collective and lives in social relations, will he be able to exist and develop as a man. Man’s personality is moulded and developed within his social environment, through mingling with the people in his surroundings.Through interacting with others, man develops his potentials. Indeed, the social environment itse lf and one’s exposure to it is vital in one’s life which conveys that man needs it. Man and the physical environment. The physical environment is composed of the natural resources. And from these resources, one’s necessities as a living organism, which includes man, can be acquired. As a living organism, man is in need of water, air, and also of the presence of other living creatures. Man needs air. It is in every living organism’s nature to breathe.Breathing is vital in one’s life. It commonly serves as the basis that an individual has life and is alive. Man needs air to breathe in order to survive. The absence of air in man’s life would suggest and imply that man would eventually die. Also, man needs water. Water is one of the major needs for the survival of every living organism. Water plays an important role in man’s life, and it is involved in man’s daily living. It is used for drinking, for cooking, for hygienic purposes, for tidying things and also for watering the plants.In addition, man needs the presence of other living creatures. The existence of every living organism has an important role in the environment which brings a large impact to the other living creatures in the world. Scientifically speaking, living creatures are said to have and participate in the so called as the Food Web and Food Chain. In these particular concepts, the presence of producers and consumers are considered; plants as producers and animals, which include man, are consumers. With such, man’s survival is dependent on the existence of other living creatures in the environment.And it can be justified through man’s reliance to the gas, oxygen, which can be acquired from the plants, and to man’s practice of considering plants and others animals as his source of food. The presence of every living organism helps maintain the balance of the ecosystem. From the physical environment, man acquires his basic n ecessities. Indeed, man needs the physical environment for his survival. Man needs both the social environment and physical environment. From these environments, man obtains his needs. And from the satisfaction of his needs, man derives a sense of completeness and in the process, his survival is ensured.

My Favourite Cafe

I would like to tell you some words about one of my favourite cafes in Murom. It is a suitable place to sit with a cup of tea or coffee or to spend spare time with your friends. In my humble opinion, it would be hard to find friendlier place in Murom than this litlle cafe, but of course it is a matter of taste. This coffee-house is located in Moscovskaya street near the cafe-club â€Å"Happiness†. The interior helps to create relaxed home atmosphere. It is a small cafe, which specializes in serving coffee and desserts with a small and simple dining room. You can find different types of coffee there – espresso, capuchino, latte, black coffee, coffee with cognac, liqueur and some others. Also this cafe provides all kinds of drinks – alcoholic and non-alcoholic, such as juice, mineral water and various types of tea. The cafe’s menu is rather diverse. You can eat salads, fish and meat dishes; tasty cakes, rolls and and pies with different fillings; fruits – apples, oranges, grapefruits and lemons cut in small pieces; sandwiches and pancakes with various syrops and sauces; sushi and a variety of ice-cream, that can be with fruit sweet syrops, nuts and chocolate. The interior of this cafe is rather cosy and comfortable. Inside the cafe one can observe several small wooden tables without table-cloths, wooden chairs and nice soft sofas. There are stands with sugar, salt and paper napkins on the tables. Near the entrance, there is a large mirror, therefore the visitors have an opportunity to look at themselves. Along the walls are wooden cases with some pictures and photos. You can always hear unostentatious and melodic music there. The waiters are rather neat, friendly and polite. Usually the order is ready quickly, and the visitors don’t wait for a long time. Unfortunately, I can’t remember, when this cafe starts its work, but I know that they close up usually at 1 o’clock am. Also, it is allowed to smoke there, but only after 7 o’clock pm. In the evening some visitors ask the waiter to bring them an ashtray, so that they can drink a cup of fresh coffee with a cigarette. The prices in this cafe are not very high. The cost of a cup of coffee varies from 40 to 150 rubles, ice-cream – about 100-130 rubles and a glass of juice 30-40 rubles. Usually I prefer to order several cups of coffee, tasty ice-cream and some sweet deserts – puddings, pancakes, pies, etc. In the middle of the cafe, one can see a small bar with a variety of alcohol drinks, mineral waters and juices. The room itself is looking not very large, yet it is bright, clean and pleasing to the eye. So you can easily enjoy yourself in this lovely place.

Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was the enormous land deal in which the United States, during the administration of Thomas Jefferson, purchased territory from France comprising the present day American Midwest The significance of the Louisiana Purchase was enormous. In one stroke the United States doubled its size. The acquisition of land made westward expansion feasible. And the deal with France guaranteed that the Mississippi River would become a major artery for American commerce, which provided a considerable boost to Americas economic development. At the time, the Louisiana Purchase was also controversial. Jefferson, and his representatives, were well aware that the Constitution did not give the president any authority to make such a deal. Yet the opportunity had to be taken. And to some Americans the deal seemed like a treacherous abuse of presidential power. The Congress went along with Jeffersons idea, and the deal was completed. And it turned out to be perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Jeffersons two terms in office. One remarkable aspect of the Louisiana Purchase is that Jefferson had not really been trying to buy that much land. He was only hoping to acquire the city of New Orleans, but the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, offered a much more attractive deal. Background of the Louisiana Purchase At the beginning of Thomas Jeffersons administration there was great concern in the American government about control of the Mississippi River. It appeared obvious that access to the Mississippi, and especially the port city of New Orleans, would be vital to the further development of the American economy. In a time before canals and railroads, good would need to travel down the Mississippi. As France had lost its grip on its colony of Saint Domingue (which became the nation of Haiti after a slave revolt), the emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, saw less value in hanging on to Louisiana. The idea of a French empire in the Americas was essentially abandoned. Jefferson was interested in acquiring the port of New Orleans. But Napoleon directed his diplomats to offer the United States the entire Louisiana territory, which essentially included what today is the American Midwest. Jeffersons ultimately accepted the deal, and purchased the land for $15 million. The actual transfer, where the land became American territory, took place at the Cabildo, a building in New Orleans, on December 20, 1803. Impact of the Louisiana Purchase When the deal was finalized in 1803, many Americans, including especially government officials, were relieved because the Louisiana Purchase ended the crisis over control of the Mississippi River. The enormous acquisition of land was viewed as a secondary triumph. The purchase, however, would have a huge effect on Americas future. In total, 15 states, in whole or in part, would be carved out of the land acquired from France in 1803:Â  Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. While the Lousiana Purchase came as a surprising development, it would profoundly change America, and help to usher in the era of Manifest Destiny.

Exempt vs Non-Exempt Employees

Exempt vs Non-Exempt Employees Free Online Research Papers In most organizations employees fall into two categoriesexempt and non-exempt status. The exempt and non-exempt terms was brought into effect through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and was written to protect employees from being required to work long hours with out being compensated and an incentive for employers to attract potential candidates. The difference between the two categories could cost the organization quite a lot of money. This means that employees who fall into the exempt status are exempt from overtime regulations and minimum wage laws. On the other hand, employees who are classified as nonexempt must be paid for every extra hour of overtime they work. According to the U.S Department of Labor (2007), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), requires that most employees in the United States be paid at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime pay at time and one-half the regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. In addition, the FLSA also dictates that an employee’s title does not determine their status. In other words, for an employee to be considered exempt the employee’s pay and specific job duties must meet all the requirements. Regardless of the number of hours worked exempt employees do not receive overtime pay. However based on the supervisor’s discretion employees are offered compensatory time for excess hours worked. Determining exemption status can sometimes be a very complex process. To determine employers have to consider the primary purpose of the position and how the tasks fits with the purpose. According to Turner (n.d), job analysts use organizational charts, compare similar positions, use field manuals, and read the FLSA guidebooks to determine the category. Misclassification of status can result in severe penalties for employers. In some cases employers are required to pay back pay of up to two years for any employee who is misclassified as exempt. Exempt employees are generally paid for any full week in which they perform work without regard to the number of days or hours worked. Paid vacations, time off and holidays are all fringe benefits offered by employers. That is why employers must be careful when deducting unpaid time off, especially if organizations do not provide paid vacation or personal day. Then this could be deducted from employees’ salary. On the other hand, the FLSA states that employers may make pay deductions when an employee is absent for a full day for personal reasons when paid vacations, time off and holidays are granted. Similarly, if you give paid vacation days and the employee has used them all, you may deduct any additional personal time off. Non-exempt employees on the other hand are required to work a certain number of hours in a week period and if that number is met and exceeded it is then considered overtime. Non-exempt employees are required to maintain a regular schedule to track actual hours worked. Ensuring that all procedures and policies are clear with regards to recording time and working overtime are all important information that should be communicated to the employee. According to the Business Owners (2007), The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires, among other things, that a minimum wage be established, and that all nonexempt employees be paid that minimum wage. This rate must be paid to all nonexempt employees for each hour worked up to 40 hours and must be paid time and a half for time worked beyond. However, in complying with the laws, employers must validate that employees did work the time indicated, computed at the employee’s regular rate and ensure that the organization maintain an equal pay requirement. The FLSA is a useful tool to help guide employers as well as employees determine the criteria for exemption. The law guides both categories and as noted job titles should not be the only criteria for claim exemptions and surely not simply paying on a salary. This means that each and every situation must be looked at individually. Exempt positions are excluded from minimum wage; and overtime regulations unlike nonexempt employees who are allowed overtime and must be paid for time worked over the specified number. References Business Owners Toolkit (2007). Exempt and Nonexempt Employees. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://toolkit.com Turner D. (n.d). Non-Exempt and Exempt: What do these terms men and why does it Matter? Retrieved November 19, 2007, from purdue.edu US Department of Labor (2007). Fair Pay Fact Sheet by Exemption Under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from dol.gov Research Papers on Exempt vs Non-Exempt EmployeesWhat are Stock OptionsDistance Learning Survival GuideA Marketing Analysis of the Fast-Food RestaurantGene One the Transition from Private to PublicDeontological Teleological TheoriesThe Mechanics of Grading Grading SystemsAmerican Central Banking and OilThe Equal Rights AmendmentQuebec and CanadaDefinition of Export Quotas

The Generalist vs. The Specialist

The Generalist vs. The Specialist The Generalist vs. The Specialist The Generalist vs. The Specialist By Colin One of the biggest problems facing modern day freelance writers is whether to spread out and write on a variety of subjects, or whether to specialise in markets they are able to â€Å"expert† in. It’s a problem both for established writers as well as those starting out, because while it may be the route to job satisfaction for one writer, it may also be the road to a life of boredom for another. One thing for certain is that both generalising and specialising have equal pros and cons, which should all be considered before attempting to switch from one to the other. A lot of writers choose to begin their careers by marketing themselves generally, and then making the gradual move to working in more specialised fields, but it is not uncommon for specialist writers to go in the other direction so they can broaden their portfolio, or if they have explored every avenue, to seek out new areas in which they may wish to specialise. In this article we will explore further the benefits to writing in both fields in more detail. The General Writer Writing general articles across a broad spectrum of subjects is an excellent way for new freelancers to gain experience. It allows for never ending opportunities in the type of work taken on, and it means the writer can spread their wings and try new things without the fear of restriction. It also means they can ditch what doesn’t work in favour of what does if they feel it isnt working out. Once a few writing gigs have been successfully completed, a new writer’s portfolio can quickly grow, and when the chance for higher paying gigs or the option of specialisation present themselves, the writer will have a healthy clippings folder from which to choose from in order to boost their chance at bagging their next big gig. Generalisation means a writer is totally unrestricted to most kinds of work other than, of course, specialised fields, and it also affords the writer an extremely enjoyable way to make a living. Moving from subject to subject, researching new and topics, and exploring new ideas, means every day in the freelancer’s life will never be dull. It’s a marvelous way to meet new and interesting people, and to broaden one’s horizons. This of course can present its own problems when it comes to the time it takes to carry out this research and turn articles around, so be wary of taking on new subjects under tight deadlines. And finally, after working within the general field of freelance writing a writer will discover exactly what subjects turn them on, and what ones hold them back. It is an excellent way of discovering what areas may be considered if a move to specialisation is favoured. Experiences gained writing generally can often help the writer decide which areas to specialise in at a future date. The Specialist Writer Specialist freelance writing calls for a different kind of writer, either one who already is a specialist in a particular field, maybe after having come to writing from another industry, or for those writers who have exhausted themselves generally and now wish to narrow the markets in which they write. Freelance writers who specialise are often able to create a niche for themselves within a particular market, which although may sound restrictive, can have many benefits. Among these is the opportunity to class yourself as an expert, meaning people, and more importantly editors, will take you more seriously. If an editor takes you seriously as a talented writer who knows a particular topic inside out, he or she is going to be more inclined to keep using you as a source of articles – provided you meet their deadlines and publication requirements. This in turn means more work, and eventually, an ongoing relationship with an editor or publisher, which is something every freelance writer dreams of – a steady source of income. Establishing yourself as a guru and making a name for yourself also opens up many doors when it comes to self-publicity. A successful freelance specialist writer can use this background to market him or herself through other websites of a similar nature, thus cementing their reputation. As with general freelance writing, specialisation also means a writer has a never ending source of markets to choose from. Where your career lies will depend on what your specialist knowledge is, so it is important to choose those subjects in which you know best, and feel you could talk about for hours on end. Some writers refuse to specialise citing the lack of exposure to new markets as their main foible, but for those who do, there are as many who say that writing in a field they feel passionate about gives them the opportunity to be able to expand even further on their knowledge. And for any specialist writer, the questions that must first be asked are; what do you know well, where do your main interests lie, and can you write about these things on an on-going basis and keep it interesting? No matter how you choose to further your career in freelance writing one thing is always certain – it’s a fascinating and liberating way of life. 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 Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs Past"Latter," not "Ladder"Inspiring vs. Inspirational

Fast Fashion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fast Fashion - Case Study Example The main aim of any business is the continued success in the market as well as an increase in revenue in the long time-period. In quick response or fast fashion business model, the time is of the utmost essence. So, every part of the business plays an important role. This starts from designing the garments to the vendor supplies and the production department. The marketing department, transportation system as well as the retail store have also a very important role in reaching the customers and sell the final product.1. MarketingA key factor of the fast fashion, this department identifies as well as creates the demand for new designs in the market. The main idea is to promote the fashion as disposable, changing and offer them at the low prices (Caro & Mart ´Ã„ ±nez-de-Albeniz, 2014).2. DesignThe designers are a critical component of the fast fashion business model as they identify the popular styles in any area and design the next collection by keeping it in the mind (Caro & Mart ´Ã„ ±nez-de-Albeniz, 2014).3. ProductionProduction department plays an important role in this process by producing an optimized number of collections within the given deadline (Caro & Mart ´Ã„ ±nez-de-Albeniz, 2014).4. Supply chain managementAs the supply chain management includes many processes such as the supply of the raw material from the vendors and the supply of the finished products to the retail stores, it plays an important role in Fast Fashion business model (Caro & Mart ´Ã„ ±nez-de-Albeniz, 2014).

Analysis Of The Switzerland's Economic Assignment

Analysis Of The Switzerland's Economic - Assignment Example The country’s environment is peaceful and conducive for both local and international investments. The labor force in Switzerland is highly skilled thus has contributed to the high employment rate. The economic performance of the country as measured by the gross domestic product is among the leading worldwide. The high economic growth in the country is boosted by the service sector of the economy. Switzerland is amongst the top performing and highly competitive countries in the world due to its transparent legal systems, well-organized capital markets, low tax rates on corporations and outstanding infrastructural development.In order to fairly compete in the Euro zone, Switzerland has aligned its economic practices with those of other countries in Europe. Almost half of its total exports have their destinations within Europe. The country’s economy is more stable than for most of the countries in the Euro zone. The condition has led to an increase in the value of the Swis s Franc against other currencies in the Euro zone. A stable currency is an indicator of a viable investment opportunity. The economic indicatorsIn order to conform to the requirement of this report, factors influencing the following three economic indicators are to be discussed: economic growth, the inflation rate, and the exchange rate. The economic growth of a country is the rise in the market value of outputs (goods and services) that are produced in a country within a period, usually one year (McDowell 2012).

How to design fashion psychologically Dissertation - 1

How to design fashion psychologically - Dissertation Example There has always been a perceived connection between the designer clothing associated with individuals and their status in the society as well as their identity. There is also the notion that the connection between these aspects decreases with an increase in maturity, nevertheless, designer fashion still influences the views of status. Hypotheses will be tested through gathering literature from research that has been carried out by other people as well as conducting a new experiment.   This research aims at creating a better understanding of how designer fashion influences the social standing of women especially psychologically and physically. This research is particularly important as it is inevitable for people to avoid being judged based on their clothing and will aim at understanding the influence of materialism on status of people of different ages. Problem statementThe main aim of this research is to understand how fashion created by different designers all over the world aff ects the social status and development of an identity particularly in women.   Humans have different ways of differentiating between each other and conforming to societal norms, including the use of clothes. Clothing, especially fashion assists people in identifying themselves with their peers and acts as a method of distinguishing people. Clothing can be easily used in the identification of the form of character and cues that indicate particular stereotypes. These stereotypes may be useful in appreciating the social status.

Manitoba unemployment rate forecast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Manitoba unemployment rate forecast - Essay Example By the year 2010, the province’s economy experienced a 2.4% growth per year. Manitoba’s economy remained unchanged amid the slowdown in the country’s economy. The province also registered a 2.4% increase in labor income. In addition, the economy has experienced an increase in employment levels due to increased demand for skilled laborers. Consequently, the unemployment levels have gradually reduced over the years. However, there are minimal changes in the unemployment rate in the province since 2010. The province has registered various changes in the overall labor force (Marcil, n.p.). Employment in an economy represents a number of eligible individuals who are willing to work and can be engaged in full time or part-time labor at prevailing wage rates. This is because the economy needs human capital where individuals play a part in the manufacture of goods and services for the economy. At this level, the economy experiences full employment where all available labor resources are utilized in an economically efficient way. On the other hand, unemployment is the number of individuals in an economy who are ready and capable to work, but cannot find a job. Therefore, the jobless individuals who are unwilling to work in an economy are not classified in the unemployment category. Unemployment is a key measure of economic health of a region or country. There are three types of unemployment namely frictional, structural, and cyclical unemployment (Kennedy 37). The frictional unemployment is a short-run unemployment resulting from the process of searching for a new employme nt by individuals. Structural unemployment represents a persistent lack of jobs whenever the incomes in employment markets do not match up the supply and demand. Finally, cyclic unemployment refers to the short-term unemployment related to the vicissitudes of the market. The unemployment rate determines the levels of unemployment in an economy (Kennedy 37).

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Assignment 3 - Essay Example As a result there was some invention like the punch card computers which were designed to help solve the crisis (Smith, 1926). 2400 BC: The first known calculator known as Abacus was invented by the Babylonians to solve mathematics problems. This was the first step in developing computers and dealing with positional notations. 500 BC: During this period there was use of Zero mathematics where the formulated grammar of Sanskrit was highly systematized. As a result the computing power was developed and was similar to the Turing machine. This was simply a precursor to the modern computing (Smith, 1926). 60 BC: Sequence control was invented by Heron of Alexandria where the machine was set running by an operator and then responds to a series of instructions in a very unique manner. This was actually the first program that contributed towards the establishment of robotics. 850 B.C: Cryptography was developed by Al-Kindi who was an Arab mathematician. This led to the development of the frequency analysis where by letters could be easily analyzed and the encryption ciphers broken with a lot of easy (Turner, 2006). 1206 BC: There was invention of automata by Al-Jazari an Arabian Engineer, which was a foundation for the design of a programmable humanoid shaped mannequin. Eventually this lead to a castle clock invention also known as the earliest analog programmable computer. 1400 BC: During this time an analog instrument of the computer was invented by Jamshid al –Kashi. This was used in determining the time of the day at which the conjunctions of the planet would occur. It was also used in for linear interpolation purposes (Black 2001). 1492 BC: A mechanical calculator with the ability of adding and subtracting was developed. This was of great importance to the art field particularly when Leonardo da Vinci really contributed towards

Manitoba unemployment rate forecast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Manitoba unemployment rate forecast - Essay Example By the year 2010, the province’s economy experienced a 2.4% growth per year. Manitoba’s economy remained unchanged amid the slowdown in the country’s economy. The province also registered a 2.4% increase in labor income. In addition, the economy has experienced an increase in employment levels due to increased demand for skilled laborers. Consequently, the unemployment levels have gradually reduced over the years. However, there are minimal changes in the unemployment rate in the province since 2010. The province has registered various changes in the overall labor force (Marcil, n.p.). Employment in an economy represents a number of eligible individuals who are willing to work and can be engaged in full time or part-time labor at prevailing wage rates. This is because the economy needs human capital where individuals play a part in the manufacture of goods and services for the economy. At this level, the economy experiences full employment where all available labor resources are utilized in an economically efficient way. On the other hand, unemployment is the number of individuals in an economy who are ready and capable to work, but cannot find a job. Therefore, the jobless individuals who are unwilling to work in an economy are not classified in the unemployment category. Unemployment is a key measure of economic health of a region or country. There are three types of unemployment namely frictional, structural, and cyclical unemployment (Kennedy 37). The frictional unemployment is a short-run unemployment resulting from the process of searching for a new employme nt by individuals. Structural unemployment represents a persistent lack of jobs whenever the incomes in employment markets do not match up the supply and demand. Finally, cyclic unemployment refers to the short-term unemployment related to the vicissitudes of the market. The unemployment rate determines the levels of unemployment in an economy (Kennedy 37).

Consumer Behavior Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Consumer Behavior Bachelor - Essay Example This product-centric view of market segments has been long discarded as being inadequate for very logical and plausible reasons. For any given product or service, there are usually at least four or five different segments of prospective customers that may utilize that product to solve a particular problem or satisfy a specific need. Each one of these segments will have different needs and values. But companies with a product-centric view cannot even sight these differences not to approach the issue of comprehending them and using them to advantage in their marketing plans. They end up treating the various customers' segments with a one-size-fits-all, generic solution. This fixated view is virtually a chink in the armor which competitors are waiting to pounce upon. In fact such an approach works to leave entry gates to the various segments wide open to the competitor. The competitor quietly enters in, reads the consumer needs and behavior and positions his products attributes and qual ities with requisite differentiation to make up a most relevant product bundle to the most valuable segment and skim it happily. Therefore it is a prudent marketing stance to examine in depth not only one's own products and services but also the market of users for such products and services. ... Market Segmentation We have always stayed with a short menu of brands as a strategic focus. Some critical buyer behavior shifts, however, have defined new segments. Newer needs have emerged which help consumers acquire and reinforce newer images. Our products have to transform to address these needs. First our smokers had turned health conscious primarily as a result of robust state funded and persistent campaign against smoking highlighting its hazards. The macho image of Marlboro man was overcast by dark health awareness clouds. Then there was a distinct movement towards several other 'light' consumer goods the consumption of which defined an entirely new segment of consumers; movement was fuelled by both factors viz.health consciousness as well as to be a part of this new sophisticated 'light' segment. We found that this movement was particularly strong among the young, educated urban dweller in the developed world. This was a fairly strong external stimuli driving consumers to Lights. This was imme diately set as the Marlboro Light's target group. We further discovered that this breed of consumer ate low fat spread, drank light beers, used ozone friendly deodorant, drove a lead free car and had a distinct preference to smoke Marlboro Lights. To many smokers around the world, Marlboro Lights presented a product image of a definitive light cigarette. It was serving two internal consumer ambitions viz to be identified as a Macho Man without hurting health or being Macho in a 'clinical' manner. Marlboro Light was a big success with this segment cutting across demographic lines. Soon a gap was perceived by us when we found

Pros of British Imperialism in Africa Essay Example for Free

Pros of British Imperialism in Africa Essay The British colonized Africa from Egypt in the north to South Africa. Extension of a nation’s power through conquering overseas territory, know as imperialism had several motivations. Nationalism urged the nations of Europe to conquer land overseas. Having colonies was seen as a matter on national prestige, it was a symbol of the nation’s greatness. Lands in Africa, rich in raw materials and markets, were seen as economic opportunities for the European nations. Along with the rest of Europe Britain participated in the Scramble for Africa. The biggest urge to colonize was brought on by the economic benefits that the colonies would bring. Africa was seen as a major source of possible income, with its’ raw materials and markets for European manufactured goods. Around the 19th century, as the interest in slave trade declined other forms of trade became increasingly interesting, European powers continued to seek income. The Westerners had a keen interest in Africas natural resources such as animal hides, palm oil, peanuts, rubber, timber, and tin. The growing European presence led to increasing tensions in the region. British colonization of Africa began in 1874. British imperialism started with the annexing of the west costal states (which became the Gold Coast colony) and establishing a protectorate in Nigeria. Around 1914, the Scramble for Africa had ended; Britain was in charge of a huge part of the continent. Britain controlled Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Bechuanaland, British East Africa, British Somalia, Egypt, Gambia, Gold Coast, Nigeria, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Pemba, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Southern Rhodesia, Uganda, Union of South Africa, Walvis Bay, and Zanzibar. The size of the British reign over Africa was greater than that of any other nations. An aspiration of the British was to stretch a telegraph line from their northern colonies to their southernmost ones. Cecil Rhodes, a successful British businessman, can be credited for the vastness of the British control in Africa. One of his ambitions was to create a series of British colonies from Cape Town to Cairo, all connected by a railroad. In fact, Cecil Rhodes was partially responsible for sparking the Boer War which lasted from 1899 to 1902. Soon after, the British government made Rhodes to resign from his post as head of Cape Colony. Ultimately, his goal was to gain as much territory in Africa as possible for the British. Not only did imperialism provide the colonizing country with profit, the colonized lands and people also benefited from it. Western nations brought useful innovations and improvements to the people’s lives. Some of the technological advances were telegraphs, railroads, and telephones. More importantly, stable government systems, Western education, hospitals, were introduced to the colonized lands to improve the overall living standards. The British were able to bring these innovations to the continent of Africa and help the nations under their imperialistic rule. Imperialism is the extension of a nation’s power over other lands. A nation with colonies was viewed as superior to those without; it was able to sustain its’ place amongst the leading powers. Imperialism allowed a country to control faraway lands, rich in natural resources and local markets, and profit economically. Imperialism was beneficial not only to the imperialistic nation, but the colony as well.

The concepts of microfinance and microcredit

The concepts of microfinance and microcredit Chapter 2.0: Literature Review Microfinance is the provision of financial services by certain institutions known as MFIs such as Cooperative Banks, Community Based-Saving Bank, Credit Unions, development bank to the poor, low income earners, self-employed and small businesses. Microfinance has been design to address issues of poverty to help those not having access to formal financial system.. According to MIX in June 2010 there was more than 1800 MFIs in over 100 countries, with 92.4 millions borrowers and 78.5 millions savers in the developing world. The concept of microfinance was created by Professor Muhammad Yunus founder of Grameen bank in Bangladesh. Microfinance includes a range of services such as microcredit, saving, insurance and funds transfer. Traditional banks do not provide facilities to low income earners; they provide services to people after assessing the profile of clients according to certain criteria such as pay, credit history and assets of the clients. According to Hernando De Soto (1989) a Peruvian economist poor people have no assets to provide as collateral to bank when taking a loan, therefore they are not liable to receive loans from banks. Since poor people do not have access to traditional banks they have to lend money with high interest rates from others sources such as pawnbroker and local money lender sometimes with 100% interest rate as borrowing from them is fast and flexible. Over the last 30 years MFIs have developed new methods with less collateral to offer small loans to low income earners and has grown rapidly in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America where there were few bank infrastructures and where in some cases more than 80 % of the population did not have a bank account. Grameen Bank and Banco Solidiario of Bolivia two popular have provided millions of loans to poor people and microentrepreneurs and and these has caused governments and NGOs to direct their resources to microfinance programmes. According to CGAP (2008), MFIs are funded by 33 donors of 21 investors such as DFI. Microfinance offers permanent financial facilities for education, health, personal emergencies, disasters, investment opportunities to the poor and it is used as a development tool. MFIs begin as non-profit organization increasingly they are now evolving as profit entities because MFIs are required to have a banking license for saving services. Some MFIs offers non- financial facilities such as health services and business development. In this review we will analyze and see how microfinance contributes to the economic development of a country and the review will be focused on creation of employment and the empowerment of women by microfinance. 2.1.1 Professor Muhammad Yunus The concept of microfinance was created by Professor Muhammad Yunus founder of Grameen bank in Bangladesh and noble price winner in 2006.He receives 76 other awards in different countries for his work. Yunus was awarded Americas highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom by President Barack H Obama for his contribution in poverty alleviation. Professor Yunus obtained a doctorate in Economics from Vanderbilt University found in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. He stayed in the US for eight years as a student after his study as a professor in economics. In 1972 he came back to Bangladesh During the famine of 1974 in Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus minor loans of USD27 to 42 poor families for them to buy and sell small articles to allow them to earn a living. The objective behind the loan was to reduce poverty in Bangladesh and poverty alleviation becomes his vision. Grameen bank was an idea generated by Professor Yunus the bank started as a project at the University of Chittagong as a pilot test to find different ways of providing credit to the poor in the rural area The Grameen bank offered its services to a village named Jobra near the university; the project was successful and had the support of Bangladesh central bank in 1979. The bank extends its services to Tangail district and to other areas of Bangladesh. In 1983 the Bangladesh Government turns the project into an independent bank and Professor Yunus had a grant from the Ford foundation to incorporate Grameen bank with the support of two bankers namely Mary Houghton and Ron Grzywinkski from Shore bank of Chicago. The Ford foundation was established in 1936 it is an independent nonprofit and nongovernmental organization which help in social change, the organization help to reduce poverty and help in human advancement worldwide by offering subsidies and loans to certain organizations. Microfinance is also being criticized for its high interest rate, loan repayment and women exploitation but we cannot criticized whole system if there are drawbacks, the whole system can be reviewed for improvement at the right time and places since no system is perfect 2.1.2 Grameen bank Grameen bank is a Nobel Prize winner corporation founded on 2 October,1983 and since then has been proliferated in more than 65 countries, its headquarter is situated in Dhaka in Bangladesh and the bank is the largest MFIs in the country. Grameen is known for its solidarity lending system or banking and is also known as banking to the poor. Solidarity lending is the foundation of microcredit. The word Grameen is derived means village in Bangladesh, the bank incorporates the 16 decisions which is recited by bank borrowers and which they shall abide to them. The 16 decisions comprises the four principles of Grameen bank which are Discipline, Courage, Unity, and Hard work, and the other 15 decisions are resumed as to improve their standard of living and there is the element of togetherness to do social activities to improve their way of living. These sixteen decisions have a positive impact on the inhabitants of Bangladesh where more children have joined school. The bank has different s ources of funding; initially huge capital was obtained from donor agency at low rates. During the 1990s the bank has its bulk of capital from the Central bank of Bangladesh and recently from the sales of bonds subsidized by its government. In 1998 The bank make loan to poor people in the form of microcredit as a result of flood in Bangladesh, the repayment rate decreases but recovered afterwards, USD4.7 billions has been loaned in 2005and USD6 billion in 2008. Nowadays the bank has expand more and offers more loans to the poor and in 2006 it has up to 2100 branches in Bangladesh. Due to Grameens success more than 40 countries including the United States in 2008 where 12.6% of the population live below the poverty line have been inspired by the bank to make projects with the same perspective, only Africa which has lag behind. The World Bank has financed the projects. The bank is owned by the poor borrowers of the bank of which the majority are women as the borrowers own 94% of the equity and the remaining 6% is owned by the Government of Bangladesh. The bank has grown to a large extent between 2003-2007 in 2003 the numbers of borrowers have doubled and in October 2007 the number of clients was 7.34 Million of which 97% were women and had a staff of 24703, in 2504 branches over 81574 villages that is the branches have spread in more villages since they were situated in only 43681 villages in 2003 and the repayment rate. Since the banks start ed to operate it has USD6.55 billions as loans USD87 billion has been repaid and the bank claim repayment rate of 98.35% up from the 95% of 1998 but again the Wall Street journal in 2001claim that it doubted the 95% and the accounting standard used by Grameen bank. Grameen started to diversify in the 1980 where it develops into a multi facet group with profit and nonprofit group among which are Grameen fisheries foundation for fisheries project, Grameen Agriculture Foundation for irrigation project, Grameen fund and Grameen Trust.Grameen believe that the concept of giving charity will encourage charity whereas the concept of microcredit will help poor people to exit poverty and the bank invest in children education by providing scholarships and loans for higher education.In 2009 the bank has disbursed total cumulative amount of loans of USD8741.86 and total loans during the year USD 1150.54millions with a total deposits of USD1200.49 millions with number of groups of 1253160 with 79 70616 members. There are organization which has been created all over the world inspired by GB such as Grameen foundation, Grameen Trust, Grameen America, grameen credit agricole among others. 2.1.3 Microfinance in developed countries Poor people who lack access to finance are also found in rich countries such as in Amecica. Grameen started in America in the late 1980s. Southern Bancorp under the tutelage of Grameen give microcredit to entrepreneurs in Arkansas but make 30% losses at the start, afterwards the bank found out that people needed help to develop their working skills. Grameen in the US mostly financed those who already have a job, people selling toys, cleaning houses not those who will start from nothing. The head quarter of Grameen Foundation is situated at Washington D.C in the US; it is a non-profit organization which helps to eradicate poverty. It was inspired by Grameen bank in Bangladesh, but it is an independent organization. Professor Yunus is a member of the board of directors and gave Grameen Foundation its first grant Grameen foundation finance MFIs. Grameen America has been created to provide microcredit to micro entrepreneurs. It was created in January 2008 and it is found in Manhattan and Professor Yunus is the chairman of the board. The organization is trying to become sustainable to help other people in need, according to the organization anyone with a vision can receive financial services irrespective of their background. The objective of the organization is to reduce poverty to create a better future for families. Grameen America helped the poor communities of the US especially immigrants. 2.1.4 Microcredit Theoretical review According to Boudreaux and Cowen (2008) microcredit is a micro magic and makes the life of the poor becomes easier, it is an alternative to traditional lending of banks. Instead of giving charity to the poor, microcredit is a human way of providing finance to poor people as according to the Chinese proverb Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, it is an investment in human capital. Microcredit is an innovation in the world of finance it is at the heart of microfinance, the concept did not exist before the seventies, and it is a small loan rarely exceeding USD200 and usually below USD50 made to the poor or people with low income with little or no collateral. Microcredit clients are those that are considered as near the poverty line, the loans allow micro entrepreneurs to generate an income for a better standard of living. Grameen bank based itself on three Cs namely Character that is the reliability of the people the Capacity to handle funds and the Capital which is the assets of the borrower such as savings. Microcredit is gaining more credibility in the finance industry and many large organizations are developing microfinance programs for future growth although at the start many were pessimistic about the future of microcredit in the financial system. 50% of the population in many developing countries is self employed and these loans of three months to three years with small interest rates and no collateral help poor people to become financially independent and help to reduce poverty. The microcredit programs helps people to achieve high repayment rate even sometimes more than that of traditional banking because of the system of peer support. In the case of the Grameen bank where there are solidarity groups and it is also known as social capital and is composed of 5 members and each member is responsible for each other success and repayment, but are not guarantees or liable if members default. Neverth eless the members make sure that each one is taking its responsibility to make repayment this act as a motivating factor for the members. Sometimes in real life when a member of the group defaults the other four collaborates together and contribute to pay on behalf of the defaulting member. The microcredit system of Grameen bank is based on Trust and there is no conventional contract between the bank and the borrowers, but the borrowers must have a small account with the bank known as group fund which acts as an insurance in case of an emergency. Women account for 97% of the microcredit client of Grameen bank and this help to empower women as they get access to resources and have a say in decision making since they become micro entrepreneurs. Grameen bank has records of 98% repayment rate from women which is in contradiction with Wall street Journal which says that there is one fifth of the total loan of the bank is overdue but Grameen bank claims in turn that the standard of living of the poor has increased that is they are respecting the 16 decisions of the bank and are able to make a repayment of around 4USD per week. Empirical review of microcredit Grameen bank develop several program for the poor of which one of them is the struggling members program in 2003 which is different from the 5 group member borrowing it consists of distributing interest free loans to beggars in Bangladesh where the banking rules do not apply and where the repayment period is arbitrary for USD1.5 about 3.4 US cents and if they borrower default they are already covered under an insurance paid by the bank itself. This type of loan encouraged the beggars to generate an income by the sales of cheap items, there is a record shown in the microfinance summit 2006 that loans taken by beggars are about USD 833,150 and the repayment is USD 496,900 that is 59.64% repayment rate which according to me is quite encouraging since it is more half of the money loaned. Certain developed countries such as in Canada have try to used the Grameen model but the project has failed due to certain factors such as the risk profile of clients, no taste for joint liability that is the no solidarity between the borrowers, high overhead costs therefore the project does not stand without subsidies in Canada which is contrary to the USA where microcredit has been successful. Sometimes microcredit is subjected to problem such as opportunism and asymmetric information. The first Grameen branch has made a loan of $1.5 million in the USA among which was 600 women and the repayment was very high up to 99%. People took the loan to sell items such as flowers, jewelry clothes and Grameen bank remains unshaken while others collapsed during crisis. Despite the global recession, The President Barack Obama announced the creation of $100 million funds to lend as microcredit to the western hemisphere. Microcredit programmes should be well designed according to the characterist ics of a country, other factors such as the background of the country, the stability of the banking sector,the poverty level, the opportunities and the challenges. 2.1.5 Micro Saving Apart from microcredit the need of financial users is increasing, there is demand from 19 million potential savers to have access to micro saving services. They need services that are flexible and adapted to them. Traditionally savings is done by people at home or by normal banks at a high cost which was not encouraging to the poor. Microfinance has brought services such as savings to poor people. Savings help people to feel safer and more stable, and help poor people to manage their money conveniently. Micro saving consists of small deposits, terms and interest rate that is flexible to clients at the same time banks used the money to make loans to poor people. In some cases micro saving is better than taking small loans since taking a loan is a debt and it becomes a responsibility or a burden if the interest rate of the loan is too high, therefore microcredit is more risky than saving. Saving is an asset for people whereas a loan is a liability; clients will prefer to have assets th an liabilities. Saving is a sacrifice for poor people but it is flexible and they earn interest instead of paying interest which is a source of income. Saving is a must and can helped people in times of need of illness, fire, flood and unexpected events 2.1.6 Credit Insurance In 2002 opportunity organization started to give micro insurance services. Its subsidiary MicroEnsure was the first institution offering micro insurance services and provide protection against many risks for the poor. Stakeholders and local insurance worked in collaboration with MicroEnsure to develop and match the needs of the poor. The insurance provided were affordable, they offered agricultural, medical, property and life policy providing a safety net in case of disasters with average premium of USD 1.5 for family with 5members. Medical policies covered even people already suffering from diseases and even those suffering from HIV viruses. Actually MicroEnsure is offering insurance in 5 countries to over 1million poor people and was one of the runner-ups of financial times in June 5 for sustainability award and receives a grant from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to expand itself in other countries. MicroEnsure operates in 9 countries and serve millions of people with credi t life, funeral, Health, Political violence, property , typhoon and weather index crop 2.1.7 Microcredit Summit The first microcredit summit was held at Washington D.C. on the 24 February 1997, 137 countries were present at the summit with 2900 participants. In the summit they launch a campaign to reach 100 million poorest families that is those people living below the poverty line, with those living with less than USD1.25 a day adjusted to the purchasing power parity (based on 2005 prices) all around the world within nine years especially to empower women as micro entrepreneurs. The objective was nearly achieved in 2005 and in November 2006 the campaign re-launched to 2015 with two new objectives was ensured that 175 millions poorest families especially women are obtaining credit for self employment and for business and financial services. The second objective is to ensure that 100 millions poorest familys worldwide increase to USD1 a day adjusted to the purchasing power parity from 1990 to 2015. The microcredit campaign is the project of the Educational fund from the USA an organization committed to end hunger and poverty around the world. The campaign group together people such as microcredit practitioners, donor agencies, international financial institutions, non -governmental organizations, advocates, and other people involved with microcredit for effective and efficient practices. In August 2008 the World Bank claim that approximately 280 million families live below the poverty line with less than USD1.25 daily. The four core themes of the summit are reaching the poorest, empowering women, building self sufficient and sustainable MFIs, ensuring that microfinance has a positive impact on the lives of the poor The forthcoming Microfinance Summit 2011 will be held in Valladolid, Spain, the summit is believed to improve the microfinance sector and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. A hundred countries and over 2000 participants are expected in the summit. In the agenda there will be the presentation of new products, job creation with microfinance and best practices among other issues will addressed. 2.1.8 Poverty It has been proved that microfinance is the tool to help poor family moved out of poverty and to contribute to the economy of a country by increasing their income generating capacity. Studies have shown with the microcredit provided by Grameen bank in Bangladesh 48% of the families below the poverty line have exit from poverty. According to some studies with microcredit 5% of the poor could exit the poverty line each year as it is an investment in human capital and improve peoples life. Microcredit is an opportunity for the poor to realize their dreams. Microfinance is a strategic tool to trim down poverty and help the poor to participate in the social and economic life of a country. 2.1.8 Employment Generation Microcredit helps in the generation of employment; therefore it helps in economic development and in a sustainable means of income. With the microcredit poor people are able to earn a living by selling low priced items or to even expand their businesses at the same time they become sustainable and create employment for other people .Microfinance is a mean of creating employment and improving the life of poor people. 2.1.9 Women Empowerment Microfinance more specifically microcredit is an instrument used for the empowerment of women it increase social welfare and enhances gender equity. Microcredit helps women to become economic actors in power that is becoming self reliance and economically independent. We have heard a lot about the role of women in microfinance, 94% of the borrowers of Grameen bank are women and 97% of the borrowers are owners in the equity of the bank, according to Rankin (2002) the reason behind this is because women invest more in the family than men because of their nurturing instincts and are more devoted towards their families. Women play a crucial role in the economic growth of a country by first improving their family life, their communities and countries. In the microfinance summit provisions are made for the poorest families around but especially for women as they form an important part of microfinance. Women are targeted because they are the one in the family to up bring the children and po verty of the women results in illiteracy of their children and other social problems. Mohhamud Yunus (1999) explains that women are more willing to work harder to raise their children and to move their families out of poverty, whereas when a destitute father earns an income his priorities will more around himself than for his family. In 2005 Kofi Anan promote the year as the UN microfinance year for empowerment of women. Studies have shown that women are good income earner and that women have a high repayment rate this is because solidarity group or social capital replaces securities required by traditional banks thus creating better credit worthiness. In Nepal with the Women empowerment program 68 % of the women are able to cater for the needs of the family by sending their children to school, buying and selling properties which normally was the duty of the husband. Access to microcredit has increase from 7.6 million in 1997 to 26.8 million in 2001 among which are 21 million women the access to loans enabled them to make economic decisions , to buy assets and resources and to become more independent. Social capital forms an integral part of empowerment of women and they work collectively for mutual welfare. According to Coleman (1988) social capital is an asset in the form of human relationship by the sharing of knowledge and resources within a group and World Bank (2009) define social work as a model of collective actions that create quality and quantity social interactions. Social capital helps women to feel united build trust, motivates them to work together to achieve in life. Women empowerment leads to self esteem, motivation, self empowerment, higher knowledge, good leadership, higher collective action, better decision making and ultimately better social position. Women empowerment also helps to fight violence against women. Although violence against women occurred in all social class but women living in poverty are more prone to domestic IPV and domest ic violence, but can at the same time increase the risks since in some cases empowering women is challenging the gender norms Benefits cannot be assumed in all contexts since empowerment is complex and depends on situation. There is also the problem of moral hazard since when women have access to the credit for a given purpose and they are using the money for other purposes. We will look at two among many microcredit stories of women the first one is that of Janet Deval from Haiti who was an illiterate women with a hearing problem she had five children, her husband refused to pay the school fees but she knew that education was important for the children. Janet sold goods in Hinche and pay for her children schools on her own. She started to take literacy classes at Fonkoze a microcredit institution in Haiti. Afterwards Janet knew how to write her name and could things that she couldnt do before since she was never sent to school. Later she took a loan from Fonkoze to be able to expand her business at the market to be able to continue to send her children to school, without the microfinance institution Janet would have been unable to read and write and to even expand her business therefore she would have been able to educate her children. The second case is that of Anastacia Abella from the Philippines, she lived as a squatter in Manila, she lived with her four children in a shelter made from scrap, the village have frequent blackout therefore she decided to search for jar in the garbage to make lamps, after decorating the lamps, she sell 150 of them each day and make a small profit. She took a loan at Opportunity international and she was to make 300 lamps a day, the loan allows her to make greater profit and be able to improve her standard of living. Empirical review Social capital is an important component of microcredit it is used as a tool in development programmes. Social A study was carried out by Forbes Marshall Co .Ltd a well known company in Pune, India as an initiative of CSR about the impact of social capital on social empowerment carried using primary data from 217 women all members of SHG by using random sampling from 60 SHG among which 34% came from lower social class and the rest middle lower class with average family members of 5 and the average age of the women was 30 years old. The number of years of association is 1-7 years. Data reveals that most of them entered a group for the first time and that most of them were aware of the SHG by existing members. The SHG met frequently for interactions.15 variables such as Access for awareness building and capacity building which was further divided into Access to education and training, access to loan and girls education were used using Likert scale to know the perceptions of women about the microfinance programs. To see the effectiveness of the microfinance programmes by the indicators more, sensitivity was used as the SHG were divided into 3 categories of less than 1year,1-3 years and more than 3years. The conclusion of the study was that the social capital created help in women empowerment the older the association the higher the social empowerment and the higher the awareness, the unity and decision making process, but the organization must give appropriate support and policies to the social capital such as capacity building programmes to help decision making. Microfinance programmes make use of physical resources and social capital for sustainable development and economic growth. Social capital should not be the only factor that helps in the empowerment of women; there must be a good policy and objectives behind the social group. Other tools such as experiments, interviews and other types of surveys or a combination can be used to assess the impact of social capital in microfinance programmes for the empowerment of women. In the study above 15 indicators have used to assess social capital but there be other indicators that can be assessed such as communication, trust among others. IMAGE studied the impact on womens empowerment on IPV in South Africa by using random cluster and qualitative data. A microfinance program and training were provided on gender norms, sexuality, HIV and domestic violence.9 indicators of which self confidence, financial confidence, and power to make decisions were used to measure women empowerment. Results about changes in the loan groups were collected and the results were that after 2 years womens empowerment reduced sexual violence by more than half. With adjusted risk ratio= 0.45; 95% confidence interval = 0.23, 0.91 It was observed that the 9 indicators improved and the study showed that women empowerment reduce IPV. 2.2.0 Sustainability of Microfinance Sustainability of MFI does refer to the profit making or the institution being able to sustain itself without the donors or funders. Sometimes to become sustainable MFIs lower their cost and increase their interest rate. According to Rahman (1999) the IR of loan from Grameen has been higher than that of traditional bank rate in Bangladesh. The increase in interest rate may sometimes hinder repayment, the increase should not be too high so that microfinance may serve its purpose. According to UNDP (2003) among the 147 MFIs reporting in the microfinance bulletin 62 are sustainable financially. Chapter 3.0 Microfinance in Mauritius Mauritius is a bank-based economy, there are 19 banks serving the country among which 5 are offshore banks, these commercial banks do not provide microfinance services but the banking sector is stable in Mauritius and therefore important since microfinance is the by-product of the banking system. Microfinance has emerged recently in the country and actually there is only DBM established in 1964, a state-owned bank which operates in the microfinance sector and other sectors of the economy. The head office is found in Port-Louis and 5 other branches among which one in Rodrigues. The DBM serves as a catalyst in the socio-development in Mauritius, the supply of microfinance in Mauritius is quite limited in terms of range of services and the number of people served as DBM provides only Microcredit to its clients since December 2006. Microfinance is used as a tool to fight agaisnt poverty, in Mauritius the poverty line is for a household income not exceeding Rs6000 monthly that is those in the vulnerable group. There are 3 types of microcredit loan scheme that are offered to clients the first one is the Booster microcredit loan for women entrepreneur in sectors such as finance, manufacturing sectors, agricultural, agri business, handicraft, Tourism, ICT and the services sector .Women entrepreneurs loaned by DBM must be registered with NWEC, SEHDA,AREU, IVTB or the Tourism Authority. The loan amount is Rs 100,000 with 9% IR with repayment rates of 5 years and moratorium period of up to 1 year. Normally when taking microcredit no collateral are needed but in this case promissory notes are required as security. Women which are eligible are laid off women workers in EPZ and sugar industry, those in existing business, small women entrepreneurs. Microcredit financing scheme offered to vulnerable groups and are microentrepreneurs with a maximum loan of Rs50000 and 5% IR/per annum and repayment period of 4years and 6 months moratorium and as security floating charge. Booster scheme for small entrepreneur for entrepreneurs to finance a category of activities such as kindergartens, e-commerce, ICT among others, with a maximum of Rs1500000 with a repayment period of 5years, moratorium of 1 year and 9% IR p.a and a limited number of clients are served. Microfinance in Mauritius is in an infancy stage since the financial facility offered is only limited to microcredit and only 3 types of loan are provided to clients and many people may not be aware of these services since they are new in the financial sectors.

Arizona Concrete :: essays research papers fc

Arizona Concrete According to the Mine Faculty at the University of Arizona, cement is manufactured primarily from suitable limestone and shale rocks. Arizona had two dry-process cement plants in 1969, namely the Arizona Portland Cement Company plant in Pima County, near Tucson, and the American Cement Corporation plant at Clarkdale, in Yavapai County (52-53). The use of cementing materials goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans, but the invention of modern portland cement is usually attributed to Joseph Aspdin, a builder in Leeds, England, who obtained a patent for it in 1824. Currently, the annual world production of portland cement is around 700 million metric tons (Danbury). Many people use the words concrete and cement interchangeably, but they're not. Concrete is to cement as a cake is to flour. Concrete is a mixture of ingredients that includes cement but contains other ingredients also (Day 6- 7). Portland cement is produced by pulverizing clinker consisting essentially of hydraulic calcium silicates along with some calcium aluminates and calcium aluminoferrites and usually containing one or more forms of calcium sulfate (gypsum) as an interground addition. Materials used in the manufacture of portland cement must contain appropriate proportions of calcium oxide, silica, alumina, and iron oxide components. During manufacture, analyses of all materials are made frequently to ensure a uniformly high quality cement. Selected raw materials are crushed, milled, and proportioned in such a way that the resulting mixture has the desired chemical composition. The raw materials are generally a mixture of calcareous (calcium oxide) material, such as limestone, chalk or shells, and an argillaceous (silica and alumina) material such as clay, shale, or blast-furnace slag. Either a dry or a wet process is used. In the dry process, grinding and blending operations are done with dry materials. In the wet process, the grinding and blending are done with the materials in slurry form. In other respects, the dry and wet processes are very much alike. After blending, the ground raw material is fed into the upper end of a kiln. The raw mix passes through the kiln at a rate controlled by the slope and rotational speed of the kiln. Burning fuel (powdered coal, oil, or gas) is forced into the lower end of the kiln where temperatures of 2600Â °F to 3000Â °F change the raw material chemically into cement clinker, grayish-black pellets about the size of 1/2-in.-diameter marbles. The clinker is cooled and then pulverized. During this operation a small amount of gypsum is added to regulate the setting time of the cement. The clinker is ground so fine that nearly all of it passes through a No.

Richard Neustadt

Richard Neustadt: Presidential Power and the Modern Presidency Writing in 1960, Richard Neustadt is an important political theorist focusing on the US Presidency. Neustadt’s work was a reaction to the â€Å"old institutionalism† represented by writers like Edwin Corwin. Neustadt takes a behaviorist approach to understanding presidential power, and argues that the real functional power of the US president arises from his â€Å"power to persuade†.Neustadt acknowledges that the formal power of the US president is spelled out in the US Constitution but he argues that these formal powers do not adequately describe the real functional power of the president. For Neustadt the key to presidential power is the president’s ability to persuade other important actors to carry out what he wants done.Neustadt views the presidency as at the apex of a pyramid of governing power that provides the president with unique leverage and vantage points to bargain with and persuad e others on implementing governing policy and direction. These other actors include cabinet officers and senior government bureaucrats, the congress, military leaders, leaders of state governments, party leaders, business leaders and even foreign leaders. Neustadt does not see the US government as one of â€Å"separated power† under the Constitution.Instead he claims that the Constitution actually â€Å"created a government of separated institutions sharing powers. â€Å" These separated institutions include the congress, federalism itself, the bill of rights and perhaps even the press as a fourth branch of government. Neustadt sees the formal powers of the president and congress as very intertwined such that neither can accomplish very much without the acquiescence of the other; and, that what one branch demands the other can resist.Neustadt notes, for example that Eisenhower claimed that the presidency was part of the legislative process, since he had the authority to vet o or sign bills, etc. But Neustadt notes that when a president tries to command rather than persuade, such as when Truman nationalized the steel mills or fired MacArthur, or when Eisenhower sent the troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce desegregation court orders, that there can be blowback that can neutralize presidential fiat and, ultimately, render presidential action inconclusive or effective.Neustadt sees relationships of mutual dependence between the various stakeholders and that the president depends upon the persons whom he would persuade. He notes a particular success story of persuasion when Truman worked with Republican senator Vandenberg to create the Marshall plan to rebuild Europe after WWII. That effort depended on mutual understanding, trust and a commitment to shared endeavor without which Vandenberg may have decided to wait for a Republican president to create a major new direction in US foreign policy.Neustadt sums up by arguing that for a president to have e ffective influence he must: (1) use the bargaining advantage that he has by virtue of his office to persuade other men that what he wants them to do is what their own responsibilities require of them (persuade them that his goals should be their own goals), 2) maintain a professional reputation in the minds of other men such that they respect his authority and ability, and (3) maintain his popular prestige such that those he bargains with believes that the public will view them favorably if they do what the president wants.In short, the president’s â€Å"power is the product of his vantage points in government, together with his reputation in the Washington community and his prestige outside. † Neustadt goes on to argue a presidents has to make proper choices and decisions, so as to preserve his reputation and prestige, or he will squander his ability to lead by losing his ability to persuade.

Animal Fable

And lastly, the Ilon Is Indeclslve and often regrets to his decision. Right after killing the bull, he realizes the bull's absence is huge and regrets about his decision. is anger giving way to softer feelings, he spoke aloud his sorrow at the death of Schanzabeh, whom he allowed to have been probably nnocent of the crimes laid to his charge, and to have fallen a victim to the calumnies and false accusations of his enemies† (p. 1 58) _ These three characteristics of the lion symbolize two aspects of leader Firstly, the lion symbolizes a big and strong leader. But more in-depth symbol is Caliph A1-Mansur, the leader at the time when this book was translated. Caliph A1-Mansur succeeded in revolution and seized power. With authority in his hands, he executed and assassinated many people for trivial reasons.Moreover, claiming to support an ideology of equality, he actually discriminated OF2 fable, was a Persian origin who naturalized as an Arabian and converted to Islam. Even thoug h he was an ‘Arabian' in a sense of a civilian, he was not a â€Å"pure Arabian† in a sense of ethnicity. Feeling more suppressed than Arab-Muslims, he had a strong dissatisfaction of the then authority. Thus, he compares the pure Arabians, who lived in a splendor of authorities obtained by coercive territorial expansion, to the lion, whose appearance is splendid but substance is in fact feeble.The animal fables are often used to educate young people. It is told to these days that Kalilah wa Dimna was used to teach lessons about morality and wisdom to even the princes of one kingdom. Although the fables are written with a purpose of giving lessons, more meanings, either literal or figurative, can be assigned when it is translated to another language. Kalilah wa Dimna shows figurative meanings hidden in the text as well, which shows public sentiments at the time. This is a valuable trait of literature since this shows something that cannot be achieved in another means.

Le Ly Hayslip: Between East and West

The West has always been generally regarded as a negative force upon Asian cultures in the sense that the introduction of Western ways brings irrevocable changes that stains the purity Oriental cultures. On the other side of the fence, the West has always regarded the East as a land of exotic people, stubbornly clinging to their old ways, refusing to change with the times. Indeed it is a clash between the immovable rock and the irresistible force, and people in the crossroads get caught and get lost in the maelstrom, with a few coming out unscathed. Le Ly Hayslip’s book When Heaven and Earth Changed Places chronicles such a struggle. It is a poignant book that captures the rending of one’s soul, when one is caught between the need to change and the desire to cling to the old and the familiar. The encroachment of the West first took place within the context of the Vietnam War, when the United States allied itself with South Vietnam against the communist North. More than a book about how war changes a life, the book is about how Le Ly Hayslip straddled the East and the West and how she managed to keep herself whole and survived. The book captures the epic life of Le Ly Hayslip, from her childhood, to her life as a young woman escaping to the United States, to her return to her native land, some twenty years after. This paper seeks to take a look at Le Ly’s life at three important milestones and understand how the West has imposed itself upon her world and how it changed her life as well as those of the people she loved. The West first came into Le Ly’s life when she was still very young. Perhaps in an uncanny prediction of her destiny, her village straddles the border between the conflicting South and North Vietnam. Their lives were constantly being pulled by soldiers from each side and their loyalties were constantly shifting and the people were under constant threat of violence and threat to their lives. Le Ly captures the simplicity of their life as well as the suffering they endured at the crossroads, â€Å"Although the land remained fertile, farming was often interrupted and the whole village came close to destruction.† (5) While the influence of the West is not so direct in this case, it can actually be seen in the civil war that is going on in her country. For a long time, Vietnam has been a colony of France, and it was only after World War did Vietnam finally gain its independence. However, the fledgling country soon fell under the shadow of communism through the influence of China, which in turn was being controlled by the Soviet Union. In light of this, it might be said Western imperialism has been affecting Le Ly’s life from the day she was born. The desire of the Soviet Union to spread the communist ideology is the reason why South and North Vietnam are at war. When Le Ly was 14 years old, Le Ly and her friends worked as lookouts for North Vietcongs. The South discovered what she was doing and she is arrested and tortured. When she is released from prison, the Vietcongs regard her with suspicion and sentence her to death, charging her with espionage. However, instead of killing her, the two soldiers tasked with carrying out her sentence raped Le Ly instead. It was at this juncture that Le Ly left her village to work in the town of Saigon. In Da Nang, she took on several jobs, working as a maid, a black-market vendor, and a prostitute. It was at this stage of her life that Le Ly met several Americans. Her bad experiences in the hands of the Vietcongs as well as the relatively good treatment she received from the Americans have changed Le Ly’s values and allegiances. This relatively pleasant encounter with the West has planted in Le Ly the desire to leave Vietnam and start a new life in the United States. She saw the West as a land of promise, where she can escape from all the violence and war in the East. She saw a chance when Ed, asks her hand in marriage, after which, they immediately left Vietnam with her son in tow. When Le Ly left for the United States, she longed to someday return to her home land, but she was also unsure if she will ever have that chance. In the United States, she gets down to settling to a new life, resolved to leave the past behind. Of course that is easier said than done, and her love for her family and the longing to return to Vietnam never left Le Ly. This desire became stronger when Le Ly found prosperity and success in the United State. After so many years of living as an American, Le Ly returned to Vietnam. In all her years living in the United States, she managed to stay true to her eastern roots. The Buddhist ways that Le Ly’s father taught her served as the anchor of her identity, and she never gave up this part of her that she held sacred. Between the East and the West, Le Ly found a haven in the love and respect that she had for the two countries that she calls home. And that perhaps is the reason why Le Ly was able to reconcile the conflict and rage that was tearing her soul apart. She soon comes to an understanding and by her own words Le Ly thus describes the freedom and wisdom in living a life of compassion, Vietnam already had too many people who were ready to die for their beliefs. What it needed was men and women – brothers and sisters – who refused to accept either death or death-dealing as a solution to their problems. If you keep compassion in your heart, I discovered, I discovered, you never long for death yourself. From my father’s death, I had finally learned how to live. (383) References Hayslip, L. L. (1993). When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: Tie-In Edi

Class Size and Academic Performance in 4th Grade Elementary Schools Essay

Class Size and Academic Performance in 4th Grade Elementary Schools - Essay Example At least over a dozen states have already adopted policies that reduce class sizes. Unfortunately, class size as described and measured in most cited literature does not readily translate into student-faculty ratios. Class size is defined as the number of students assigned to a teacher for a specific period of group instruction. In contrast, the student-faculty ratio is a measure that aggregates the entire student body of an educational entity (school, program, grade, or enrollment cohort) and expresses it as a ratio to the entire faculty involved in their teaching.(Brian and George,2003) Average class size is a measure that aggregates the number of students in the number of classes to which they are assigned and divides it by the number of classes. As a summary statistic, average class size is closer to the root meaning of class size than the student-faculty ratio. The speed and enthusiasm with which America implemented class size reduction underscored a shared optimism on the part of legislators, educators, and parents that fourth grades would quickly improve the quality of education and lead the state's fourth grade students to achieve higher scores on standardized tests. To a great extent, this optimism has been rewarded: evaluations after the second and third years of class size reduction in America confirm that students taking part in fourth grades do perform a lot better on standardized tests than similarly placed students in larger classes. Educators hope these gains will increase as the program matures and students have longer exposure to fourth grades. My research on class size reduction would study its full effects - positive and negative - which may not be realized practically for several more years. However, as class size reduction programs gain momentum across the nation, educators and legislators would be well advised to learn from America's experience and keep equity foremost in their minds when planning their own programs. This paper reviews the history and status of class size reduction in America, reports results from comprehensive evaluations of the study for fourth graders, and derives a short set of studies from the experiment. These studies are intended to help inform the debate about class size in other states and in the nation as a whole. The strong political support for class size reduction in America has been based on the belief that reducing class size would produce significant improvement in student achievement. This certainty, in turn, was based on the positive results of a class size reduction experiment on fourth grades throughout major American schools, the Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio, or STAR, program. Students who participated in reduced size classes in the STAR program during the primary grades made statistically significant achievement gains in all subject areas tested.( George and Brian,2003) The achievement gains were equal for boys and girls. Also important from the perspective of some American legislators, the achievement gai