Youth Violence the Anomie Theory an Example of the Topic Government and Law Essays by

Youth Violence the Anomie Theory Criminal behavior has long baffled psychologists and society in general. While extensive studies have been made in an attempt to explain criminal acts, none thus far has been found to satisfactorily explain all the complex processes and the interplay of factors that pushes an individual over the edge to finally commit to the act of doing something illegal or harmful to someone else. Criminal behavior is complex enough, but crime as perpetrated by the youth is even more complicated and disturbing. As such, the need to come up with theories and models for juvenile crime is very important. Need essay sample on "Youth Violence & the Anomie Theory" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Among these theories, the most widely-accepted is the one forwarded by constitutive criminology. It is a perspective that analyzes crime as a product of the complex interplay between man and the social structures that he interacts with. (Sanders & Ferrell, 1995, 146) This constitutive theory rejects the argument of traditional modernist criminology that crime and offenders can be separated entirely from the social processes that the criminal functions in and interacts with. This theory believes that crime is the end product of the complex interactions that take place among the individual with social structures and society's control institutions. (Sanders & Ferrell, 1995, 146) According to this theory, crime therefore cannot be analyzed and corrected in isolation from society. As such, the society where the person is a part of as well and the crime committed cannot be divorced from each other. University Students Frequently Tell Us: I'm not in the mood to write my paper now. I want to spend time with my boyfriend Specialists propose: Entrust Your Essay Paper To Us And Get A+ College Essay Helper Purchase An Essay Collage Papers For Sale Cheap Writing Services A foundation of constitutive criminology perspective is Bandura's social learning theory which underscores the role of society in the shaping of an individual's character and reinforcing certain types of behavior. This means that any one person's behavior is affected or influenced by the behavior of others. The need to be accepted and conform to society is a cornerstone of social learning theory. Social learning theory has found great relevance in the understanding of offensive behaviors (Bandura, 1977) and psychological disorders. Of course because social learning theory is applied in juvenile deviant behavior, it also stands to reason that it can be used for reforming offenders. Bandura's social learning theory has been further refined by Merton's Anomie theory. This theory goes on to explain how the individual and society interact to provoke criminal behavior within the person involved. The deprivations that an individual experiences in a certain area create a social trend that encourages criminal activities. (Hopkins and Burke, 2005, 99) The gap that exists between material goals and the means to acquire it creates pressure or strain which eventually leads to criminal behavior. Merton's social structure and anomie theory explains why there are differences in criminal activities across various social groups. Merton maintains that the opportunities in society are not equally accessible to all and it further argues that social structures or stratification is the main reason why people commit criminal acts. Pressures within society may drive certain people against the wall and provoke them to commit a crime. Hopkins and Burke recognize that while Merton's Anomie Theory has given better insights not just on criminal behavior, but deviance and disorder as well. This theory's contribution to explaining the social phenomena of crime had been very helpful in the endeavor to explain and understand criminal behavior, especially in cases of juvenile delinquency. Bandura's social learning and Merton's Anomie Theory is very evident in gang violence. Young people who grew up in dysfunctional families often look for validation and comfort from somewhere else. (Decker 1996, 88) Whether they find it within a gang or friends, the fact still remains that these people are feeling the economic crunch. These young people, without any reason at all, will usually engage in gang violence in order to be accepted even if the criminal does not believe in the merits of his or her action. The pressure from peers to do what they are doing is tremendous because the person becomes a criminal because of the desire to be accepted. A good case in point whould be Jeffery Dahmer of the United States who has been found guilty of the murder of at least 17 men and boys in the course of 13 years, from the years 1978 to 1991. Dahmer's murders were particularly horrible, because his victims were not simply killed, but were also sodomized, tortured, dismembered, and eaten. Dahmer has always been a loner in youth, and engaged in cruel acts to animals at a very young age. Dahmer did not grow up in poverty, but he did grow up exposed to the constant fighting of his parents, who eventually divorced when Dahmer was 18 years old. Their commonality lies in the fact that the constant fighting and eventual divorce may correspond to the Removal of Positively Valued Stimuli in Dahmer's case. The constant fighting between two of the most important people in Dahmer's life was the strain that led him to the deviant life. Regardless of any theory, there is no denying the fact that any crime is a product of a highly complex process. However, while crime may indeed be just the end product of a series of interactions between the perpetrator and the world around him, the question still remains why some people who grow up in harsh conditions grow up to be normal people while others become social deviants. As the criminal makes the choice to commit a crime, how much of this is because of social and physical environment and how much of this is purely the individual's choice? Indeed, many theories have been forward to explain criminal and deviant behavior, and some criminals meet certain profiles while others simply defy explanation. For criminal psychologists the challenge is to create theories that will help prevent crimes rather than analyze the crime after the fact. Of course this is difficult if not entirely impossible because human beings by nature are mutable and unpredictable. As previously mentioned, learning does not take place in a vacuum; it does so within a social context. Young children are very impressionable, and they need constant supervision and explicit guidance from their parents. Children should be made to realize what behaviors are acceptable and those that are not. Delinquency is generally regarded as a product of rational thinking. As such, it is also believed that juvenile delinquency can be prevented through punitive action. These forms of punishment or retribution are believed to discourage would-be delinquents because they fear the punishment more than they want to commit delinquent acts. In the end it might be said that criminals are made. Some individual are more prone or vulnerable to committing deviant or criminal behavior, but their social relationships and interactions determine whether such tendencies are encouraged or suppressed all together. A person, as a social animal, is a complex product of his unique heritage and the environment in which he was given the opportunity to grow. As such, condemnation of the crime should never be taken as condemnation of the person. What we need is a shift in paradigm; rather than punish the criminal, we should provide an environment that will allow him to realize the consequences of his crime, repent of what has been done, and give life another shot. Every person deserves no less. References Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Prentice-Hall. Hopkins, R., and Burke. (2005). An Introduction to Criminological Theory. Willan Publishing. Decker, S. D., Van Winkle, Barrik. (1996) Life in the Gang: Family, Friends, and Violence. Cambridge University Press. Sanders, C. and Ferrell, J. (1995). Cultural Criminology. UPNE. Siegel, L. J., Welsh, B. C., Senna, J. J., (2005) Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practiceand Law. Thomson Wadsworth.

A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government The WritePass Journal

A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government Executive Summary A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government ). Early engagement is crucial in maintaining savings and improvements that further reflect in transformational changes in the council’s procurement strategy. The whole lifecycle approach adopted by Leeds City Council regarding its procurement strategy assumes that service delivery should not be compromised. Other significant dimensions of this approach relate to contact management and exit which contribute to achieving extensive value for many. In addition, the recent changes observed in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and that of Staffordshire County Council reflect the importance of the skills and capacity of procurement professionals. They are mostly responsible for ensuring the maintenance of a relevant procurement process based on supporting the council’s business continuity needs (Niezen and Weller 2006). The latter is extensively manifested in the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Procurement professionals structure arrangements with key providers in an attempt to manage the risks pertaining to the process of supplying goods and services. Thus, professionals in the respective field are expected to set high quality processes through cross-functional strategic activities that are evident in both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council (Loppacher et al. 2006). Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy considers the significance of employing common principles a nd rules which are properly designed to correspond to the needs of all included categories. Emphasis is on reflecting the needs of the specific service areas along with stakeholder needs. This recent change in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is in line with ensuring quality outcomes (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Such procurement strategy is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council due to the process of aligning delivery of goods and services with the corporate needs identified by Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). The respective council utilises the expertise of procurement professionals to ensure social values outcomes as well as sufficient savings achieved through a balanced scorecard used for procurement. The focus on the skills and capacity of procurement professionals is among the improved areas of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy. Having skilled and experienced staff is important in delivering high quality outcomes to local communities. Moreover, Leeds City Council manifests its responsibility to support the development and training of procurement professionals in order to maintain high standards across the profession (Loppacher et al. 2006). There is a solid sense of accountability evident in the practice of each procurement professional working at Leeds City Council. In comparison, Staffordshire County Council emphasises the capacity of its procurement staff in terms of providing legal training packages. This indicates an ongoing process of developing the knowledge and expertise of all professionals involved in the procurement practice (Arora et al. 2007). In this way, procurement professionals can work together with other experts in the field to implement the spe cific objectives listed in the procurement strategy of both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council. One of the observable recent changes in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is that the central procurement function is projected to serve as a flexible source of excellence and thus is accountable for providing a substantial source of expertise. Procurement professionals working in Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council are extensively trained to demonstrate ownership and accountability to the public in their respective communities (Kennekae 2012). Elements of structured governance and assurance make Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy rather effective. However, the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council is oriented towards indicating a ‘customer of choice’ model of delivering services. This implies that procurement professionals working in Staffordshire County Council are responsible for the creation of greater visibility of the council’s requirements for goods, services and provider performance (Staffordshire C ounty Council 2014). Therefore, professionals are determined to ensure proper communications and organising skills that help them in the establishment and implementation of linkage. Similarly, procurement professionals in Leeds City Council are devoted to research good practice documents and toolkits while trying to reinforce their skills and capacity. Furthermore, the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council in the aspect of openness and transparency. Both councils indicate an ambition of being open and transparent which reflects in providing visible contracts as well as constantly updated management information (Kim and Netessine 2012). Leeds City Council places importance on presenting clear and accessible tender processes and documentation. Openness and transparency ensure the formation of a positive relationship between the council and its procurement partners. Likewise, such aspects are closely linked with instilling confidence in the public regarding the adopted procurement approach (McLean 2008). In comparison, the procurement strategy implemented by Staffordshire County Council indicates its staff’s commitment to ensure compliance and probity which may be associated with the principles of openness and transparency manifested by Leeds City Council. Recommendations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council indicate that the respective council’s approach is comparable to the strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Yet certain recommendations are listed below to achieve further improvements in Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy: Procurement professionals should work on creating an inclusive procurement strategy in which smaller providers are presented with an opportunity to participate (McLean 2008); The council should constantly research and update its available procurement tools to guarantee competitively established standards in the field; The council should consider the removal of unnecessary restrictions which would allow the institution to evaluate suppliers in an objective manner rather than focus on limiting business criteria such as revenue (Loppacher et al. 2006); Professionals need to demonstrate sensitivity to financing issues to include established payment policies; It is fundamental to indicate potential hidden costs in terms of providing clear information on the actual insurance, liability as well as regulatory requirements; this practice would allow innovative suppliers to compete (Hawkins et al. 2011) Conclusion The paper indicated an analysis of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy with special focus on its recent changes and how they are comparable to the procurement strategy outlined by Staffordshire County Council (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Thus, significant aspects of both procurement strategies have been discussed in order to identify the focus of procurement professionals working in the two councils. Certain aspects of the two procurement strategies were found similar especially with regards to category management and lifecycle approach. Moreover, the efforts of procurement professionals are equally important to the work of either Leeds City Council or Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). In this way, the paper ensured adequate arguments about the effectiveness of the procurement strategies adopted by these institutions. Tender Specification Sheet Leeds City Council is seeking tenders from various private providers for the maintenance and operation of the woodhouse car park in front of the University. The intention is that the car park will operate as a proper public amenity. There are certain standards of services that will be followed. The respective parking services are set at prices identified at proper market levels. Prices are competitive in order to encourage visitor parking regarding close distance to local businesses. Discouraging the practice of day-long parking is essential for the maintenance of the woodhouse car park. The park will be open 24 hours a day, seven days/ week. Personal security will be ensured to customers and visitors. They need to feel secure in the identified car park area. The integration of area security is a priority to the Council. All tenderers are invited to submit their applications by providing the following documentation: -Financial Proposal for a period of 3 years; -Details on the percentage of the turnover expected to be paid annually to the Council; -Evidence indicating previous experience in the area of car park projects; -Providing details of the resources available to complete the project; In order to evaluate the bids from the private players, it is important to provide a set of key performance indicators that will be consistently used (Iyer and Pazgal 2008). The first performance indicator is that the selected tender should provide the best value for money at reasonable cost. This may result from balancing cost and quality. Another key performance indicator that will be used to assess the bids is that of prequalification. Such indicator is implemented to make sure that only those who meet specific criteria will be considered for inclusion to bid (Loppacher et al. 2006). In addition, prequalification is associated with responses to a set of questions provided by the Council. Major questions should include elements of quality, capacity to supply and financial competence. The indicator of open and flexible communication is fundamental as no private player should be given preference. Even though meetings with tenderers who have placed their bids may be necessary at a cer tain point, they should take place solely for clarifying specific aspects regarding the tender (Hawkins et al. 2011). It is important to use recognised channels of communication in order to avoid confusion of private players or any misunderstanding of presented information. References Arora, P., Garg, A. K. and Vaidya, S. C. (2007), ‘Efficacy of Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility and Procurement Strategy’, South Asian Journal of Management, Vol. 14(1) pp105-119 Hawkins, T., Gravier, M. and Powley, E. (2011), ‘Public versus Private Sector Procurement Ethics and Strategy: What Each Sector Can Learn from the Other’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 103(4) pp567-586 Iyer, G. and Pazgal, A. (2008), ‘Procurement Bidding with Restrictions’, Quantitative Marketing Economics, Vol. 6(2) pp177-204 Kennekae, L. (2012), ‘Procurement Strategies to Serve the Public Good,’ International Trade Forum, 2 pp11-111 Kim, S. H. and Netessine, S. (2011), ‘Collaborative Cost Reduction and Component Procurement under Information Asymmetry’, INSEAD Working Papers Collections, 33 pp1-40 Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy (2013), Leeds City Council [Online]. Available at: leeds.gov.uk/docs/Procurement%20Strategy%20V1.0%20PUBLISH%2030.09.2013.pdf [Accessed: 29 April 2014]. Loppacher, J. S., Luchi, R., Cagliano, R. and Spina, G. (2006), ‘Global Sourcing and Procurement Strategy: A Model of Interrelated Decisions’, Supply Chain Forum: International Journal, Vol. 7(1) pp34-46 McLean, S. (2008), ‘Choice in Government Software Procurement: A Winning Strategy’, Journal of Public Procurement, Vol.8(1) pp70-97 Niezen, C. and Weller, W. (2006), ‘Procurement as Strategy’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84(9) pp22-24 Staffordshire County Council (2014), Staffordshire Procurement [Online]. Available at: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement/homepage.aspx [Accessed: 29 April 2014].

The Sovereign Debt Crisis in the Euro Region Essay

The Sovereign Debt Crisis in the Euro Region - Essay Example There were many European countries that agreed to pay out to potential investors on loan so that they could build their business or create a boom in their existing businesses. They started offering higher rates and better pay out to the bonds, and people started investing into them as their yield was comparably higher and better than the US security bonds that paid out less. There were quite many high risks lending and the loans that were being given out were not secure at all, thus when they defaulted this created a whole lot of collapses. Creating a joint pool of savings and money created a domino effect, if one country defaulted all the countries in the pool would be suffering and this created the situation that if one drowned the rest would go down too as the countries were all connected. The current economic situation will ultimately cause many businesses to shut down and thus this will impact the current job situation. When the firms will start to close down there will be many people who will become unemployed, and this will increase the poverty rate in countries as well. The countries will also face the loss of confidence and will have lesser external investments which would bring an overall halt in their economic growth. There are many reasons and causes that had resulted in the European crisis. The most prominent example is that of Ireland, they paid out loans without securities the investors and encouraged them to develop real state. The government assumed that this would boost their economies and bring in newer profits, but what they failed to acknowledge was what they would do if the borrowers failed to pay back. This created a property bubble and their economy started to tumble because of non-payments of debts. In Greece they became benevolent to the workers and started paying out them in a great amount with relaxed debt conditions, and many countries even borrowed from global investors to bring progress into the country, this created external debt s. Another real significant reason for the current crisis is that the government’s bailing out of large businesses, when they were suffering the financial crisis shocks, this caused the government to empty their own treasuries and have no benefits in return, they in turn themselves started borrowing a lot, and this led to them coming nearer to bankruptcies, as the inability to pay those large loans brought them on the verge of becoming bankrupt. The increase in imports of the smaller European nations brought about an increase in the trade imbalance which again affected the economies of these countries greatly; Germany was the only country that had a positive trade balance. The best and most common method that is adopted by the countries to face the economic crisis is to print money, which causes devaluation of the currency, in case of Euro zone this is not possible as the countries have a pooled in treasury, they cannot print money and thus the inflexibility causes the countr ies to suffer together, it reduces the immediate impact but then instead of one all countries get affected (Kolb 2011). It has been seen that once again the main issues related to the economic downturn has been caused by the Developed countries. The countries that are related to the European countries will have the greatest impact on the developing countries and the countries that are directly or indirectly related to these countries. For example if we have a look at China, they are the principal

Stem Cell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Stem Cell - Essay Example This study stresses that  ethical issues arise in every step comprised in stem cell research. These steps range from permission or authority to give stem cells to be used in research, experimentation stage, and in supervisory stage necessary in the process of stem cell research. In terms of giving the stem cells for research, ethical issues arise relating to informed consent.As the discussiondeclares that  stem cells may be developed in the laboratory or originate from foetuses from legal abortions. It is important to note that individual hold diverse viewpoints or opinions on whether stem cells ought to be used in research and treatment. Conversely, there are people who donate their foetuses, for instance those involved in miscarriages, to be used for research. However, they may hold reservations on how stems cells from the foetus ought to be used. It is therefore imperative for scientists to ensure they obtain informed consent from these donors. Concerns have arisen that most o f those who sign the consent form rarely understand the content of the forms.  There are ethical issues relating to destruction of embryos and their creation in the laboratory for use in research. There are concerns among groups of people all over the world that developing embryos in the laboratory with the main objective of using them in research is infringement into the rights of the foetus or embryo.  Many people also believe that a child ought to be the product of both man and woman.

Conformity Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Conformity Assessment - Research Paper Example Conformity assessment is a comprehensive term defined as â€Å"measures taken by manufacturers, their customers, regulatory authorities, and independent, third parties to assess conformity to standards† . Similarly, the joint ISO/IEC 17000, of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines the term as â€Å"a demonstration that specified requirements relating to a process, system, person or body are fulfilled† . However, ISO itself does not undertake such work. Conformity assessment and standardization differ from each other, although they are closely related. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), though established by the United Nations, is a key non-governmental institution. It supports the progress of industrialization, as well as regulates production and consumption . Conformity assessment and standardization need to be mutually supportive in order to promote economic growth and sustainable development . Conformity Assessment and the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) are considered to be at opposite ends of the technical infrastructure business . Manufacturers frequently have their own internal testing sytems to ensure that their work meets the required standard. However, in the private economy, increasingly there is third-party certification of inspection. â€Å"In fact, many national standard setting bodies now make such third-party certification a major part of their own business† . The national bodies provide â€Å"accreditation† certification on the qualification and eligibility of third-party inspectors to do their job. While ISO neither accredits nor certifies, ISO members â€Å"certify the certifiers†.

Media Prima and Astro Malaysia: Staff Management

Media Prima and Astro Malaysia: Staff Management 1.0 Introduction Media Prima is the biggest listed media group in Malaysia, owning all main private television stations and having approximately 54 percent of Malaysian television viewers, with its closest rival, the pay-television satellite operator, Astro, which offers over 100 channels or stations, controlling a market share of roughly 29 per cent. RTM controls 17 per cent of the market. Media Prima wholly owns TV channel like TV3, NTV7 and TV9 and holds a 99.5 per cent interest in 8TV. TV3, Media Primas flagship television station and the number one free-to-air television station in the country, finished the 2007 season dominating the years top 20 programmes (The New Straits Times, 4 January 2008). TV3 recorded a 33 per cent share of viewers in 2007 among over a hundred channels available on satellite and FTA TV (The New Straits Times, 4 January 2008). The group also controls radio stations Fly FM and Hot FM, with a combined listenership of 3.5 million. Besides that, Media Prima has a 43 per cent stake in the equity of The New Straits Times Press, which has four newspapers in its stable. Media Prima is said to reach 22 million Malaysians daily: about 11 million television viewers, seven million newspaper readers and four million radio listeners. Malaysias population is a little over 25 million. Astro All Asia Networks Plc, the group that has the monopoly over Malaysias subscription television operation, reaches about 10 million viewers in some two million homes representing a penetration rate of approximately 38 per cent of Malaysias TV households in 2010. (Astro Annual Report, 2010) Astro began operating in 1996 and today offers over 100 channels with a wide mix of foreign and local programmes. Its sister company Airtime Management Programming runs the eight radio stations in its stable, include Hitz, Mix, Light Easy, Era, My, Xfresh, THR, and Sinar. 2.0 Training and Development Conduct a Training and Development in an organization is essential where it needs is identified during each employees annual career development review. From this process, the acquisition of new skills, competencies, attitudes and knowledge will lead the employees to changed behaviour from reactive to proactive, greater maturity and critical thinking. In Astro, employee satisfaction survey was carried out to complement existing communication channels. Opinions of 3,054 employees were collated through online survey forms. The survey sought employees views on 13 major categories covering various aspects of their jobs. (Appendix B) The total favourable for Training and Career Development where employees think about Astro is doing are 65 percent. This figure is considered moderate where it should take further action to improve. Thus, in 2009, Astro convened two full-scale Town Hall meetings to share latest developments and discussed the Companys direction, 48 training seminars on topics ranging from leadership courses to safety and health trainings as well as introduce new high definition service which is branded as Astro B.yond. Information that had transpired was recorded in DVDs, and will send to Astro offices across the country in future for training and development purposes. Realities in economic and advances in technology cause the availability of jobs in TV station have changed rapidly. Therefore, there were several training initiatives designed to increase the number of skilled people in Media Prima. In 2009, the organization invested about RM1.14 million for staff training which involved 3,615 man-days in total in the organization. A summary of the organization training breakdown for 2008 and 2009 is shown in Appendix C. The majority of the training is provided to technical staff which conducted at the organization itself. This is to ensure that the organization maintain the best quality and keep up to date with the latest technology and techniques available in media production. Although both organization utilize Training and Development, but the ways of conduct is very different. Astro adopt an audiovisual method where used of DVDs for training and development will helps the organization to reduce cost, manpower and not time consuming. On the other side, Media Prima utilize apprenticeship training where the employees enter the skilled trades given through instruction and experience in the practical and theoretical aspects of work. When employees face problems in workplace, they can solve it based on their experience gained during the training. 3.0 Performance Management System A new performance evaluation system in Astro consists of a 360Â ° feedback mechanism to get a balanced assessment of the employee own peers. The need for this balance is also reflected in a revised Performance Review Form. One significant aspect of the new performance evaluation is the Relative Ranking Rating which rewards high performing employees in a transparent manner. Employees who fall under the lowest of the three-tier scale will be coached and guided via a Low Performance Management Process (CAP) system. (Appendix D) At Astro, employees are given clear expectations of the accomplishments desired of them as well as the ways to perform and achieve these expectations. This is done through the Performance Management System (PMS) under which periodic performance evaluation exercises are conducted to review employees performance. With this system, employees are aware of their strengths and also given ample room to work on improving their performances. The reviews run in 2 cycles in the span of the financial year; a year end review in January followed by a midyear review in July. Media Prima has introduced a 360 degree feedback system which is also referred to as the multirater or multisource feedback. It provides employees with performance feedback from supervisors, co-workers, peers, customers and reporting staff. It also includes self-assessment. We implemented this system as we take human capital management and development very seriously. 360 degree assessment is a process whereby the company takes stock of its capability once every two to three years to meet business challenges. The process begins with the company putting in place a competency framework which is aligned to the business direction of the company. The competency framework is used as a guide to recruit, develop, assess and compensate the employees based on performance and capabilities. In the case of Media Prima, an external consultant was hired to conduct the data collection process as well as the feedback and the follow up process. 4.0 Compensation and Rewards The Group operates a performance based bonus scheme for all employees, including the executive directors. The criteria for the scheme is dependent on the achievement of key performance indicators (KPI) set for the Groups business activities as measured against targets, together with an assessment of each individuals performance during the period. Bonuses payable to the executive directors are reviewed by the Remuneration Committee and approved by the Board. Employees compensation is determined by their performance which is measured across various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Media Prima uses a point-based system which ranges from 2 to 5 in determining the weight of the bonus (5 being the highest performing). This process is used to assess all employees (100%). The percentage of employees achieving each performing level and the entitlement of each level is listed in Appendix E. Exploring the Four Stages of the Audit Process: Case Study Exploring the Four Stages of the Audit Process: Case Study Internal Audit is an independent function that provides an objective assurance and consultancy activity to improve and add value on an organizations operation. The auditors aim to help the Merami Berhad accomplish its objectives by evaluating the effectiveness of its risk management, control, and governance processes by bringing a discipline, systematic approach. The audit process is divided into four stages which are Planning (Preliminary Review), Fieldwork, Audit Report, and Follow-up Review. One of the main key objectives to carry out an audit is to minimize the time and avoid disrupting ongoing activities. As we are a public accounting firm for Merami Berhad for the past five years. Meramin Berhad is a public listed company, whose sales for the year 2009 were over RM 25 million. The audit fees we normally charge to Merami Berhad are RM 50,000. Before an audit is assigned to staff, the auditor must consider a few matters such as the size of the company to be audited. If it is a Public Listed Company, 3 or 4 staff will be required. Besides that, the budget is very important as the auditor are always advised to stay within the budget so that the audit fees is sufficient to cover all the cost incurred especially the disbursements. The auditor should also consider about the deadline. An audit assignment usually has very tight deadlines and therefore staff must ensure that the Audit Report is submitted to the Partner of Review on time so that the signing of accounts is not delayed. When the audit manager assigns a job to the senior, the first thing the senior does is to meet with his team members to discuss about the job and to delegate duties to the respective members. The audit assistant will normally be asked to retrieve the previous years file of the company from the filling room. The previous year file is always used as a guide only. Staff must always tailor-make the audit for the year according to the events that occurred during the year. Once the last years file is retrieved, a new file will be opened for the current years audit. STAGE 1: PLANNING (PREMILIRARY REVIEW) Planning is essential as this is the first time we understand Merami Berhad business and their controls in the company. During the planning stage of the audit, the auditorwill contact the client to notifythem of an upcoming audit and to schedule a time during the year that is most convenient for the audit to commence and take place. The auditor will send them a preliminary checklist. This is a list of documents (e.g. organization charts, financial statements) that will help the auditor learn about their unit before planning the audit. After reviewing the information, the auditor will plan the review, conduct a risk workshop primarily to identify key risks and raise risk awareness, draft an audit plan, and schedule an opening meeting. Engagement Letter Merami Berhad is informed of the audit through anannouncement or engagementletter from the Internal Audit Director. This letter communicates the scope and objectives of the audit, the auditors assigned to the audit, the audit methodology used in the audit and other relevant information. This letter serves as a contract which outlines the responsibilities of the auditor and client to prevent any unnecessary misunderstanding of what is expected or required of the other party. The auditor and the client must also agree on the terms of the engagement. Opening Conference Nearer the start of the audit, the auditor will arrange a meeting with Merami Berhad to discuss the scope and objectives of the audit. The opening conference should be held to gather information about the mission, critical processes, and control procedures of the unit to be used in the preliminary survey process. The opening meeting should include senior management and any administrative staff that may be involved in the audit. Merami Berhad describes the unit or system to be reviewed, the organization, available resources (personnel, facilities, equipment, funds), and other relevant information. The audit senior usually discusses with the client about the companys performance for the year in terms of increase or decrease in profitability. This may due to factors ranging from launching of new products during the year to high-position staffs leaving the company. These will all be documented in the Business Understanding Document. The internal auditor meets with the senior officer directly responsible for the unit under review and any staff members he wishes to include. It is important that the client identify issues or areas of special concern that should be addressed. The time frame of the audit will be determined, and we should discuss any potential timing issues (e.g. vacations, deadlines) that could impact the audit. The opening conference is an important step in a regular audit. It is an opportunity to establish the proper tone and to begin building good relationships. Preliminary Survey In thisphasethe auditor gathers relevant information that they have gained from the opening conference is used in conjunction with other relevant information about the unit in order to obtain a general overview of operations. He talks with key personnel and reviews reports, files, and other sources of information. This may include information on budgets and strategic plans as well as past audit reports. There are certain risks that the auditor will always review to ensure that they are being adequately controlled and managed these include financial transactions, local risk management and business continuity planning. Internal Control Review All of this information is then used to make a preliminary assessment of the risks and controls for Merami Berhad unit. The auditor will review the units internal control structure, a process which is usually time-consuming. In doing this, the auditor uses a variety of tools and techniques to gather and analyze information about the operation. The review of internal controls helps the auditor determine the areas of highest risk and design tests to be performed in the fieldwork section. In the interests of quality and consistency, the Head of Internal Audit reviews this work and agrees the scope of work to be carried out. Audit Program Preparation of theaudit programconcludes the preliminary review phase. The audit program establishes theproceduresnecessary to complete an efficient and effective audit. It includes a detailed plan of the work to be performed as well as the steps required to achieve the audit objectives. There should be sufficient detail for less experienced staff to perform the steps however it should not be overly detailed whereby it might cause auditors to execute steps routinely and override their judgment. STAGE 2: FIELDWORK Transaction Testing Revenue Cycle Sales procedure and cash receipt transaction are the 2 checking procedures under revenue cycle. Sales Procedure A sales quotation provides a pre-sales processing environment which allows prospective buyers to examine the costs involved for a completion of work. A sales quotation typically consists of information like quantity, item and its description, unit prices and etc. Many businesses cannot have an upfront price for the service they provide. Thus, sale quotation should be provided by companies to its customers to give them an estimate of the cost involved. In addition, a delivery order is written directions from a consignor or shipper of a shipment to a carrier or freight forwarder to release the shipment to the named delivery party in freight-prepaid shipment. It allows direct delivery of goods to the carrier or warehouseman. Invoices are essentially a detailed bill left by vendors and outside supplier for goods or services rendered to a company under sales procedure. The document may be called a Sales Invoice, from the point of view of the vendor, or a Purchase Invoice by the buyer. A typical invoice might list the quantity of each item, prices, billable hours, service description and a contact address for payment. While some expenses may be paid through an accounts payable department by the posted due date. Besides, cash sale can be used in several different contexts. A cash sale has to do with the purchase of goods or services and involves the immediate possession of the new owner, without any delay in time between purchase and assuming full ownership in just about every situation. In the world of finance and in retail situations, people are engage in cash sales on a delay basis, Segregation of duties is critical to effective internal control. It reduces the risk of both erroneous and inappropriate actions. The handling of cash receipts and accounting for such receipt need to segregate. This is to reduce the likelihood that errors will remain undetected by providing an accounting check over the receipt of cash. For example, those who handle cash receipts would not have the authority to prepare or sign cheques, would not have access to accounting records and would not be involved in reconciling bank accounts. If a person has access to both the cash receipts and the accounts receivable records, it is possible for cash to be diverted and the shortage of cash in the accounting records to be covered which can result in theft of the entitys cash. In the other hand, for those who perform sales activity including those who maintain contact with customers and issue sales orders, would not perform any credit approval, billing, shipping, credit memo, cash receipts and a ccounting activities. Cash Receipt Transaction Most business customers pay by cheque or electronically. Cash receipts are only given to acknowledge cash payments; which are rarely made by business customers. Cash register and lockboxes are often used as safeguards here. In order to prevent fraud and error, different employees should be responsible for receiving and recording cash collections here. The purpose of preventing fraud and error is the validity, completeness, timeliness, authorization, valuation, classification, posting and summarization. Its very important to the cash receipt transaction. The auditor can check monthly bank reconciliation to prevent any recorded cash receipts not deposited in order to ensure the validity of the cash receipt transaction. For instance, misstatement in sales that may occur includes fictitious sale being recorded in the account o f a regular customer. Expenditure Cycle There are two checking procedures under expenditure cycle, which are purchasing procedure and cash disbursement transaction. Purchasing Procedure A purchasing transaction normally begins with a purchase requisition generated by a department or support function. A purchasing order is then the purchase of goods or services from a supplier. As soon as the goods and services have been rendered, the entity records a liability to the supplier and pays later. Basically, there are three types of for purchase transactions which are the purchase of goods or services on cash or credit, payment of the liabilities arising from such purchases and return of goods or services. The second type is cash disbursement transaction to clear liabilities resulting from purchase of goods or services. The final type is a purchase return transaction which involves the return of goods previously purchased to supplier for cash or credit. Good segregation of duties must be done in order to prevent embezzlement or any fraudulent activities. Firstly, a purchaser who orders should not be the person who receives goods. This can prevent the purchaser from placing excessive orders and keeping the rest of goods. Next, a person who purchases items should not be the person who writes the cheques for it. This can avoid the person from creating orders and make payments to fictitious companies. Then, the person who writes cheques should not handle the reconciliation. This is because nobody will aware even if he writes cheques to himself or relatives. Cash Disbursement Transaction Cash disbursement can be defined as paying out of funds in a discharge of a debt or expense. Transaction Related Audit Objective (TRAO) is used here to evaluating the existence and quality of controls. The auditors transaction-related audit objectives follow and are closely related to management assertion. That is because the auditors primary responsibility is to determine whether management assertions about financial statements are justified. These transaction-related audit objectives help the auditor accumulate sufficient competent evidence required by the standard of fieldwork and decide proper evidence to accumulate for classes of transactions with a framework. In order to ensure the validity of the cash disbursement transaction, the auditor tests the validity of purchase transactions whether there is any fictitious or non-existent purchases may have been recorded in the clients records. Assets or expenses will be overstated if fraudulent transactions are recorded. As for Completeness, auditor must ensure that purchase that has been made in recorded accordingly. If fail to do so will lead to understating of assets or expenses, and the corresponding accounts payable will also be understated. As for Timing, a timing error occurs if transactions are not recorded on the dates the transaction took place. As for Authorization, the person who has authority to approve purchase should not have access to cash disbursement for the purchase. As for Valuation, appropriate methodology is used to calculate transactions and to review various reconciliations. The valuation of accruals depends on the type and the nature of the accrued expenses. As for Classifications, the major issues related to the presentation and disclosure assertions are identifying and reclassifying any material debits contained in accounts payable. For instance, segregation of purchasing and cash disbursement journal is crucial to ensure that correct amount would be allocated properly. If purchase transactions are not properly classified, assets and expenses will be misstated. As for Posting and summarization, control tools should be used to reconcile vouchers to the daily accounts payable listing or else the daily postings to the purchases journal should be reconciled to the accounts payable subsidiary records. Income Statement or Profit and Loss Account First of all, the auditor should determine and try to find out the major changes or the modification that would affect the normal relationship has been made in the production and sales area. Audit assistant are responsible to handle on detect the significant adjustment in the policies of company that would affect the item stated in the income statement. After analyze on such adjustment to ensure that no material error is found then it will continue proceed to the final stage of the audit section. For example, significant changes in employee benefits might affect salaries and employee compensation and have an effect on the income statement. Other than checking in the income statement of a company, the auditor would also look into the balance sheet on the assets and liabilities. Before the auditor start to work on it, a copy of clients balance sheet should be prepared to working papers. There are procedures of carrying out an audit on assets and liabilities. Auditors should categorize each item in the balance sheet accordingly to the audit checklist. Assets All of these are the components of assets. For Cash in Bank To ensure the information that stated in the column of the balance is complied what it really had in the bank, a confirmation request letter will be sent to all the related bank which the entity had dealing with within the financial period. In addition to get confirm to relevant bank that the balance in the bank of the company, the auditors also can get an opportunity to request the bank to provide other information such as the securities that the company held in the safekeeping. The response from the bank give the company a gold evidence to prove that cash at bank that stated in the balance sheet is complied with the real amount in bank at the balance sheet date. With the cooperation of bank, the confirmation of cash on deposit provides evidence to the existence of cash at bank and as to rights and obligations. If the balance per bank statement is different, bank reconciliation would have to be done by the audit assistants. For Account Receivable A details list of account receivables balances of the customer should be obtain before the auditor and access to the balance. The auditor will trace totals to comparative summary of accounts receivables balance and randomly select customers account from the listing to send itemized statements to get the response or confirmation of the balance. Review the confirmation replies letter from them and test accounts where there are no replies. Keep track with the potential bad debts to be written off, if exist, check the opening balances again. For Inventories When inventory is material to the financial statements, the auditor is required to attend the entitys physical inventory counting unless it is impracticable. Examine clients physical inventories count determine whether the clients counting methods are effective. The purpose of inventory attendance is to enable the auditor to obtain audit evidence regarding the existence and condition of the inventory and consider if there is any obsolescence in it. The auditor may select a sample of inventory items from the client count records and trace them to the perpetual inventory records for checking purposes. For Prepayment expenses Randomly choose the official receipts or documents that can support prepayment expenses and test on it. Then, send conformation letter to conform the amount due. For Non Current Assets The auditor should obtain a list of fixed assets expenses that register under the clients company such as depreciation charges, loss or gain on the disposal of the fixed asset, net book value, revaluation amount and etc. The revaluation done should be back by the evidence or documentation authorized by the professional. Check to invoice and agree to the description, price, date and etc. The physical existence and the condition of the assets should be check and determine whether it is located at companys premises. As for disposal of fixed assets, ensure that there is proper authorization and that profit or loss on disposal is properly recorded. Liabilities For Short Term Notes Payable A bank conformation letter should be sent out to inquire loan balance status of the company. Auditors have to calculate the principal and interest paid to check whether it comply with the figure in the balance sheet. For Long Term Debts Review the loan agreement and direct the attention to the relevant information to acquire the accurate interest charged based on the nominal interest rate calculation and auditor have to be ensuring that the interest rate stated in the income statement same with the result of calculation. For Income Tax Account The documentation of the transaction of the company is required to keep for minimum 7 year required by law. Client is required to show documentation and support for every aspects of companys tax return. For example, if the client claims itemized deductions, receipts for those deductions must be produced. In addition, to justifications for why the taxpayer felt that those deductions were legitimate. Besides that, taxpayers must open their accounting methods to inspection and demonstrate that all of their income was in fact properly documented and claimed on the tax return. This can be done through proper recording and classification for provision for taxation and deferred taxation. Advice Informal Communications As the fieldwork progresses, the auditor discusses any significantfindingswith the client. Hopefully, the client can offer insights and work with the auditor to determine the best method of resolving the finding. Usually these communications are oral. However, in more complex situations, memos and/or e-mails are written in order to ensure full understanding by the client and the auditor. A lot of information is shared via e-mail, of course, but there is more face-to-face conversation.Other than that, I would like to mention for this communication question is language. Most communications with a greater group of people (and formal meetings) are held in English; however it depends a lot on who is speaking if you will understand that person. Also if it is only me and, says, two other Indians, it is very likely that they switch to Hindi or Kannada (local language) without noticing. I then sometimes have to remind them to stay with English. Distinguishing between first and surnames is als o impossible for me, same with deciding if a name is male or female I just have to guess or find some neutral ways to address or ask for people. In particular cases, we may also provide drafts of organizations charts, proposed forms or modifications to forms, financial data or other statistics, or drafts of findings and recommendations that later may be incorporated into the formal audit report. These are all considered informal communications between the auditor and the client. Their purpose is to promote constructive communication and avoid misunderstandings. Our goal: NO SURPRISES. Audit Summary / Financial Monitoring Upon completion of the fieldwork, the auditor summarizes the audit findings, conclusions, and recommendations necessary for the audit report discussion draft. Write a summary memo to document the results of fieldwork. Conclude as to whether the information reported by the state agency in the Section 1512 reports is accurate, reliable, and timely. The audit summary gives an overview of all work done sheets according to their topics. The audit summary template gives the title, the audit number, the topic of the summary and of the work done sheets, and the creation date. In addition to the work done sheets, the audit summary also contains a summary of the observations and findings as well as an overall assessment and conclusion of the audit result. Before writing the audit summary, auditors should agree the working papers on which the summary is based with their audit lead. Working Papers Working papers are a vital tool of the audit profession. They are the support of the audit opinion. They connect the clients accounting records and financials to the auditors opinion. They are comprehensive and serve many functions. The result of audit activities must be documented truthfully, consistently, clearly, and completely, with a comprehensible description of all material details. This involves both the contents of a fieldwork activity and the procedure itself. This documentation of fieldwork activities is referred to as working papers to express its connection with the work results. The basic requirements for proper documentation apply to all types of fieldwork activities, although there are different types of documents, depending on the nature of the audit. In addition to the working papers which are mandatory, other documents can be created as optional extras; they contain information beyond the minimum information requirement. The working papers are an indication of the audit quality in general. This needs to be considered because queries by different groups of addresses or their requests for information may often require access to this documentation. Accordingly, the working papers may serve as discussion or evidence documents, for example for queries from the Board, the unit requesting the audit, Internal Audit Management, the Audit Committee, or the external auditors. The preparation of working papers is subject to certain organizational requirements. Each auditor always has the main responsibility for preparing the documents, both during and immediately after fieldwork. Even though the audit lead and Audit Manager have ultimate responsibility for quality assurance, each auditor has to prepare and maintain the working papers with the necessary attention to detail. Working papers may be compiled by hand or entered directly into a system (which is normally more expedient, because it makes it easier to access the information again). STAGE 3: AUDIT REPORT The third stage of carrying an audit is to prepare an audit report. After all the evidence for each of the item in the financial statement have been collected and proven, the senior audit and the audit assistant is going to check the closing balance amount of the balance sheet and the trial balance with the ledger account whether they are compatible with each other and to ensure that each figure is agreeing with the previous year audit account in order to prepare a working trial balance and the working paper. After this all procedure has been done, our audit assistant will prepare an audit report which expresses the opinion of the auditor, evidence of audit and recommendation for the information improvement. Discussion Draft In order to implement this process, first the auditors will discuss to prepare a draft for internal audit report to outlining the audits work, recommendation for the information that should provided and the timeframe to complete the report. The draft that prepared by the management department will show that who will responsible to implement the job, the action to be taken and the timeline to do the job. After the draft has been discussing, a meeting among the auditor will be held in order to assign the job to the person selected for preparing the report and meanwhile the draft will be sent to the particular auditor. Formal Draft The report will become the final report if the response of the management is integrated with the audit report draft. The important information that present in the report includes the title of the report, the duty of the management and the auditor in preparing the report, the scope paragraph that show the evidence of the examination and the accounting principles use to prepare the report, the opinion paragraph which expresses the opinion of the auditor and whether the financial statement is complying with the statutory requirement and the name, signature and address of the auditor who preparing the report. This is to make sure that if there is any fault present in the report, it is the responsibility of the particular auditor to in charge with the case. Final Report After that, the auditor will present the final report to the audit committee and the copies of the report will sent to the senior auditor, the management department of the audit firm and our client, Merami Berhad to review and get the approval. Client Response In our report, we could include or attached the client response in the audit finding prior to issuance of the final report. The client should highlight how report findings will be determined and include an implementation timetable in the response. However, some managers may likely to make a decision which not to implement an audit recommendation and to accept the risks that might occur with an audit finding. For example, the treasury balances are reconciled monthly instead of reconciled daily. The differences are out of the way and have been controlled since that date. The adjusting entries are made with proper documentation and review. Client Comments In our report, we always include the clients comment on our Internal Audits performance as it is part of the Internal Audits self-evaluation program. The feedback has proven to be very beneficial to us as we improve our procedures due to clients suggestion. STAGE 4: FOLLOW-UP Followed-Up Review These required certain actions taken to resolve the audit report findings may be tested to ensure the desired result were achieved. For each item included in the follow-up, review status information provided by management to determine if information addresses all parts of finding and if a corrected date or revised due date has been provided. During this stage, we will contact unit management to obtain any missing information. We also evaluate action reported as taken in response to each finding to see whether the finding has been satisfactorily corrected. If necessary, develop audit tests to prove that the finding has been corrected based on the nature of the finding and responses. The Director of Internal Audit or the auditor in charge of the follow-up review will prepare a memorandum for senior management that notifies them that audit activities are underway and describes the follow-up process. This memo should include timeframes for the project, a copy of the outstanding findings relating to areas reporting to that senior manager, a request that they distribute the findings to these areas and ask the managers to provide Internal Audit with the information requested, a statement that these comments were previously distributed as part of an audit report or close-out letter, and notification that the results will be reported to the Chancellor and Board of Trustees. Followed-Up Report In the follow-up report, it lists all of the actions taken by the client to resolve the original report findings. Unresolved findings will also appear in the follow-up report and will include a brief description of the finding, the original audit recommendation, the client response, the current condition, and the continued exposure to board of company. A discussion draft of each report with unresolved findings is circulated to the client before the report is issued. The follow-up review results will be circulated to the original report recipients officials as deemed appropriate.

In the Road of Becoming a Novelist Essay -- passion, novelist career, s

â€Å"Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night.† -Terri Guillemets. Passion is like a fuel, it keeps us moving in life. It is medication to our wounds that hurt us internally, yet, it can be the road to success and satisfaction. Passion is the world people run to when reality shuts them down. Painting, dancing, writing, math, and endless hobbies can be someones passion, and all of those things lead to careers, big or small it does not matter. Finding passion could be hard for some people and easier for others. I am one of the people who have found their passion. My passion is writing. I want to become a novelist but before I can do so, I must know the education to become a novelist, the knowledge on how the job process works, and how it fits my career ideals. The very first answer starts with Education. Education is generally the start of success. It blooms one’s skills and expands one’s knowledge. The education a novelist must take is really nothing. Surprising right? Think about back in the older centuries where education isn’t open to everyone, yet there was so many great scholars and writers with poor education. Becoming a novelist isn’t all about the education, rather it is about the skills instead. In order to build the skills, education is needed. I must build my English grammar skills in order to become a decent writer. That means writing as much as I can. After high school it’s a good idea for me to enter into a college even if a post secondary isn’t needed, unless I want to write in a specialized area such as scientific writing, I will then need a Bachelors degree in Science of Technical writing. Same thing with a journalist, a journalist must have a Bachelors degree in communication, English, or journali... ....†- Criss Jami. Works Cited "Fiction Writer Job Description, Career as a Fiction Writer." - StateUniversity.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. "How to Become a Writer: Education and Training Requirements for Becoming a Professional Writer." Educhoices.org. EduChoices, 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. "How to Publish a Book: An Overview of Traditional & Self-Publishing." How To Publish a Book: An Overview of Traditional & Self-Publishing. F+W Media, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. "Novel Writing Careers | Salary | Information :TheArtCareerProject.com."TheArtCareerProjectcom RSS. The Art Career Project, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. Smith, Dominic. "The Millions." : How Many Novelists Are at Work in America? The Millions, 30 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. "Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula Essay

The traditional view of Dracula as an old man who is played by Gary Oldman in the film is a man who is almost invincible and completely ruthless. Dracula’s appearance in the film compared to the novel by Bram Stoker is quite similar in some ways. The appearance of Dracula doesn’t differ that much and gives roughly the same picture as to how Dracula would look like in comparison from the film to the novel. Dracula is portrayed as an old man in the first scene; Jonathan goes to visit Dracula in his castle which is based on the border of Romania. As Jonathan is on the train, he reads out the letter which Coppola allows the audience to hear non- diegetically. As Jonathan is reading the letter, Dracula’s eyes appear in the sky as if he is watching Jonathan. The mise- en- scene is again clear. The music changes into the † war music†. This is to show that danger is approaching. The sky is red and also shows danger. Jonathan is dropped off in a deserted, scary forest. The colours used are dark and consist of black and blue. The music used is natural sounds e. g. wolves howling, animal sounds. The sounds are diegetic. He is dropped off by a few gypsies who are dressed peculiarly. The woman gives Jonathan a Cross and says it keeps the evil away. Jonathan then waits for a carriage to come and he doesn’t have to wait long. When Jonathan asks if the carriage is going to Dracula’s castle, the mystery man who doesn’t show his face grabs Jonathan and unrealistically puts Jonathan in the carriage. This was as if the driver was expecting Jonathan. The driver then takes Jonathan on a ride he was very uncomfortable with! The carriage was centimeters away from falling off a 300 foot cliff, chased by wolves and passed through a blue inferno as Jonathan approached the castle. Jonathan finally arrives at Dracula’s castle and as he enters the doors, they open by themselves- this is what would happen in traditional Dracula movies. There are sounds of water dripping to make the castle feel cold and empty. As the doors open, there stands Dracula with a lamp in his hand. The camera angle on Dracula is a close-up. This is to show Dracula’s facial expressions and the way he reacts when he finally sees Jonathan. The use of lighting e. g. the lamp, shows that Dracula’s castle is very dark, dull and mysterious. When we first see Dracula, he is an old man. Normally, an audience would think he is weak and has no power but as revealed later on in the film, we see that Dracula has an immense amount of power and can do almost anything. The director uses the lamp to show Dracula’s whole figure. This symbolizes that the castle is very dark. A major thing in the whole story of † Dracula† is the shadows. As Jonathan is filling out some forms for Dracula, Dracula’s shadow moves completely differently to how a normal person’s would. At one point, Dracula creates a shadow of him craving for Jonathan’s head. This shows that Dracula is interested in Jonathan’s blood. This happens when Dracula realises Jonathan is engaged with Mina. As Dracula’s shadow moves differently to his own, this symbolises that Dracula is not amongst normal people, but in a dark, unnatural world of his own. When Dracula is a wolf, this represents him being full of lust and his main victim is Lucy. Like any other traditional Dracula film, the women are the main victims and rely on the men to save them. This is exactly the same in Copppola’s film. Dracula transforms into a wolf when he thinks about Lucy and when he sees Lucy, he sees red blood. This is shown by a close-up on red blood cells. When Dracula turns into a wolf, the colours turn very dark to represent evil and death. If Dracula is unable for any reason to come to Lucy, he uses his powers to bring Lucy to him. This is shown in the garden where mina is trying not to let Lucy lose her mind over Dracula. Yet still Lucy gets deeper and deeper into her hypnotic trance and Mina can no longer help. Lucy arrives before Dracula in the centre of Lucy’s Garden maze. This is where Dracula seduces Lucy and sucks her blood.

junk food essays

junk food essays There is something wrong when salsa passes as a vegetable in the school cafeteria and students can buy soda and candy from vending machines on campus. With this in mind we can only begin to wonder what the future holds for todays adolescents. When students are exposed to a life of poor nutrition, the result can be obesity and regrets. For countless Canadian children breakfast or lunch drops out of a vending machine at school. This can be a can of soda, perhaps washing down a chocolate bar followed by a bag of potato chips. Students may be junk food junkies but the schools are hooked as well and have become increasingly dependent on the revenue that soda and candy machines bring in each year. While soda sales may help supplement the schools bottom line health experts are increasingly worried that soft drinks are contributing to a students poor health. It was concluded that teen-aged boys soda consumption has tripled in the last 20 years and doubled for girls (Winter). Teens now drink twice as much soda as milk (Brasher). Conversely, children are taught in the classroom about good nutrition and the value of healthy food choices but are surrounded by vending machines, school stores and fund raisers offering low nutrient density options. They receive the message that good nutrition is merely an academic exercise. I n a similar way pizza and candy are the highest reward used for good behaviours, attendance and academic achievement (Brasher). Children spend a lot of time in schools and are afforded a great deal of freedom in selecting snack foods. Schools can and should provide an environment that exemplifies a healthier relationship with food. The rising obesity rates in children are shocking but considering that kids live in a junk food, couch- potato culture that is not surprising. A recent research report from the University of Kentucky showed that 84 percent of fo ...

Multimedia essays

Multimedia essays As a technology, it is called multimedia. As a revolution, it is the sum of many revolutions wrapped into one: A revolution in communication that combines the audio visual power of television, the publishing power of the printing press, and the interactive power of the computer. Multimedia is the convergence of these different professions, once thought independent of one another, coming together to form a new technological approach to the way information and ideas are shared. What will society look like under the evolving institutions of interactive multimedia technologies? Well, if the 1980's were a time for media tycoons, the 1990's will be for the self-styled visionaries. These gurus see a dawning digital age in which the humble television will mutate into a two-way medium for a vast amount of information and entertainment. We can expect to see: movies-on-demand, video games, databases, educational programming, home shopping, telephone services, telebanking, teleconferencing, even the complex simulations of virtual reality. This souped-up television will itself be a powerful computer. This, many believe, will be the world's biggest media group, letting consumers tune into anything, anywhere, anytime. The most extraordinary thing about the multimedia boom, is that so many moguls are spending such vast sums to develop digital technologies, for the delivering of programs and services which are still largely hypothetical. So what is behind such grand prophecies? Primarily, two technological advances known as digitization (including digital compression), and fibre optics. Both are indispensable to the high-speed networks that will deliver dynamic new services to homes and offices. Digitization means translating information, either video, audio, or text, into ones and zeros, which make it easier to send, store, and manipulate. Compression squeezes this information so that more of it can be sent using a given amount of tra...

Network analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Network analysis - Essay Example Having many connections would mean an opportunity from a businessman’s point of view. While it is true that a network could exactly do this, its general meaning does not literally mean that one must confine its application in the business context alone. A network is everywhere and since the earliest time of the human existence it already existed for as long as the presence of communication, interaction and the ability of social beings to relate with each other in myriad ways were remarkably present. Today, everyone has personal connection, but the good point with a network is the opportunity that one’s network could also be part of somebody else’s. No one could contest that if one would based it on the observation, this is the product of the ability of each individual to relate to everyone in a specific way using technological innovation. There are many ways on how to allow a person to relate with the other. In fact, today there is a maximum effort that people in itiated. Technology has played a crucial role in ensuring successful network. Apple Incorporated is just one of the companies trying to innovate possibilities on how to explore the ultimate potential and concepts behind a network. The presence of mobile gadgets, created to enhance communication is in reality tries to augment the full potential of the management context. In other words, a network in great detail has substantial application in creating social connection in the digital age and in the networked society (Papacharissi, 2011; Van Dijk, 2005). Network therefore nowadays is strongly powered by the existence of advanced technology and new technological innovations in the future. It would be easy to keep in touch with someone and to keep information flows around in a fast pace. In the presence of these advantages, companies, organizations and individuals learn to appreciate the fact that in the management context there must have many things that need to be considered when a ne twork has to be taken into account. A network is therefore a complex concept because technology which is constantly innovating tries to influence it in many ways. This means that a network changes dynamically as technology itself modifies its forms in a vigorous way. Network therefore is about connection, in which today’s advanced society could also mean as the use of technology in connecting people and allowing almost everyone around the globe to keep in touch dynamically in the most possible and even convenient way in the age of globalisation and digital revolution (Grewal, 2008). This is a stong image depicted by a society that has burly dependence on the emergence of technology and other related technological innovation that is particularly linked up with information. The emergence of social networking media is a fundamental example how network is integrating social and technological concerns. With the aid of technological advancement, it is now easy to connect everyone a nd be part of the whole network that allows each member to freely communicate, interact and exchange remarkable information. In other words, the emergence of major social networking platforms for instance is just a remarkable indication how people place the modern network into high level of exploitation. Many people have seen the power of the

Looking deeper into the educational success of Korea Essay

Looking deeper into the educational success of Korea - Essay Example Learning has always been valued through the ages. Even from the start of documented history, learning has been shown to be a part of the people’s way of life. There are several means of learning which have been established and improved through the years For instance, it is evident that during the early years, education often started from the family wherein both parents stood as the teachers. Children were often taught about ethical values and skills to help them survive when they need to be independent. As the years passed and many intriguing things about the world challenged people to learn more about their environment, a more adequate design of learning were created. People sought tutors who were thinkers or philosophers, often on a one on one basis. This allowed only a few to avail of such prestigious privileges, often by the rich who were able to pay the fees and allow their children to indulge and concentrate in educating themselves instead of helping with the household c hores or other immediately profitable activities. Eventually, as the value of education was recognized by the common people, education evolved to cater to more students in one setting, making learning more affordable. Today, learning is like an ordinary thing. Sometimes, children do not seem to understand the value of education anymore. They tend to go to school with the idea that it is a common practice and they would become a byword if they do not do as other children do. Learning has become available to everyone and become a common thing to most Americans that its importance seems to have been diminished. However, in places where learning is still considered a precious commodity, children seem to understand the reason for their education more than others do so that learning becomes a challenge to them a means to better their lives, making them more focused and purposeful in going to school. Consequently, they show better performances than other children. In an article written by Nicholas Kristof entitled China’s Winning Schools? (nytimes.com), the author acknowledges the Confucian influence to have played a great role in making China take the top place of best performing students in math, science and reading among sixty five countries. Jeong Kyu-Lee seems to agree with the writer. One of the Confucian thoughts the latter mentioned is its ideologies on leadership such as â€Å"To govern is to correct. If you set an example by being correct, who would dare to remain incorrect?† (Lee). This thought provokes more learning from the people. In a world where people all seem to be acting in correct manners so that they are succeeding and becoming famous, indeed, who would want to left behind and remain uneducated, ignorant and poor? Another ideal from the Confucian thought which made an impact in the lives of the Chinese and Koreans in relation to learning is â€Å"If a man manages to make himself correct, what difficulty will there be for him to tak e part in government? If he cannot make himself correct, what business has he with making others correct?† (Lee). With such a concept, people have come to understand that leadership is not just given to rich and powerful people. It is also available to poor people who are able to correct themselves. Of course, the means to such objective would be learning. This is perhaps one of the reasons why the Chinese who hold to Confucian disciplines value education so much so that they have topped other countries in the aforementioned studies. Discipline is one of the Confucian values that make Asians perform well. the quotations above show first and foremost the importance of a disciplined man. A man correcting himself shows that he is not just learned, informed or knowledgeable but he is able to apply the things he learns to himself first and to others, second. A man may be learned but it does not always guarantee him to be able to correct himself. It takes discipline for a man to do the right thing of examining