The Yellow Wallpaper -- Literacy Analysis

Are havens intended to shield the influenced people or to assist society with escaping ceaselessly from variations from the norm that are inescapable in human life? What are the results of keeping an individual kept hostage behind these purported ‘shelters’? These inquiries are a portion of the numerous that are asked in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Inside the lines of the dark plot in this short story, the creator clarifies that the anonymous hero was not, truth be told, crazy or experiencing an authoritative malady or mental glitch. In any case, this ‘mental disorder’ is just a way that the storyteller effectively opposes society and how man controlled society has confined her into turning into a stack of shaky contemplations. In the presentation of the story the anonymous storyteller depicts her ‘illness’ and the ‘conditions’ she faces, anyway through the examination of her composing she starts to uncover the mistreatment that she is compelled to submit to. A great part of the protagonist’s persecution originates from her better half, as he doesn't accept she is debilitated by any stretch of the imagination. Since she is shy and is curbed by her life partner she accepts, similar to the remainder of society, that a male’s capabilities can consequently make him right. The storyteller will in general inquiry her husband’s see, however then conceals it with his accreditations in her private diary passages, â€Å"You see he doesn't trust I am wiped out! Also, what would one be able to do? On the off chance that a doctor of high standing, and one's own better half, guarantees companions and family members that there is actually nothing the issue with one except fo r impermanent apprehensive sorrow - a slight crazy inclination - what is one to do?† (Gilman Wallpaper, 1) This is just the start of the abuse and the start of the narrator’s resistance to a general public constrained by men. The au... ...nd The Yellow Wallpaper. Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'. The Captive Imagination: A Casebook on The Yellow Wallpaper,. Ed. Catherine Golden. New York: Feminist Press at the City University of New York, 1992. 51-53. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 62. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Writing Resources from Gale. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. [New York]: Feminist, 1973. Print. Knight, Denise D. 'I am blowing up enough to accomplish something frantic': The Question of Female 'Madness.'. The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: A Dual-Text Critical Edition. Ed. Shawn St. Jean. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2006. 73-87. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 201. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Writing Resources from Gale. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. The Yellow Wallpaper - Literacy Analysis Are refuges intended to shield the influenced people or to assist society with escaping endlessly from irregularities that are inescapable in human life? What are the outcomes of keeping an individual kept hostage behind these supposed ‘shelters’? These inquiries are a portion of the numerous that are asked in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Inside the lines of the dark plot in this short story, the creator clarifies that the anonymous hero was not, actually, crazy or experiencing a conclusive sickness or mental glitch. Nonetheless, this ‘mental disorder’ is just a way that the storyteller effectively defies society and how man centric society has limited her into turning into a stack of uncertain considerations. In the presentation of the story the anonymous storyteller portrays her ‘illness’ and the ‘conditions’ she faces, anyway through the examination of her composing she starts to uncover the persecution that she is compelled to submit to. A significant part of the protagonist’s persecution originates from her better half, as he doesn't accept she is debilitated by any stretch of the imagination. Since she is bashful and is stifled by her life partner she accepts, similar to the remainder of society, that a male’s capabilities can consequently make him right. The storyteller will in general inquiry her husband’s see, however then conceals it with his certifications in her private diary sections, â€Å"You see he doesn't trust I am wiped out! Also, what would one be able to do? On the off chance that a doctor of high standing, and one's own significant other, guarantees companions and family members that there is actually nothing the issue w ith one except for transitory anxious gloom - a slight insane propensity - what is one to do?† (Gilman Wallpaper, 1) This is just the start of the persecution and the start of the narrator’s disobedience to a general public constrained by men. The au... ...nd The Yellow Wallpaper. Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'. The Captive Imagination: A Casebook on The Yellow Wallpaper,. Ed. Catherine Golden. New York: Feminist Press at the City University of New York, 1992. 51-53. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 62. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Writing Resources from Gale. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. [New York]: Feminist, 1973. Print. Knight, Denise D. 'I am blowing up enough to accomplish something frantic': The Question of Female 'Madness.'. The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: A Dual-Text Critical Edition. Ed. Shawn St. Jean. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2006. 73-87. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 201. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Writing Resources from Gale. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.

Research Paper on Failing Grades Essay Example

Research Paper on Failing Grades Paper Bombing Grades, Research Paper A Survey on Failing Grades in School A Term Paper Presented to Mrs. Elegance G. Cabahug Faculty, High School Department University of Cebu In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirement In English IV Submitted by: Kennon Kurt G. Tura Ian B. Simbra Lorenz Gayle P. Tolentino Algelou E. Taghoy 4 †Bronze S. Y. 2011 †2012 Table of Contents Chapter I †The issue and its settings. Presentation Statement of the Problem Significance of the Study Statement of the speculation Scope and Delimitation Definition of Terms Methodology Chapter II †Body CHAPTER I Presentation about Failing Grades THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTINGS. Articulation of the Problem How does bombing grades influence the understudies? What are the approaches to keep from getting bombing grades? What are the impacts of a bombing evaluation to the guardians? What is the job of the guardians to abstain from bombing evaluations of their kids? What are the reasons for understudies disappointment? What is the job of the instructors towards their understudies? In what manner can the school help take care of the issue of scholastic disappointments? Essentialness of the Study Findings of the investigation will profit the accompanying. Understudies: Articulation of the Hypothesis a. ) Having a bombing grade is whats understudies are extremely scared of. Its perhaps on the grounds that it influences the trust they have given for themselves particularly when their folks anticipated a great deal from them. They would have imagined that he/she bombed his/her folks. In same case, it likewise influences their life positively. They would have felt that since they have bombing grades, they have to endeavor more diligently to get reviews next time. b. ) In request to forestall getting bombing understudy should make their examinations as their main need. We will compose a custom exposition test on Research Paper on Failing Grades explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom exposition test on Research Paper on Failing Grades explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom exposition test on Research Paper on Failing Grades explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer At that point understudies should set their objectives in life which they truly need to reach some time or another and make their family as a motivation. With an objective and a motivation, it will make them study more enthusiastically and they will give their best to get higher evaluations. c. ) Parents are extremely glad when they realize that their youngsters are doing admirably in school yet when their kid gets a bombing grade they would feel miserable and frustrated. Guardians would solicit their youngster from they have accomplished something incorrectly that causes their kid to be reckless in school. . ) The guardians assumes a significant job in the school life of the understudies. The affection and backing of a parent is one of the factor that would that would support the understudies. At the point when an understudy see the endeavors of their folks to make them a superior individual, they would have an idea to cause their folks to feel that they are getting back the penance theyve made. One of that is doing great in school. Degree and Delimitation CONTENT: This examination contains data about the circumstances and end results of an understudies bombing grades. Circumstances and end results of Student Failure SUBJECT: In this examination we led a review and gave a similar arrangement of inquiries to twenty understudies who had bombing grades in the second evaluating of the school year and twenty understudies who didn't have bombing grades. Spot: This examination was led to a specific gathering of understudies who are concentrating in the University of Cebu †Main Campus, High School Department. Meaning of Terms Methodology Research Design: The data was accumulated by utilizing the study technique, by posing a similar arrangement of inquiries to the respondents. This inquiries are intended to differentiate and discoverthe distinction between the understudies who had bombing grades and to those understudies that didn't have bombing grades. In this technique we will comprehend what are the reasons for understudies bombing in school and why they are coming up short. Research Respondents: The respondents for this investigation are fourth year understudies of the secondary school branch of the University of Cebu †Main Campus. Research Environment: University of Cebu is an instructive organization situated at Cebu City, Philippines. It was established in 1964. As a foundation of higher learning, the college is focused on bona fide training established on the standards of humankind, patriotism and scholastic greatness. Research Instrument: In this examination we will utilize polls for the respondents to reply. For the most part, ask the variables that causes an understudy to fizzle and prevail in their examinations. Section II BODY CHAPTER III SURVEY RESULTS CHAPTER IV APPENDIXES Letter mentioning for authorization to direct this investigation on â€Å"students falling flat grades†. Secondary School Department College of Cebu City Dear madam, We the senior secondary school understudies from the segment bronze of the University of Cebu might want to ask consent from your great office that we be permitted to lead an overview respects about the bombing evaluations of understudies. This solicitation is regarding out English IV necessity. We are seeking after your caring endorsement. God favor. Deferentially yours, Kennon Kurt G. Tura ( Team Representative) Noted by: Mrs. Elegance G. Cabahug (English Instructor) Mary Pluryle Bucol PRICIPAL (High School Department)

Get It Done

Get It Done Hi all! A few updates over what is, for us, a long weekend. First, I hope youre enjoying it. The long weekend, that is (or normal-length weekend, if you dont have Monday off). I know that fall of senior year can be a pretty hectic time. During the October of my senior year, way back in the forgotten mists of 2004, I was editing the newspaper, the lead in a play, and organizing a student rock concert to raise money for the memorial fund of a classmate who died in a car wreck and oh yeah, applying to colleges as well. But its important to take down-time, too. Some time to relax, to enjoy your dwindling time with high school friends, to just veg out and watch some football or hang out at the mall or play COD or whatever it is that you do. If youre busy doing things that you love to do great. But sometimes you need to just take a nap in the early autumn sun. And thats ok too. That said, there are some important deadlines coming up for our admissions process, especially if you are applying for Early Action. For example, if you are applying Early Action than you must get in touch with your alumni interviewer by October 20th to schedule an interview. You can find out your interviewers information through MyMIT immediately, and well be sending an email early next week with the information so you cant miss it. The Early Action application itself must be postmarked by November 1st. And if you need to take more standardized tests, you have one more shot if youre applying Early Action, as the final testing date from which we will accept scores for EA consideration is November 6th. So take time to breathe, but keep your wits about you. One of the most important characteristics of MIT students is knowing when to work and when to relax; another is the ability to take care of business, meaning that you get your stuff done when it needs to be done. And, of course, the most important characteristic of MIT students isa deep and profound understanding of the word on. Go out there, take a breath, get it done, and keep on keepin on.

How Many Molecules Are in a Drop of Water

Have you ever wondered how many atoms are in a drop of water or how many molecules are in a single droplet? The answer depends on your definition of the  volume of a droplet of water. Water drops vary dramatically in size, so this starting number defines the calculation. The rest of it is a simple chemistry calculation. Lets use the volume of a water drop that is used by the medical and scientific community. The accepted average volume of a drop of water is  exactly 0.05 mL (20 drops per milliliter).  It turns out there are over 1.5 sextillion molecules in a drop of water and more than 5 sextillion atoms per droplet. Chemical Formula of Water To calculate the number of molecules and atoms in a water drop, you need to know the chemical formula of water. There are two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen in each water molecule, making the formula H2O. So, each molecule of water contains 3 atoms. Molar Mass of Water Determine the molar mass of water. Do this by adding up the mass of hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms in a mole of water by looking up the atomic mass of hydrogen and oxygen on the  periodic table. The mass of hydrogen is 1.008 g/mol and the mass of oxygen is 16.00 g/mol, so the mass of a mole of water can be calculated as follows: mass water 2 x mass hydrogen mass oxygen mass water   2 x 1.008 16 mass water   18.016 g/mol In other words, one mole of water has a mass of 18.016 grams. Density of Water Use the density of water to determine the mass of water per unit volume. The  density of water  actually varies depending on conditions (cold water is denser; warm water is less dense), but the value typically used in calculations is 1.00 gram per milliliter (1 g/mL). In other words, 1 milliliter of water has a mass of 1 gram. A drop of water is 0.05 mL of water, so its mass would be 0.05 grams. One mole of water is 18.016 grams, so in 0.05 grams, in one drop, the number of moles is: moles of water in one drop 0.05 grams x (1 mole/18.016 grams)moles of water in one drop 0.002775 moles Using Avogrados Number Finally, use  Avogadros number to determine the number of molecules in a drop of water. Avogadros number tells us there are  6.022 x 1023  molecules of water per mole of water. So, next we calculate how many molecules there are in a drop of water, which we determined contains 0.002775 moles: molecules in a drop of water (6.022 x 1023 molecules/mole) x 0.002275 molesmolecules in a drop of water 1.67 x 1021 water molecules Put another way, there are  1.67 sextillion water molecules in a water drop. Now, the number of atoms in a droplet of water is 3x the number of molecules: atoms in a drop of water 3 atoms/molecule x 1.67 x 1021 moleculesatoms in a drop of water 5.01 x 1021 atoms Or, there are about 5 sextillion atoms in a drop of water. Atoms in a Drop of Water vs. Drops in the Ocean One interesting question is whether there are more atoms in a drop of water than there are drops of water in the ocean. To determine the answer, we need the volume of water in the oceans. Sources estimate this to be between 1.3 billion km3 and 1.5 km3. Ill use the USGS (United States Geologic Survey) value of 1.338 billion km3 for the sample calculation, but you can use whichever number you would like. 1.338 km3 1.338 x 1021 liters of seawater Now, your answer depends on the size of your drop, so you divide this volume by your drop volume (0.05 ml or 0.00005 L or 5.0 x 10-5 L is the average) to get the number of drops of water in the ocean. number of drops of water in the ocean 1.338 x 1021 liters total volume / 5.0 x 10-5 liters per drop number of drops of water in the ocean 2.676 x 1026 drops So, there are more drops of water in the ocean than there are atoms in a drop of water. How many more drops depends mainly on the size of your drops, but there are between 1,000 and 100,000 more drops of water in the ocean than atoms in a drop of water. Source Gleick, P.H. Where is Earths Water. Earths Water Distribution. U.S. Geological Survey, 28  August  2006.

College Students and Their Lives of Drinking Essay

â€Å"80 percent of teen-agers have tried alcohol, and that alcohol was a contributing factor in the top three causes of death among teens: accidents, homicide and suicide† (Underage, CNN.com pg 3). Students may use drinking as a form of socializing, but is it really as good as it seems? The tradition of drinking has developed into a kind of â€Å"culture† fixed in every level of the college student environment. Customs handed down through generations of college drinkers reinforce students expectation that alcohol is a necessary ingredient for social success. These perceptions of drinking are the going to ruin the lives of the students because it will lead to the development alcoholism. College students who drink a lot, while in a college†¦show more content†¦Students gain expectations to drink alcohol from each other, as they depend on it, pressure each other and face a new environment and a new social setting. When in college, a student does not have anyone looking after them and so they get free time and they do not know how to use it. They end up filling up their extra time, with going out to frat houses, bars, and or other house parties to drink. Students go from being in high school, where they have to be home by curfew and drinking is still sometimes and issues, to not having a curfew and not having someone wait until they get home that night to make sure they aren’t drinking. College students have no parents to tell them that they cannot go to a party because there is going to be alcohol there. They have to take it upon themselves to make the decision whether they should go or not. They do not have mom and dad making decisions for them anymore. Environmental and peer pressure combined gets students to try the temptations of alcohol. There is not a weekend that goes by that that alcohol is not available to students. The students that drink too much do not understand that drinking just a little can affect the brain with a lot of force. Once in the bloodstream, alcohol reaches the brain quickly and begins to affect nerve cells. It slows the messages that travel along nerve fibers. Only a small amount of alcohol is needed to impair the normalShow MoreRelatedCollege Drinking A Major Problem That Affects The Lives Of Many People1138 Words   |  5 Pages Josh Roy Essay 3 Final College drinking a major problem that affects the lives of many College drinking is a major problem and it affects the lives of students their families and the community. As the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website notes: â€Å"About four out of five college students drink alcohol. . .† (â€Å"College Drinking†). The Affects of alcohol have impacted the lives of many people. 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Binge drinking in college is when students consume an excessive amountRead MoreAlcohol Issues on College Campuses1181 Words   |  5 PagesAlcohol Issues on College Campuses â€Å"Binge Drinking on College Campuses.† Center for Science in the Public for Science, Center for Science in the Public Interest. Web. 21Mar. 2012. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) discusses that students enrolled in college are more likely to consume alcohol than their peers than do not attend college. They report that 1700 college students die yearly due to alcohol. The increasing number of college students drinking has resulted in higher incidencesRead MoreThe Effects Of Binge Drinking On College Students1139 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Binge Drinking in College Students Binge drinking is when a person has more than four drinks, if female and five if male, in one sitting. While researching texts written about the negative effects of binge drinking in college students, I found articles and scholarly journals written by specialists in this specific field of study. These authors mainly focus on the fact that excessive binge drinking is detrimental to the quality of life and can alter your state of health in a negativeRead MoreAccording To â€Å"College Drinking,† Almost Two Out Of Three1388 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to â€Å"College Drinking,† almost two out of three college students engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL or higher (â€Å"College Drinking†). Many parents, guardians, and psychologists believe that college students binge drink because they think drinking is an integral part of their higher education. Similar to peer pre ssure, college students drink because the rest of the student body drinks. FurthermoreRead MoreCause Effect of Binge Drinking Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pagesunplanned sexual activity all have in common? They are all frequent results of binge drinking by college students. On a typical Friday or Saturday night you can find the average college student out drinking and having fun. Normally partying with friends at a party, bar, or club; most of these college students are underage consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, or as its better known, â€Å"binge drinking.†The term binge drinking is defined as the consumption of five or more drinks in a row by men and four orRead MoreEffects Of On Campus Housing On College Students Drinking Behavior1565 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of on-campus housing on college students’ drinking behavior: A Literature Review Educational scholars have widely researched the effects of on-campus housing on the behavior of college students and one of the behavioral effects is on drinking behavior. Researchers from both the United States and New Zealand have found that students living in residential halls on campus demonstrate the greatest rates for drinking and peer pressure for drinking (Rickwood, et al., 2011.). Leontini, et al.Read MoreEssay on Informative Speech631 Words   |  3 Pagespurpose (5) Symbolization SPS: To inform my audience about binge drinking on college campuses. CIS: Binge drinking is a significant problem on college campuses, there are alarming statistics about the prevalence of binge drinking, and how binge drinking affects the lives of other students. Org Pattern: Topical Introduction I. Have you ever been to a party and drank too much? How much is too much? II. A Penn State student clung to life in the emergency room on her 20th birthday with a blood

Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914 Free Essays

At the beginning of the twentieth century British women were seen as second-class citizens. This started to change in 1900, as women desired the right to vote and they were prepared to do anything it required to obtain it. Their goal was prolonged because of the many hurdles along the way and they didn’t get the vote for many years. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many of the hurdles they faced were cultural. It was believed that women couldn’t have their own views; they would only do as their husbands told them. Most people thought that women couldn’t make political decisions as they weren’t intelligent enough and they shouldn’t because politics was ‘a man’s game’. Another cultural barrier was the roles women played in the society. One on hand, due to poor education and limited opportunities working-class women had low status, low paid jobs. They had long working hours and didn’t have sufficient time to get involved in the struggle for the vote. On the other hand, most middle and upper-class women felt that their duty was at home, and didn’t want to get implicated. A reason why women didn’t get the vote was ‘their own fault’. The women who wanted the vote were united in their aim but divided in approach. The main women’s society groups had very different methods of getting what they wanted. Most people thought that if the women couldn’t agree then perhaps they didn’t deserve the vote. The Suffragists were a peaceful group who believed that protests should be carried out without violence. They thought that the vote would come in due time, after all New Zealand had already given the vote to women who had used their techniques. The second group, the Women’s Freedom League accepted breaking the law as long as protests didn’t become violent. A protest they organised was refusing to participate in a census. The final group, the Suffragettes, believed in law breaking and violent protests. An infamous protest they organised was when all members produced bricks and hammers from their handbags and broke windows in Oxford Street. It is often said that the Suffragettes were a main obstacle in getting the vote as the government refused to be perceived as succumbing to violence. Many other hurdles in the path of success were the political situations. The conservative government came into power in 1900 and this was a major setback for the women’s suffrage movement. This government was steadfast in its conviction that women should never get the vote. 1906 saw the liberal government come into power as the conservatives became old-fashioned. The contemporary government was in favour of women getting the vote but was reluctant to make this possible in case upper-class women voted conservative. There were more pressing political issues to resolve than the issue of women’s suffrage. The arms race with Germany was at its peak from 1908-1911 and the government had to make sure that Britain stayed ahead. The state of affairs in Ireland was a main concern; Ireland was on the rink of civil war. The government was in the process of laying down the foundations of the welfare state, this included benefits like old age pensions and national insurance. The House of Lords could block any laws that it did not want, this needed to be changed before women’s vote bill was put through as the conservative majority would veto it. In the 1911 Parliament Act the House of Lord’s blocking power was stopped and they were permitted to delay laws by a maximum of two years. The House of Lords still managed to use the new law to their advantage and managed to delay the votes for women bill from 1912 to 1914. In conclusion, there were many factors preventing women from getting the vote whether political or cultural. The most influential factors were the political as they prolonged the struggle for the vote for many years. But even though the political reasons were the most important, no individual factor could have caused women to abstain from receiving the vote without the others. How to cite Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914?, Papers Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914 Free Essays Women was trying to get the vote many years before 1900. At this period of time women lived in a male dominated society. It was thought by the men that, women would vote for who their friends were voting for, and vote for irelivent issues. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many thought that women didn’t have a political mind to vote. Also many men thought there wasn’t enough women to vote to make a difference to the result. Rich men could influence the female family members into voting in the way of their opinion. They got more votes than normal people. The law had been changing slowly, in womens favour. The law kept changing, until women could own their own property. But only if the women where married. After 1900, there was a more active period of campaigning by the National Union of Women’s Sufferage Societies. These societies were created by Millicent Fawcett in 1887. Many women wanted action earlier than later, so the suffragette movement was born. Also with the formation of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) by Emmeline Pankhurst, and her two daughters Christabel and Sylvia. These women was not happy with the cautious approach that the National Union took. Women protests didn’t change anything. Some politics had changed in women’s favour, but this was nothing major. The protests never changed the goverments mind. As the goverment did nothing the suffergettes started using criminal acts as sign of protest. This started as petty as breaking windows, then got serious as arson and creating explosions. Herbert Asquith, the current prime minister at that time wasn’t a supporter of women getting the vote. He said that â€Å"I do not think you will bring this change about until you have satisfied the country that the majority of women are in favour of it†. His position made a difference as whatever he said went. To prevent a the law going through, he called a general election. So whatever the suffragettes did had go through the goverment again. The acts of the suffergettes were peaceful. Many of them being of criminal nature. Emily davison, being one of the most famous sufferegettes, by throwing herself under the king’s horse at the derby, in 1913. She died four days later. Many of the criminal acts were ploted at meetings through out the country. When some of the sufferegettes were sent to prison, they went on hunger strike. So they where able to be released from prison. Eventhough in some prisons many wome where subjected to torture, through force feeding. The women had no other ideas to get the vote. None of the acedemic writings had not worked for 150 years. This changed at the outbreak of world war one. Many women had to work, and they showed patratism for their country. These were dramatic changes in the attitudes and rights by 1918. How to cite Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914, Papers

Professional Teaching and Teacher Education

Question: Discuss about the Professional Teaching and Teacher Education. Answer: Introduction It can be said that early childhood education and teaching are considered as worthy careers. Australia is the country where the teachers are given sufficient compensation, along with sufficient public support and federal funding. The first part of the study will focus on the theories and practices of teaching such as identity theory, teacher professional identity, influences of the factors while shaping the perceptions of the teachers as a professional identity. The second part of the study focuses on the influence of the factors in shaping the professional identity of becoming a teacher. An identity of a teacher in terms of professionalism can be categorized into three perspectives. The framework of Erikson is considered as a extensive and multidimensional in nature and scope. In order to define the identity of a teacher, the two terms are main points of concerns such as self concept of ones and the sense of self (Anspal, Leijen Lfstrm, 2014). In the definition, it can be said that the word self is used as a singular noun that points to be used as stable core and unified. The identity of the teacher as a career path can be divided into personal identity, ego identity and social identity. Personal identity- In the personal identity of the teacher, the values, goals and beliefs of a person shows to the world. Personal identity is the distinction factor that helps in maintaining personal identity as a teacher based on the experience and knowledge gathering (Fuller, Goodwyn Francis-Brophy, 2013). Ego identity- Ego identity is the most fundamental and basic beliefs of a person. This identity is possibly an internalized and unconscious identity from the parents. This identity of a teacher is resistant and consistent to change. Social identity- Social identity is considered as a group of identity that will emphasize on the social factors and other factors socialization. The factors of the teacher that influence the perception of them in exploring their personal identity are teacher as a pedagogical expert, identification of the profession of the teacher, as a subject matter expert, teaching concept, teaching experience and the biography of the teacher. These will be explained in the next part in a detailed way (Li, 2016). Professional learning program It can be said that in Australia, the universities and colleges are providing many professional courses and degree courses for the graduates that influences the graduates for becoming a professional teacher. The professional courses include a one-year course in Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) (Kenny, Finneran Mitchell, 2015). An inclusive pedagogy are developed by the higher education provider of Australia in order to influence the people associated with these courses in order to develop a professional identity. The professional courses are based on the inclusive pedagogy. They are dependent on three themes such as active professionalism, social justice and understanding learning (Xu, 2013). The teaching practices that are included in the pedagogy are related to the different aspects such as creation of environment for learning, extension of the things that are available to the learners. The differentiation of the pedagogy can be achieved through a varied level of choice of activity for the learners (Bolvar, Domingo Prez-Garca, 2014). The courses and other learning program help the learner in developing willingness to work in a creative way so that they can help in developing an approach of providing the knowledge among everyone i.e. the development of a hardcore professional identity in the perspective of teaching. It also relates to increase the commitment of the person while teaching to the audiences or students in the schools. The learners believe in their own capability while promoting the activities of learning in the course (Etelpelto et al., 2014). Socio-cultural context of the theories The professional courses of Australia are based on few themes. The themes are to be formulated on the basis of the socio-cultural factors of the country. Research has pointed out that the schools, colleges and universities of Australia have various students diverse cultural backgrounds. The students can be categorized as indigenous students and aboriginal students. Apart from that, the universities of Australia have foreign students from different countries of the world (Dang, 2013). Teachers must have the sense of inclusion and diversity while gathering knowledge regarding inclusion of theories of teaching and learning. The understanding learning theme of the post graduate courses of the learning institutes are responsible in offering a critique of the labeling ability and the introduction of new theory that portrays the learning procedures of the children. The social justice theme on the other hand helps in developing awareness in terms of inequalities that are characterized by the different deterministic practices while imbue the students in order to create a sense of responsibility while supporting the learners (Machin, 2016). On the other hand, the theme of active professionalism is considered as a theme of collaborative professionalism. In this theme, the teachers usually work with others in order to deliver a quality education to them by clearing their doubts. The socio-cultural aspect of the theories and inclusive pedagogies are responsible for finding ways in responding to the difficulties of the children in their curriculum (Pillen, Beijaard den Brok, 2013). Landscapes of educational policy The country of Australia usually worked on the pattern of a shared national education system. The system of education acts with an agreement with the states. The policies of the education focuses not only to the education of the students of the country but also to the teachers who are engaged in providing knowledge to the students of schools, college and universities. The education policies and the system are steered nationally in terms of various agreements with the territories and states of the country. The states and the territories are focused on the funding and education priorities (Izadinia, 2013). The states and schools government share the decision-making process in the perspective of lower secondary school. The education policies focus on funding of the schools and colleges. The funding of school in many cases has lacked the coherence and transparency in determining the outcomes of the accomplished goals. The educational institutions have many experienced teachers that are r esponsible for teaching the students are shaping their career and grow their identity as a teacher (Pillen, Beijaard Brok, 2013). Influence of factors in creating professional identity It can be said that both experienced and inexperienced teachers are in search of their professional identity. There are a number of professional factors that are responsible for creating professional identity i.e. self image in the profession. The innovative factors of a teacher to be a didactical expert, subject matter expert, pedagogical expert, identification of teacher as a profession, teaching context, teaching experience, biography of teacher, in his particular career. I have identified out these factors that are responsible for developing a self image as a teacher. When I was engaged in the diploma courses of becoming a teacher then I have learned things of becoming more responsible and rational towards sharing knowledge to the students of schools and universities. The experience of a teacher is a vital aspect that is an important cause for the development of professional identity. Experience of a teacher helps him in gathering more confidence and gathering well organized know ledge that can enable the teacher in order to draw their past experiences (Ruohotie-Lyhty, 2013). The teacher as a subject matter expert is more organized in nature while encompassing different units of knowledge such as illustrations, metaphors, images, etc. They also extend the implicit as a knowledge in a novice. In other words, it can be said that the role of teacher in developing curriculum and pedagogy is an important influential factors of creating a self identity as a teacher. These are the traditional factors that are creating an impact in the career path of a teacher during his training and mock teaching part of the course. Apart from that, the experienced teacher also formulate curriculum and pedagogy that requires, planning, execution and finally evaluation of the formulation of pedagogy for students (Harford Gray, 2016). If teaching is considered in the situational perspective, then it can take place in the basis of the unarticulated knowledge that is very difficult to codify as it is spontaneous in nature. Conclusion The study focuses on the factors that have influenced on the teachers while developing their professional identity in the higher education provider and education provider. The educational policy and the contemporary education system of education provide immense support to the learners as well as the future teachers to choose their career as a teacher or professor. The social context of the factors of educational pedagogies that result into different types of development of themes in the diploma programs for the teachers. It can be said that Australia has an international standards of education that helps in shaping the careers of students. The diploma programs for teachers help themselves in creating professional identity. References Anspal, T., Leijen, ., Lfstrm, E. (2014). Student teachers identity development examined through tensions in different types of curricula.Sisukord/Table of Contents, 23. Bolvar, A., Domingo, J., Prez-Garca, P. (2014). Crisis and Reconstruction of Teachers Professional Identity: The Case of Secondary School Teachers in Spain.The Open Sports Sciences Journal,7, 106-112. Dang, T. K. A. (2013). Identity in activity: Examining teacher professional identity formation in the paired-placement of student teachers.Teaching and Teacher Education,30, 47-59. Etelpelto, A., Vhsantanen, K., Hkk, P., Paloniemi, S. (2014). Identity and agency in professional learning. InInternational handbook of research in professional and practice-based learning(pp. 645-672). Springer Netherlands. Fuller, C., Goodwyn, A., Francis-Brophy, E. (2013). Advanced skills teachers: Professional identity and status.Teachers and Teaching,19(4), 463-474. Harford, J., Gray, P. (2016). Emerging as a teacher: Student teachers reflect on their professional identity. In(eds.). Overcoming Fragmentation in Teacher Education. Cambridge University Press. Izadinia, M. (2013). A review of research on student teachers' professional identity.British Educational Research Journal,39(4), 694-713. Kenny, A., Finneran, M., Mitchell, E. (2015). Becoming an educator in and through the arts: Forming and informing emerging teachers' professional identity.Teaching and Teacher Education,49, 159-167. Li, W. (2016). Professional Identity of Teachers in China.US-China Education Review,6(8), 496-502. Machin, D. (2016).Managerialism in international schools: a critical enquiry into the professional identity work of head teachers(Doctoral dissertation, Keele University). Pillen, M., Beijaard, D., Brok, P. D. (2013). Tensions in beginning teachers professional identity development, accompanying feelings and coping strategies.European Journal of Teacher Education,36(3), 240-260. Pillen, M., Beijaard, D., den Brok, P. (2013). Professional identity tensions of beginning teachers.Teachers and Teaching,19(6), 660-678. Ruohotie-Lyhty, M. (2013). Struggling for a professional identity: Two newly qualified language teachers' identity narratives during the first years at work.Teaching and Teacher Education,30, 120-129. Xu, H. (2013). From the imagined to the practiced: A case study on novice EFL teachers' professional identity change in China.Teaching and Teacher Education,31, 79-86.

Arianna Stancari Essays - Pop Ballads, British Musicians, Music

Arianna Stancari Ms. Wedemeyer ENG 101.922 26 June 2018 "Praying for Time": A Plea for Awareness George Michael released "Praying for Time" in 1990 off of his album Listen Without Prejudice. After almost a decade of teeny bop hits and a happy-go-lucky image, the content of this album was a surprise to many of Michael's fans; the album consisted entirely of deeply personal and reflective songs. One of the most remembered and referenced songs is "Praying for Time" because of its important message about society's failure to recognize and adjust its wrongdoings towards the unwealthy. When listening to the song, it is clear that George Michael put a lot of thought into the details: he uses many musical, recording, and lyrical techniques to get his message across. The song opens with the muffled sound of guitars "crashing" into their parts. This immediately gives the song a scared and desperate feeling. The slow tempo that the song maintains throughout allows the listener to really pay attention to the lyrics. Musically, it seems that George Michael didn't want to incorporate anything too extravagant in fear that it would distract from the song's message. The timbre of the song is also generally low; this adds to the song's somber and melancholy quality, evoking in the listener a feeling of sadness or hopelessness. Even in these first few seconds of the song, in which George Michael has not even begun to sing the words, the overall emotion of the song is clear. When Michael does begin to sing, he used recording technologies to make his voice sound as if it were coming out of a radio. I thought that this was a really clever and effective tactic. The song serves as a warning that society has lost compassion, and the idea of these words comi ng out of a radio further drives the image of this song being meant as a warning. Another quality of George Michael's vocals in the song is the way he often whisper-sings during the verses. This helps convey an ominous and melancholy atmosphere. During the choruses, as the words become angrier and more passionate, his vocals grow from those soft whispers to loud, desperate singing. Many who have listened to this song say that this vocal performance seems to "echo the fuzzed vocal texture of John Lennon's Imagine'" (Holden 1990). Its similarities to the vocal and musical styles of late-1960s singers help establish "Praying for Time" as a form of protest and social commentary. George Michael's poetic and powerful lyrics are the main tool used to convey his message. The song is not targeted at a specific group; Michael is commenting on the fact that all of society has lost its sense of compassion towards those who are less fortunate. This means that he is targeting anyone who will listen. In the first verse, Michael speaks directly to the listener: "Look around now," he says. With these words, he calls us to pay attention to our environment and be aware of our actions. Michael also wants to bring to the light the severe separation between rich and poor that has increasingly solidified over time. He says, "The rich declare themselves poor, and most of us are not sure if we have too much." In these lines, he is showing that, when the rich are only surrounded by the rich as a result of this separation, they begin to forget their blessings and compare themselves to each other. This comparison leads to a false idea of what being poor means. The wealthy t hen tend to be unaware of the pain and suffering of the poor; to show that most of society has acquired an "it's every man for himself" mentality, George Michael uses the lines: "So you scream from behind your door Say, What's mine is mine and not yours' I may have too much but I'll take my chances 'Cause God's stopped keeping score" He shows that many of us are so focused on our own successes that we are oblivious to the successes and failures of others. Michael states in his lyrics that God "turned his back, and all God's children crept out the back door." This line is one

buy custom Media and Violent Behavior essay

buy custom Media and Violent Behavior essay It is impossible to overestimate the influence of media on people. In recent years, the Internet has significantly changed the scale of this phenomenon. One can easily access any website and find all the needed information or read the latest news. There is an opinion that the media tends to concentrate more attention on the negative information and issues than on positive ones. It is easier to sell a shocking news story. Neutral news about everyday events is not so exciting to the viewer. Video games may also cause violent behavior, as a lot of them include murder, violence, and cruelty. Thrillers are more popular among audience because of the action scenes and violent content. Thus, the question arises whether the media may cause a violent behavior. I have chosen the article Does Media Violence Lead to the Real Thing? as it explores the interrelations between two phenomena, while providing extensive research on the topic. Thus, it proves to be credible and argumentative. In this case, the main moral dilemma lies in the question, whether violent media causes more harm or good, and whether a person can actually commit a wrongful act after having watched an action film or having played a video game that contains violence. There are many researches that analyze this interrelation, but I do not consider the media to have a strong impact on a persons behavior. To put it more clearly, the media has a certain influence on a persons behavior, but it only serves as one of many factors that cause aggressive behavior. Moreover, it is not a primary factor, and, in my opinion, it has not been sufficiently studied to talk about banning any type of media. It is a misconception to think that studies on violent behavior connect it to the media violence. They simply state that the two phenomena exist together. It is more likely that more aggressive person will search for an aggressive entertainment, than the latter affects the former. The psychologists Brad J. Bushman and Craig A. Anderson analyzed 42 stdies that involved more than 5,000 participants. They found a small-to-moderate-strength relationship between an act of aggression and watching violent media (Pozios, Kambam, Bender, 2013). The other study showed that antisocial behavior is a direct consequence of watching violent programs on TV in childhood. Thus, various studies give different assessment of this phenomenon and do not agree on opinion. At the same time, there are hundreds of other factors, from the parents cruelty toward children to the bullying in school. These factors tend to have a bigger impact on the teenagers behavior than violence in the media. I believe that the previously mentioned studies do not prove whether violent media can actually lead to performing extreme violence in adulthood. One of the first tragedies with extensive media coverage was Columbine High School shooting. At that time, there were a lot of articles that named video games as a key factor leading to the violent behavior. This tragedy ignited a national debate over bullying. The truth is that the gunmen were not bullied or affected by video games. In fact, they planned a proper terrorist bombing. The only reason why it turned into shooting rampage is that they were amateurs in creating bombs. It was not the media that influenced their behavior. Attempt to decontextualize violence is the biggest problem with media-effects research. Such phenomena as unemployment, instability, poverty, family violence, and even mental illnesses are not even mentioned in those studies. In my opinion, people are viewed as spineless content consumers who do not have their own opinion, morality, and awareness. Some people tend to condemn the media to put them above those who enjoy popular culture. Others often consider themselves to be immune to the violence in the media. At the same time, they assume that the media has a certain impact on average minds. This intense focus on violence in video games may simply be the manifestation of hostility toward teenagers and those people who enjoy popuular culture. The other significant phenomenon which is believed to cause violent behavior is hip-hop music. Many people assume that violent words and expressions urge listeners to act in a violent way. In fact, the musicians simply reflect their surrounding environment. It is an art form with images, insights, beats, and raw expressions that carry a certain meaning or idea. Hip-hop does not represent a call to violence. There is a humanity and social commentary which is incorporated into song lyrics. If hip-hop causes violent behavior, then all the news and media reporting on the real issues should be banned. In fact, hip-hop is more likely to re-create hope, bring healing and the realization of dreams, give sharp social commentaries than produce aggression and violence. There are several moral theories that can be applied to the moral dilemma of violence in the media and its influence on the persons behavior. Thus, I would like to pick and examine one of them. According to the dictionary, utilitarianism is the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority (Utilitarianism, n.d.). Proponents of this theory focus rather on the consequences of an action than on its intrinsic nature or motive. Correlation between violent media and behavior appears to be a moral dilemma from the standpoint of utilitarianism. On the one hand, the media was created in order to educate, inform, advise and entertain people. Thus, the media is right and has moral worth. On the other hand, there are researches that emphasize the link between violent media and aggressive behavior. From this perspective, the media does not promote happiness, but it has obvious negative consequences, which is immoral according to utilitarianism. I believe that a person, who subscribes to this moral theory, may resolve the previously mentioned issue by deciding whether the media has more positive or negative effects on society. There is an opinion that violent films and video games relieve tension and release an aggression. Buy custom Media and Violent Behavior essay

Business Ethics (Case Analysis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics (Case Analysis) - Essay Example Brazil has been a place that Caterpillar has utilized to expand its operations and in 1993 the company consolidated its Brazilian operations in Piracicaba. Piracicaba was a town in dying need of industrial development in order to improve the supply of jobs available to the people. The region needed help and Catepillar became the perfect opportunity the people of Piracicaba needed. As Catepillar established itself in Piracicaba its arrival place it on the map as far as the town gaining international recognition. This indirectly helped the tourism industry and it eventually open the doors so that other companies began to move into Piracicaba. Caterpillar at first did not get too involved in the community. As the company starting building a networking within the community its level of involvement in social affairs at Piracicaba increase. Caterpillar since its arrival at Piracicaba improved the quality of life of the community by providing quality good paying jobs which helped many people in the region get out of poverty. Not only did the company pay a good salary, but the firm also provided many fringe benefits. The creation of a drug rehabilitation program to help employees with addiction is an example of the types of initiatives the company performed that goes beyond the norm. The employees are one of many stakeholder groups a company must considered when implementing corporate social responsibility strategies. Some of the other stakeholders that must be included within a CRS plan are the environment, suppliers, business partners, vendors, shareholders, lenders, and the community (Kotler, 2002). Despite the positive change that came once the company settled in the area many people the perception of many of the locals is that the company was simply not doing enough. Another thing was that the people felt that those Brazilians that gotten these good jobs were not grateful and were not doing anything to help the

Business Financing and the Capital Structure Essay - 6

Business Financing and the Capital Structure - Essay Example Raising finance through friends and family members is the least expensive way to access funds since it avoids high interest loans. Friends and family members are more patient than lenders, such as banks. The major disadvantage is that the owners must give out approximately 50% of their business to the outsiders. This puts the venture in danger of losing their business fully. Some of them may over expect the amount of profits. This brings misunderstandings because they expect more than can be afforded. Investments from family and friends require a good explanation about the impact of the venture. The financial arrangements should all be business-like. Formal business processes should be followed regardless of the relationship between the lender and the borrower. The details of the borrowed money should be outlined. This involves the means of payment, and what would happen in case the business does not prosper (Wolff, 2000). The borrower should not accept more money than the investor could afford to lose. It may render the company bankrupt. Finally, a written contract should be availed for the business owner, friends, and family. The business should treat the money as bridge financing to the next financing level (Boa and Edmans, 2007). Any payment schedule developed should suit the entrepreneur and the lender. An exit plan should be available describing how the investors will cash out the investments. Debt capital is loan obtained that must be returned with interest. Debt capital form of financing has higher interest rate than loans given to small companies since they have higher risks of return trade off than bigger corporate consumers do. The entrepreneurs maintain complete ownership of the business. Borrowed capital is a liability on the balance sheet. The major advantage of debt financing is that the lender cannot own the business. Those who lend capital only require interest on the loan given. Debt financing cost

Ideal school for international education

Ideal school for international education Before to start talking about international education, it seems appropriate to give a definition from experienced researchers in this sector: The interest in the field of international education has never been more intense a rapidly increasing number of schools world-wide have been established specifically to meet the demands of those parents who, through their own global professional activities, wish to have their children educated in programmes based on international values and often in contexts other than their home country. Such schools have embraced the promotion of international education as one of their major goals.(Hayden, Levy and Thompson 2007:1) We also want to draw the readers attention to the fact that another researcher named Skelton also defines international education and international curriculum in relation to international schools. This is obviously only one vision and one definition of international education but these are the ones we are interested in investigating with this assignment because we will analyze whether an international school, namely St Andrews International School Bangkok, is close to the ideal school for international education. Our School St Andrews International School Bangkok is, as stated in the first definition above, a school that is established (in Thailand) to meet the demand for expatriate parents and wealthy local families who want their children educated in programs based on international values. St Andrews International School Bangkok, offers the international IGCSE and IB Diploma programmes ( we will explain later what are these IGCSE and IB programmes), and has, as main purpose, to promote international education as its mission statement says: Our mission is to provide an inclusive, international education in a happy, supportive and stimulating environment, where all the needs of the individual learner are met and students are inspired to achieve their full potential enabling them to become responsible global citizens. We will, of course further analyze the mission statement in later chapters when we will speak about ideologies, values and global citizenship education. What will we analyze? We defined above our focus, which is The International Schools. With this starting point, we must look at what are the components of an international school. We will focus on the following: the Values and Ideologies, the Curriculum, The Students, The Teachers, The administrators, the Board and the role of English language and other languages; compare and criticize all these points with what is said in the literature and our own experience in the field. What we are going to analyze is, of course, not all the elements of an international school, but those most important to analyze, in order to answer our assignments question. The values and ideologies In the syllabus, we read that Watson and Ashton (1995) point out that Society does not wait for consensus before transmitting values, and neither do schools. They convey values every day, knowingly or unknowingly, both at the more explicit level of what is taught, and at the less openly acknowledged level of how the school is administered (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Education cannot be value-free. Indeed, we believe that the official curriculum and also the hidden curriculum (what happens in the classroom, the relationship between teacher and student and how they interact) will automatically transmit values. In our school, the IGCSE curriculum transmits, clearly, the values of the Western World and more specifically, Great Britain. Even if the IGCSE allows adaptation to the context, the curriculum is there, with the knowledge to be transmitted, and that knowledge comes from Great Britain. The values transmitted, are humanists as we can read in our syllabus: Humanism as an ideology places a high emphasis on knowledge. Some forms of humanism (think classical humanism, conservatism, traditionalism, academicism) advocate the restriction of high status knowledge to an elite minority: the selective grammar school/secondary modern school system of pre-1960s England, for instance, typifies a classical humanist approach. Other forms of humanism, such as liberal humanism for instance, while still placing a great emphasis on knowledge advocate that high status knowledge should be accessible to all. We find that, indeed, the IGCSE curriculum focuses generally on knowledge. We also feel that they want this high status knowledge (a knowledge that comes from Cambridge University) to be accessible, if not to all, to the biggest number of students, abroad, especially in International Schools. Regarding the IB curriculum, it also transmits values, the values of openness, world mindedness, the child is the center of his learning, the child must be knowledgeable, balanced, Inquirer, etc. (IBO website, learner profile) These values are clearly progressivist because we can read on the IBO website: Progressivism as an ideology is essentially child-centered, with the emphasis clearly on the individual child. Curricula such as the International Baccalaureates Primary Years Programme (2008) are examples of a progressivist (or constructivist) approach to education. (Syllabus) Although we still do not teach the PYP program, these values are the same in the IB Diploma and are implied throughout the schooling of students until they pass their diploma examinations. In the syllabus, we read: Halstead (1996), meanwhile, argues that The values of schools are apparent in their organization, curriculum and discipline procedures, as well as in the relationships between teachers and pupils. Values are reflected in what teachers choose to permit or encourage in the classroom, and in the way they respond to childrens contributions to learning. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Even the seating arrangements in a classroom convey certain values. It is true that this transmits values as well. In our school, students are always encouraged to ask questions and to come to find the teacher after class for further explanation. The students are sitting in the classroom in a circle, to allow the exchange during the class. It is clear that in this case, the teacher is not the master of knowledge delivered to the student, but the students are encouraged to take control over their learning and there is a form of trust and closeness between the student and the teacher, to allow an o ptimal construction of the knowledge. To conclude this point, we read the mission statement of our school: Our mission is to provide an inclusive, international education in a happy, supportive and stimulating environment, where all the needs of the individual learner are met and students are inspired to achieve their full potential enabling them to become responsible global citizens. We note that the school wants to be inclusive which shows we put a high value on the acceptance of others. The mission statement also says we want our students to be happy to learn and, when learning, they receive all the necessary support from the staff. This is a value our school wants to transmit to the students. We can finally see that we place a great importance on the individual and their learning, and we hope our students to become Global Citizens. This shows that we give importance to the individuals but also to the overall population, which gives an international perspective to the values we try to instill. The Students St Andrews International School has a student population of more or less 680 children. There are about 40 percents of Thai students, 15 percents of Japanese, 10 percents of Indians and a large German and French community. One of the advantages of the international schools is the teachers students ratio, which is 1:25 by schools policy. It allows space for individual care. Anyway, by the Thai law, in an International School, there cannot be more than 30 students per class. The Thai students Regarding the huge percentage of Thai students, they are mostly from rich families, the countrys elite families or possessing businesses. These families have the choice of National Education (which is not highly regarded because there is a huge disparity in terms of quality) and International Education, which is very popular with families of these elites, as they want their children to have access to foreign universities in order to have more chances of success in this globalized world. These children will have an advantage over other local children. Their parents put them in these schools as an investment for the future. Langford says concerning these students, that they may feel isolated and different, living on the local economy rather than enjoying the many benefits shared by their expatriate classmates. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) or they may dominate the community to the extent that the school has to adjust practices to suit their interests and the expatriates are made to feel outsiders. (2002:48) This is true in the sense the Thai students at St Andrews International School, live in Thailand and many of them have never lived abroad, unlike their friends who often have lived, in most cases, in more than two countries. On the other hand, the Thai students are so much in majority (40 percent) compared with other nationalities; that, indeed, this may be the expatriate students who feel like outsiders, especially those Thais students often come from very wealthy families. That said, after what I saw, it seems the Thais students and those from other nationalities mix well, talk and play together, through a family atmosphere which the Head of School, Mr Paul Schofield was able to install. It should also be noted that students from our school have been there at least 5-6 years and feel, with the time, part of a family. The Expatriate students The expatriate students are, in the vast majority, Globally Mobile Children that Eidse and Sichel define as having parents who are educators, international business people, foreign service attaches, missionaries and military personnel. The children shuttle back and forth between nations, languages, cultures and loyalties. They live unrooted childhoods. (2004:1) In our school, most students are from families as described above and I would add, in many cases, their parents work for NGOs or in embassies. These children are also often better adapted to the teaching style of international schools in general. They also learn languages more easily than Thais students due to the fact they have lived in several countries and had to learn local languages each time. The Special Needs students Another important facet of the population of students in our school is the Special Needs students. As our mission statement says, our school is an inclusive school inclusive where all the needs of the individual learner are met and students are inspired to achieve their full potential. We have a Special Needs student population of about 10 percents and we also have in place, a wonderful learning support program for these students, with qualified, dedicated teachers and coordinators for several different Key stages. The Special Needs students are divided into two categories, those with learning difficulties and those with physical problems or syndromes such as autism or Down syndrome. It should also be noted that each student has a Special Needs individual tutor who accompanies them in the mainstream classroom. Our philosophy is that every child has the right to education. At the same time, we must emphasize that to be accredited by a body such as the CIS (Council of International Schools), if accreditation is to be given, that provision is made for the initial identification of the learning needs of students and for the subsequent addressing those needs. Therefore, did the school really have a choice to implement such a program? It is clear that, from the beautiful philosophy of we accept everyone, even if they have learning needs and the reality, that, to be accredited, we must implement a program of Special Needs, there is a gap. The relationship between the two is not very healthy. We think there is a market issue because, nowhere else than St Andrews we can find a school with an inclusive policy. Looking at this, we realize that International Schools, in general, are businesses with the purpose of finding a market and making money. In the case of our school, for the special needs children, it is beneficial, but it is not always the case of other I nternational School focusing on making money and not caring the students well being. With regard to the Gifted Children, St Andrews International School has no program in place, which is, in my view, inconsistent with the mission statement saying that all the students must realize their full potential. How can a student with superior capabilities than others realize its full potential? We have only the differentiation as a tool to work with the brightest students. The transition for students, from one school to another Another area of concern for students in international schools is the transition from one school to another. Regarding our school, unfortunately there is no transitional program for students from other countries or other international schools. Only teachers of these students can help them to integrate successfully into their new environment with techniques inspired by the mission statement: our teachers are fully trained in teaching methods that promote an interactive approach to learning within a stimulating and structured environment where the highest premium is placed on self- discipline and motivation and our children are confident communicators where they realize their full potential in an atmosphere of calm cooperation, tolerance and understanding. The teachers At St Andrews International School, we have a population of teachers around 90 people. From these 90 teachers, 70 are from Great-Britain, six teachers are from New-Zealand and the remaining teachers from Japan, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Thailand etc. The reason there are so many British teachers is certainly related to the fact that St Andrews is a British school, following the British curriculum as well. These Britannic subjects are teaching the core subjects at the school, such as Math, Science, History and Geography while teachers of Japanese, French, and Swiss etc., teach their native languages. All the teachers though, British or from another nationalities must hold at least a Bachelors Degree, a teaching certificate with, usually, a minimum of a two years full-time teaching experience. British International School, British teachers? M. Hayden cites Richards (1998: 174) who highlights a good point about this subject in a passage from a promotional brochure of an international school. He wrote: Over 70 teachers share a broad international experience, coming from such countries as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. Can we infer from the above, Richards asks, that no teachers are employed (or employable?) from so-called less developed regions of the world? Or merely that advertising such teachers would not be a positive selling point for the school? When Richards says no teachers from developing countries are hired, this is almost true in our school as well, as 80 percent of the teachers are from developed countries. Maybe if the school hired teachers in developing countries, it would not have a good image for the school because it is a British School. We think that one of the reasons is the parents from local families would not appreciate paying an expensive international school instead of a local school for teachers to be hired from less developed countries than theirs. At the same time, it is in contradiction with our philosophy of internationalism to show a good example of tolerance and openness. We teach our students to be people with a global vision of the world, tolerance and a world mindedness, and the school sets a poor example by discriminating against the hiring of teachers, choosing only teachers from so-called developed countries because it looks good. Others will say it is normal for a British school to hire a majority of British teachers and that is what parents expect. Both views can be justified but there should be a right balance between pragmatism and ideology. The expatriate overseas hired, the expatriates locally hired and the host national teachers Another point we want to address here is, at St Andrews, there is no segregation between the expatriate teachers hired overseas and expatriate teachers recruited locally. There is no difference in contract or salary, or extras such as return flights and health insurance, which does not create jealousy among teachers and we think it is a good thing. On the other hand, host country national teachers are paid two times less than teachers from other countries, which sometimes creates a feeling of injustice because they teach the same number of hours as teachers who are expatriates and they are paid less. Again, this is a pity to notice that we, as an International School should promote equality between citizens of the world and, in practice, we do not really do what we say. Some will say that if there was not an advantageous package for those expatriates, they would probably not leave their home country to come to teach abroad, when, for instance, host country national teachers do not ha ve to leave their families behind and the comfort of their own country. So, again, the two views can be justified. The penelopes I just wanted to add that, at St Andrews there are a lot of Penelopes (who have been at the school for more than seven years), as Hardman says they are those teachers who remain faithful to the country they have adopted. I think it is a good thing for the students as a gage of stability, where in some other International Schools in Thailand, teachers cannot stay more than seven years. The induction Speaking about teachers, we must also mention the phase of induction of new teachers when they arrive at an international school. M.Hayden said:  « Any teacher who moves from one school to another within the International Schools system could reasonably expect some form of induction in at least the early stages of a new appointment.  » (2006: 82) Regarding St Andrews International School, the induction is four days. The Head of School spends four whole days with new teachers, explaining all aspects of the school and the culture shock that awaits them from the Thai culture. This allows a smooth start in the new host country. However, the induction is not going further. Never again, ones organizes any meeting with new faculty to ensure that everything goes well. To conclude this point we cite here Hayden who says that The question of how best support new recruits in a new cultural environment is by no means an easy one to answer. (2006:83) The teachers appraisal Dimmock and Walker say Teacher appraisal is a contentious and divisive issue regardless of the context within which it operates (2005: 143). It is true there is no recipe to make a good appraisal, it is a difficult process to implement. At St Andrews, the appraisal system is fairly simple and does not put too much pressure on the shoulders of teachers. Once a year, the head of department comes to visit the classroom for two lessons. At the end of the observation the head gives his feedback to the teacher and they set two targets for the following observation, the year after. The head of school come to observe the teacher once per contract to give his consent for its renewal. The method is simple, do not stress too much the teacher, but at the same time, is it a good tool to evaluate the staff? Coming to observe a lesson and give two targets for next year means that everything else is not important; the teacher will focus only on one aspect of his teaching. The Turnover In our school, the latest statistics, which date back two years and cover a period of five years, show that teachers remain at St Andrews about five years. There are about four to five teachers, from a number of ninety, who leave each year. We think this is a good sign because if a teacher stays five years in a school, we think it shows he is happy to work there. Another factor may be that the teacher cannot find a job elsewhere or he is married to a Thai person and therefore has no choice but to stay at the school, but our experience and discussions with teachers at St Andrews have shown us that teachers are generally very satisfied with working at this place. To be more complete, we should conduct a survey on why teachers stay but it would be difficult to the lack of time. The Administrators At St Andrews, there is a British Head of School who administers the school of a budgetary standpoint and oversees other heads such as the Head of Keystage1, the Head of Keystage 2 and the Head of high school with his Deputy. These people belong to the so-called Senior Management. In the Middle Management, there are the heads of departments. Under the Thai law, the sole Head of School must be a Thai national. This is indeed the case at our school. There is a Thai Head whose role on paper is very different from its role in practice. On paper, she has to take academic and budgetary decisions but in reality she does only take care of the Thai teachers and the Thai curriculum. We find that it is not fair because the law states that a person in charge must be a Thai Head of School. Our school lies on paper to meet the Thai law and to meet the demand of parents who want to see a foreign Head of School. On top of that, the Thai Head is also paid as a local teacher, that is to say, four times less than the foreign Head. The Board Littleford writes Schools with healthy boards do not have crises, and we must agree with him regarding our school. In our school, the board is only composed of a family, Thai and very rich. They are the only ones to make big financial decisions for the school development. They always follow the recommendations of the Head of School and never intervene in the daily running of the school. There never was any crisis between the Board and the Head of School since the inception of the school and we welcome that fact. The Accreditation St Andrews is currently accredited by CIS (the Council of International Schools), the Thai Ministry of Education, and is in the process of being accredited by CFBT. The fact our school is accredited by the Ministry of the host country and by an internationally acclaimed body shows that we are in the standards of international education. We read on the website CFBT Accreditation with CfBT shows that your school demonstrates high standards of student achievement with an effective curriculum, good use of resources, a successful leadership team and strong partnerships with parents. CFBT therefore focuses on quality of student achievement, curriculum and relationships with parents. We may wonder whether the failure to look at the results of pupils is not just elitist. Should not International schools give students a chance to improve? Another aspect that CFBT looks at is the curriculum, which is normal, but they should also look at internationalism, the values, etc. The last point CFBT looks at is the relationship the school has with parents. In our school we have a very active group of parents who organize events of all kinds at school and are much supported by our Head of School. To return to accreditation with CFBT, we feel that our curriculum deputy encourages us to only look at the CFBT criteria to satisfy them. We can therefore ask whether the accreditation system is not a little hypocritical. Yet we do a great job, professionally, but we offer something completely prepared to CFBT, just to satisfy their criteria, which does not seem very ethical or honest. On the other hand, accreditation can be useful tool, to give us the time to reflect on our practices. The English as a Second Language and Mother-Tongue languages English as a Second Language Hayden says: Many International Schools offering an English-Medium education provide language support for non-native speakers of English () the extent and nature of support clearly vary. It is true that in our school, support comes down to putting these students in an ESL class a few times per week, while other students have classes in French or Japanese, and these ESL students follow the rest of the courses in mainstream class where they understand almost nothing. In my old school, Hanoi International School, we had ESL classes and on top of that, for mainstream courses, an ESL support teacher came into class to help students understand the instructions or what the teacher explained. We believe this latter approach is more effective because students receive constant support and feel less stressed towards the English language because there is always someone to help them understand what is said in class. After a while, of course, if the students made significant progress, they join the mainstream class, without any ESL support anymore. Mother-Tongues About the provision of other languages, Murphy is in favor of a greater provision of support for the childs first language in order to support cognitive development in that language, which would make the second language less difficult to acquire (Murphy, 2003: 36-7). That is exactly what our head of School think about the fact that a student cannot have a good cognitive development with a language he does not control at all if he does not master his own language. Children need intellectual development in their own language before they can grow intellectually in a different language. In our school, that is why we have an extensive program of mother-tongue language. It is obvious that such a program is not easy to implement, especially for smaller schools that have limited financial resources. Carder said: There are certainly scheduling and administrative problems in mother-tongue in finding teachers, and financial difficulties about whether to add it to the payroll or to the parents to pay extra. At St Andrews, it is certain that it is not easy to administer the program of mother tongue and foreign language as it creates a lot of clashes in the timetables. It is not easy either to find language teachers for French, Japanese and German in Thailand. From a financial standpoint, the school request parents wishing to enroll their children in the first language program, a supplement to the school fees of about 300 U.S. dollars. This program meets over the years, more and more success because kids love to speak their mother tongue at school, a few hours per week; and parents are reassured that their children can more easily reintegrate school in their home countries if they move back there. Écouter Lire phonà ©tiquement Dictionnaire Afficher le dictionnaire The Curriculum In the world, there are several international schools curricula. The most common are the British connoted IGCSE, and IB which claims to be more international. Before considering in more detail the two mentioned curricula, we will dwell a moment on some definitions of curriculum. Hayden cites Bulman and Jenkins in her book International Education, International Schools and their communities, which describes the curriculum, following three aspects: The academic curriculum or what is formally taught in schools, the pastoral curriculum which includes social skills, study skills, careers and counseling for the hidden curriculum that all these practices are not explicit in the official curriculum, such as teacher-student relationships, the rules in the classroom, the structures rewards etc. We will come back to these aspects later on this chapter. At St. Andrews, the academic curricula are the IGCSE and the IB. Our Head of School says that we teach the IGCSE in the middle school because it gives more importance to academic skills and therefore prepare well for the IB which has an approach to the whole child and preparing students for university and has a globalized world. To corroborate these claims, we will read what the IGCSE and IBO say on their websites: The IBO: On the IBO website, we can read: Our challenging Diploma Programme assessment is recognized by the worlds leading universities. The IB diploma is not recognized in all universities, but by the world leading Universities. Does that mean, as some people think that the IB is elitist? They also write: We encourage international-mindedness in IB students. To do this, we believe that students must first develop an understanding of their own cultural and national identity. All IB students learn a second language and the skills to live and work with others internationally-essential for life in the 21st century. At St Andrews, we encourage students to learn their culture and their first language. We have a large program such as First Language: Japanese, German, French and Thai, which allows these students to stay in touch with their languages and cultures within the international school. On the other hand, we do not provide first language courses for all nationalities, creating a division between the languages called important and others, which results in a risk of partitioning students between important and not important languages, which can cause frustrations. At the same time, all students, without exception, learn a second language. They can choose between Japanese, Chinese (very popular with Thai students), German, French and Thai. The range offered is wide enough for second language courses, allowing students to sample a different culture or language of their choice, enabling them, as stated by the IBO, to live, to communicate, to understand and to work with others, internationally. At St Andrews, we organize an international day, which allows students to see how their friends from other cultures dress (thanks to the international fashion show), what are the typical dishes of other countries (through the international buffet), which languages are spoken, and thus learn to know each other, which leads to some form of international friendship and tolerance. On that matter, we believe that our school reflects well the values of international IBO. On the IBO website we can also read: We encourage a positive attitude to learning by encouraging students to ask challenging questions, to reflect critically, to develop research skills, and to learn how to learn. We encourage community service because we believe that there is more to learning than academic studies alone. The curriculum is, as stated above, child-centered. The child is responsible for their learning, encouraged to ask questions, think critically, research, and to learn how to learn. All this forms the learner profile that the IBO tries to promote. This approach is progressivist, as described in the syllabus. The IBO also encourages community service through the program, CAS (Creativity, Action and Service), since the IBO says that academic studies are not enough and we have to consider educating the child as a whole, it is therefore, without a doubt, different from the IGCSE which just consider the academic side of the learning process. We personally believe that the CAS programme is beneficial for students because it allows them to be more open t

Renewable Energy in Brazil Essay

Brazil is the biggest country in South America with a population of roughly 200 million (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2008) and with abundant natural resources and land and water to use for renewable energy. With a high demand for energy and little supply, Brazil is the perfect place to conduct energy related businesses. In 1999, Brazil consumed 353. 7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity (Solarbuzz, 2008). With growing concerns about sources of energy nowadays, renewable energy is a booming business to enter since renewable energy use worldwide is expected to increase by 53% between 1999 and 2020 (ibid). Brazil has been reevaluating its plans to meet growing energy needs in the country after a crippling power shortage in 2001 and a change of government in 2003 (Aruvian Research, 2008). Reforms and privatizations have been undertaken by the Brazilian government to solve its power shortage and with the expected continuous climb in the country’s energy use in the coming years; the rising need for energy needs to be addressed (ibid). In addressing this problem and with the pervasive problem of global warming and environmental degradation, renewable energy is the way to go these days. Renewable energy in Brazil is classified into different business types: renewable energy export businesses and import businesses, renewable energy manufacturers, renewable energy non-profit organizations, renewable energy retail businesses, service businesses, and renewable energy wholesale suppliers (Momentum Technologies LLC, 2008). One of the companies in the energy business in Brazil is global company BP, which has just started its solar energy operations in the country in 2000 and recently brought biofuels to Brazil. A brief description of the company, its business variables and options for success will be given. The legal framework, target market and facilities will be mentioned together with the cultural, political and economic background of Brazil. The country’s laws regarding environmental businesses, banking systems, personnel management and investments will be stated. The economic and political risks and the security climate will also be stated to give further understanding on how to establish a business in Brazil. BP and the Brazilian Market BP is a century old global company that is into the exploration, production, refinement and marketing of various energy resources all over the world and carries the brands BP, Castrol, Arco, Aral, am/pm and Wild Bean Cafe. Its main product is oil and it targets various markets from the manufacturer to the distributor down to the consumer (BP, 2008). In Brazil, BP has been around for 50 years and they are involved in every stage of the oil business. It started with the Castrol lubricant and it has expanded ever since. They sell lubricants to the shipping industry and its Castrol Offshore supplies high-quality control fluids to the offshore oil and gas production market. Since 1998, BP Brasil Ltda has been involved in oil and gas explorations and in 2002 the company launched its Air BP in the country, which distributes aviation fuels and lubricants. In 2000, the company started its solar power business operation and in 2003 it completed its largest solar project in the history of the country by installing systems for 1,852 schools in remote off-grid communities across 11 different states in Brazil (ibid). Its Biofuels business is the latest to start in Brazil and participates directly in the growing market by building a commercial platform for the integration of the technology and bioscience research in the area. It makes use of ethanol production from cane sugar and will support the development of new low carbon fuels such as butanol, which has lower carbon emissions (ibid). The company in Brazil is currently based in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo with over 400 people in its workforce. It has also been involved in business ventures in the last five years in the exploration and production with state oil giant Petrobras, Shell, ENI, TFE and Exxon. With regard to its corporate social responsibility program, BP Brasil supports education in community schools through voluntary work, funding new facilities and by teaching computer skills to underprivileged children. Also, the company has been providing energy to remote villages by giving the diesel generators to produce no more than four hours of energy a day and by providing solar energy systems to the 800 residents of the village of Sucuriji (ibid). The company aims to bring new energy in everything they do in Brazil. One of the factors of success for BP Brasil is having the established global brand of Castrol. It also entered the Brazilian market during the years when the country was being industrialized; hence, it started early and entered the market ahead of other players. The company also had the financial backing of its mother company BP which was already global at that time. The vast oil resources in Brazil has also made it a great site for exploration and manufacturing for the company and since BP has been in the country for 51 years, it has benefited from the reforms of the energy policies of Brazil and has allowed the company to gain access to the oil resources in the past decade, which helped make Brazil move from a crude oil importer to exporter (Business Wire, 2008). In the renewable energy market, the company is succeeding because it identified early on the potential of Brazil in producing biofuels and it gave an option to the power crisis of the country by providing solar energy. It started the solar power business in 2000, which was one of the perfect solutions to the power crisis which struck the country in 2001. It gave an alternative and saw early on the problem in the country. It is also successful because it leads the joint ventures with other big companies; thus, saving on financial investments and allows them to use more resources. The global co-head of research at Allianz Global Investors says that â€Å"Alternative energy and solar energy are a very compelling growth opportunity†¦it’s going to be something on a par with volume growth of flat panel screens, PCs and handy phones† (Wynn & Kuehnen, 2008). This growth has been seen by BP and they have led in the research of alternative energy and are supplying solar energy to the country. They are supported by the Brazilian government and this is a very important factor for success. Governments in other countries even subsidize solar power as part of their fight against climate change (ibid). Solar energy prices have also declined in the market because of growing competition and increase in conversion efficiencies and manufacturing economies of scale because of the demand for solar panels (Solarbuzz, 2008). 20 million Brazilians live in remote communities and do not have access to reliable electrical power (Business Wire, 2008), and this is a big market for the solar business. The renewable energy market in Brazil is estimated at $25 billion and business opportunities here are limitless (ibid). Since the government cannot meet the demand for off-grid energy alone, resources that are available support highly-subsidized programs (ibid). Economic, Cultural and Political Situation of Brazil The government of Brazil stemmed from the overthrow of the Portuguese colonial power in the late 19th century and was replaced by a Republican military coup (infoplease, 2008). A dictatorial government took over in 1930 and was overthrown by a military coup d’etat in 1964 and the military forces remained in power until 1985. It was only in 1988 that a democracy was re-established and the Federal Constitution was promulgated during this year (Wikipedia, 2008). The Brazilian Federation is based on three autonomous political entities: the States, Municipalities and Federal District; power is divided into the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary branches which are all governed by the checks and balances system (ibid; infoplease, 2008). Government programs in the recent years have been targeted at increasing the exports of the country which led to the Export Culture Program 2004/2007 in the Brazil for Everyone Pluri-annual Plan (Brazilian Government, 2005). The program encourages the participation and support for the export potential of small businesses; skills training; tuition and guidance on the export business through Agent Network Project; edition and distribution of technical material guidance for export businesses. The government has also encouraged a culture of competitiveness by privatizing some government owned businesses. The Industrial, Technological and Foreign Trade Policy (PITCE) is also a government initiative that joins financial, technological, logistic, commercial and structural support programs for innovation and future projection (ibid). It was launched in 2004 and BP Brasil benefits from this program and the Law of Innovation of the Brasilian government since they are undergoing research for their biofuels and they are in a joint venture with state owned Petrobras. The law of innovation aims to provide a suitable environment for strategic partnerships between universities, technological institutions and businesses; to encourage the participation of science and technology in the innovation process; and to encourage innovation in businesses. This is all geared towards a competitive Brazilian market since in the past monopoly by state owned corporations where common. Being the 10th largest energy consumer in the world and the largest in South America, Brazil have made the National Alcohol Program, which is a nation-wide program financed by the government that replaces automobile fuels based from fossil fuels in favor of biofuels (Wikipedia, 2008). This has made Brazil a bio-energy superpower because of its ethanol fuel production, which has reduced the number of cars running on gasoline to 10 million and reduced the country’s dependence on oil imports (ibid). The country is also the third largest producer of hydro-electrical power in the world (ibid). The GDP-purchasing power parity of the country is at $1. 83 trillion, its per capita is at $9,700 and the services sector comprises 64% of the GDP, the agricultural sector 5%, and the industrial sector 31% (CIA, 2008). The economy is characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors; the country outweighs all the other South American countries and it is expanding its presence in the world market (ibid). In addition, the country has the largest and most diversified system of science, technology and innovation in Latin America, which is a result of the accomplishments of the country in the last 50 years that includes prospecting oil and the ability to build aircrafts (Brazilian Government, 2005). The demand for modernization and infrastructures are made urgent in the social agenda of the government and are accomplished through initiatives known as Public-Private Partnerships (ibid). The transport sector is investing and modernizing passageways, integrating airports, railways and waterways; R$61. 5 is also being invested in 65 airports in the country due to increasing tourism. Poverty in city centers such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are common and wealth is in the hands of a few but there is a big middle class in Brazil. The people are diverse and came from the waves of immigrants from all over the world but most are of Portuguese and African descent (IPACOM, 2008). Time is also a flexible concept for Brazilians and they are laid-back (ibid). The official language is Portuguese and is spoken by 97% of the population (de Noronha Goros, 2003) and it is the language to conduct business in, hence, global companies who open a business in Brazil have a Brazilian partner (Myers, 2003). They will conduct business in English if it is insisted since they recognize it is the international language for business but to be successful in Brazil, the national language must be spoken (ibid). First impressions are important for Brazilians and networking through word of mouth is very powerful in Brazil, especially in Sao Paulo; relationships are also valuable to Brazilians (ibid). Legal Framework and Business in Brazil Brazil is ranked as the 122 country in terms of ease in doing business and in starting a business (World Bank, 2007). Doing business in Brazil requires 18 procedures that take 152 days and costs 10. 38% of GNI per capita to start a business in the country (ibid). The normal procedures are: check company name, pay registration fees, register with Commercial Board, register for federal and state tax, confirm INSS enrollment, receive state tax inspection, get authorization to print receipts from state, register with Municipal Taxpayers’ Registry, pay TFE to Municipal Taxpayers’ Registry, get the authorization to print receipts from Municipal tax authority, get company invoices, obtain fire Brigade License, receive inspection, apply for operation license, open a FGTS accounts, register the employees in the social integration program, notify the Ministry the employment of workers and register with the Patronal Union and Employees Union (ibid). BP opened a company in Brazil by submitting an application to the Brazilian Government for approval, which is granted in the form of a decree of the federal executive branch (Sao Paulo Chamber of Commerce, n. d. ). Corporate entities are regulated by Law No. 10406 of January 11, 2002 and by Law No. 6404 of December 15, 1976 or the Corporation Law (ibid). Companies must have at least two partners, who do not have to be residents in Brazil but non-Brazilian residents must have an attorney-in-fact in Brazil with powers to represent as a partners. All partners, whether foreign or local must also be enrolled in the Federal Revenue Office, which regulates taxes (ibid). Taxes are based on the size of the company irrespective of the type of company (ibid) but normally it is computed at 15% on adjusted income and annual net income in excess of r$240,000. 00 is subject to a surtax of ten percent (Baker & McKenzie, 2006). A Social Contribution Tax on Net Income or CSLL is required from most companies and it is a true corporate income tax surcharge that is at nine percent, which makes the overall income tax rate at 34% and makes Brazil a country with one of the highest income tax rates (ibid). There is also no minimum corporate capital requirement in Brazil (Sao Paulo Chamber of Commerce, n. d). There are two reforms being undertaken by the Brazilian government in terms of businesses in its country and these are paying taxes and enforcing contracts (World Bank, 2007) because of the high income taxes (Sao Paulo Chamber of Commerce, n. d. ) and oral contracts are common in businesses because relationships are highly valued in the country (Myers, 2003). One of the reforms on tax is the contribution for the Intervention in the Economic Domain or CIDE; the CIDE on Fuels is assessed on imports and sales of oil and byproducts, natural gas derivatives and fuel alcohol and it is charged per cubic meter (Baker & McKenzie, 2006; Sao Paulo Chamber of Commerce, n. d. ) BP Brasil was the local office of BP Global and it initially involved importing Castrol to Brazil. Imports in Brazil are subject to government control from at least three levels of authority: the secretary of Foreign Trade, which supervises registration and licensing; the Central bank of Brazil, which approves payments for financed imports; and the Federal Tax Authorities who supervises valuation for customs purposes (Baker & McKenzie, 2006). Also, both the exportation and importation of crude oil and all its by-products should be performed in strict compliance with certain objectives and principles of the Petroleum Law such as the protection of the consumers and the Brazilian Treasury (ibid). Banking Systems in Brazil The main banking regulatory agencies in Brazil are the National Monetary Council (CMN), which is a policy-making and regulatory body that is responsible for establishing the credit and currency policy of the country, and the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) (ibid). All financial systems are regulated by the Brazilian Banking Law of 1964 and states that financial institutions shall only operate with permission from the Central Bank or by decree of the Executive Branch, if foreign (De Noronha Goros, 2003). Commercial banks’ transactions involves granting of loans, holding of checking and investment accounts, receipt of cash deposits, receiving and processing of payments and collection of drafts and other credit instruments; savings banks have similar roles to the commercial banks but are state-owned institutions (Baker & McKenzie, 2006). Investment banks in Brazil are primarily for conducting investments and for financing operations in medium and extended terms for the private sector (De Noronha Goros, 2003). Banks with multiple portfolios was also created under the 1988 financial system reforms and its main purpose is to enable a single financial institution to maintain different types of portfolios; almost all banks in Brazil are authorized to act as a multiple bank and the state-owned Banco do Brasil S. A. is the largest multiple bank (Baker & Mckenzie, 2006). Bank secrecy laws are strictly applied in Brazil and client information may only be revealed upon judicial order and the money laundering rules of 1998 lists all transactions that are defined as crimes (ibid). Employment in Brazil Labor laws is Brazil include the right to protection against arbitrary dismissal, unemployment insurance, maternity and paternity leave, occupational accident insurance, prohibition on employment discrimination on the basis of sex, age, race and marital status (De Noronha Goros, 2003). The maximum work hour in a week in Brazil is 44 hours and a 13th month salary is required by the government; the minimum wage varies depending on the category of the employee but generally it is R$280 or US$80 per month (ibid; Sao Paulo Chamber of Commerce, n. d. ). A formal agreement is also not required under Brazilian law; oral employment is fully valid but employment contract should be recorded in the Work and Social Security Card of the employee within 48 hours of employment. Overall, Brazil has one of the most numbers of processes and regulations that must be followed in starting a business and is ranked at 119 out of 130 countries with regard to benchmarks in labor laws (World Bank, 2007). Its energy market and financial systems are strictly governed by the government and state-owned companies such as oil firm Petrobras has monopoly in some areas however companies are allowed to have joint ventures with state-owned firms, which BP Brasil is leading in with Petrobras. Taxes in the country are high and numerous but the Brazilian market is very big and profitable. The renewable energy market in Brazil is a fast growing market and BP Brasil has expanded its operations in this industry and is taking advantage of it. Strict compliance with importation and exportation of products as well as with environmental laws is also needed to succeed in this area of business. The business culture of the Brazilians and their language must also be mastered to fully succeed in the market, which BP Brasil has done. Economic and political risks are also little in the country right now and it is the perfect time for establishing a business there. References Aruvian Research. (2008). Analyzing the Energy Industry in Brazil. UK: Report Buyer. Baker & Mckenzie. (2006). Doing Business in Brazil. Latin America: Baker & McKenzie. Brazilian Government. (2005). Economy and Business. Retrieved April 29, 2008from http://www. brasil. gov. br Business Wire. (2008, February 25). Brazil’s untapped potential to employ renewable energy such as biomass, solar, hydro and wind for electricity generation is tremendous. Business Network. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2008_Feb_25/ai_n24322116 BP. (2008). Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://www. bp. com Central Intelligence Agency. (2008). Brazil. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br. html De Noronha Goros, N. (2003). Legal guide: Business in Brazil. Brazil: Observador Legal Editora LTDA. Infoplease. com. (2008). Brazil. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://www. infoplease. com/ipa/A0107357. html IPACOM. (2008). People: Meet the Cariocas. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www. ipanema. com Momentum Technologies LLC. (2008). Renewable Energy Businesses. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://energy. sourceguides. com/businesses/byGeo/byC/Brazil/byB/byB. shtml Sao Paulo Chamber of Commerce. (n. d. ). Doing Business in Brazil. Retrieved May 1, 2008, from http://www. brazilian-consulate. org/secom/incs/DoingBusinessinBrazil. pdf Solarbuzz, LLC. (2008). Fast Solar Energy Facts. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://www. solarbuzz. com/FastFactsJapan. htm Wikipedia. (2008). Brazil. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Brazil World Bank. (2007). Doing Business in Brazil. Washington DC: World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Wynn, G. and Kuehnen, E. (2008, February 12). Is solar power facing a boom or a bust? The International Herald Tribune.