Active Citizenship Coursework

This coursework is all about being an active citizen, and what it takes to be one. I will be giving an example of an activity in which I was being an active citizen. Then I will be showing how I have been an active Citizen. Brief Details of the Activity From late 2007 to the early months of 2008, I was taking part in a programme of activities known as the Duke of Edinburgh's award (D of E), at the silver level. This involved me carrying out work in different forms of activities with the aim of completing set objectives, as well as planning and training for an expedition by my D of E group to cover 14 miles in 2 days by foot. The activities context The role of other people/planning The D of E award required a lot of planning spread out over different aspects. Below I will explain the layers of planning required in order for me to have successfully completed my D of E. The first level would be organising the instructors. The instructors would have to be trained adequately in order to assist the participants. There are different areas in which they would have to be trained – they would have to have knowledge about the objectives which are required in order for participants to complete the award. Furthermore, if they area assisting with an expedition, they would have to have an even greater knowledge about what is required to complete the objective successfully (such as knowing about map reading or tents). All this training is important for them to be able to help us plan our D of E successfully. As we meet up regularly to check on the progress of our D of E, the instructors will be there to see if we are on target to achieve our set objectives, and their input can be important for us to have our D of E planned. With instructors being trained adequately, the next stage of other peoples planning would be my peers When we take part in the D of E award, we also have to take part in an expedition. In order for the expedition to be successful, a lot of different work will be needed to be carried out before we set out on our expedition. Firstly, the group needs to create a planned route that we set out on, and this requires full participation from all the group's members. After the route has been created, the next aim would be to organise where the camping location would be. Part of the team will be allocated the job of locating possible areas for the location. After possible locations are found, the group has to come together to make a decision on the best camping place, based on location, facilities (such as showers) and costs. Finally, after all the details are agreed on by the group, the instructors have to make sure the route they would take out would be feasible, based on the factors of its distance, contours (up/down hill), or if the route is safe to undertake. After the instructors have accepted the route, they will have to submit the route to the head D of E offices. This is required for the group to have their route validated, as well as make the personnel undertaking the award eligible for the insurance required to do the expedition. This final stage of the planning required lots of paperwork to certify the route to meet the criteria required, such as organising the insurance for the group. [improvement – possibly choose skills I have not already undertaken] What I have done for the award There is a large area of work which I have done in order for me to have achieved the award. My first step towards achieving the award is to sort out my activities I will be undertaking to meet the set objectives of the D of E – the skills, service and physical sections. In my skills service, I had the aim to encourage the discovery and development of practical and social skills and personal interests. I decided to play the piano for my skills section. Choosing to have piano lessons for my skills section was handy, as I already played the piano. I found there were lots of benefits I had when I undertook piano for my skills. It helped me a lot to manage my time, as playing the piano wasn't just about piano lessons, but also find the time to practice. For my service section, I decided to help the Bronze D of E group – the group that were starting doing their D of E for the first time. I helped them forwards in achieving their D of E, especially preparing them for their expedition, giving them advice or skills on map reading, setting up tents, lighting stoves (which could potentially be a hazardous task), and what to bring in your rucksack. I found that doing this voluntary work for my service was really enjoyable, as well as making me an active citizen by supporting and helping others in their goals. Finally, for my physical section, I decided to choose tennis lessons. I feel that choosing tennis for my physical recreation was a good choice, as it was something new, and it gave me a challenge. At the beginning, my tennis was not that good, but after a few months of playing, my tennis has improved. I thoroughly enjoyed taking out those activities, it provided me with an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal developments, which has improved my character, given me more self-confidence, and given me a sense of responsibility. What taking part means to me, and what I have learnt Taking part in the D of E means a lot to me. It means that I have achieved a lot personally, and have more confidence in myself. I didn't believe that it was possible for me to walk 14 miles in 3 days, carrying a 25kg rucksack on my back, but I have proved to myself that it is possible. Taking part has given me a range of experiences that I can learn from and improve. One of the experiences I have taken on board is for me to plan prior the routes I take – not just in an expedition, but in life. In one situation, I was stranded on a steep scree face, which I could not climb up. I was map reading, and I took a wrong route, and ended up slipping down a steep hill. I eventually managed to get back up to the top by changing my approach to the situation, but it was a scary experience, unable to crawl back up the hill. I have learnt that your major decisions should be made as soon as they can. Another lesson I have learnt whilst on the expedition is that if my approach to a problem, I need to change it in order to successfully achieve my goals. With this knowledge I have gained, if I were to encounter a similar situation like that one, or if I may encounter another one whilst doing my Gold D of E very soon, I would change my approach to find a solution, such as instead of me trying to climb back up, I could climb safely down and find a rendezvous point for my group. Another situation my group faced was right at the end, after walking around 13 miles, we thought we were in the right place for meeting the instructors, but we found out that we were lost. In this situation, we were very demoralized, exhausted and close to tears. After using the GPS, we found we were about another 2 miles from where we were meant to be. We had to co-ordinate the GPS reference with our OS map, and found out a new route we would have to take. Our legs were so tired, and we were cold, but we all decided to keep each other in good moral so we at least had the mental state to make it. Finally, about another half hour later, we made it to the end, as a group. After this experience, I have learnt that you don't have to make things harder then they are, and you have to make sure that the whole group is fine, because if just one person doesn't want to participate, then it could jeopardize the efforts from the rest of the team. Here we had to make sure that everyone was fine and was willing to carry on walking – otherwise if we didn't arrive back as a group, then they would have failed us for not sticking together, and we would have to re-do our entire expedition. If on my Gold D of E, or anywhere in my life I am working with a group, I have learnt to make sure that everyone in the group is ok, otherwise we won't be as productive as if they are working Problems suffered whilst undertaking the D of E When undertaking any D of E activity on any level, there are always going to be problems. The most common problems suffered were when my group was undertaking the expedition. As the expedition requires a lot of a person, both physically and mentally, it means that you have to prepare yourself; but however much you try to anticipate those problems, some problems which can not be anticipated may happen. One common example of this is when doing an expedition. You can anticipate the fact that there is a large amount of walking, but you can't anticipate the exhaustion you feel if you don't regularly walk that distance.

Father-Child Relationships in Hamlet and Fences Essay

In both William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and August Wilson’s Fences, the emphasis placed on parent-child relationship is vital, as family plays an important role in developing a character’s values as well as his or her upbringing does. While Ophelia, Laertes, and Hamlet show loyalty to their fathers unconditionally, Cory, even though looks up Troy as a figure, eventually exhibits disrespect to him. The relationship that Ophelia shares with her father, Polonius, is rather dogmatic to say the least. Throughout Hamlet, Polonius demonstrates almost absolute control over Ophelia as if she were a tool with the sole purpose of serving Polonius. As a result of a weakness of mind caused by a lack of independent thought, Ophelia does not oppose Polonius; for instance when Polonius challenges Hamlet’s intentions with Ophelia, she can only say â€Å"I do not know, my lord, what I should think. † (I. iii). Ophelia allows herself to be controlled, even rebuffing her love for Hamlet simply because Polonius suggests her not to â€Å"give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet,† (I. v) which illustrates the importance Ophelia place on her familial obligations. The structure and guidance that Polonius provides for Ophelia, leads her to affirm that she â€Å"shall obey† him (I. iv). Ophelia is subservient to her father’s wishes and looks up to his patriarchal position. She listens to Polonius’ counsel. She places her father (and family) above other affairs. Polonius seems to be dominant and almost controlling. However, Ophelia is never rebellious. While Ophelia shows her faithfulness to her father dependently, Laertes consciously respect his father. Though they may not have the best relationship before Polonius is murdered, it was clear that Laertes feels it to be essential that he proves his love for his father after his father has passed. The question is, does Laertes always have a passion for his father, and if not, why does he feel that he has to take revenge for his father’s honor in the second half of the play? Polonius says to King Claudius before Laertes’s departure, â€Å"He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave/ By laboursome petition, and at last/ Upon his will I sealed my hard consent. / I do beseech you give him leave to go. (I. ii). These lines show that Polonius is reluctant to let his son leave. When Laertes finally reaches France, it is discovered by us readers that Polonius still has little faith in his son to take care of himself. However, to keep an eye on his son, Polonius still orders his servant to France to secretly spy on Laertes and to make sure that he is doing alright. Polonius loves his son and daughter in a protective manner. That’s why he gains Laertes and Ophelia’s admiration. Similar to Laertes, Hamlet devotes his later life to an attempt of retribution to his father’s death. Hamlet looks up to his father because he feels that he is a great leader and the bravest man that he has known, as Hamlet mentions, â€Å"so excellent a king† (I. ii). These lines, â€Å"See, what a grace was seated on his brow:/ Hyperions curls, the front of Jove himself;/ An eye like Mars, to threaten or command;/ A station like the herald Mercury,† shows that Hamlet is willing to revenge for his father. His act of taking revenge may not completely come from love, but at least it represents the responsibility from a son to his father. In one of Aichinger’s essays about Hamlet, he points out that â€Å"Hamlet’s rejection of the moral standards of his society is crystallized by the events which follow his father’s death. † Hamlet is even obsessed to the idea of vengeance that remarkably transforms him from an average, responsible, young prince to an apparently mad, raging son intent upon avenging his father’s death. We see responsibility, obedience, and devotion in father-child relationships in Hamlet. But Troy-Cory relationship in Fences is not the case. Whether the cause is generational gap or Troy’s selfishness or Cory’s noncompliance, Troy never completely gains the love from his own son even after his death. Their relationship never blooms. Initially, Cory may innocently display his admiration to Troy because of his athletic ability and because of a simple reason: a love from a normal son to his father. Through Rose’s word, we know that Cory tries to do as best as he can to earn one compliment from his father, â€Å"Everything that boy do†¦ he do for you. He wants you to say â€Å"Good job, son. † That’s all. (I. iii). Unfortunately, there’s always a conflict in that relation. Cory asks his father, â€Å"How come you ain’t never liked me? † and Troy answers, â€Å"Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you?†¦ / You eat everyday†¦ / Got a roof over your head†¦ / Got clothes on your back†¦ / What you think that is?†¦ / It’s my job. / It’s my responsibility! â€Å"(I. iii). This conversation between Cory and Troy clarifies everything. Troy doesn’t â€Å"like† his son. Troy takes care of his family including Cory because of his duty. Troy thinks he â€Å"owe† Cory. Of course, there must be some love from Troy to Cory, from a father to his son, but the bitter experiences Troy has in the past soon fence himself in to be a selfish, hostile man. In Wade Bradford’s analytical essay, he claims that † These set pieces will provide the literal and metaphoric activity of the play: building a fence around Troy’s property. † So, Cory is not Troy’s â€Å"property? † His selfishness seems large enough to overwhelm his love to the family, especially, to Cory. Troy subconsciously doesn’t want to see Cory’s success in sport which also means Troy is a failure. If there’s no whole-hearted love, duty becomes tiresome to Troy. The last fight between Troy and Cory is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Cory says â€Å"I’m not going to Papa’s funeral,†(II. v). His refusal to participate in Troy’s funeral shows that the wound in their relationship would never be healed. Cory just cannot forgive his father. Their relationship is always bitter and tense. Cory never fulfils his obligation as a son to Troy. Father-child relationship dominates both Hamlet and Fences. It is the scaffold that constructs the storyline in Fences. While Hamlet also deals with other issues, the parental relationship is the cause influencing most of the characters’ actions and behaviors. The contrast in father-child relationship in both plays is obvious. In the theme of post-medieval time in Hamlet, those connections are more rightfully dogmatic and include the devotion of one’s life to another. In the near-modern setting, the relationship among people may contain barriers of egocentric that separate them from one to another even that is the relationship between a father and his child.

Employee retention using lessons from motivation theories Essay

Employee retention using lessons from motivation theories - Essay Example The paper tells that as businesses face the challenge of operating in a tough global economy they have been forced to perform painful layoffs while at the same time seek to retain their high-impact performers. One would expect it to be easier to retain staff amidst this period of economic recovery however the paradox is that there is a shortage of people with the requisite talent that companies need to remain competitive in this tough business environment. This means that the few critical employees that each company seeks to retain are also the ones who are attractive to competitors. The challenge therefore remains in retaining these critical staff. The importance of retaining critical staff cannot be gainsaid. When an employee leaves an organisation the organization loses primarily on the knowledge, skill and experience that the individual had developed over time at his/her present occupation. To fully comprehend the importance of maintaining critical employees Ramlall raises three postulations of the human capital theory. To begin with human capital theory posits that people possess skills, experience and knowledge which represent capital to an organization because they enhance productivity. This means that employees are of economic value to organizations. Secondly, the theory posits that not all labour is equal. Some labour is more valuable than others by the mere fact that more resources have been invested in their training. It is therefore important for the organization to ensure that it retains those on whom it has invested more in developing. Thirdly, investment in building skills among employees would be more profitable and more likely to be undertaken the longer the period over which the returns from the investment can accrue (Ramlall, 2004). This implies that an organisation would derive more value out of its staff if it can train them and then retain them for a significant amount of time within which the staff can use their skills, experience and k nowledge to improve the organization’s processes. Employees possess skills, experience and knowledge, and therefore have economic value to organizations. Where employee turnover is high the company fails to realize a full return on its investment in hiring and training staff. This report reviews the classic motivation theories and uses them to explain how organizations could devise techniques that will enable them retain their high-impact employees. 2.0. Work motivation The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work (Mullins, 2010). Motivation can be of

Operation Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operation Systems - Research Paper Example Basically, it functions like most OS’s—it processes, stores, and transfers data. Probably the reason why UNIX is no longer so popular these days is that it was developed a long time ago: 1969, years before the development of the Internet, the network system which made computers a virtual companion to daily life. It was developed that year when a group of Bell Labs programmers decided that they needed an OS that is fast, easy-to-use, and versatile (Wagner 8). UNIX is significant in the history of information technology because developers of the Internet used it in making their communications system (Williams and Sawyer 150). Williams and Sawyer note that several programs were developed from UNIX. Among them are Solaris (from Sun Microsystem) and BSD (developed by students from University of California, Berkeley) (150). DOS is often fondly called â€Å"the old-timer† (Williams and Sawyer 147). DOS, which stands for disk operating system, was initially developed by Microsoft in 1982. Although it is difficult to use, it became a popular operating system because of the popularity of Microsoft computers (Williams and Sawyer 147). DOS was the main operating system for Microsoft before Windows (â€Å"What is DOS?†). Its quick decline in popularity after the introduction of Windows can be attributed to its simplicity and incapability for multitasks. It is still, however, present in the current Windows operating systems and can be used to control both software and hardware. Before it became irrelevant to desktop computing, MS-DOS was a successful OS (though some argue that it is, technically, not an OS). It had 17 versions in all, the last released in 1997 as MS-DOS 7.1 (â€Å"MS-DOS History†). Users can perform a number of computer tasks by entering commands on the MS-DOS command prompt available in the Windows OS. Among these commands are comp, for comparing files; deltree

Divorce and Remarriage Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Divorce and Remarriage - Case Study Example The pastor went to Greg and asked what had happened. Greg responded it was no big deal and laughed the incident off. The pastor complimented him for his discretion, and reminded Greg of two verses from Proverbs, â€Å"He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends† (17:9), and â€Å"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger† (15:1). Greg replied that remaining calm and gentle was just what friends did for each other, and since he had known Tyrone for several years and never seen him act in anger, the whole incident really was no big deal. Pastor Tallon sought Tyrone out, led him back to the office, and shut the door. He asked Tyrone what was wrong, and after letting Tyrone speak angrily about the incident from the morning meeting, he asked again what was wrong. At this point Tyrone told the pastor, with tears in his eyes and his voice shaking, that Tyrone’s wife Rachael had been having an extramarital affair. After fifteen years of a good marriage, and serving in the church as leaders for the past six years, the couple was going to divorce because of Rachael’s affair. In Tyrone’s mind, they already had split, and the divorce was already final, even though he had just found out about the affair. Pastor Tallon asked Tyrone to come in for counseling with Rachael before doing anything drastic, and he agreed that they would try. The pastor walked with Tyrone and Rachael for several weeks of sessions, helping them speak to each other about their deepest concerns in their relationship as well as the affair. Over time, the couple made some efforts to fix what was broken in their relationship. Rachael apologized for her affair and pledged to work on her faith (in Tyrone as well as in God) to keep herself from seeking escape with another man. Tyrone agreed that he would try to be more available to talk to Rachael and support and listen to her. During one

Wal-Mart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wal-Mart - Case Study Example Therefore a person should possess strong financial, mathematical, communication and computer skills to perform the role of an equity analyst. Wal Mart is using the Dividend Discount Models to estimate the intrinsic value of the company. Wal Mart is using the Constant growth Dividend Discount Model to estimate intrinsic value of company and its perpetual growth in dividends. Equity analyst is using different method of estimating the growth of dividends. Firstly, estimate the historical dividend growth in a perpetual fashion. Secondly, future growth is estimated by the equity or financial analysts on the ground of recent data. Growth of dividend and in sale over several years is forecasted by estimating the historical value of stocks. In its financial statements, the average increase in shares has decreased as in 2009 they were 3,939 and in 2010 is 3,866 while sales has increased more than decrease in stock. In 2010 the annual growth of dividend is 14.7 while average growth till 2010 is 31.3 and all forecast is depend the value of historical values of stocks. Wal Mart is at the maturity stage of Three stage of dividends discount. This model calculates present stock price by using present value of all cash flows at the cost of equity. The Wal Mart has current earnings growth is 10.40 per cent with $ 1.09 payout ratio on $ 3.72. Therefore at maturity its payout ratio would be 40 % of its earning. Wal Mart price/ Earning Ratio is used to estimate the intrinsic value of stock. The P/E multiple of Wal Mart was 14.23 times. According to the analyst Wal Mart is current value is depend on the heavy traffic of customers or US benefits while risk is attached with the political, economic condition of the country where this store is operating and wage laws. A price earnings ratio 1 is assumed risky while 20 expressed is good to do business for

Operation Pressure Point.The Drug Trade Problem Essay

Operation Pressure Point.The Drug Trade Problem - Essay Example (DEA, 2007) Fantino (2000), a former Chief of Police, states that the role of the policemen is to ensure the safety and security of the members of society against those who may wish it harm. The proliferation of drugs is certainly a threat to society and should be addressed in the soonest possible time. However, even with the many programs instituted by police agencies, the problem still lingers. Zimmer (1987) and the Vera Institute of Justice (1993) relate to us two police strategies that are conceptually effective but are actually insufficient. In the 1980's, the drug problem in the East Side was getting rampant to the point that sales and usage of the illegal substances were blatantly exposed on the streets. The Lower East Side became the proverbial drug addict's heaven as he had unlimited access to drugs with little or no threat of arrest. This state of affairs was the result of the declining capacity of the police to counter the problem due to budget cuts and decline in personnel (Smith, 1982). To counter the problem and to address the increasing community pressure, the Police Department launched Operation Pressure Point which involved the assignment of about 250 officers who conducted buy-bust operations, patrolling, boarding up of abandoned buildings and fencing of parks and vacant lots. Community involvement and improvements and prioritization of drug related complaints were also employed. According to the information gathered by Zimmer (1987), the operation succeeded in halting the blatant drug supermarket and was able to reduce the volume of drugs traded in the area. Nonetheless, Zimmer (1987) argues that the success of the operation was limited as the achievements were only superficial. Underneath the seeming improved situation lies still the drug problem as the trade still continues. To counter the increased police presence, drug dealers employed more lookouts, varied the time and venue of sales, sold in large quantities and made deals only with established clients. The result was that the availability levels were like before. In one of his later papers, Zimmer (1993) points out that the rationale behind the operation was the 'mass-arrest strategy' where the police believe that a major sweep of a drug-infested area could lead to the arrest of many drug dealers. This would ensure that the drug problem would be eliminated in that area. However, Zimmer (1993) argues that even though such strategy "destabilizes the market"; it also "creates opportunity for new people to come into the business". Replacements are not a problem especially in poor communities where "there is no shortage of people who are looking for this opportunity". Reading Zimmer (1987) reveals to us the complex problem of addressing the drug trade problem and breaks our notion that mass arrests could lead to the elimination of this threat. I find Operation Pressure Point praiseworthy because the methods were based on a range of consistent, integrated and comprehensive approaches appropriate to local problems but I also find it lacking in the sense that it was unable to realize that weeds should be pulled at its roots and not only at its stalk. From my point of view, the operation achieved only little because it did not provide for any methods to identify the main suppliers but instead focus on the low end dealers. Instead of focusing only the consumer side, they should also have broken the supply chain right from the