Disadvantages of Teamwork in a Business Essay Example

Disadvantages of Teamwork in a Business Paper Sometimes, for some people the workplace in teamwork is a bad place to be. In order to work with other people and be as efficient as you can, you should try to accept all the features and whims that the others may have. Furthermore, working with other people for achieving the same goal, requires being a lot patient and sometimes tolerant along the way. Every person has their own personality, character and of course influenced by their culture, religion and values. Therefore, it’s normal in working teams that opinion between employees to vary, but in some cases people become very aggressive on the others because they believe that their thought is the correct one. In addition, they may do not want to hear anything else about a specific topic and have difficulty accepting ideas that may differ from their own, this will result as an unnecessary disruption which may leads to breakdowns in working relationships. Also, an equivalent attitude by two or more team members may lead a team member to go against his/her better judgment in order to escape the wrath of others or to facilitate the completion of the project. Furthermore, there are some projects which have a time limit and a deadline. According to the ‘enterprenier. com’ a team sometimes needs more time to produce a desire result. Generally, teams typically need to go through a variety of processes, such as member selection, organisation and socialization in order to complete the task at hand. Therefore, teams need to work hard enough to finish the project efficiently and on time in order to get a satisfactory result. http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newTMM_84. htm http://smallbusiness. chron. com/disadvantages-teamwork-workplace-1937. html We will write a custom essay sample on Disadvantages of Teamwork in a Business specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Disadvantages of Teamwork in a Business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Disadvantages of Teamwork in a Business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Free Essays on Xerxes

â€Å"How could Xerxes have lost to the Greeks when he had such overwhelming organization, logistical expertise and numbers of soldiers?† King Xerxes lost to the Greeks due to his overwhelming confidence that sheer numbers and logistical preparation would prevail. The decision to invade Greece was some what influenced by his late father’s wish to defeat the Greeks. His father previously failed twice in his attempts to punish the great city-state of Athens and had planned for a third expedition but due to his death Xerxes must have felt â€Å"obliged to carry out his father’s plans, to punish Athens for the burning of Sardis and to avenge the Persian defeat at Marathon.† (Cameron from Studies in Ancient Persia pg 115). He had to restore Persian prestige after what Athens had done. This expedition would be the largest against the Greeks with an enormous amount if time preparing logistically with roads, canals and bridges to help the massive army and navy that would lead the onslaught onto Greece. However the Greeks used their tactical supremacy over the Persians by deciding intelligent battle plans a nd battle landscapes to suit their strengths. Their weaponry was far more advanced and their troops had superior training. Xerxes choice to ignore the Greeks strengths led to the failure of the campaign to Greece.... Free Essays on Xerxes Free Essays on Xerxes â€Å"How could Xerxes have lost to the Greeks when he had such overwhelming organization, logistical expertise and numbers of soldiers?† King Xerxes lost to the Greeks due to his overwhelming confidence that sheer numbers and logistical preparation would prevail. The decision to invade Greece was some what influenced by his late father’s wish to defeat the Greeks. His father previously failed twice in his attempts to punish the great city-state of Athens and had planned for a third expedition but due to his death Xerxes must have felt â€Å"obliged to carry out his father’s plans, to punish Athens for the burning of Sardis and to avenge the Persian defeat at Marathon.† (Cameron from Studies in Ancient Persia pg 115). He had to restore Persian prestige after what Athens had done. This expedition would be the largest against the Greeks with an enormous amount if time preparing logistically with roads, canals and bridges to help the massive army and navy that would lead the onslaught onto Greece. However the Greeks used their tactical supremacy over the Persians by deciding intelligent battle plans a nd battle landscapes to suit their strengths. Their weaponry was far more advanced and their troops had superior training. Xerxes choice to ignore the Greeks strengths led to the failure of the campaign to Greece....

Film Analysis Report of the Movie Mask Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analysis Report of the Mask - Movie Review Example The film also stars Dennis Burkley and Laura Dern in supporting roles. The film won the Academy Award for the best makeup. The stars of the film Cher and Eric Stoltz were selected as nominees for Golden Globe awards for their excellent performances. The film also paved the way for the actress Cher to win the best actress award in the Cannes Festival of 1985. Mask is definitely a star studded film and all the actors fantastically portray their assigned roles above the average mark of performance. Rocky Dennis played by Stoltz and Rusty, mother of Rocky Dennis who is an addict and member of a reckless biker family played by Cher, are amazing and outstanding in profound strength of character depiction and emotional exuberance. Both these characters have done complete justification to the characters of a boy suffering from Ionitis and his mother who is protective about her son, an addict and leads a reckless life herself but at the same time wants him to receive a normal healthy life like any other mortal, is superbly represented in the silver screen at length through the fineness of the performance and precision of the cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs and insight of the learned director Peter Bogdanovich. The setting of the film Mask can be considered as mixed with a proper blend of indoor and outdoor backgrounds. Though the major course of the film takes place indoors in school, camp for the junior blind and maternal home of the Rocky Dennis, there are considerable portion of the plot and events which occur outside too. At the outset of the film, the audiences are introduced with the protagonist of the film, Rocky Dennis who stays with his mother and his maternal grandparents. Due to his skull deformities, there are also numbers of tumours which occur on his face and audiences are made well aware about the adversities Rocky Dennis is ought to face for his deformities. He is received by his extended biker family, the boy friend of his mom,

Correctional Sex Offender Programs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Correctional Sex Offender Programs - Assignment Example Although the Washington Department of Correction’s program is not the first of its kind, it is the first of its kind that has exhibited such a high level of success and has carefully laid out the methods by which such successful results have been obtained. As such, it will be the purpose of this brief analysis to analyze the Washington Department of Correction’s unique program in order to draw inference on the many ways in which offenders are conditioned and taught to release the negative risk factors that initially encouraged them to commit crime it the first place. Additionally, inference will be drawn based on whether or not the program should be implemented in other prison communities around the United States (McAlinden, 2007). It is interesting to note that the Washington Department of Correction’s program (also known as the Monroe Program) emphasizes a system of acknowledgement and action that is not dissimilar from that of patently successful programs such as AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and others (Leon, 2011). As a function of this, the first steps that are taken revolve around impressing upon the participating individual that they are responsible for their actions (Ward, 2003). Consequently, the program focuses on teaching the offenders to understand and target those patterns that initially spurred them to criminal behavior. Once this information has been learned and accepted (again acceptance of responsibility and a commitment to work to learn attitudes, thinking skills, behaviors that can assist this practice is a fundamental concept of this re-orientation) the program then moves on to the familiar ground that many rehabilitation programs cover; that of teaching new trades/crafts/or skills to the inmate (Osborn, 2007). Furthermore, the Monroe Program additionally offers group therapy sessions that are concentric around the topics of responsibility, patterns that work to regulate the behavior, relapse prevention, community re-integr ation approaches, as well as skills and workforce training (Briggs, 2006). Likewise, with many offender rehabilitation programs, the Monroe Program does not offer its treatments wholesale to sex offenders (Marshall, 2006). There are a list of criterion that must be met prior to the course being offered. These include: the offender must have been convicted of a sex offense for his/her current or previous term of incarceration, the offender must agree to monitor themselves and their environment to detect changes indicating that their risk to reoffend is increasing, the offender must agree to work to develop the skills necessary to intervene, manager, and reduce risky behavior, and the offender must volunteer of their own free will under the belief that the program can work to ameliorate their risk as it relates to committing crimes of a sexual nature (MacKenzie, 2006). However, the results of the program speak for themselves. Whereas many prison rehabilitation programs have low re-off ense rates, currently and past literature on the issue has often indicated that sexual offenders are somehow beyond reclamation (Noles, 2008). This is however not what the results of Washington Department of Corrections Monroe Program exhibits. According to the Washington Depart

The Essential Features of Prokaryotic Replication Essay

The Essential Features of Prokaryotic Replication - Essay Example This is nothing but duplication of the nuclear material contained in the nucleus of the cell, be it pro or eukaryotes. Replication is an essential phenomenon related to growth and division of the cell. Growth and division refer not simply to the accretion of biomolecules, but to the replication of an integrated pattern of functions and structures. The continuity of cellular structure is a necessary complement to the continuity of genetic information. This occurs through the process of replication (Burton and Engelkirk, 2001, 134-150). Replication of the prokaryotic cells is a process central to the biological reproduction and morphogenesis. From that aspect, every cell including prokaryotic cells continuously is in a process looking forward to the next cycle of replication as long as favourable environments are available. Sometimes, the time required to replicate is too small to acknowledge. There are incidences where a whole colony of prokaryote E. coli may replicate in 20 minutes. Indeed, making two cells where there was one before is the only discernible purpose of all the cell's metabolism, physiology and behaviour. This process thus involves production of cell constituents as long as energy and nutrients are available to accommodate to the need of replication. This again involves three processes, doubling of the volume and surface area by elongation at constant diameter, duplication of the genome and partitioning of the copies, and cytokinesis, division of the cytoplasm by the in-growth of a septum at the mi dpoint, followed by separation of the daughter cells (Harold, 2001, 99-102). Structurally, prokaryotes are very simple cells when compared to eukaryotic cells, and yet they are able to carry on the necessary processes of life. Reproduction of prokaryotic cells is by binary fission-the simple division of one cell into two cells, following DNA replication and the formation of a separating membrane and cell wall. The prokaryotic chromosome usually consists of a single, long, supercoiled, circular DNA molecule, which serves as the control center of the bacterial cell. It is capable of duplicating itself, guiding cell division, and directing cellular activities. When a cell is preparing to divide, all the DNA molecules in the chromosomes of that cell must duplicate, thereby ensuring that the same genetic information is passed on to both daughter cells. This process is called DNA replication. It occurs by separation of the DNA strands and the building of complementary strands by the addition of the correct DNA nucleotides (Burton and Engelkirk, 2001, 151-162).Figur e 1: The Process of Replication Figure 2: Bacterial Replication Wall Synthesis The point on the molecule where DNA replication starts is called the replication fork. The most important enzyme required for DNA replication is DNA polymerase. The duplicated DNA of the chromosomes can then be separated during cell division, so that each daughter cell contains the same number of chromosomes, the same genes, and the same amount of DNA as in the parent cell. In bacteria, as in other walled cells, morphogenesis revolves around wall construction. Bacteria lack an internal

Challenges To Singapores Education

Challenges To Singapores Education At the Teachers Day Rally last September, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong outlined the challenges to our education system. A key imperative was National Education. Many Singaporeans, especially pupils and younger Singaporeans, knew little of our recent history. They did not know how we became an independent nation, how we triumphed against long odds, or how todays peaceful and prosperous Singapore came about. This ignorance will hinder our effort to develop a shared sense of nationhood. We will not acquire the right instincts to bond together as one nation, or maintain the will to survive and prosper in an uncertain world. For Singapore to thrive beyond the founder generation, we must systematically transmit these instincts and attitudes to succeeding cohorts. Through National Education, we must make these instincts and attitudes part of the cultural DNA which makes us Singaporeans. The Prime Minister set up a committee, chaired by Mr Lim Siong Guan, to study how to introduce National Education into our education system. The Committee has worked out a plan to do so. To take the next step forward, we need the full commitment of every teacher and principal. National Education is not just a book subject. It must appeal to both heart and mind. Unless you are personally convinced of its importance, committed to the cause and have the knowledge and passion to teach National Education competently and whole-heartedly, the plan will fail. Lessons from Other Countries Singaporeans are not unique in needing National Education. Other countries take National Education as a matter of course. Japan is a tightly-knit, cohesive and group-oriented society, with a long history and a strong sense of unique identity. Yet Japanese schools start early to teach pupils Japanese culture, values, history and geography, and even the politics and economics of Japan. As pupils get older, they also learn about the cultures and histories of other countries. In so doing, they understand even better what makes them uniquely Japanese. Japanese schools go to great lengths to instill group instincts and a sense that every student is an equal member of the group. They have strict regulations on school uniforms, school bags and shoes. Students are grouped into teams called hans. Members of each han play together and eat together. They take turns to perform specific responsibilities, whether it is the daily cleaning of school premises or serving lunch. Academically stronger students are expected to help their weaker friends. Those who do not are ostracised. Students organise the school sports day themselves. Competition is based mainly on team events; there are few or no individual events. All students participate, including those with disabilities. Japanese schools do all this not because they believe that all students are the same in every respect or have identical abilities. But they want every student to be equally valued as a member of the group, recognised for his strengths, and for what he can contribute to the group. And so it goes for Japanese society. In US schools, every child is taught the American heritage George Washington, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights movement. Students take part in community service. Learning to be a responsible citizen begins young. It is a deliberate inculcating of American political and social values and ideals, to ensure the next generation grows up with these ideas deeply ingrained. It is a process of indoctrination like any other, no less so because the children are brought up to cherish American values of individual liberty. And it is so successful that many Americans are completely convinced that American values are universal values of mankind. If countries like Japan and the US, with long histories and deep roots, have found it essential to pass on national instincts systematically from generation to generation, all the more Singapore, a young country barely one generation old, must make a concerted effort to imbue the right values and instincts in the psyche of our young. Objectives Of National Education National Education aims to develop national cohesion, the instinct for survival and confidence in our future. We cannot offer our next generation any fixed formula for success, or even any set goals in life. They will face new circumstances and problems. They will need to think through and work out their own solutions. But we must equip them with the basic attitudes, values and instincts which make them Singaporeans. This is the common culture that will give them a shared perception of life, and draw them closer together as one people when confronted with serious problems. This will give them a well-founded faith in the countrys future. This is the DNA to be passed from one generation to the next. There are four elements to achieving this objective. First, we must foster in our young a sense of identity, pride and self-respect as Singaporeans. This will strengthen their emotional attachment to the nation, and their sense of rootedness. We are proud of our country. We are proud of what we have achieved together our economic progress, our clean and green environment, our open and clean system of government, our way of life. We are proud that each of us, in his or her own way, contributes to Singapores success. But success must not lead to hubris. We must never be over-bearing or arrogant, or look down on people from other countries. We do not have all the answers for ourselves, much less for other countries. But neither have we any reason to be ashamed to say, I am a Singaporean. In fact, quite the contrary. Second, our young must know the Singapore Story how Singapore succeeded against the odds to become a nation. National Education is not an abstract sermon on general principles of nationhood. It is to do with a special story, our story. It is the story of Singapore, how we came to be one nation. We did not start off with this goal, or even as one people. Nobody imagined this would be the outcome. As a British colony, from 1942 to 1945 for 3Â ½ years of the Japanese Occupation we suffered a traumatic experience of cruelty, brutality, hunger, and deprivation. We lived through the post-war years of Communist-inspired unrest and upheaval. We then joined with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia. Despite pressure and intimidation we stood firm in Malaysia against the communalists. The issue was a fundamental one: equal basic rights and opportunities for all Malaysian citizens under the Malaysian Constitution, and no special rights for anyone in the State of Singapore on the basis of race, language and religion, as was agreed in the State Constitution of Singapore. As a result we suddenly found ourselves out on our own as an independent country, with few means to make a living or defend ourselves. Yet we developed our economy, built up the SAF, educated and housed our people, got them to work together, and gradually became one nation. Year by year we transformed Singapore int o what it is today. Knowing this history is part of being a Singaporean. It is the back-drop which makes sense of our present. It shows what external dangers to watch out for, and where our domestic fault lines lie. It explains what we stand for and believe in, and why we think and act the way we do. It gives us confidence that even when the odds look daunting, with determination and effort we will prevail. Thirdly, our young must understand Singapores unique challenges, constraints and vulnerabilities, which make us different from other countries. Singapore is not as other countries. We will always be small, we will always worry about our water supply, we will always have to work harder and do better than other countries. That is the hand which geography and history have dealt us. Overall it is not a bad hand, nor have we played it badly. We have compensated for these constraints by being more resolute and resourceful, more efficient and productive, and quicker and nimbler than other countries which are better endowed and have larger margins for error. And we have been so successful that sometimes we forget that the underlying realities endure, and have not gone away. Singaporeans need to understand these realities, to work together and support the policies that are necessary to deal with them. Knowing our constraints should make us more determined to overcome them. It is no cause for despair. We overcame more severe difficulties in our first years of nationhood, with far fewer resources, and in more dire circumstances. We are much better placed to tackle them now. Finally, we must instill in our young the core values of our way of life, and the will to prevail, that ensure our continued success and well being. Our core values include the system of meritocracy which guarantees fair and full opportunities for all, multi-racial and multi-religious harmony, and honest and competent government working for the long-term interests of all Singaporeans. We often take these for granted, because things have been this way in Singapore for a long time. But not new citizens, who often come with fresh direct experience of very different societies. Pupils must learn to treasure and uphold these social and political values. If we ever lose them, Singapore will quickly become a very different place. Strategies We need to develop national instincts among pupils at all levels. National Education will begin in schools and continue in post-secondary and tertiary institutions. After ten to fifteen years of education, all students should know the facts about Singapore and feel attached to Singapore, their best home. Those likely to go on to play leadership roles later should at least have had some preliminary preparation for their responsibilities. We will achieve this through both the formal and informal curricula. Formal Curriculum We will introduce National Education content across the formal curriculum. We can do more of this in some subjects than others. The main subjects will be Social Studies and Civics and Moral Education (CME) at the primary level; History, Geography and CME at secondary level; and the General Paper and CME at the Junior Colleges. In addition, Literature and the languages can also be used. Subjects at Primary level In primary schools, we will start teaching Social Studies earlier -beginning from Primary 1 instead of Primary 4. Social Studies will complement Civics and Moral Education. CME will emphasise teaching of values and correct individual behaviour, while Social Studies will give pupils an understanding of Singapore society. Pupils must start early to learn about the society around them, to feel a sense of belonging to family, school and community, to befriend and accept pupils of all races, and to develop a simple, unabashed pride in Singapore. They recite the pledge, sing Majullah Singapura, and recognise our flag. Later they will learn the meaning of the crescent and five stars. But long before that, when they see the helicopter flying past with the state flag on National Day, they should sense that it is a very special occasion. Subjects at Secondary level At secondary level, students currently learn the history of our independence period only in Secondary 1. The O level History syllabus stops in 1963, which perversely omits the vital period leading to our independence. We will extend the O level History syllabus for Singapore to 1971. The period of Merger, Separation and the early years of independence will also be taught in Secondary 2 instead of Secondary 1, so that the students will be a little more mature, and appreciate better what was at stake. At the upper secondary level, we will develop a new Social Studies subject. It will cover issues central to Singapores survival and success our principles of governance, the strategies that have brought Singapore here, the role of key institutions like the SAF, HDB, CPF, EDB and NTUC, and our future challenges. It will use examples from other countries to explain what works and what fails, and derive lessons for Singapore. Subjects at the JC level In the junior colleges, students should start to learn what leadership involves, and to develop a commitment to serve society. Through the General Paper and Civics lessons, they must acquire the sense that they can shape their own future and, more important, that it is their responsibility to shape Singapores future. They must be able to think independently and rationally, and reach informed conclusions about national issues. MOE will take 3-4 years to implement the new syllabi. As the school curriculum is already heavy, we will make the changes without increasing the curriculum load. We want the new syllabi to give teachers more time, not less, to engage in creative ways to bring issues to life for their students. Informal Curriculum National Education is much more than learning facts. Knowing facts in itself will not develop the group spirit and emotional instincts of nation-hood among pupils. This will depend on the informal curriculum. Attitudes and values picked up through team ECAs and group activities, and the rituals of school life, will sink in deeper than anything learnt in the classroom. Each year, schools will also commemorate a few key events that mark defining moments of our history. These will include: Total Defence Day on the 15th of February, the anniversary of the surrender of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942, as a reminder of every citizens responsibility to defend Singapore. Racial Harmony Day on the 21st of July, marking the day in 1964 when racial riots broke out, to remind pupils of the importance and fragility of racial harmony. International Friendship Day to stress the importance of good relations with our neighbours, and to remind pupils that such good relations cannot be taken for granted. The actual date will vary from year to year, to mark such occasions like the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, the day Singapore joined the United Nations, or the end of Confrontation and the establishment of diplomatic relations with Indonesia. And finally, National Day on the 9th of August. Schools will arrange regular visits to national institutions and economic facilities, such as Parliament, SAFTI, water treatment works, the port, or the stock exchange. These visits will help to build pride and confidence among our students, and show them how Singapore has overcome our constraints through sheer will and ingenuity. Community service will strengthen social cohesion and civic responsibility among our young. At the lower primary level, we will encourage pupils to do community service within their own school taking care of the school grounds, keeping common areas clean. For the upper primary and secondary levels, a school may adopt an orphanage or old folks home, or take on long-term community projects like keeping a park or a residents corner clean. The Challenge of Teaching National Education I do not underestimate the difficulty you will have teaching National Education in schools. This is not just another school subject for pupils, or another duty for overworked teachers. We seek from pupils not just intellectual comprehension or accumulation of facts, but a personal commitment to Singapore, and an emotional bonding and identification with their fellow Singaporeans. To achieve this, you must yourselves feel passionately for the country, and understand instinctively our collective interests and what we stand for. Only then can you teach with conviction, instill pride and confidence in your students, and help them to acquire the right instincts. The Singapore Story is based on historical facts. We are not talking about an idealised legendary account or a founding myth, but of an accurate understanding of what happened in the past, and what this history means for us today. It is objective history, seen from a Singaporean standpoint. Not all the history books have been written, because hitherto many documents have been locked away in archives. But now 30 years after our independence the archives are starting to be opened, and the documents for this period are becoming available to historians. Progressively, a more complete picture will emerge. But the Singapore Story is also a live story. It concerns not only events which are receding into the past, but developments which continue in the present. Both teachers and pupils must take an interest in current affairs. They should know what is happening in the world or in our region which can affect us; what economic, social and political developments are taking place in Singapore. They should know what the national debate is about, what is at issue. The most vivid lessons in National Education are to be found not in the books, but in what we live through and what we observe happening around us. I am not proposing that students should form mini-political parties in schools, or demonstrate on the streets, as Chinese school students manipulated by Communist agitators did in the 1950s and 1960s. But students and their teachers must be alive to events around them, so that when they later become adults and exercise their duty as citizens to decide the future of the country, they will decide wisely. From time to time, issues will arise which contain lessons for the future for example when Michael Fay had to be caned for vandalism, or Flor Contemplacion was hanged for murder. Whenever this happens, we must make a special effort to get Singaporeans to understand what is going on, why we did what we did, and what it all means for us. Each such episode will be another piece of the Singapore Story. This makes the Singapore Story harder to teach, but also more exciting and relevant. In teaching the Singapore Story, you will have to deal with delicate issues, especially race and religion, and sometimes relations with our neighbours. We must treat such issues sensitively, but we cannot gloss over them. Amnesia is not an option. We cannot pretend that incidents involving race and religion never happened. They are part of our history. This is not a unique problem for us. For example, in America descendants of Unionists and Confederates both study the American Civil War; descendants of slave owners and slaves both learn about slavery and the civil rights movement. America is the stronger country for acknowledging these divisions in its past and coming to terms with them. In Singapores case, different races, owing loyalties to different countries, lived in the same British colony. They were moulded into one Singaporean people by their experiences before and after independence. Two race riots took place in 1964, which had been deliberately instigated to intimidate Singapores Chinese population. Many Chinese and Malays were killed. Riots occurred again in 1969, after independence, a spillover from the May 13 riots in Malaysia. Race relations in Singapore took years to recover from the trauma of these events. Unless pupils know these facts, and learn what they mean, they will never understand why we emphasise racial harmony so strongly, and insist that the majority Chinese community should never make the minority communities feel oppressed. Such ignorance will pose a real risk of racial conflict happening again one day. All Singaporeans, whether Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian, can identify with the ideal of a multi-racial, multi-religious society which Singapores leaders fought for while in Malaysia, and which we have tried to realise as an independent country since 1965. It is because Singaporeans of all races, and especially their leaders, stayed united and refused to be intimidated that we separated from Malaysia. The issues which led to Separation were fundamental, and remain so today. By teaching the history of how we became one people, we will draw our races closer together. But our aim is not to expunge the differences between the ethnic groups. Each community contributes its own unique characteristics and strengths to our society. If Chinese Singaporeans lose their Chinese cultural heritage, or Malay Singaporeans discard their traditional customs and Islamic values, we become a much weaker society. We must create unity in diversity. Conclusion This National Education programme is a major undertaking. Its effects are long term. We will not know for many years how well we have inculcated values, attitudes, and habits that emotionally bond our people to one another, as proud co-owners of their best home, Singapore. As teachers and principals, you carry most of the responsibility for giving your pupils a total education, and for their National Education. The Ministry will back you up with the resources, guidance, and materials that you need. For example, MOE will produce a monthly series of videos for schools, to keep teachers updated on current affairs. The National Education Web Page we are launching will provide more information and be a channel for teachers to discuss ideas and share resources. The moulding of the next generation is in your hands. You must imbue them with a strong sense of national identity and social responsibility. If we fail, all that we have painstakingly built up over decades can unravel and fall apart within a few years. But put our best effort into this vital task, and we will succeed.

DONA MAE RONQUILLO PHILIPPINE HISTORY Essay

ANSWER: Following all the details and discussion according to the Spanish colonization in the Philippines, we can’t say that it brought all bad effects in our country, because as far as we are concerned, a lot of great influences brought by the Spaniards are being emphasized of todays, especially in religion, the Christianity brought by them. Showing effects as a whole is also different but still we are looking forward to the good effect they have done for us leading to positivity, we know that the Spaniards ruled the Filipinos for 333 years. So, that was the start of it, Spanish influence on the Philippines and the Filipino inhabitants was immediately visible following the imposition of Castilian colonial sovereignty. The Spaniards transplanted their social, economic, and political institutions halfway across the world to the Philippine archipelago. Spain created the Philippines. It did not exist before Spanish colonization, prior to Spanish rule it was only a collection of small, undeveloped mostly stone age tribes and villages perpetually at war with one another. Some tribes were peaceful, but still lived in horror of constant terror by the many headhunters, cannibals, and slave traders. Spain introduced government, peace and a national identity. Civilization and also Christianity, and with it the idea that it is not ok to rape, rob, kill, pillage, burn raid, or eat your neighbors, just because you are stronger or have more spears. Spain modernized the Philippines from mostly Stone Age, by the end of Spain’s rule Filipino society featured roads, bridges, schools, colleges, hospitals, grand ballrooms and theater. This social progress, and a growing, educated Filipino middle class, and the industrials era. The colonization of the Spaniards introduced the Philippines to the â€Å"modern world†. As a matter of fact, the Philippines weren’t even a country when the Spaniards came. It was just a series of islands with different tribes living in different â€Å"barangays.† But they did have a form of organization. The positive effect simply is that the coming of the Spaniards, aside from bringing together the 1000+ islands under one flag, helped the Philippines become a modern country where Europeans were at the forefront of progress and modernity at the time. QUESTION: Is the campaign of the reformists to make the Philippines a Spanish province reasonable? ANSWER: Propaganda movement in our country has a reasonable pursuit of reforms for making Philippines a Spanish province. Summiting this reform to the Spanish government aiming to get an equal treatment as like as the central government in Spain as well. Representation of the Philippines in the Cortes Generales, the Spanish parliament; Secularization of the clergy; Legalization of Spanish and Filipino equality; Creation of a Public school (government funded)public school system independent of the friars; Abolition of the polo (labor service) and vandala (forced sale of local products to the government).Guarantee of basic freedoms of speech and Freedom of association. Equal opportunity for Filipinos and Spanish to enter government service; Recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain; Secularization of Philippine parishes; Recognition of human rights. This reform is quite reasonable for it aims for the Filipino to be aware of their rights. QUESTION: Can the GomBurZa be considered heroes? ANSWER: In my opinion, yes they can be considered as heroes, because of them:Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora (Gomburza), all Filipino priests, was executed by the Spanish colonizers on charges of subversion. The charges against Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were their alleged complicity in the uprising of workers at the Cavite Naval Yard. The death of Gomburza awakened strong feelings of anger and resentment among the Filipinos. They questioned Spanish authorities and demanded reforms. The martyrdom of the three priests apparently helped to inspire the organization of the Propaganda Movement, which aimed to seek reforms and inform Spain of the abuses of its colonial government. QUESTION: Is the decision of Emilio Aguinaldo to execute Andres Bonifacio justifiable? ANSWER: In an instance, yes, for Aguinaldo rigged an election at the rebels’ Tejeros Convention to show that he was the proper president of the revolutionary government. After Emilio Aguinaldo â€Å"won† the rigged election at Tejeros, Andres Bonifacio refused to recognize the new rebel government. Since that Katipunan was an organization, they were expected to support each other, do what their plans together. But Andres Bonifacio was not the same around, so in the side of the president of revolutionary government, which was Emilio Aguinaldo. It was an act of treason.

Ming Dynasty Trade

Andrew Paul Stokes June 5, 2011 Ming Dynasty Economy It’s growth and it’s decline. By Andrew Paul Stokes Beijing Union University 1|P a ge Andrew Paul Stokes June 5, 2011 Ming Dynasty Economy The Ming Dynasty The economy of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) of China was the largest in the world at the time. It is regarded as one of China's three golden ages (the other two being the Han and Tang dynasties), the Ming is also the dynasty where the first sprouts of Chinese capitalism can be seen.The economic growth so evident under the Ming Dynasty continued under the Qing Dynasty, up until the time of the Opium War in the 1840s. During this time, China’s domestic economy was a dynamic, commercialising economy, and in some ways, even an industrialising economy. The Ming Dynasty, â€Å"one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history† 1, was the last native imperial dynasty in Chinese history, sandwiched between the two dynasties of foreign origin, Yuan and Qing. The Ming stand as the last attempt to hold Chinese government in native hands and the last dynasty run by ethnic Hans.As China was humiliated and oppressed by the rule of the Mongols, the Ming Dynasty rose up out of a peasant rebellion led by Zhu Yuanzhang to preside over the greatest economic and social revolution in China before the modern period. Trade was allowed between China and nations in the west, cash crops were more frequently grown, specialised industries were founded, and the economic growth caused by the privatisation of state industries resulted in a prosperous period that exceeded that of the earlier Song Dynasty.At the end of the Ming Dynasty, shortly before the Manchus overthrew the Ming and established the Qing Dynasty, China’s economy was a period of expansion. New markets were being founded, and merchants were extending their businesses across provincial lines and even into the South China Sea. Establishment of the Ming un der the Hongwu Emperor It had become very apparent that the Yuan Dynasty’s ability to govern, to maintain order in society, to administer principal and local government, and to collect taxes – was eroding well before the middle of the fourteenth century. Agriculture and the economy were in a shambles and rebellion broke out among the hundreds of Reischauer, Edwin Oldfather; Fairbank, John King; Craig, Albert M. (1960) A History of East Asian Civilisation, Vol 1. East Asia: The Great Tradition, George Allen & Unwin Ltd. 2 Mote, Frederick W. (1988) The Rise of the Ming Dynasty 1330 – 1367 in Twitchett, Denis; Fairbank, John K. (eds. ) The Cambridge History of China, Vol 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368 – 1644, Part 1. Cambridge University Press, p. 11 1 2|P a ge Andrew Paul Stokes thousands of peasants called upon to work on repairing the dykes of the Yellow River.In the 1350s, several rebel leaders, almost all of whom came from the merchant or lower classes, seiz ed cities and set themselves up as kings or even, with just a small amount of territory, proclaimed themselves to be Emperor. The Yuan Emperor no longer seemed to be in control of the situation, and indeed the country, it had been carved up into pieces by rebel warlords. The Ming Dynasty was an age of breakdown in which throughout most of the country the conduct of daily life depended on and ended up on direct recourse to violence.It provides a classic example of the gradual militarisation of Chinese society and, because of that, the struggle among potent rivals to succeed the Mongol (Yuan) regime by imposing, through military force, a successor regime that could claim the Mandate of Heaven. 3 Zhu Yuanzhang, who would later become the founder of the Ming Dynasty, was a peasant. He was the only person from such poor and humble origins ever to found a ruling Chinese dynasty. It is said that a scholar told him he would succeed if he followed three simple rules: a. build strong city wal ls; b. ) gather as much grain in storage as possible; c. ) be slow to assume titles. Zhu followed these rules assiduously. With his army, Zhu slowly conquered the territories of all the warlords whilst carefully watching the government’s armies. By 1368, he has conquered all of southern China; this is the date at which the Ming Dynasty officially begins. He had control of all of China by 1369. June 5, 2011 Ming Emperor Hongwu (1368 – 1398) Emperor Hongwu made an immediate effort to rebuild state infrastructure.He built a long wall around Nanjing, which then became the official capital of the Ming empire (the Yuan had their capital located in Beijing), as well as new palaces and government halls. 4 He enacted a series of policies designed to favour agriculture at the expense of other industries. Aid was given by the state to farmers, also providing them with land and agricultural equipment, as well as a full revision of the ibid. â€Å"Mandate of Heaven† is a tra ditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers.It is similar to the European concept of the divine right of kings, in that both sought to legitimise rule from divine approval; however, unlike the divine right of kings, the Mandate of Heaven is predicated on the conduct of the ruler in question. The Mandate of Heaven postulates that heaven (Tian) would bless the authority of a just ruler, as defined by the Five Confucian Relationships, but would be displeased with a despotic ruler and would withdraw its mandate, leading to the overthrow of that ruler. The Mandate of Heaven would then transfer to those who would rule best.The mere fact of a leader having been overthrown is itself indication that he has lost the Mandate of Heaven. 4 Ebrey, Patricia Buckley; (1999) The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge University Press. pp. 190-1. 3 3|P a ge taxation system. 5 The Ming government abolished the mandatory forced labour by peasants that was used in early dynasties and replaced it with wage labour. A new class of wage labourers sprung up where none had existed before. In Jingde alone, it was reported that there were no less than 300 pottery factories, all operated by wage labourers. According to historian Timothy Brook, the Hongwu Emperor attempted to immobilise society by creating rigid, state-regulated boundaries between villages and larger towns, discouraging trade and travel in society not permitted by the government. 7 He also forcibly moved thousands of wealthy families from the southeast and resettled them around Nanjing, forbidding them to move once they were settled. 8 , In order to better administer the state, the emperor ordered surveys and censuses to be taken and the data gathered in government registers and records. This enabled the central government to regulate taxation.In addition, he made all occupations hereditary in order to further prevent social mobility; he understood, as a former peasant himself, the danger of social mobility. All members of Chinese society were grouped into three large hereditary classes: peasants, craftspeople, and soldiers. To keep track of merchants’ activities, he forced them to register all their goods once a month. 9 It seems his main goals were to attempt to curb the influence of the merchants and landlords, but it turned out that several of his policies would eventually encourage them to amass more wealth.Hongwu’s system of massive relocation was seen as being too oppressive and encouraged people’s desire to escape the harsh taxes that were imposed on the wealthy by becoming itinerant retailers, peddlers, and migrant workers finding tenant landowners who would rent them space to farm and labour upon. 10 By the middle of the Ming era, subsequent emperors had abandoned Hongwu’s unpopular relocation system and instead entrusted local officials to document the numbers of migrant workers and their earnings in order to bring in mor e revenue. 1 Hongwu believed that agriculture was the core basis of the economy, Hongwu favoured that industry over all else, including that of merchants. However, after his death, most of his policies were reversed by his successors. By the late Ming, the state ended up losing power to the very merchants which Hongwu had wanted to restrict. Andrew Paul Stokes June 5, 2011 5 Mote, Frederick W. (1988), â€Å"Introduction†, in Twitchett, Denis; Mote, Frederick W. (eds. ), The Cambridge History of China, Vol 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368 – 1644, Part 1. Cambridge University Press, p. 6 Li, Bo; Zheng, Yin. (2001) 5000 years of Chinese history. Inner Mongolian People's Publishing House. pp. 994-7 7 Brook, Timothy. (1998) The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China, Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 19 8 ibid. pp. 28-29 9 ibid. pp. 65-67 10 ibid. pp. 27-28 11 ibid. p. 97 4|P a ge Andrew Paul Stokes The Agricultural Revolution. June 5, 2011 Through s everal of China’s dynastic periods, the economy, like most pre-modern economies was agriculturally based with all other sectors either servicing it or drawing materials from it.During the Song dynasty the Chinese developed the world's most productive agricultural system. Mongol domination and the Ming dynasty's rise to power left much of China devastated and parts uninhabited. 12 The Hongwu Emperor had as one of his central tasks the rebuilding of the Chinese economy which had been devastated by the excesses of the Mongol rulers. Between 1370 and 1398, China experienced a revolution in agriculture unparalleled in history. Hongwu revived the agricultural sector to create self-sufficient communities that would not need to rely on commerce, which he assumed would only remain in urban areas. 3 The surplus created from this revival encouraged farmers to make profits by selling their goods in regional urban markets. 14 Alongside other crops, rice was grown on a large scale with the introduction of Champa Rice from Southeast Asia. Population growth and the decrease in fertile land made it necessary that farmers produce cash crops to earn a living, and as the countryside and urban areas became more connected through commerce, households in rural areas began taking on traditionally urban specialisations, such as the production of silk and cotton, as well as producing fabric dyes and growing sugar cane. 5 The Cambridge History of China states about the Ming that: â€Å"The commercialisation of Ming society within the context of expanding communications may be regarded as a distinguishing aspect of the history of this dynasty. In the matter of commodity production and circulation, the Ming marked a turning point in Chinese history, both in the scale at which goods were being Graham, James. (Unknown Date). â€Å"Quantitative Growth, Qualitative Standstill: China's Economic Situation 1368-1800†. From HistoryOrb. com website. http://www. historyorb. com/asia/ china_economy. shtml (accessed 03/06/2011). 13 Brook, Timothy. 1998) The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China, Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 69 14 ibid. pp. 65-66 15 ibid. pp. 113-117 12 5|P a ge Andrew Paul Stokes produced for the market, and in the nature of the economic relations that governed commercial exchange. † 16 June 5, 2011 The Yongle Emperor, the Second Founding†¦ Hongwu’s successor and grandson assumed the throne as the Jianwen Emperor (1398–1402) after the death of Hongwu in 1398. After a short period of civil war, he was overthrown by his uncle, Zhu Di, who assumed the throne under the title the Yongle Emperor.The reign of the Yongle Emperor is considered by many to be ‘a second founding’ of the Ming Dynasty since he had reversed many of his father’s policies. 17 Also, during his reign, China had recovered many of the territories lost during earlier dynasties, as well as those lost durin g the much earlier Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms era (907–960AD). One year after assuming the throne, he announced that the new capital and power base will be moved to back to Beijing and a new palatial complex to be built, and the current capital, Nanjing, was to be demoted to a secondary capital.Construction began on what is now known as The Forbidden City in 1407. Construction of the new city took place between 1406 to 1420, employing hundreds of thousands of workers daily. 18 The Yongle Emperor also Ming Emperor Yongle 1402-1424 initiated many other grand building projects, such as the restoration of the Grand canal, which had lain dilapidated for many decades. The reason this restoration was important was to solve the perennial problem of shipping grain north to the capital.Shipping the annual four million shi 19 was made difficult because the previous method of shipping through the East China Sea or by various inland canal routes that included the loading and unloading the Heijdra, Martin. (1988) â€Å"The Socio-Economic Development of Rural China During the Ming†, in Mote, Frederick W. ; Twitchett, Denis (eds. ), Cambridge History of China: The Ming Dynasty 1368-1644, Part One. Cambridge University Press. p. 580 17 Atwell, William S. (2002) â€Å"Time, Money, and the Weather: Ming China and the Great Depression of the MidFifteenth Century,† The Journal of Asian Studies (Volume 61, Number 1). p. 83-113. 18 Ebrey, Patricia Buckley; Walthall, Anne; Palais, James B. (2006) East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 272 19 Ancient Chinese measurement. One shi is equal to about 107 litres. 16 6|P a ge Andrew Paul Stokes grain onto several different barges was proven to be rather inefficient and time consuming. 20 June 5, 2011 To a certain extent, the Ming state itself facilitated the movement of goods to market by relocating the capital to Beijing in the far north, away from the rich and pro sperous rice growing areas of Southern China.This resulted in a natural market for the demands of goods in the north, if for no other reason than to feed the imperial household and court. This was one of the reasons why it was so important to keep the Grand Canal in working order. It was a major conduit for grain, salt, and other important commodities. Any taxes that were paid in kind were paid in grain, which was shipped along the Grand Canal. Thus, control of the Grand Canal was of critical importance to the Ming government. It was under the reign of Emperor Yongle that the Chinese first began to trade and interact with Europeans on any significant scale.The presence of Europeans would eventually prove to be the most contentious aspect of modern Chinese history, but during the Ming, European trade greatly expanded Chinese economic life, particularly in the southern regions. Through most of their history, the Chinese have concentrated largely on land, commerce, and exploration. How ever, the Yongle Emperor began to sponsor a series of naval expeditions during 1405 and the years that followed. The reasoning for these naval expeditions are varied, but the Yongle emperor wanted to expand trade with other countries and had a taste for imported and exotic goods.Merchants and Overseas Trade. From 1405 till 1433, the Chinese imperial eunuch Zheng He led seven ocean expeditions for the Yongle Emperor that are unmatched in world history. During this time, Zheng He travelled all the way from China to Southeast Asia and then on to India, all the way to major trading sites on India’s southwest coast. In his fourth voyage, he travelled to the Persian Gulf. But for the last three voyages, Zheng went even further, all the way to the east coast of Africa. These expeditions made China the world’s greatest commercial naval power in the world at the time, far superior to any European nation. 0 Early 17th century Chinese woodblock print, thought to represent Zheng H e's ships Brook, Timothy. (1998) The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 46-7. 7|P a ge Andrew Paul Stokes One purpose of these lavish expeditions was to overwhelm foreign peoples and to convince them beyond any doubt the extent and grandeur of Ming power, but more so, it was to increase China’s contacts in these areas and establishing stateregulated trade there. 21 The Ming government constantly intervened in foreign trade.Under the reigns of Emperors Hongwu, Yongle, and Jiajing, foreign trade by private merchants was completely prohibited. In reality, the bans on this trade never succeeded in anything but preventing the government from taxing private merchants. Private trade continued in secret because the coast was impossible to patrol and police adequately, and because local officials and scholar-gentry families in the coastal provinces actually colluded with merchants to build ships and trade. The smug gling was mainly with Japan and Southeast Asia, and it picked up after silver lodes were discovered in Japan in the early 1500s.Since silver was the main form of money in China, lots of people were willing to take the risk of sailing to Japan or Southeast Asia to sell products for Japanese silver, or to invite Japanese traders to come to the Chinese coast and trade in secret ports. Something that can be seen in Chinese society before the Ming dynasty is the general disgust and disapproval of merchants and foreign salesmen, but during the mid and later parts of the Ming dynasty, merchants brought along a large amount of social revolution and change. By the 15th Century, the Ming had abolished the restriction on private overseas trade and Ming merchants prospered.An extensive expansion of trade followed with only trade to nations at war with China prohibited. 22 At that time, Denis Twitchett claims that China, apart from being a lucrative market for Ming Paper Money Europeans, was the largest and wealthiest 23 nation on earth. The most important parts of all this trade was the importation of silver. The governments of both Hongwu and Zhengtong (1435-1449) attempted to cut the flow of silver into the economy in favour of paper currency, yet mining the June 5, 2011 21 22 Li, Bo; Zheng, Yin. (2001) 5000 Years of Chinese History.Inner Mongolian Peoples’ Publishing House. p. 996 ibid. p. 996 23 Huang, Ray. (1988), â€Å"The Ming Fiscal Administration†, in Twitchett, Denis; Fairbank, John K. (eds. ), The Cambridge History of China, Volume 8: The Ming Dynasty 1398-1644, Part Two. Cambridge University Press. pp. 110-113. 8|P a ge precious metal simply became a lucrative illegal pursuit practiced by many. 24 Emperor Hongwu seemed unaware of the situation of economic inflation, even as he continued to hand out multitudes of paper currency as awards; by 1425, paper currency was only worth around 0. 014% its original value.Eventually, the state stopped issuing paper currency because the population had lost faith in it. 25 Andrew Paul Stokes June 5, 2011 By the late sixteenth century, China was intimately a part of the growing global economy. The Chinese were trading actively with the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the Japanese, who all traded silver for Chinese silks and porcelain. The Ming shipped silks to Manila in the Philippines and there traded with the Spanish for silver, firearms, and American goods such as sugar, potatoes, and tobacco. Chinese Ming blue and white porcelain became all the rage in Europe and was highly prized.The Dutch East India Company alone handled the trade of 6 million porcelain items from China to Europe between the years 1602 to 1682. 26 Patricia Buckley Ebrey writes of the considerable size of commercial transactions on the silk goods traded to Europe: â€Å"In one case a galleon to the Spanish territories in the New World carried over 50’000 pairs of silk stockings. In return China imported mostly silv er from Peruvian and Mexican mines transported via Manila. Chinese merchants were active in these trading ventures, and many emigrated to such places as the Philippines and Borneo to take advantage of the new commercial opportunities. 27 In 1435, however, court scholars wrongly convinced the Hongwu emperor that the decline of the dynasty would be signalled by a taste in foreign wares, so China greatly contracted its commercial and maritime expansion it had begun so auspiciously. They would later be renewed under the rule of the Yongle Emperor, but again they were curtailed after the death of Zheng He. The situations of missions coming to an end resulted in the eviction of Ming troops from Vietnam which brought significant costs to the Ming treasury. 8 The lavish expense of the sailing fleets with high eunuch power at court was another big factor (Zheng He himself was also a eunuch as were many other naval commanders), so the halting of funding for these ventures was seen as a means to curtail further eunuch influence and power at court and in high positions. 29 There was also the great threat of a revival of Mongol power in the north which drew much of the attention away from other matters; to face this threat, a massive amount of funds and manpower was Brook, Timothy. (1998) The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China.Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 68-69 25 Fairbank, John K. ; Goldman, Merle. (2006) China: A New History. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 134. 26 ibid. p. 206 27 Ebrey, Patricia Buckley; (1999) The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge University Press. p. 211. 28 Fairbank, John K. ; Goldman, Merle. (2006) China: A New History. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, p. 138 29 ibid. pp. 138-139 24 9|P a ge Andrew Paul Stokes used to restore, rebuild, and extend the Great Wall. 0 Many scholars and historians believe that Yongle’s move of the capital from Nanjing to Beiji ng in the north was largely in response of the need to keep a closer eye on the Mongols in the north and to better prepare to defend. June 5, 2011 Economic and Dynastic Collapse. There were numerous causes for the decline and fall of the Ming despite the auspicious start of the dynasty under the Hongwu emperor. The most immediate and direct cause of the fall was the rebellions in the seventeenth century and the aggressive military expansion of the Manchu armies.The decline of the dynasty, however, began much sooner, perhaps even as early as the initial establishment of the dynasty. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, what is now referred to as the ‘Little Ice Age’ 31 severely curtailed Chinese agriculture in the Northern provinces, famine, drought, and other disaster befell Northern China, bringing peasant revolts. The inability to collect taxes resulted in armies not being paid. Many of these troops joined the rebels making the situation worse.During the last years of Empe ror Wanli’s reign, and those of his two successors, an economic crisis developed that was centred on a sudden widespread lack of the empire’s chief medium of exchange: silver. Through acts of piracy staged by the Protestant Dutch and the English against the Catholic empires of Spain and Portugal in order to weaken their global economic power, the flow of silver into China slowed. 32 The only flow of silver into China came from the illegal smuggling from Mexico and Peru across the Pacific in favour of shipping directly from Spain o Manila. In 1639, the new Tokugawa regime of Japan shut down most of its foreign trade with Europe, causing a further halt of silver coming into China†¦ though the Japanese silver still flowed in small amounts. 33 The occurrence of these events at the same time caused a dramatic spike in the value of silver and made the payment of taxes nearly impossible in most provinces. For peasants this was an economic disaster, since they paid taxes in silver while conducting local trade and selling their crops with copper coins. 4 Famine, as well as tax increases, widespread military desertions, flooding, the inability of the government to properly manage irrigation ibid. p. 139 Little Ice Age – was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period. While not a true ice age, the term was introduced into scientific literature by Francois E. Matthes in 1939. It is conventionally defined as a period extending from the 16th to the 19th centuries. 32 Spence, Jonathan D. (1999) The Search for Modern China: Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 19 33 Brook, Timothy. 1998) The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 208 34 Spence, Jonathan D. (1999) The Search for Modern China: Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 20-21. 31 30 10 | P a g e and flood control projects, caused the widespread loss of life and suffering. 3 5 Due to lack of resources, the central government didn’t have the means to mitigate the effects of these calamities. Andrew Paul Stokes June 5, 2011 The Ming Dynasty's economy was always in disarray because of the lack of knowledge on how to run an effective treasury.Paper money removed from circulation and was replaced with coinage, which eventually lost most of their value due to counterfeiting. However, since there were not enough coins in circulation, counterfeiting became a massive problem. At this point, the provinces were required to mint their own coins; unfortunately, some of them added lead to the coins, which depleted their value. Due to the abundance of counterfeit coins, their value again declined. This coin problem was amplified by an increasing need for money due to the growth of trade, and the threat of military campaigns that proved very costly.Chongzhen, The Last Emperor. During the rule of the final Ming emperor, the Chongzhen Emperor, the situation just b egan to worsen. Chongzhen tried to rule by himself and did his best to try and salvage the dynasty, correcting all the mistakes of those who ruled previously, but it seemed it was too little too late. After years of internal corruption and an almost empty treasury, it became almost impossible to find capable ministers to fill important government posts. It also didn’t help that Chongzhen was incredibly suspicious and mistrusting of the few skilled subordinates that he did have.In 1644, the rebels under the command of Li Zicheng took Beijing, ending the Ming rule in the North. Rather than face capture, humiliation, and possible execution at the hands of the newly proclaimed Shun Dynasty 36, Chongzhen arranged Ming Emperor Chongzhen (1627-1644) a feast and gathered all the members of the imperial household, aside from his sons. Using a sword, he killed everyone there. ibid. p. 21 Shun Dynasty – was an imperial dynasty created in the brief lapse from Ming to Qing rule in China. The dynasty was founded in Xi'an on 8 February 1644, the first day of the lunar year, by Li Zicheng, the leader of a large peasant rebellion.Li, however, only went by the title of King (? ), not Emperor ( ). The capture of Beijing by the Shun forces in April 1644 marked the end of the Ming dynasty, but Li Zicheng failed to solidify his mandate: in late May 1644, he was defeated at the Battle of Shanhai Pass by the joint forces of Ming general Wu Sangui and Manchu prince Dorgon. When he fled back to Beijing in early June, Li finally proclaimed himself emperor of China and left the capital in a hurry. The Shun dynasty ended with Li's death in 1645. 36 35 11 | P a g e Andrew Paul StokesEveryone died except his daughter Princess Changping. Chongzhen then fled to Jingshan Hill and committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in the garden. 37 Regimes loyal to the Ming throne continued to reign in southern China until 1662. June 5, 2011 Conclusion. So in conclusion, during the Ming Dynasty, China saw perhaps the greatest change and rebirth in their history. The Ming Empire found the perfect balance of empirical power and Confucianism, culture and technology were revolutionised, allowing the expansion of wealth trade and nationalism.Political implements and modification had contoured China into a strong and supple empire, extending its fingers south to Vietnam and north to Manchuria. Combining typical Confucian methods of governance, a strong empirical head, and an extended base of power amongst court eunuchs, Ming China successfully rehabilitated the greatness of the Tang and Han dynasties. It was the world’s largest economy of its age. It was also the most powerful and largest military power in all of Asia. Science, economy and military strength from the early Ming Dynasty onwards culminated in the greatest age of maritime exploration in Chinese History. 8 Economically, the Ming Dynasty was a period during which the feudal society began to show th e declining trend while the concept of capitalism started to originate. In agriculture, both the food output and the implements of production surpassed that of earlier dynasties. The most spectacular advancement in Ming China probably was the evolution of maritime exploration which opened China up to the world†¦ albeit briefly. The increased knowledge of the seas and the navigational tools aided the Chinese in forging an empire that could trade with places half the world away.But, inexperience and neglect by the Ming rulers contributed greatly to the downfall of the dynasty, as well as corruption of the court officials and the domination of the eunuchs inside the court. If, for instance, instead of turning to eunuchs to help check on Court officials, the emperors turned to his immediate relatives or maternal relations, it could also have led to, as history of Han and Jin dynasties had shown, factionalism that weakened the empire. Instead of eunuchs being the problem, imperial r elations would have been the problem.The government officials were cruel and extorted unreasonable taxes. The combination of natural calamity and human oppression drove the peasants to a revolt. The disasters of Ming dynasty can be allocated such: 70% human error. The officials were greedy and extorted taxes from the victims. The state increased taxes without thought of the disasters, eventually leading to peasant revolt. The Ming dynasty could have decisively chose policies to alleviate suffering after suppressing Li Zicheng’s first revolt: make necessary changes to the Spence, Jonathan D. 1999) The Search for Modern China: Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 25 38 Brook, Timothy. (1998) The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China, Berkeley: University of California Press. 37 12 | P a g e Andrew Paul Stokes government officials and taxation policies, allocate the wealth to aid the victims and to pacify the masses, then Li Zicheng’s movement would be unable to attract anyone. The fall of the capital to the peasant army (or any other army) would not have occurred. June 5, 2011 Bibliography Atwell, William S. 2002) â€Å"Time, Money, and the Weather: Ming China and the Great Depression of the Mid-Fifteenth Century†, the Journal of Asian Studies, 61 (1): 81-113, Cambridge University Press Brook, Timothy. (1998) The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China, Berkeley: University of California Press. Ebrey, Patricia Buckley; Walthall, Anne; Palais, James B. (2006) East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Ebrey, Patricia Buckley; (1999) The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge University Press Fairbank, John K. nd Goldman, Merle. (2006) China: A New History. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press Graham, James. (Unknown Date). â€Å"Quantitative Growth, Qualitative Standstill: From www. HistoryOrb. com China's Economic Situati on 1368-1800†. website. http://www. historyorb. com/asia/china_economy. shtml (accessed 03/06/2011). Heijdra, Martin. (1988) â€Å"The Socio-Economic Development of Rural China During the Ming†, in Mote, Frederick W. and Twitchett, Denis (eds. ), Cambridge History of China: The Ming Dynasty 1368-1644, Part One, Cambridge University Press.Huang, Ray. (1988) â€Å"The Ming Fiscal Administration†, in Twitchett, Denis and Fairbank, John K. (eds. ) the Cambridge History of China, Volume 8: The Ming Dynasty 1398-1644, Part Two, Cambridge University Press. Li, Bo and Zheng, Yin. (2001) 5000 Years of Chinese History, Inner Mongolian Peoples’ Publishing House. 13 | P a g e Andrew Paul Stokes Mote, Frederick W. (1988), â€Å"Introduction†, in Twitchett, Denis and Mote, Frederick W. (eds. ) The Cambridge History of China, Vol 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368 – 1644, Part 1. Cambridge University Press.Mote, Frederick W. (1988) â€Å"The Rise of the Ming Dynast y 1330 – 1367†, in Twitchett, Denis and Fairbank, John K. (eds. ) The Cambridge History of China, Vol 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368 – 1644, Part 1. Cambridge University Press. Reischauer, Edwin Oldfather; Fairbank, John King and Craig, Albert M. (1960) A History of East Asian Civilisation, Vol 1. East Asia: The Great Tradition, George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Spence, Jonathan D. (1999) The Search for Modern China: Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. June 5, 2011 14 | P a g e

Payroll Accounting Essay

Payroll Accounting Essay Payroll Accounting Essay How Accounting Information Systems Has Improved Payroll Accounting Kendall Lehart ACC 575 Stephen F. Austin State University Payroll Process 1. Update Employee Master File 2. Set Pay Period and Enter Time Worked 3.Enter any Adjustments or other types of Income 4. Calculate Pay for the Period 5. Print and Review Reports before Printing Checks 6. Print Paychecks, or Pay Stubs if Direct Deposit is used 7. Print Payroll Registers and Distribute Reports 8. Transmit Payroll Taxes Payroll Before AIS MANUAL Time Cards Calculations Lots of Paperwork Time-Consuming Mistakes Payroll Clerk What to Consider Hours Worked Federal Income Tax Withholdings State and Local Taxes Deductions (Voluntary and Involuntary) Employee Benefits Child Support Overtime and Vacation Pay Way You Pay (Hourly, Salary, Commission, etc) Pay Rate Information Payment Options (Direct Deposit or Paper Check) Payroll After AIS AIS Advantages: Companies can keep better track of payroll information Automatic Time Clocks can Directly Port Hours into System Print Checks Faster AIS Disadvantages: Accurate Data Entry Danger of Hackers Risk of Fraud Outsourcing Payroll Payroll Services Basic Services: Payroll Tax Obligations Print and Deliver Checks Management Reports Envelope Stuffing Direct Deposit W-2 401(k) 125 Mutual Fund Plans Outsourcing Payroll Choosing a Provider: High Customer Service Within Reasonable Driving Distance Bonded

Interview of a Marriage and Family Therapist

Interview of a Marriage and Family Therapist Abstract Ethical dilemmas are challenging situations that compel individuals to make decisions concerning certain aspects of life. In families, ethical dilemmas arise when individuals disagree on what they believe is right or wrong. Different views, varying lifestyles, and time management are among the ethical dilemmas common in several families.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Interview of a Marriage and Family Therapist specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Notably, the judgment given by therapists should be free from personal values, cultural affiliations, or ethnic favors. The common ethical dilemma faced by family therapists, is the dilemma of varying opinions since it has profound impacts in family operations. Resolution of the dilemma requires intensive scrutiny on the actions and their repercussions so that a wise decision materializes. Introduction Ethical dilemmas are challenges that individuals encounter in an attempt to make decisions concerning certain situations. The need to make a choice drives individuals into a state of mental conflict where they eventually select one of the issues and forego the others. In families, some of the common ethical dilemmas concern what various individuals in the family believe is correct. To ascertain the various ethical dilemmas that families face, the study interviewed a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT). Therefore, the essay explains the types of ethical dilemmas in families and their resolution. Ethical Dilemmas and Personal Values, Culture, and Ethnicity As a family therapist, some of the common ethical dilemmas encountered during the practice comprise time management, different views and opinions, diverse lifestyles, and varying religious orientations. These dilemmas are challenging as they entail what each member of the family thinks is right or wrong. While some individuals in the family believe that a given time can be useful for a p articular activity, other members think differently. The difference leads to a conflict among those, who think one activity is good and better over the other. Another dilemma concerns opinions, lifestyles, and religious orientations.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mead (2012) elucidates that a family entails union of people from different backgrounds, and thus, the diversity of opinions and lifestyles is inevitable. The dilemma arises when these opinions, lifestyles, and religious orientations offend other members in the family hence, compelling the subject individuals to relax some of their opinions, religious orientations, and adjust their lifestyles Since I am a licensed therapist with the expertise required in the field of therapy, my values, culture, and ethnicity do not affect my practice. Conversely, in scenarios where my personal views are ethical, I share the valu es with clients and give them the chance to make their own decisions. Although my values and cultural inclinations can at times attempt to influence my judgment, I employ the code of conduct and use it to make wise and independent decisions. According to Dallos (2010), the code of conduct ensures that all the clients receive fair and correct therapy irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds, religious orientations, and places of origin. Essentially, the therapy should be free from coercion and ought to give the clients the liberty to make their decisions from a range of solutions deemed as right and ethical. Common Ethical Dilemma, a Challenging Ethical Dilemma, and Its Resolution The most common ethical dilemma or concern that I experience in my practice regards difference in opinions and views. Principally, union among individuals, who have divergent opinions and views lead to a set of challenges concerning what they think is ethical.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Interview of a Marriage and Family Therapist specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In several instances, people disagree because of the different views that they have and expect from others in the family. The differences always transpire from the backgrounds of respective individuals, which influence their activities (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008). As a result, they expect that the other family members should engage in activities that are in line with their views and opinions. The dilemma is evident since the views imposed by these individuals conflict with what the others in the family believe are ethical. Therefore, the implication of the dilemma is a mental conflict that compels one to make a choice out of several views, which are right and forego others that are equally ethical. In one occasion, I faced a challenging ethical dilemma concerning a family disagreement that threatened to initiate divorce between the wife and the husban d. According to the husband, the wife undertook her activities in a different manner conflicting with what he expected. As a result, the husband felt that no one valued his opinions and views concerning family operations. Consequently, the wife complained that the husband imposed his opinions into the family without understanding that other family members held different views. The wife complained that the husband dictated the family using his views and in the process downplayed correct opinions held by the wife. Brock and Barnard (2009) explain that to resolve ethical dilemmas in families, therapists must focus on the actions and their possible consequences. As such, I explained the significance of compromise, dialogue, and assertiveness in line with what they held concerning implementation of various operations in the family. With the explanation and adoption of the values, the ethical dilemma attained a productive solution.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Process of Resolving the Ethical Dilemma and the Acquired Training The process of resolving the dilemma followed a procedure that stressed on the actions and their consequences. The procedure looked into the various repercussions that would arise from the actions that the two individuals wanted to undertake. In the assertion of the wife, the family was not productive, and thus, she wanted to file a divorce. However, a scrutiny on the benefits of staying together and understanding one another in the family outweighed the consequences that would transpire from the divorce. Some of the major consequences of a divorce include stress that the children experience after the divorce (Metcalf, 2011). Therefore, it was fundamental to adopt values such as compromise, dialogue, and assertiveness to ensure that each member respected the views of others in the family instead of a divorce. The training that I received concerning ethical dilemmas is sufficient and very instrumental in dealing w ith various family issues. Moreover, the ability to solve cases like the one that concerned a divorce implies that the training acquired is adequate and productive. Dallos (2010) asserts that to improve the quality of the services that therapists offer to clients, they should undertake constant research on matters regarding families and ethical dilemmas. Therefore, my research focuses on secondary and primary sources and is useful in compounding the skills and expertise in family therapy. Since several families face different ethical dilemmas, a therapist needs to engage in constant research in order to gain the required skills useful in addressing the dilemmas. Involvement in Advocacy Programs and People to Consult for Advice I have been involved in various advocacy programs that address the unique requirements faced by several families. Some of the programs that I have actively participated in include one, which emphasized involvement of children in decision making particularly on matters that affect them directly. The program materialized after an observation that a number of children abuse drugs and substances when parents make decisions that concern their wellbeing without their involvement. Apparently, the need to involve an expert in family therapy compelled the community to involve me in the advocacy program aimed at addressing the unique need. Significantly, my expertise was instrumental in ensuring that the program became successful. In case I need assistance on aspects of ethical dilemmas or concerns, my course of action will entail seeking advice from experts, who have the relevant experience in the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT). In addition, I will involve entities such as close family members, religious leaders, and focus groups that have augmented understanding on the issue. Involvement of these entities will be in a creative and innovative manner so that I do not violate the rights of the subject clients. To increase my knowledge, I will refer to past records that entail dilemmas that are similar to the challenge. The reference will have its basis on sources that have applicable information and will focus on ascertaining the best solution, which was useful in solving the related dilemma. Reactions to the Therapist, Interviewee’s, Answers The therapist demonstrated sufficient understanding on the concept of ethical dilemma and family therapy. Imperatively, the responses were not surprising as they revolved around field of family therapy, ethical dilemmas, and the appropriate solutions. Given the chance, my perspective would be similar since the responses were germane and objective. Remarkably, it is paramount to abide by the code of conduct since failure to follow it leads to a situation where the therapists use their views and personal values to make unwise judgments. Conclusion Ethical dilemmas compel individuals to make decisions from a range of options that are correct. Therefore, the individuals en ter into a state of mental conflict as the choice involves ethical options. Families experience ethical dilemmas, which comprise difference in opinions, time management, and lifestyles. Principally, difference in opinions is the dominant ethical dilemma and challenges several families. Therefore, therapists must provide judgments that successfully solve ethical dilemmas faced by families. References Brock, G. W., Barnard, C. P. (2009). Procedures in marriage and family therapy. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Dallos, R. (2010). An Introduction to Family Therapy. London: McGraw-Hill International. Goldenberg, H., Goldenberg, I. (2008). Family therapy: An overview. Sydney: Thompson Brooks/Cole. Mead, E. (2012). Becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist: From Classroom to  Consulting Room. Chicester: Wiley. Metcalf, L. (2011). Marriage and family therapy: A practice-oriented approach. New York: Springer.

Immigration, Nationality and Asylum Law ( British Law) Essay

Immigration, Nationality and Asylum Law ( British Law) - Essay Example Additionally, the population of Britain is rising for the first time because the number of those who stay minus those who leave is positive and the trend is going to continue. Green claims that Britain already has "a severe congestion" (1). Because the density of population is higher than in India and in some places out measures the Netherlands. Moreover, the system of immigration is hugger-mugger by letting in all the kinsfolk and "quadruple [icating] the number of works permits" (Green 2). According to him migration has no limits and "the character of our society, and especially our cities, is being radically alerted." (2). Green also mentions that immigrants have been seeking to influence Britain's political parties; consequently Government should use severe policies to curb migration. Although Green is right worrying about the loss of national identity he overlooks very important facts as to why the migration is useful to Britain. The migration has always existed and will exist and "in both directions is natural and welcome" (Green 1). The fear to lose national identity is somewhat worth considering, but it depends on citizens themselves if they want to uphold the traditional country's values. Great Britain was the only country, which didn't impose any restrictions for the new EU members and it now is clearly seen that it has been the opportune policy. However, in this case the world-wide migration will not be considered because migration between European Union countries is more appealing to us as the competent citizens. One of the most appreciable pluses of immigration is that "the greater mobility of labour which comes with EU enlargement is beneficial to [Britain's] economy" (Clark 1). Migrants are not only useful for country's economy but also better, cheaper and harder- working. They come here to feel the free-market economy and are not spoiled as British, "who treat their workplace more as a social club" (Clark 1). Moreover, it is useful because the labour force from the new EU countries tend to stop the gap of British labour market. According to Tony McNulty, the Immigration minister: "Workers are contributing to our economy, paying tax and national insurance and filling key jobs in areas where there are gaps. We estimate registered workers contributed approximately Pounds 500 million to the UK economy between May 2004 and March 2005." Consequently, Britain will economically benefit; however the British workers may lose their jobs too. In addition to that, creating boundaries for the new EU co untries is disadvantageous and irrational because it "prolong[s] economic stagnation" (Rossant 1). Great Britain is the only one country which can improve the economic growth of the region, regenerate aged and spoiled workers and ensure the right of the promised free mobility. Closing door policy is also irrational because "continental economics can't respond flexibly to macroeconomics shifts" (Rossant 1). It means that in nowadays world we can't rely only on our countries' economy and the economy should be integrated world-wide. To sum it up, Green is right that immigration worries local people but they should understand the fact that it is useful for the economy and that's why they are able to live better. Green also asserts

Interrelations Between the Syrian Conflict And the Instability Research Proposal

Interrelations Between the Syrian Conflict And the Instability Situation In Lebanon - Research Proposal Example The mixed nature of the study cannot be stressed. As such, theorists argue for the application of the synthesis of existing literature for such studies. Experts claim that among the most acceptable methods of research is an analysis of literature from reputable sources. Even though various forms of studies drawn from literature exist, the study adopts a narrative approach to investigate the issue and point out the problem as it is. As such, various pieces of literature will be analyzed to generate the most relevant facts regarding the issue. The analysis method is adopted due to the existence of abundant literature concerning the problem of the study and the available time constraints in conducting a field study. Of interest to the study is the findings and the conclusions drawn from various studies conducted regarding the topic of the research. As such, the study will review the historical underpinning of the crisis, and their socio-economic impacts. Among the relevant sources considered in the synthesis include websites of multilateral organizations such as the UN and its constituents. It also considers governmental websites regarding population and academic commentary on the war. Consideration is also given to research papers by various NGO’s relating to the topic and independent searches on the problem. The paper will also consult various academic journals and other print media to ascertain their perception regarding the issue.