Diversity in Early Childhood Essay

Introduction Inclusive practices in the context of education in general underpinning the basic principle of fairness and equal rights to education regardless of race, language, family and socioeconomic background, culture and ability. Touching on the issue of inclusion in the early childhood context, it is important to consider who are the children or the group of children that are being included. Also, taking into consideration how inclusive practices are being enabled and what knowledge of the early childhood educators, practices of the centres and resources that are evident and made available in the centres. In relation to inclusive practices, the sociocultural theory states that learning and development occur through a process of changing participation in dynamic cultural communities, in which there are active contributions from individuals, their social partners, practices and tradition (current and historical), cultural tools, technologies, and materials, and values and belief systems (Ragoff, 1995, 2003). Sociocultural theorists therefore recognise that cognition is not an individual construction. It is a collaborative process between the individual and his social partners to participate in relevant activities. As such, cognition involves collaborative process as people engage in thinking together with others (Rogoff & Toma, 1997). Hence, the aim of the case study is to find out to what degree of inclusiveness, in particular working with children with disabilities or special needs (both strength and weaknesses), has been practiced in the local (Singapore) early childhood setting. The case study on the inclusive programs for children with disabilities or special needs was done in a childcare centre situated in the northern residential part of Singapore. It has a total of seventy-three childcare students and seven infants under the infant care program. Out of the seventy-three childcare students, five attend the half a day program. There are a total of nine childcare teachers and six infant care teachers. Under the centre’s philosophy, the centre believes that the key role of early childhood education is to prepare children for the journey of lifelong learning. The centre’s role is to provide a caring and conducive environment by providing facilities and programme to stimulate the child’s inquisitive mind and optimize his social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional development. The centre aims to foster strong links within the local community by incorporating the resources available in the neighbourhood. The research was done in the kindergarten level, K1 and K2, five and six years old respectively. There are seven Malays, two Indians and nineteen Chinese students in total for both K1 and K2 class. Each of the kindergarten classes has their own lead teacher who teaches them mathematics, language arts, art and crafts, science and music. Both the classes shared one language teacher (Chinese language). These two classes share the various learning centres such as language and literacy, art and craft, and construction (wooden blocks and legos). The learning environment is not very conducive for the K1s as the allocated space area was a little too cramp for fifteen children but the space area for the K2s is sufficient enough to accommodate the eleven children. The centre adopted a structured, teacher centered curriculum approach where most of the teachings (hands-on or modeling) done by the teacher. There is also no flexibility in carrying out the lessons as the teachers have to follow strictly the lessons planned for them by the curriculum department from the head quarters. As such, if any of the children displayed great interest in a certain topic, the teacher could only extend the topic / theme for just one more day. Out of the total twenty-six kindergarten children (K1 and K2), there are two special needs children – children living with autism, one from each class. Both the children attended external, professional therapy and sessions for children with special needs. The child from the K2 class (‘J’) attend his sessions on a daily basis while the other from the K1 class (‘D’) attend his thrice a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. J’s sessions are on every morning and he will come to the childcare in the afternoon. As for D, on every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday he attends childcare in the morning and goes off for his therapy / sessions in the afternoon. The data gathered based on the evaluation done on the checklist implemented. The objective of gathering the data is to analyse to what extend has the centre practiced the inclusive program in working with children with special needs. The areas evaluated are teachers’ knowledge, skills and attitudes demonstrated in their day-to-day working either directly or indirectly with their two students living with autism. In reference to the checklist, all trained teachers (diploma level) are not specifically trained to working with children with special needs. The knowledge that teachers have are just an awareness to what special needs is all about and to understand a little more about each type of special needs or disabilities. Therefore, teachers at the centre are not very responsive towards the two children. On top of that, the management level did not show clear evident of playing their part towards the two children with autism and it certainly does not correspond with their vision statement: The Centre believes that children of different ethnic background, social status and abilities should not be deprived of quality care and education (see appendix). This evident shows that the teachers’ beliefs and underpinning knowledge of understanding children with special needs is rather minimal. However, they do show respect on individual differences by trying to understand the children’s behaviour (J and D) and routine as well as to always create an awareness and respect, through role modeling, in all the other children in the centre towards J and D. The teachers responses act as a role model to all the other children under their care and those children are learning about disability and at the same time developing their own ways of understanding (Palmer, 1998). The learning environment provided that was present in the centre was not suitable for both J and D. Provision of learning and teaching materials were inadequate and unsuitable for their use. As both J and D are in placed together with the kindergarten children, the lessons plan for the class was inappropriate for J’s and D’s learning. An issue that has to be taken into consideration will be the student teacher ratio. In order for learning and communicating to be effective with J and D, the teachers of both classes need a lot of time spent with them. Unfortunately, the class size does not permit the teachers to do so freely. Both the kindergarten teachers can only communicate with the two children when their class is heavily involved in their activity, which most of the time quite a number of the children are able to accomplish their written task within a short period. As such, it is impossible to communicate and have lessons effectively with J and D without being interrupted by the others. The classroom environment does not allow for personal quiet time for the children and this is a basic need for children with autism. Not that there are plans for segregation but to let both J and D feels comfortable being themselves, whenever they wish to be alone. Children with disabilities engage in social interaction with their peers less often than typically developing children (National Professional Development Centre on Inclusion, 2007). Finally, the factor on trained teachers in working with children with special needs. Both the kindergarten teachers knew and are aware of what special needs are but their knowledge are insufficient to teach and guide this special group of children. Thus, most of the time both J and D are left alone to do what they want to do, which is sitting in solitary. Due the lack of knowledge in handling children with special needs, both teachers are most of the time unable to resolve when problems arise such as sudden screaming, or refusing to share toys or things, or refusing to move on to the next routine. In order to make the environment suitable for an inclusive program to be implemented, there are a few things which need to be changed or added on to the centre. First and foremost, early childhood educator managing the programme must be trained in a course on children with special needs and preferably have experience in teaching children with special needs. Secondly, the centre should work in partnership with the parents of the child as well as with professionals trained in the field. Centre can also engage speech therapists, child psychologists in order to provide therapy sessions for the children with special needs. Collaboration is the cornerstone of effective inclusive programs which means including and empowering parents as part of the decision-making team in the education of their children ( National Professional Development Centre on Inclusion, 2007). Early childhood educators managing children with special needs have to make necessary planning, teaching and management strategies, and exercise flexible arrangement necessary adjustments for behaviour coping strategies and alternative support programmes when working with children with special needs. Adequate support is important in order to make inclusive environments effective for the children involve. Support which includes professional training, personnel, provision of materials, planning time, and on-going consultation. These supports can be delivered in various ways, and each individual involved in inclusion may have unique needs (National Professional Development Centre on Inclusion, 2007). Another important aspect that needs to be looked into is the aspect of learning environment. The learning environment must be suitable and organized to ensure it accommodates the needs of the children. On top of that, the centre should developed an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for each child with special needs. Lastly, parents-teacher-conference should be conducted at least once in six months. Across a range of disabilities, positive outcomes are reported for children with disabilities in inclusive settings (National Professional Development Centre on Inclusion, 2007). Children in the inclusive programs in general fair as well as children in specialized programs. It is also reported by the National Professional Development Centre on Inclusion, that children without disabilities participated in the inclusive programs often see beneficial changes in terms of confidence, self-esteem, and understanding of diversity (National Professional Development Centre on Inclusion, 2007). In a nutshell, high quality early childhood programs form the necessary structural base for high quality inclusive programs, as such, all children benefit when programs are of high quality and truly inclusive (National Professional Development Centre on Inclusion, 2007). As stated at the beginning of this essay, the objective of collecting and evaluating the data is to find out to what extend inclusive programs is implemented in the local early childhood setting at the same time looking at the strength and weaknesses should the program is implemented in the centre. Word count: 1789. References: National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (2007). Research synthesis points on early childhood inclusion. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: National Professional Development Center on Inclusion, FPG Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina. Palmer, A. (1998) Young Children with Additional Needs, AECA Research in Practice Series V5, 2. Rogoff, B. & Toma, C. (1997) Shared Thinking: community and institutional variations, Discourse Processes, 23, pp. 471 – 497. Rogoff, B. (2003) The Cultural Nature of Human Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Macbeth – Shakespeare

Macbeth, written in 1606, is one of Shakespeare's most adventurous plays filled with ambition, fate, deception and treachery, centred around the character of Macbeth, telling of extraordinary things from the witches mischievous magic to Macbeths change in fortune and personality. First his bravery, loyalty, and morality are conveyed to the audience; before Shakespeare goes on to tell of his tragic decline into evil and of how he brutally obtains power and control over others. At the time of the play's creation, society believed intensely in the Chain of Being; the concept of God's strict, natural structure over the universe. The people stuck by this for fear of the consequences. They didn't question nature's vicious wrath because if they were to turn against it, it would be to defy the will of God and so had only God to answer to, dictating that it was therefore sinful for their subjects to resist them. Throughout Act 1:1-3, Shakespeare's audience is given countless reasons to think of Macbeth in a positive way, depicting him as the strong, heroic character, conveying to them all of his many laudable traits. This is firstly shown through how others act towards him and what people think of him. He is related to a ‘lion' and ‘eagle' by the captain showing he is thought of very highly and is respected. Confidence, fierceness and determination are all ‘lion' like qualities that are reflected in the character of Macbeth. This is proved when he heroically fights on in the battle as it continues. Secondly ‘noble Macbeth' questions the witches as he contemplates their prospects for him. He feels ‘to be King stands not within the prospect of belief' so will leave it to ‘chance' as he knows that sudden ambition is wrong. This declarative statement emphasises his refusal to act wrongly. Everyone values Macbeth and all believe he is an incredible fighter and to emphasise this, Shakespeare uses a simile to show it to be true ‘like valour's minion curved out his passage'. This portrays how Macbeth puts others before him and cares about them. Lastly you can see Macbeth's loyalty as he talks to the witches because he has potential and wants to be a leader but does not do anything about it; when he is told he will be of a higher status he is shocked and refuses to believe that it may come true. This shows that he is good because he doesn't want to do anything to the King but protect him conveying his patriotic traits. Macbeth however could also been seen as having a potential for evil in this scene. He is described as ‘valour's minion', this portrays him as a brave servant when he is a leader to many. This could also be seen as him being a vassal and that he is easily commanded highlighting his weaknesses challenging the idea of him soon to become King. During the battle he is also said to have ‘carved out his passage' showing a ruthless and angry side to his personality later in the play when he murders innocent subjects. This could be exploited by his easy susceptibility later in the play by people such as the witches or his wife towards evil. The fact that the witches are going to meet Macbeth could suggest he is evil, as the witches are deemed evil and meddlesome. Being around the witches' associates him with them and their evil doings, this is emphasised through their meeting place, ‘A desolate place' which is also lit by thunder and lightning. Because of its description it can be seen that they are almost removed from the rest of the world and disconnected from God and the rest of humanity, which only makes it more villainous for Macbeth to be there. The witches also prophesy that he shall become the thane of Cawdor; this is ironic because the previous thane was a traitor and tried to kill the king. This could suggest that Shakespeare is trying to make Macbeth fit the mould of the previous thane, which would make him evil as well. Lady Macbeth and her husband's strong relationship is built on how they treat each other. For example, in scene 7 Lady Macbeth finds her husband weak and pathetic when he is not doing as she wants. She is able to manipulate him as she is stronger minded and he is ‘too full o'th' milk of human kindness' which portrays his positive traits and her negative attitude. Lady Macbeth is not happy unless she is in control so in order to make sure she is she uses repetitive phrases such as, ‘wouldst thou' in scene 7, line 41 and again in line 42. This is effective because it shows her point clearly making the reader believe she's right as she does to Macbeth later. She wants to teach Macbeth evil so he becomes like her as she thinks he can be figured out too easily – ‘your face, my thane, is as a book where men may read strange matters'. Lady Macbeth's ‘ambition' is to ‘win' and nothing else. This is shown through the language she uses. Lady Macbeth thinks highly of determination and confidence but not only that, she won't settle until she has got what she wants which shows power. Lady Macbeth addresses her husband as ‘thou', this infers that she already has control over him. It makes it easier to persuade Macbeth because you can see who the dominant one in their relationship is from the language they use with each other. Shakespeare has expressed her passion and determination through alliteration: ‘Hie thee hither'; this sounds strong willed and powerful and gives her speech a scene of urgency as if she wants to get on with the murder and won't back down giving no choice but for Macbeth to agree with her. It also creates negative imagery as it sounds as if she is hissing, through the use of sibilance, which again relates her with evil. Lady Macbeth is shown to ‘chastise' Macbeth often showing how easily she can manipulate him. It also shows her superior nature and strength over her husband. To ensure that Macbeth follows through with their plan, Lady Macbeth wants to share her evil with him: ‘I may pour my spirits in thine ear' – she wishes to influence him so that he will be stronger as she believes she is superior to him. Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as evil using the symbolic ‘raven' to do so. The ‘raven' doesn't only symbolise Lady Macbeth but also death and foreboding. This expresses her power and how she has managed to get her own way through her lies and deceit. When she says ‘the raven himself is hoarse' it symbolises Macbeth's weak nature and how he will give into her so they will not fail as Lady Macbeth thinks she is always right. To show Lady Macbeth's ambition her character uses many imperative statements: ‘unsex me here, from crown to the toe'. This also shows she is anything but willing to back down and she is very demanding by her forceful nature. Lady Macbeth wants to be seen as more masculine so results in asking the spirits to take away her femininity because she doesn't think she's string enough as a woman. This is also shown when she directs the spirits to ‘take (her) milk for gall' and ‘make thick (her) blood'; this ruthless attitude shows how much she wants it and how she'd do anything to get it again also showing how she believes she can beat nature. Her extreme evil attitude and her enthusiasm is shown through alliteration and superlative adjectives e. g ‘direst creulty'. When she uses the description of ‘murthring ministers' it emphasizes her passion and determination. Her ‘dark' vocabulary associates her with evil and the witches and creates negative imagery as the witches are connected to villainous things. The personification Shakespeare uses gives the impression of foul changes and how they are against nature: ‘Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark'. This verifies Lady Macbeth's evilness as she is putting herself in the opposition to all that is good: her husband, Heaven and God. This gives a strong affect as it emphasises and hints at his increasing change towards evil. Shakespeare also uses similes to show how Lady Macbeth is starting to control Macbeth more and more quickly. She orders him to ‘look like th' innocent flower, But be the serpent under't' which means hide your feelings and emotions so that he doesn't get caught when committing the ‘deed'. This is another imperative statement showing she dominates him. In many of the phrases that Shakespeare uses in his play, Macbeth can be interpreted in more than one way for example, ‘he that's coming must be provided for. ‘ This associates Lady Macbeth with the witches because it emphasises her control over Macbeth and how the witches have the same control over him. But it also connects her with darkness and the devil as she is preparing a feast but actually is planning on the death of the King. At this point Macbeth is starting to agree with his wife as she has manipulated him through her twisted words so that it sounds like the right thing to do. Macbeth's soliloquy is very powerful, at the beginning of scene 7, as he is debating whether to go through with the ‘assassination'. The scene in which this is performed represents his feelings. This is because the ‘torches' represent how he is not completely decided. They show how he's still half in darkness and half in light symbolising half in evil and half in good showing the darkness is slowly consuming him but hasn't yet. This can also be seen as the light symbolising of Duncan's life and how it is ending and later when the torches have gone out, he will be dead. The darkness also creates suspense and an eerie atmosphere leading to the unknown. Macbeth's loyalty and kindness is shown clearly in this part of the play to show he would go through with ‘the deed' if there were no ‘consequence's and it could ‘end all here'. Although as this is not what would happen then it would all be lead back to him and his reputation would be ruined. This shows the morality in how he feels uneasy about doing this and how he has be forced against his will and been persuaded into it. He shows fear and remorse by trying to talk himself out of their plan. Macbeth feels that he should be loyal towards the king as he has done no wrong towards himself and he has treated him well recently. Duncan is the guest so Macbeth should be protecting him not bringing harm or death to him. He also thinks Duncan is a good King so does not want to hurt him and as he is he's ‘kingman and subject' then he should be again protecting him against any other more obvious evil predators. Another way Macbeth's conscience is seen is when he is talking to his wife. He sounds very unsure and unwilling to go through with the murder. It is easily seen as he uses euphemisms to replace the words death and murder for example, ‘this business' or ‘taking off'. This shows he is uncomfortable with the task and he doesn't want to come to terms with it. He thinks he has no reason to do it and that he us too afraid to; there's no other reason but his ‘vaulting ambition'. This is shown through the language and vocabulary that Shakespeare has used. The ‘surcease, success' is emphasised through alliteration and sibilance, which again draws attention to how they have not failed with the murder yet. His use of personification is strong and bold: ‘tears shall drown the wind. ‘ This helps Macbeth persuade himself not to do it and shows he is valiant and trusting, as he wants to get out of the situation. Using a soliloquy to show this makes it more personal which emphasises his emotions; this then builds tension making the scene more intense for the audience. Despite how much loyalty Macbeth has and how much he doesn't want to perform the dreadful deed, Lady Macbeth is powerful enough to overrule his decision and persuade him to carry it out. Shakespeare uses many techniques, which makes her more dominant than Macbeth as she uses them to manipulate him. Firstly, Shakespeare uses rhetorical questions, one continuously after the other, which then makes Macbeth question himself through undermining him and patronising him: ‘Hath it slept since? ‘ This question leaves Macbeth finding himself without an answer leading him with no choice but to side with Macbeth. Another way that she does this is by attacking his masculinity and his soldier-like qualities using words like ‘green' and ‘pale'. She uses similes – ‘Like the poor cat i'th'a dage? – which makes his feel pathetic and like he has to do it because she is relating him to the poor cat in the old story. Her declarative statements about his manhood appeals to his self esteem and pride. She uses reverse psychology and tells him to ‘be so much more the man' which makes him want to prove himself and show that she is wrong. This is also shown when she compares him to herself because she conveys how ruthless she is when she describes how she would dash the brains out of a baby and how if she said she would do something then she would follow through with it making Macbeth feel cowardly and weaker then his wife. This is very important to his appearance because the social aspect in that time was thought that any man was suppose to overall a woman. Lady Macbeth persuades her husband by using influential adjectives such as, ‘dashed', ‘plucked' and ‘boneless'. This emotive language emphasises the harsh reality of her strength and creates clear imagery showing her passion, which then motivates Macbeth to go through with her plan. She also uses his weaknesses to get her own way and directs her orders to him personally. ‘Why did you leave the chamber? – she starts to distant herself to make the situation more serious and make Macbeth realise that she refuses to fail. The alliteration that is used emphasises her anger and passion towards this procedure. An example of this is ‘receipt of reason', this is very harsh sounding phrase so seems as if she's spitting out the words. Lastly she uses Macbeth's words against him by mirroring and questioning them. ‘We fail' – this makes her argument even stronger forcing him into agreeing with her. As she has an answer to everything he doubts he has no choice but to follow her in this devious arrangement. Although it appears that Lady Macbeth is the stronger of the two, the majority of the play is written in blank verse showing that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both equal to each other as their patterns of speech are the same. This could be interpreted that Lady Macbeth goes from weaker to stronger and then back to weaker again as she turns insane later in the play where as Macbeth still has his emotions throughout the play although they may start to slowly fade, like his conscience, as evil takes over him but this shows their equal status. Lady Macbeth uses manipulation and immorality to turn Macbeth's view around. This shows he is easily convinced as at the beginning of the play he was completely against her plot but then went through with it in the end anyway. In Act 2:1, Macbeth is portrayed as an evil ‘butcher' rather than heroic. He says ‘A heavy summon lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep' showing that nature is defying his sleep even though he's exhausted. Banquo uncovers how the chain of being has been interrupted reasoned by no ‘husbandry in heaven'. This seems as if there are no stars like heaven is saving energy. Macbeth's evil increases throughout the play, which creates more and more evidence against him. In this scene he uses a lot of negative imagery inferring he's about to do wrong emphasising his evil. He talks about ‘witchcraft' and ‘Tarquin's ravishing strides' as if it's a good thing and he is comparing himself to him. In the part of Macbeth's soliloquy, he sees a dagger. This motivates him to go through with the murder although it is not known who is doing this to him whether it's him mind that is becoming more evil through Lady Macbeth's teachings or the witches or he's hallucinating because they have disturbed the Chain of Being. This makes it harder for Macbeth to refuse. He also uses lots of phrases like ‘That summons thee to Heaven, or to Hell' which is significant because it is associated to funerals and death. Although, at the beginning he was completely against this plan, he is now lying to Banquo his ‘friend' and still calls him a ‘friend' although he's now become an enemy so its is ironic because he is the opposite. He seems, as he is almost comfortable with deceit and the whole idea. This is also shown when he says ‘Hear it not, Duncan' showing that he is now determined and confident that Duncan will not find out. Macbeth purposefully distances himself from good as he feels nature is against him. He is in great ‘fear' that it will give his plan away and that people might hear him. This is also linked to the Chain of Being about how it has been unbalanced. The play shows how Macbeth's personality unravels throughout, descending into evil. The people around him and the power that they withhold lead to his downfall. Shakespeare infers that Lady Macbeth is partially to blame for Macbeth's behaviour. He depicts her character as manipulating and controlling over Macbeth leading to his actions of murder. On the other hand, Macbeth is portrayed as a weak and cowardly character by not being able to defend himself and what is right resulting in his demise. The Chain of Being is an important theme in this play especially towards the end as everyone believed in it strongly and some even believed that it could tell you what happened next. For example, at the end of the play it is suggested that Macbeth will die because he has gone against God and interrupted the cycle. Therefore Macbeth's rapid descend into evil and Lady Macbeth's wicked nature both played an equal part in his transformation from hero to villain.

Deception Point Page 50

With calm bred from the performance of countless executions, Delta-One dialed a ten-second delay into the grenade's screw-dial, slid out the pin, and threw the grenade down into the chasm. The bomb plummeted into the darkness and disappeared. Then Delta-One and his partner cleared back up onto the top of the berm and waited. This would be a sight to behold. Even in her delirious state of mind, Rachel Sexton had a very good idea what the attackers had just dropped into the crevasse. Whether Michael Tolland also knew or whether he was reading the fear in her eyes was unclear, but she saw him go pale, shooting a horrified glance down at the mammoth slab of ice on which they were stranded, clearly realizing the inevitable. Like a storm cloud lit by an internal flash of lightning, the ice beneath Rachel illuminated from within. The eerie white translucence shot out in all directions. For a hundred yards around them, the glacier flashed white. The concussion came next. Not a rumble like an earthquake, but a deafening shock wave of gut-churning force. Rachel felt the impact tearing up through the ice into her body. Instantly, as if a wedge had been driven between the ice shelf and the block of ice supporting them, the cliff began to shear off with a sickening crack. Rachel's eyes locked with Tolland's in a freeze-frame of terror. Corky let out a scream nearby. The bottom dropped out. Rachel felt weightless for an instant, hovering over the multimillion-pound block of ice. Then they were riding the iceberg down-plummeting into the frigid sea. 56 The deafening grating of ice against ice assaulted Rachel's ears as the massive slab slid down the face of the Milne Ice Shelf, sending towering plumes of spray into the air. As the slab splashed downward, it slowed, and Rachel's previously weightless body crashed down onto the top of the ice. Tolland and Corky landed hard nearby. As the block's downward momentum plunged it deeper into the sea, Rachel could see the foaming surface of the ocean racing upward with a kind of taunting deceleration, like the ground beneath a bungee-jumper whose cord was a few feet too long. Rising†¦ rising†¦ and then it was there. Her childhood nightmare was back. The ice†¦ the water†¦ the darkness. The dread was almost primal. The top of the slab slipped below the waterline, and the frigid Arctic Ocean poured over the edges in a torrent. As the ocean rushed in all around her, Rachel felt herself sucked under. The bare skin on her face tightened and burned as the saltwater hit. The flooring of ice disappeared beneath her, and Rachel fought her way back to the surface, buoyed by the gel in her suit. She took in a mouthful of saltwater, sputtering to the surface. She could see the others floundering nearby, all of them tangled in tethers. Just as Rachel righted herself, Tolland yelled out. â€Å"It's coming back up!† As his words echoed above the tumult, Rachel felt an eerie upwelling in the water beneath her. Like a massive locomotive straining to reverse direction, the slab of ice had groaned to a stop underwater and was now beginning its ascent directly beneath them. Fathoms below, a sickening low frequency rumble resonated upward through the water as the gigantic submerged sheet began scraping its way back up the face of the glacier. The slab rose fast, accelerating as it came, swooping up from the darkness. Rachel felt herself rising. The ocean roiled all around as the ice met her body. She scrambled in vain, trying to find her balance as the ice propelled her skyward along with millions of gallons of seawater. Buoying upward, the giant sheet bobbed above the surface, heaving and teetering, looking for its center of gravity. Rachel found herself scrambling in waist-deep water across the enormous, flat expanse. As the water began pouring off the surface, the current swallowed Rachel and dragged her toward the edge. Sliding, splayed flat on her stomach, Rachel could see the edge looming fast. Hold on! Rachel's mother's voice was calling the same way it had when Rachel was just a child floundering beneath the icy pond. Hold on! Don't go under! The wrenching yank on her harness expelled what little air Rachel had left in her lungs. She jerked to a dead stop only yards from the edge. The motion spun her in place. Ten yards away, she could see Corky's limp body, still tethered to her, also jolting to a stop. They had been flowing off the sheet in opposite directions and his momentum had stopped her. As the water ran off and grew more shallow, another dark form appeared over near Corky. He was on his hands and knees, grasping Corky's tether and vomiting saltwater. Michael Tolland. As the last of the wake drained past her and flowed off the iceberg, Rachel lay in terrified silence, listening to the sounds of the ocean. Then, feeling the onset of deadly cold, she dragged herself onto her hands and knees. The ‘berg was still bobbing back and forth, like a giant ice cube. Delirious and in pain, she crawled back toward the others. High above on the glacier, Delta-One peered through his night-vision goggles at the water churning around the Arctic Ocean's newest tabular iceberg. Although he saw no bodies in the water, he was not surprised. The ocean was dark, and his quarry's weather suits and skullcaps were black. As he passed his gaze across the surface of the enormous floating sheet of ice, he had a hard time keeping it in focus. It was receding quickly, already heading out to sea in the strong offshore currents. He was about to turn his gaze back to the sea when he saw something unexpected. Three specks of black on the ice. Are those bodies? Delta-One tried to bring them into focus. â€Å"See something?† Delta-Two asked. Delta-One said nothing, focusing in with his magnifier. In the pale tint of the iceberg, he was stunned to see three human forms huddled motionless on the island of ice. Whether they were alive or dead, Delta-One had no idea. It hardly mattered. If they were alive, even in weather suits, they'd be dead within the hour; they were wet, a storm was coming in, and they were drifting seaward into one of the most deadly oceans on the planet. Their bodies would never be found. â€Å"Just shadows,† Delta-One said, turning from the cliff. â€Å"Let's get back to base.† 57 Senator Sedgewick Sexton set his snifter of Courvoisier on the mantelpiece of his Westbrook apartment and stoked the fire for several moments, gathering his thoughts. The six men in the den with him sat in silence now†¦ waiting. The small talk was over. It was time for Senator Sexton to make his pitch. They knew it. He knew it. Politics was sales. Establish trust. Let them know you understand their problems. â€Å"As you may know,† Sexton said, turning toward them, â€Å"over the past months, I have met with many men in your same position.† He smiled and sat down, joining them on their level. â€Å"You are the only ones I have ever brought into my home. You are extraordinary men, and I am honored to meet you.† Sexton folded his hands and let his eyes circle the room, making personal contact with each of his guests. Then he focused in on his first mark-the heavyset man in the cowboy hat. â€Å"Space Industries of Houston,† Sexton said. â€Å"I'm glad you came.† The Texan grunted. â€Å"I hate this town.† â€Å"I don't blame you. Washington has been unfair to you.† The Texan stared out from beneath the rim of his hat but said nothing. â€Å"Twelve years back,† Sexton began, â€Å"you made an offer to the U.S. government. You proposed to build them a U.S. space station for a mere five billion dollars.† â€Å"Yeah, I did. I still have the blueprints.† â€Å"And yet NASA convinced the government that a U.S. space station should be a NASA project.† â€Å"Right. NASA started building almost a decade ago.†

Country with High Mortality Rates Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country with High Mortality Rates - Term Paper Example Eventually, the introduction of the health insurance among the employees for most formal sectors is also explored (Malawi. Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2004). Coupled with such efforts, there will be reforms aiming at the improvement of the application of the financial resources through the improvement of locative and technical efficiencies. Documentation of sources of health financing (in terms of external, government cooperation and funding, firms as well as households) including their contribution to the total health spending is rather separate from the private and public health expenditures through the financing agents (MOH and NGOs) (Rosner, Leppert, Degens & Ouedraogo, 2012). There is a distinguishing factor between capital and recurrent expenditure through the provision of thorough breakdown based on the major line items of salaries and drugs maintenance. 2. Location/Geography Below is a summary of the physical environment of Malawi: the percentage of irrigat ed cropland land in Malawi is 0.0%; the percentage of arable land (in 2009) is 38.2% while the percentage of the forest area to the land area (in 2010) was 34.3%. malawi’s land area as at 2010 as at 94,280.0 square kilometers. The Ministry also intends to put up with the exploration process for purposes of ensuring feasible introduction of alternative sources in terms of financing health care in Malawi. At the central level, capacity is needed to be enhanced for purposes of reliably formulating and reviewing the policies, coordinating implementation and providing support to district health care management teams (Acton, 2012). 3. Population The total Population in 2010 was at 14,900,841.0, the 2010 Population growth (annual percentage) was at 3.1%, the 2010 Population density (persons for event square kilometer) was at 158.4 (Malawi. Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2004), the Rural population in 2010 was 11,950,474.5, the rural population per square kilometer of arable land (Rural population density) was 0.0% (Peters, 2009), the 2010 Rural population (percentage to total population) was 80.2%, the 2009 Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) was 13.1%; the 2009 Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) was 44.2%; the 2010 Mortality rate, infant (for each 1,000 live births) was 58.1% (Peters, 2009); the 2010 Mortality rate, under-5 (for each 1,000) was 92.1% and the Labor force, total in 2009 was 6,005,705.8. the total years (Life expectancy at birth) in 2009 was 52.7% and the percentage of total labor force Labor force, female in 2009 was 49.2 (Malawi. Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2004). 4. Government Through the 1995 constitution, the president of Malawi is considered as chief of state as well as the head of government through the universal direct suffrage for each 5 years. Malawi is also ruled by a vice president who is a president electee (Ghodse, 2011). The president also has an option of appointing second vice presidents fro m different parties. This includes presidentially appointed cabinets. The cabinet members of Malawi are drawn from outside or within of the legislature(Peters, 2009). The legislature in involved in the overall overseeing of the implementation of the strategic steps in the long run by all means (Peters, 2009). 5. Economy The table below illustrates the poverty indicators in Malawi: The Income share upheld by the lowest 20% in 2004 was at 7.0%; at national

Government in a Capitalism Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government in a Capitalism Structure - Essay Example faire capitalism occurs when the economic surrounding in which transactions between private parties are free from the influence of government subsidies, restrictions and tariffs and only have regulations that are meant to protect their property rights. Welfare capitalism involves the practice of businesses that provide welfare services to the employees of their organizations and State capitalism is a type of capitalism where the business activities are undertaken by the state that organize and manage the means of production. Government owned businesses dominates state capitalism and they receive a lot support from the States unlike other private owned businesses. This paper is going to scrutinize the interlocking role of the government in a capitalism structure. The government affects the capitalism structure both positively and negatively hence, their roles could be appreciated depending with the influence they have to business enterprises and citizens. Roberts (2010) stated that the role of the government in the capitalism structure is to protect the citizens from the businesses that use force and fraud and ensure that the people are protected. Government protects individuals by ensuring that their rights are respected by business enterprises. Roberts (2010) stated that the government applies the use of the military to ensure security of citizens in cases of foreign aggression, police force to maintain law and order in their countries and court systems to settle disputes and enforce contracts among citizens. Commons (2006) stated that the government makes regulations on services and products to ensure that citizens are safe from harm. This is happens especially when the government restricts the use of certain materials that could harm the health of the citizens. The private businesses have an obligation to manufacturer materials that are environmentally friendly to avoid causing harm to the citizens. The government ensures that gases produced by private

Case Analysis of Mattel's China Experience Study

Analysis of Mattel's China Experience - Case Study Example Following the launch, Mattel transformed the toy commerce with the production of talking dolls and toys. Mattel went public in the year 1960 and almost immediately managed to feature among top five hundred largest U.S industrial syndicates. Mattel introduced Hot Wheels in 1968. This was an instant success, second to only Barbie in terms of popularity and sales. Mattel experienced massive recall of a variety of its products manufactured in and shipped from China in 2007. They included toothpaste, automobile tires, dog food, and seafood. CEO Robert Eckert was staring a crisis in the eye and by the time things cooled down, the firm had recalled 19 million toys Chinese manufactured toys. Upset customers threatened to shun Chinese made toys as the recalls elicited concerns over the quality of outsourcing in China. Key Issues In August 2007, Mattel recalled millions of their toys as a result of threatening amounts of lead paint. Mattel had contracted Chinese manufacturers to produce toys o n their behalf, but overlooked the fact that some restrictions enforced in the U. S. were not valid in China. Because Mattel had contracted Chinese manufacturers for 20 years without hiccups, they found no reason to doubt their workmanship in 2007. Definition of the Problem The problem for Mattel was not the recall of the products, but the events, which occasioned the recall. The management neglected the fact that the regulations in China were different for the U.S. Disappointed customers warned of shunning Chinese made toys as the recalls elicited concerns over the toy safety assessment procedure, the quality of outsourcing in China. Alternative Solutions Some effectual plans, which the company may have utilized, include adding-on to and re-innovating their current product lines, stepping up its advertising endeavors in its main product lines and also leadership change. These would steer the company to even greater height in terms of revenues, staff commitment and implementation of safety regulations. Selected Solution to the Problem Apart from being business oriented, leadership should also be a key priority for Mattel. Before Robert Eckert became its CEO, Jill Barad, the former CEO had presided over a period of deteriorating performance in terms of sales and production and many found her management approach unacceptable. Robert Eckert can be credited by bringing steadiness and certainty in addition to introduction of new packaging procedures, among them labeling in various languages to dispatch them to the various destinations. Eckert managed to boost international through globalization. Some of their most distinguished products like Barbie were availed in international markets and did remarkably well. The numerous leadership changes could be party responsible for the recall incident, since every leader had their own approach for making Mattel successful. Some stability in leadership can ensure consistency in performance and stem oversight which may adverse ly affect business. Implementation Some of their Mattel’s most distinguished products like Barbie were availed in international markets and did remarkably well. Simply put, the better the manager, the more engaged the staff. Best leaders supervise the happiest, most engaged, and most committed employees, translating to higher returns and happy clients. Recommendations For Mattel to remain an industry trailblazer, it must utilize leadership skills to

Analysis of Earned Income Tax Credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Earned Income Tax Credit - Assignment Example Various states have hence established their highly effective EITCs so as to act as the direct supplements to the federal credit. Responsible for a number of societal transformations: The main purpose of the chartbook is the aspect of taking the best possible descriptive data based on the early childhood growth and the related social elements while making them accessible to all the low-income earners. Offers support to better and comprehensive federal plans: The EITC as well as the CTC (Child Tax Credit), which entirely flows to the low- and average-income families each and every year, tend to provide a wide range of work, educational, health, and income benefits to the recipients.   External Macro-intervention is a broad concept that tends to determine rippling up of the organization’s economic and policy levels. It generally means the external assessment of all the policy interventions and instruments that impact on the dynamics of conflicting elements such as humanitarian interventions, military interventions, and developmental interventions, among others. It refers to the core of skills and knowledge with regards to the social perspective. It assists while making some assessments and decisions regarding the appropriate conditional client intervention. It majorly involves individuals, communities, and groups experiencing the vulnerability and disadvantages that are characterized by some sort of disparities.

Is there a relationship between early education and the development of Research Proposal

Is there a relationship between early education and the development of social and emotional skills of children - Research Proposal Example Also, self perceptions about some attributes are formed by values placed on such attributes by a culture or society (Szente). The literature findings supports how early education is effective at laying a solid foundation for later success and increases school readiness. A study will be conducted to find out if children who experience early education have better social and emotional skills than their counterparts who did not have preschool education. This topic is of importance to me as a previous early educator and future School Counselor because it is noticed that because of the current wave of accountability, it appears that developmentally appropriate practice in the early years which includes social and emotional skills are not receiving much emphasis. Children need the ability to communicate emotions effectively and to listen to instructions. Children need the skills to solve problems. Research has established that preschoolers and the other educational settings are vital to the psychosocial, ethical and moral development of children (Paccione-Dyslewski & Boekamp, 2005). How can every child be exposed to have a positive experience through a model from parents, guardians, caregivers, and teachers? According to Szente (2007), a positive experience can lead children to move in positive directions while an abusive experience will create barriers for future success. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between early education and the development of social and emotional skills in young children. This study will be conducted through observations of students in kindergarten and first grade classrooms in a title 1 school. Teachers and parents will be interviewed. This is an attempt to find out if emotional and social skills improve student’s achievement in grade school. The hope is to add to the research about quality early education that addresses the full range of social, emotional and academic

Water and the Arab- Israeli Peace Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water and the Arab- Israeli Peace Process - Essay Example After the war, a larger section of water resources was taken by Israel (Asser 1). The complete control of water resources has led to conflict. Israel has dominated 80 percents of the mountain aquifer leaving only 20 percent to the Palestinians (Asser 1). This leaves little water resources to the Palestinians. Moreover, the Palestinians complain of limited access to their water resources (Asser 1). They cite the Israel military as the one preventing them from using their own water resources. There has also been allocation of more water to Israel nationals as compared to Palestinians. This has been evident in West Bank. The issue of water has also led to increased tension in the area. The tension has been due to the effect on Palestinian agriculture. The little available water has negatively affected the Palestinian agricultural economy (Asser 1). The Palestinian are also subjected to water rationing as the reserves gets dry (Asser 1). Proper water management has been cited as necessary for peace in the region. In the 90s, water was viewed as being tricky point of discussion in Arab-Israel peacemaking (Asser 1). The continued settlement of Israel in sensitive water areas, in West Bank, has also been seen as a threat to peace and stability in the region. Additionally, some of the stalled negotiations on the peace process between Israel and other Arab countries have been based on water related issues (Asser

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Essay Example for Free

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Essay Sandra Bullard November 27, 2011 Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Dr. Chan Body Ritual Among the Nacirema The Nacirema are a North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. According to the Nacirema mythology, their nation was originated by a culture hero, Notgnihsaw, who otherwise known for two great fears of strength- the throwing of a piece of wampum across the river Pa-To-Mac and the choppin down of a cherry tree in which the Spirit of Truth resided. The focus of the Nacirema culture is the activity of the human body, appearance and the health of which loom as a dominant concern in the culture of the people. The belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. In the hierarchy of magical practitioners in the Nacirema culture, second in the lineup are the holy-mouth-men. The Nacirema have a pathological horror of and fascination with the mouth, the condition of which is believed dto have a supernatural influence on all social relationships. If it weren’t for the rituals of the mouth, they believe that their teeth would fall out, their gums bleed, their jaws shrink, their friends desert them, and their lovers would reject them. People seek out a holy-mouth-man once or twice a year. Holy-mouth-men have an impressive set of paraphernalia, consisting of a variety of augers, awls, probes, and prods. The use of these objects are for the exorcism of the evils of the mouth. The holy-mouth-man opens the client’s mouth and, using the above tools, enlarges any holes which decay may have created in the teeth. If there are no naturally occurring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance can be applied. In the client’s view, the purpose of these ministrations is to arrest decay and to draw friends. The natives return to the holy-mouth-men year after year in order to keep sacred and traditional character of the rite. The medicine-men of the Nacirema community have an imposing temple, also called latipso. The latipso is a very elaborate ceremony that is required to treat very sick patients only. These ceremonies are so harsh that it is amazing that the sick natives who enter the temple ever recover. When the supplicant first enters the temple, they are first stripped of all off his or her clothes. In every-day life the Nacirema avoid exposure of his body and its natural functions. Once in the latipso, the body secrecy is lost and the man finds himself naked and assisted by a vestal maiden in which he then performs his natural functions into a secret vessel. These procedures are necessitated by the fact that the excreta are used by a diviner to ascertain the course and nature of the client’s sickness. Female clients who enter the lapitso, find their naked bodies are subjected to the scrutiny, manipulation and prodding of the medicine men. One way that these people address wealth is with shrines. Every household has one or more shrines. The most powerful individuals in society have several shrines in their houses. The shrine rooms of the more wealthy are walled with stone. Poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls. Another way I think wealth is defined in their community is the gifts that are given to guardians of temples. The lapitso’s guardian for example, will not admit a client if he cannot give a rich gift to the custodian. And once a client is admitted, they must be able to give the custodian another rich gift before being let out. Cultural relativism is demonstrated by Horace Miner and his capability of understanding and gaining trust of the individual’s culture. The individuals of the Nacirema community opened up to Miner and let him see their sacred and traditional rituals. It was his willingness and openness that let the Nacirema community to trust him. It’s hard for me not to display ethnocentrism towards their community and rituals because it’s completely different from what I have learned and grown up with. None of their rituals that they perform make any sense to me. For example, the women putting their heads in the oven and letting them bake for an hour is hard for me to understand and conceptualize. So, it’s hard for me to say that I think that they’re strange, because that’s their culture and that’s the only think they have ever known. When I put it in perspective and think about their opinions on our culture, they wouldn’t know why we do the things we do within our community. It is very interesting to read about people who once lived in North America and maybe still do live in North America that perform these types of ritual.

Briefly Describe The Term Operation Management Information Technology Essay

Briefly Describe The Term Operation Management Information Technology Essay Chapter 1: 1. Briefly describe the term operation management. The observation operations management relates to the management of methods or processes that produce goods or provide services. These procedures require planning, coordination, and execution of all actions that produce goods and services. It is also been described as the maintenance, control, and improvement of organizational activities that are required to produce goods or services for consumers. For the most part, Operation management has traditionally been associated with manufacturing activities; however, it can also be applied to the service sector. The measurement and evaluation of operations are usually undertaken through a process of business appraisal. Efficiency and effectiveness may be monitored by the application of ISO 9001 quality systems, or total quality management techniques (William, 2009, p. 4). 2. Identify the three major functional areas of business organizations and briefly describe how they interrelate. The three primary functions are operations, finance, and marketing. Operations are concerned with the creation of goods and services. This is done by making best use of the businesss staff, machinery, building and raw materials. Marketing is concerned with promoting and/or selling goods or services. They do this by maximize the level of sales by carrying out market research and promoting the goods or service through a motivated sales team. Finance is concerned with the provision of funds necessary for operation, have the task of producing the goods or service in the most efficient way. They do this by keeping a record of all money coming in and going out of the business. Last, they have responsibility for securing finances for future expansion and paying staff and suppliers (William, 2009, p. 4). 11. Why might some workers prefer not to work in a lean production environment? For the most part, workers do not like to work in a lean production environment because there are fewer opportunities for an employee to advancement within the company. Pursuant to a leaner production line, more workers become stress due to higher levels of responsibility. This is a result of fewer managers. Moreover, Workers also experiences larger variability and expansion of job requirements. This is where a worker is required to do more with less. Such cases of companies within the American auto industry have become lean to reduce cost and waste. Last, such cuts backs have allow the U.S. auto industry a second chance to be more competitive with other companies (William, 2009, p. 29). Chapter 2 6. Contrast the terms strategies and tactics. Strategy is the fundamental approach used by a company to attain its goal where tactics are the actions taken to accomplish strategies to carry out operations. The importance of strategies cannot be overemphasized an organizations strategies have a great impact on what the organization does to achieve its organizational goals. Strategies can be long-term, intermediate, or short term. In order to be effective, strategies ought to be designed to support the organizations mission and its goals. In contrast, tactics are the methods and actions used to accomplish strategies. They are more specific than strategies, and they provide guidance and direction for carrying out operations, high need detailed plans and decision making in an organization. Last, most consider tactics as the how to part of the process and operations as the execution part of the process (William, 2009, p. 43). 8. Explain the term time based strategies and give three examples. Time-based strategies are approaches that focus on lowering the time required to conduct the different activities in a procedure. The logic is that by curtailing the time, costs are generally smaller, productivity is larger, quality is improved, new products appear on the marketplace much earlier, and customer service is enhanced. Last, organizations have achieved time reduction in some of the following: Planning time: The time needed to react to a competitive threat, to develop strategies and select tactics, to approve proposed changes to facilities, to adopt new technologies, and so on. Product/service design time: The time needed to develop and market new or redesigned products or services. Processing time: The time needed to produce goods or provide services. This can involve scheduling, repairing equipment, methods used, inventories, quality, training, and the like. Changeover time: The time needed to change from producing one type of product or service to another. This may involve new equipment settings and attachments, different methods, equipment, schedules, or materials. Delivery time: The time needed to fill orders. Response time for complaints: These might be customer complaints about the quality, timing of deliveries, and incorrect shipments. These might also be complaints from employees about working conditions (e.g., safety, lighting, heat or cold), equipment problems, or quality problems (William, 2009, p. 51). 10. List some factors that can affect productivity and some ways that productivity can be improved. The factors that can affect productivity are methods, capital, quality, technology, and management. The various ways productivity can be improved. For instance, since, productivity measures all operations it helps to eliminate bottlenecks. Another improvement would be to solicit new ideas from workers that reduce unnecessary waste. Sometimes the formation of work teams helps a firm to be organized with their activities. A further improvement is the study other firms. From this, a firm can reexamine its work methods where it cans reestablishment new goals for improvement. Other features also include support from management, rewards, and publicize improvements, and lastly, it is significant not to confuse productivity with efficiency because productivity to an organization as a theory is concededly broader than efficiency (William, 2009, p. 59). William, S. J. (2009). Operations Management. New York: McGraw-Hill. page 35-36. Chapter 2: 6, 8,and 10,   page 61. These are due by Monday in the Discussion Board. Please have your responses to the questions submitted to the Discussion Board by DAY 5 Monday. This will give everyone the opportunity to discuss them before the end of Seminar 1. 2. Chapter 2 Case Study Paper Read the Case Study Home Style Cookies, found in Chapter 2, page 64-65. 2. What are two ways that the company has increased productive qty? Why did increasing the length of the ovens result in a faster output rate? The use of automation in the mixing process resulted in a reduction in waste; cookies are cut on a diagonal; and the company recently increased the length of its ovens (i.e., more cookies can be baked at the same time). 3. Do you think that the company is making the right decision by not automating the packing of cookies? Explain your reasoning. What obligation does a company have to its employees in a situation such as this? What obligation does it have to the community? Is the size of the town a factor? Would it make a difference if the company was located in a large city? Is the size of the company a factor? What if it was a much larger company? All companies have a moral obligation to their employees. Small companies with local owners, particularly in a small community, are more likely to be influenced by such considerations than large companies, in large communities, even with local owners, and even less likely to be influenced if owners are distant, or uninvolved in operations. The issue is a difficult one, often without easy solutions. Cost and efficiency may favor layoffs, but ill will and the effects on morale of employees that remain are important considerations. 6. What advantages and what limitations stem from the companys not using preservatives in cookies? By not using preservatives, the product probably appeals to health-conscious buyers, and there are fewer ingredients to purchase, store, and mix, but without preservatives, the shelf life is limited. 7. Briefly describe the companys strategy. The companys strategy is to provide a high quality (good food) cookie that appeal to a particular market niche. Then, respond to questions 2, 3, 6, and 7. Be sure to answer each of the questions posed (even if there are questions within questions).   Please send this  case study  via  the Assignments Link.   This assignment is due on Day 6 Tuesday. 3. Weekly Summary Please submit your Weekly Lessons Learned via the Assignments Link. Due no sooner than Tuesday and no later than Wednesday. NOTE:  ALL Weekly Lessons Learned (Weekly Summary) for Weeks 1 -6 must adhere to the following: Summarize what you have learned from the text reading, class discussions, assignments, etc.  You can even include (in addition to the aforementioned) how what you have learned each week has or can help you professionally.  Therefore, it should not be merely a listing of topics covered each week in your textbook.  Also, this assignment should be a minimum of 200 words. PARTICIPATION: Please submit at least 2 meaningful comments per day to the discussion board (for at least 5 of the 7 days of the week) to receive full participation points. ItemWeek 1 Discussion Questions Discussion Questions: Please respond to the Discussion Questions: Chapter 1: 1, 2, and 11, page 35-36. Chapter 2: 6, 8,and 10,   page 61. These are due by Monday in the Discussion Board. Please have your responses to the questions submitted to the Discussion Board by DAY 5 Monday. This will give everyone the opportunity to discuss them before the end of Seminar 1. >> View/Complete Assignment: Week 1 Discussion Questions ItemWeek 1 Case Study Paper Chapter 2 Case Study Read the Case Study Home Style Cookies, found in Chapter 2, page 64-65. Then, respond to questions 2, 3, 6, and 7. Be sure to answer each of the questions posed (even if there are questions within questions).   Please send this  case study  via  the Assignments Link.   This assignment is due on Day 6 Tuesday. >> View/Complete Assignment: Week 1 Case Study Paper ItemWeek 1 Lessons Learned Weekly Summary Please submit your Weekly Lessons Learned via the Assignments Link. Due no sooner than Tuesday and no later than Wednesday. >> View/Complete Assignment: Week 1 Lessons Learned ItemWeek 1 Particiption Please do not post anything here.   I will post your points earned for participation this week.   Please refer to the course Syllabus for information on how participation points are earned.

UK Migrant Workers: History and Policies

UK Migrant Workers: History and Policies Introduction There has been a large increase in the number of migrant workers in the UK in recent years (McKay, Craw Chopra, 2006). These increases have been spurred on by globalisation, the gaps opening in the UK labour market and legislative changes that provide many and varied methods for coming to the UK. While many migrant workers move into highly skilled jobs, there are also a significant number who carry out low-paid, low-skilled jobs in the UK. The pay and conditions in these jobs has become the focus of much interest, especially in the wake of the shocking deaths of 23 migrant workers harvesting cockles at Morecambe Bay. This essay, therefore, critically examines the history of migration and current policies, the ways in which migrant workers have been exploited, health and safety risks they face and legal protections that have been put in place. History of migration and migration policies The history of migration into and out of the UK is well established (Sriskandarajah Drew, 2006). In the past the result of this movement has been that people have generally left the country: usually heading for Australia, New Zealand Canada. Then, more recently, people increasingly moved out of the UK to Spain and France. It wasnt until the 1980s that the UK became a country which had a net influx of migrants (Sriskandarajah, Cooley Kornblatt, 2007). Net immigration reached its highpoint in the UK in 2004 at 222,600; a year later it fell back by around 40,000. There were a number of actors that caused this change. Dobson et al. (2001) explain that one reason for this change to net immigration was that the highly skilled could command better wages and obtain an improved lifestyle in the UK. In addition there was also a large increase in the number of asylum applications at this time (Home Office 2006). Further, with the addition of new member states to the EU, there was increasing m igration with 605,375 people successfully registering to work in the UK from these new member states (Home Office, 2007). Despite the net immigration to the UK, many do not intend to stay permanently. Spencer, Ruhs, Anderson and Rogaly (2007) found that only one-quarter of those immigrating from East and Central Europe intended to stay permanently. Others again, can be considered irregular migrants. These are people who have come to the UK without the correct authority. Pinkerton, McLaughlan and Salt (2004) estimate there could have been as many as 430,000 illegal immigrants in the UK in 2001. This number has been questioned, however, by Dorling (2007) who suggests this figure might incorrectly include US military personnel stationed here, and others, thereby artificially inflating the numbers. Whatever the true level of migrants in the UK, both legal and illegal, there have been clear changes in immigration policies over the last few decades. Laws regarding migration into the UK have also changed rapidly and a large variety of different ways of entering the UK have been developed (Dench, Hurstfield, Hill Akroyd, 2006). A recent Home Office report finds that there about 50 different methods for people migrating to the UK for both work and study (Home Office, 2005). Five schemes are identified as particularly important by Dench et al. (2006). The first of these is the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS). This was introduced to allow workers living outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to work in the UK carrying out seasonal work in the agricultural industry. Under this scheme 16,250 people each year who are over the age of 18 and in full-time education are allowed to enter the UK for a period of six months to carry out mainly unskilled work. This includes picking and packing of crops and the handling of livestock. The regulations allow that workers may move employers in that period to take into account the variability in the harvest. Workers are supposed to be paid the minimum wage and provide accommodation, for which they are allowed to charge  £27 a week. A second scheme is the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) which applies to people from the eight Accession States (those that have just joined the EU). In order to prevent mass immigration and the immediate claiming of benefits, workers moving to the UK are required to register, and only once they have worked without a break for 12 months are they entitled to full benefits and other rights. A third scheme is the Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) which is designed to allow workers to enter the UK to do a casual or short-term job. This only applies to two particular sectors: food manufacturing and hospitality although it has since been withdrawn from hospitality because of abuse (Home Office, 2005). A third scheme is the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) which is designed to allow highly skilled workers to enter the UK. The Home Office (2005) report states that many migrants entering the UK under this scheme are doctors or are working in the area of health. A fifth category, and the large st method of entry, is through business and commercial work permits. Broadly, this allows companies to recruit from outside the UK if they are unable to fill a position with a UK national, or it allows them to move individuals between countries within the same company. Motives for migration At the highest level of analysis one of the main reasons for immigration is globalisation. Globalisation refers to a number of forces which includes the increased connections between knowledge centres, easier access to communications, easier and cheaper travel and an increased flow of labour (Somerville, 2007). Generally, then, there is much greater integration across large economic areas such as Europe. It has been argued that one of the defining signs of globalisation is immigration (Castles Miller, 2003). Somerville (2007) argues, therefore, that one of the major factors at the heart of globalisation and so migration is economics. As economic pressures change in the UK, so do the types of jobs for which immigration occurs. Salt and Millar (2006) show that in 2005 the industry in which most work permits were issued was health and medical services (26.1%). This was followed by computer services and management and business administration (18.1% and 11.8% respectively). Migrants are, therefore, clearly responding to the particular needs that the UK economy presents to them more readily than those already in the UK. This effect has been amplified by the fact that the UK has seen a period of uninterrupted growth of the economy from the mid-1990s until recent years. Thus there are considerable macroeconomic effects affecting the increased levels of migration into the UK. These types of findings are also reflected in equivalent microeconomic phenomena. Blauw (2002) has examined the reasons why employers have a tendency to use migrant workers. Blauw (2002) found that while employers tended to look first in the UK labour market, if they couldnt fill the positions they had available they began their search amongst migrant workers. Research carried out in Northern Ireland by Bell, Jarman and Lefebvre (2004) found that migrants were required in particular to fill both skilled and unskilled gaps in the labour market. It has also been found that migrant workers are often seen by employers as being ‘better workers. Reed (2005), for example, investigated migrant workers in the food manufacturing industry. It was found that the use of migrant workers had decreased the amount of sickness leave as well as the turnover of employees. Many of these findings were backed up by research into employers of migrant workers by Dench et al. (2006). They also found that in the agricultural industry domestic workers simply did not apply for the jobs that required filling, while in the hotels and catering industry domestic workers were not prepared to work the flexible hours that were required for the job. Dench et al. (2006) points out that it is natural to assume that perhaps employers were not trying very hard to fill their jobs with domestic workers, given that migrant workers frequently provide cheaper labour. This idea, though, was strongly denied by employers who claimed that they had made extensive efforts to recruit domestic workers, but without success. Some employers in the agricultural sector reported that when they tried to recruit from the Jobcentre, potential employees would come for an interview just so that they could prove they had been for an interview, so that could claim benefits. Other employers in the same sector explained that domestic workers would often quit after only a few days work. On the other hand migrant workers often worked hard and stayed in the job. Some similar results were seen in the hotels and catering sector. The approach to their work that domestic workers showed was very low compared to the dedication that migrant workers displayed. The amount of skill required for the job was also an important factor for employers (Dench et al., 2006). A good example was in the construction industry where employers especially valued Polish workers who were highly motivated and could fill the gap in skills that were seen in the industry. A similar picture in relation to skills was also seen in other industries. In the Finance and Accountancy sector employers complained that they couldnt get workers with the right qualifications. As a result they had agencies who would search globally for the right candidates. Overall, though, employers understood that the reason that they recruited migrants was that the same amount of money meant more to them than it did to domestic workers. Of course not all employers accepted migrant labour, some said they were unsure exactly what standards foreign workers were trained up to, and others thought that their lack of fluency in English was a problem (Dench et al., 2006). Despite this, many employers saw considerable advantages in employing migrant workers. Migrant workers were much more reliable and likely to show up for work than domestic workers some employers even had to remind workers to take their annual holiday. Employers also saw much lower levels of turnover with migrant workers. This was probably influenced by the fact that those registered on the WRS have to reregister if they move their employer. Further, employers reported that migrant workers were much more hard-working than domestic workers. This meant they were often prepared to work longer hours and were enthusiastic about doing overtime. Although not mentioned by many employers it was also clearly a factor that migrant workers were more likely to be satis fied working for the minimum wage than domestic workers. Similar findings for why migrant workers are employed are also revealed by McKay et al. (2006). There are also considerable incentives from the migrant workers perspectives to come to the UK for work. Unsurprisingly one of the main motivations is the availability of work and the lack of work in their country of origin. Research conducted by Norfolk County Council and YMCA Norfolk (2005) found migrant workers were primarily motivated by the relatively high rates of pay in the UK compared to their country of origin. Many were particularly interested in learning English, especially those who were from countries that had recently joined the EU. Exploitation of migrant workers The motives for migration in terms of globalisation and its specific effects on the labour market clearly set up a situation in which exploitation is a possibility. A recent Trades Union Congress (2007a) report looked at whether migration hurts migrants. They conclude that despite the advantages for employers and the immediate advantages perceived by some migrant workers, there are also significant problems faced both at the macro- and microlevels. The World Bank (2005), for example, has examined the effects on worldwide economics of the international flow of labour. This finds that migrant workers themselves are certainly better off working outside their own country, however, migrants who stay in the same country actually do worse over the long-term. Looking more specifically at the situation in the UK, though, reveals a much more mixed picture about the question of migrant workers. A variety of studies have attempted to look at the actual working conditions of migrant workers. A report from the Health and Safety Executive has looked closely at the types of risks to which migrant workers are exposed in the workplace (McKay et al., 2006). These authors point out that some previous evidence suggests that migrant workers face significant levels of exploitation in the workplace. Lawrence (2004), for example, has pointed to how the food industry has used migrant workers in order to drive down costs and increase productivity. There have also been a series of high profile cases in which migrant workers have been injured at work. In the worst of these at Morecambe Bay in 2004, 23 Chinese workers lost their lives while picking cockles when they were caught in rising tides. Evidence from the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004), though, suggests the abuses of migrant workers are more systematic. They provide evidence from a number of different sectors about the conditions under which migrant workers are employed. In the care home sector it has been found that many well-qualified workers from other countries, such as nurses, have been promised work of a similar level in the UK but end up in positions that are significantly below their level, such as carrying out cleaning or other menial tasks. Employers will also frequently hold onto the migrant workers passport so as to be able to intimidate them. As a result of this sort of intimidation, many migrant workers report finding it difficult to make any kind of complaint against their employer as they are reliant on the money earned to send back home to their families. Consequently there is unlikely to be any change in the migrant workers position. Within the cleaning sector, the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report that there are a number of ways that migrant workers have been exploited. They report on migrant workers who have been recruited to clean motorway service stations for  £600 a month, of which  £200 is deducted for living costs of a shared room in a house. These workers did not receive a contract of employment, a National Insurance number or a payslip. The Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) also report on the recruitment of foreign nationals at universities in the UK who are given cleaning jobs after being told they will be paid in arrears then they are simply not paid at all. Within the hospitality sector more abuses have been seen. Again, the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report that workers are hired for cleaning or working in restaurants but are not given National Insurance numbers, or contracts, and are paid below the National Minimum Wage. In the agricultural industry, the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report that migrant workers negotiate with ‘gangmasters who present themselves as employment agencies. Workers frequently face very poor accommodation as part of the agreement for which they pay relatively high rates from their wages considering the accommodation provided. The Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) have received complaints on a number of common themes. These include very low rates of pay, no provision of payslips, non-payment of National Insurance contributions, very poor accommodation that is often overcrowded and the risk of dismissal from the job without going through the proper procedures. The findings of the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) were also echoed by Dench et al., (2006). These authors found reports of many of the same problems, as well as stories that some gangmasters in East Anglia were only paying migrant workers  £1 per hour. This was done legally be paying the minimum wage but then claiming back a huge proportion for accommodation. Migrant workers are not just taken advantage of by employers. There are reports of some people charging migrants for the privilege of finding them accommodation and work. Considering the reports from the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) and other anecdotal evidence, it seems likely that migrant workers well-being would be significantly affected by their working conditions. Shields and Price (2003) examined the psychosocial well-being of migrant workers in the UK in relation to different labour market outcomes. They found, perhaps unsurprisingly given the evidence reviewed so far, that the health of the badly treated migrant worke rs is particularly poor. In addition they have significantly lower levels of psychological well-being. Health and safety risks of migrants Considering the many reported disadvantages which migrant workers face in the workplace, it is useful to examine the risks to which they are exposed. McKay et al. (2006) carried out a study of 200 migrant workers who were interviewed across five different areas in both England and Wales. One of the aims of the study was to assess whether migrant workers were placed at any greater risk than other workers who were of domestic origin. McKay et al. (2006) point out that one of the key issues in health and safety is the provision of training. One-third of those who were interviewed in this study indicated that they had not received any training. There was, however, a considerable difference depending on the sector in which people worked. Those who worked in the public sector were significantly more likely to receive training than those who worked elsewhere. It was thought that private sector employers attitudes were that once migrant workers had obtained certification they would leave for better jobs. Clearly one of the problems in training is language. Shellekens and Smith (2004) found that communication was made particularly difficult through the use of slang and technical terms. Some employers did provide instructions in different languages but these translations were not always reliable, or were reliably read by migrant workers. Training was also limited in the sense that while there was sometimes induction training, there was unlikely to be any ongoing training. There was also considerable confusion about who was responsible for providing the health and safety training in the first place. For example in cases where migrant workers were employed by an agency, respondents to the research were unclear whose responsibility the training was. Overall McKay et al. (2006) argue that migrant workers are likely to be at a disadvantage in terms of adequate training in their jobs compared to other workers. Consequently it is understandable that around half of the migrant workers McKay et al. (2006) interviewed had no knowledge of health and safety procedures in their workplace. In terms of equipment there was some confusion uncovered in the study about whether adequate protection was provided migrant workers often claimed they werent given full equipment while employers claimed they did provide it. A similar level of contradictory messages was received when migrant workers and employers were asked about the number of accidents that occurred in the workplace. A quarter of migrant worker respondents indicated that they had suffered or witnessed an accident a relatively high proportion (McKay et al., 2006). Many also said that accident were not reported for fear of endangering their jobs. On the other hand, employers stated that accidents were rare and that all accidents, even the most minor, were reported and recorded. Employers did say, though, that they knew migrant workers were brought up in a culture of blame and so would be unlikely to report accidents. Despite the confusing picture, McKay et al. (2006) conclude that levels of accidents are probably higher amongst migrant workers. This is partly due to the fact that employers who agreed to be interviewed were probably more likely to have good procedures in place along with the fact that migrant workers who have experienced problems are also more likely to come forward for the interviews. This might partly explain the gap in reporting. The general welfare of workers was also examined by McKay et al. (2006) who looked at the temperature of working conditions, the breaks, noise and chemicals. They found, again, that there was confusion over breaks with employers generally saying that breaks were allowed, while migrant workers saying that they often werent or at least that their pay was docked if they did take a break. Similar differences were seen on the question of temperature many migrant workers worked in the extremes of temperature. For noise and chemicals there were few differences seen between migrant and other workers. Other types of complaints about working confirmed the findings of the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report: that migrant workers work long hours and often did not have written terms of employment. As a result of these findings the Trades Union Congress (2007b) have made a number of recommendations to improve the working conditions of migrant workers. They argue that all accidents should be reported, that there should be sufficient provision of first aid and welfare, that the correct protective equipment should be provided along with adequate training and information. This training and information should be accessible and therefore translated into the relevant language should this be required. Finally the TUC recommends that migrant workers should join a trade union so as proper support and organisation can be provided. Legal protection for migrant workers Since migrant workers are so susceptible to exploitation it is natural to ask what legal protection is in place to improve their working conditions. Since, as McKay et al. (2006) point out, migrant workers are amongst the most vulnerable, they certainly require extra protection. One particular problem identified by McKay et al. (2006) is the behaviour of some ‘gangmasters and how it has been addressed by extra legal protection. A gangmaster is someone who is responsible for the payment and supervision of a whole group of workers. While some gangmasters behave properly, others have been identified as the cause of serious problems. Anderson and Rogaly (2005) have found that the employment relationship can be seriously confused in the case where migrants are employed through gangmasters. Surveys of gangmasters have found that only 10% of them follow the law on employment and 40% were breaking the law in at least six different ways (Lawrence, 2004). To attempt to combat some of these problems the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 introduced extra protection for those working in the fisheries and agricultural sectors. This purported to introduce the criminal offence of contracting with gangmasters who had not followed the proper licensing procedures. These licensing procedures are an attempt to check agencies and gangmasters follow the proper employment procedures such as reaching the relevant health and safety standards. The Act has been severely criticised, however, as since it came into force the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has been very slow to draw up the regulations. Also, since the regulations have been drawn up it has become clear that the original powers of the Act have been significantly reduced (Davies Freedland, 2007). One of the clearest ways in which this legal protection is limited is that it simply doesnt cover the vast majority of migrant workers, who work in industries other than agriculture or fisheries. But even in the industries that it does cover, there is a level of scepticism about whether it will make a huge impact (McKay et al., 2006). Employers pointed out that the actual standards required in the licensing were relatively low and that much more stringent measures need to be put in place. The coverage of the system across the country also appears to be patchy. There was evidence that gangmasters had moved from one part of the country to another in order to avoid regulation. In addition, many felt that the audit itself didnt look too closely into the actual past working practices of the gangmasters and agencies themselves. Finally, there were also questions about how well these new laws would be enforced. Conclusion The motives for migration appear to be strong in the current labour market situation: globalisation, skill shortages and the sheer availability of certain jobs in the UK mean that migrant workers are in demand. Changes to immigration policies have meant that there are now a variety of schemes available for migrant workers to come to the UK. Overall the point should be made that the effect of migration on both the host and home countries is probably positive. Unfortunately it has become clear, due to recent studies, that a significant proportion of migrant workers, particularly those working in low-paid, low-skilled occupations, are being exploited. This exploitation appears to run right from the simple bending of rules to the complete flouting of standard UK employment practices. Both Health and Safety and TUC investigations have uncovered serious shortcomings in the treatment of migrant workers. New rules have been introduced by Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 to try and curb the i llegal practices of gangmasters and agencies. Despite this, and despite the young age of the legislation, these rules have been roundly criticised for failing to provide adequate protection for migrant workers. Not least of these criticism is that the legislation doesnt cover the majority of migrant workers. Clearly much greater levels of regulation are required to protect those migrant workers who are at the highest risk of being exploited in the UK labour market. Brexit: Causes and Consequences Brexit: Causes and Consequences On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in an event dubbed â€Å"Brexit† (Britain + exit). This paper will explore the events leading up to the vote, the reasons for and against Britain leaving the EU, the immediate and long-term fallout, the steps to implementation, and the current discussions regarding implementation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, recognizing the distinction between the Euro Currency and the European Union is important. The European Union is an economic and political partnership that began after WWII with six founding members to foster economic co-operation. The EU has steadily grown to 28 countries. The idea was that countries that trade together are less likely to go to war with each other. The Treaty on the European Union states that any European country can apply for membership if it respects the democratic values of the EU and is committed to promoting these values. Countries wishing to join must have stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, a functioning market economy, and the ability to take on and implement effectively the obligations of membership. Financial and transitional arrangements for new members must be negotiated. The EU has its own currency, the Euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries (Wheeler, 2017).   The Euro was adopted in 1999 and is now the second most traded currency after the United States dollar. Some sovereign states that are not part of the EU have also adopted the Euro, as well as many territories, departments, and states of Euro-zone countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Brexit campaign kicked off in 2015, when a pledge was activated to hold a referendum, or public vote, on the UK’s membership of the EU. David Cameron made this promise under immense pressure from â€Å"Eurosceptics† and when the Conservative political party appeared to be losing votes to the UK Independence Party. Cameron then toured EU capitals seeking to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s membership, vowing to campaign to keep Britain a part of the EU. When Britain went to vote, all polls indicated that the UK would remain in the EU (Financial Times: Brexit timeline).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were many reasons for and against leaving the EU. In 2016, Britain paid in over  £13.1 billion to the EU budget, but also received  £4.5 billion worth of spending. Determining whether the  £8.6 billion net contribution is worth the other advantages of EU membership can be difficult. The EU is a single market, meaning no tariffs are imposed on imports and exports between the 28 members. The UK currently conducts more than 50% of its trades with other members of the EU. Britain also benefits from trade deals between the EU and other world powers. Leaving the EU causes them to lose some of that negotiating power. Following Brexit, the UK could seek membership of the European Free Trade Area, which includes the 28 members of the EU plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. However, joining the Free Trade Area means that the UK would remain bound by almost all EU regulations, while losing their input on those regulations. Open Europe conducted a study which found that the worst-case scenario is that the UK economy loses 2.2% of its total GDP by 2030. They also found that GDP could increase by 1.6% if a free trade deal can be negotiated. Supporters of Brexit think that it would be in the best interest of other European countries to re-establish free trade. However, opponents believe that the EU would want to discourage further exits by making life hard for Britain (Brexit).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For proponents of Brexit, sovereignty was seen as a major reason to leave the EU. Few disagree that EU membership involves giving up control over its own affairs. Those that advocated for remaining in the EU said that leaving would weaken the UK’s position by taking away the power to influence events in an increasingly complex and interdependent world (Riley, 2016). British politician Douglas Carswell wrote that, â€Å"The European Union has lost control, and is unable to respond. Being part of the EU means that we can be outvoted by the Euro block on economic matters†¦The safest thing we can do is vote to take back control,† (Carswell, 2015). He goes on to add that the UK could spend more on their own priorities, such as scientific research, if they left the EU. Carswell also writes that the UK could be a greater influence for free trade and cooperation as part of the World Trade Organization. Immigration is another topic of discussion. Under EU law, the UK cannot prevent anyone from another EU member state from immigrating to the UK. Britons benefit from the ability to live and work in any of the 27 other member countries. Consequently, there has been a large increase in immigration into the UK. While the recent pace of immigration has led to concerns with housing and service provision, the overall outcome has been positive. Some believe that immigration should be cut and control of the borders should be regained. A decrease in immigration would mean more jobs for the people who remain, but with a current unemployment rate of around 4.5%, the UK does not appear to be suffering in this manner. Those that support staying in the EU estimated that there are three million jobs linked to trade with the EU. If trade and investment falls following Brexit, some of these jobs would undoubtedly be lost (Brexit). However, it is not clear exactly how many of these jobs are dependent on the UK being a part of the European Union. On the flip side, if trade were to rise after Brexit, new jobs would likely be created. A writer for the London School of Economics said that limiting freedom of movement between EU countries discourages the â€Å"brightest and the best† from coming to Britain, and it reduces the pool of potential candidates for jobs (Brexit). Security was another point of contention. Those is favor of Brexit argued that remaining in the EU is leaving the door open to terrorist attacks, because the open border does not allow them to know who is entering and exiting the country. However, several senior military figures argued that the EU is an â€Å"increasingly important pillar of our security† especially in light of instability in the Middle East and Russia. Michael Fallon, Defense Secretary, said that they needed the collective power of the EU to work together on counter-terrorism. However, Colonel Richard Kemp, former head of the international terrorism team at the Cabinet Office, said that it was absurd to assume that the EU would put citizens at risk by reducing cooperation (Brexit).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite strong arguments both for and against Brexit, the referendum to decide the future of the UK as part of the EU was held on Thursday, June 23, 2016. Over 30 million people voted, for a turnout of 71.8% of the voting eligible population. The UK voted to leave the EU by a vote of 51.9% to 48.1%. Across the UK, there were significant differences in the percentage of the population voting to leave. Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU by votes of 62% to 38% and 55.8% to 44.2%, respectively. England and Wales voted to leave the EU with votes to leave tallying 53.4% and 52.5% (Wheeler).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vote on Brexit came with political consequences. The day after losing the referendum, David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister. Theresa May, the former home secretary, took over, becoming Prime Minister without facing a full Conservative leadership contest after the key players from the â€Å"Leave† side withdrew from consideration. May was against Brexit during the referendum campaign but is now in favor of it because the British people voted for it. Her position is that â€Å"Brexit means Brexit†, and she began the process of leaving the UK on March 29, 2017 when she invoked Article 50, a plan for any country that wishes to leave the EU. Article 50 was created in 2009 as part of the Treaty of Lisbon, becoming the first formal mechanism for a country to leave the EU. This short, five-paragraph article spells out that any member state deciding to quit the EU must notify the European Council and negotiate its withdrawal with the EU. Countries wishing to leave have two years to reach an agreement and cannot participate in EU internal discussions about its departure (Wheeler).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Article 50 process lasts two years. Accordingly, the intention is that the UK will leave the EU on March 29, 2019, two years from the date that May began the process. This date can be extended if all 28 members agree, however currently all sides are focusing on this date as the key one. EU law still stands in the UK until it is no longer a member. There is currently uncertainty about how final the break will be on this date. Many prominent figures support a transition period of up to three years to allow a smooth implementation. Although all ties could technically be cut on this date, May and others would like to avoid such a â€Å"cold turkey† exit where current regulations on things like trade and travel ends overnight, as this could harm the economy (Wheeler). In a speech in Florence, May confirmed her government will pursue an implementation of around two years after the formal point of departure scheduled for March 2019. Under her deal, relations between Britain and the EU would remain similar as before, with the UK contributing to the EU budget to settle its divorce bill, and remaining within the single market until 2021 (Theresa).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Along with political consequences, Brexit also had several economic consequences. David Cameron and many other figures who wanted to stay in the EU predicted an immediate economic crisis if the UK voted to leave. They were partially correct; the pound slumped the day after the referendum and remains about 10% lower against the dollar and 15% down against the euro. However, the UK economy was estimated to have grown 1.8% in 2016 and has continued to grow at almost the same rate in 2017. The drop in value of the pound means that exports should get a boost as UK goods will be cheaper, but imported goods will get more expensive (United). Inflation has risen since the vote to stand currently at approximately 4%, but unemployment has also continued to fall to a 42-year low of 4.3%. House prices have fallen from 9.4% in June 2016 to 5% in August 2017 (Wheeler).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pensions, savings, investments, and mortgages are also affected by Brexit. The UK has a â€Å"triple lock† for state pensions, which is an agreement by which pensions increase by the highest of the level of earnings, inflation, or 2.5% each year. Cameron said this policy would likely be threatened by a UK exit, and May had proposed ditching the 2.5% part of the law. However, as part of the post-election deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, the triple lock remains guaranteed. Any expats who rely on UK income, like pensions, will be impacted by currency changes. Additionally, more than a million pensioners living in Spain are currently being paid annual cost of living rises by the UK government. There is considerable concern regarding whether this policy will continue (Connington, 2017).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Savings rates dropped to record lows following the vote, partially driven by the Bank of England’s decision to halve Bank Rate in August 2016. Other factors also played in to the drop, including investors who feared instability and sought a safe haven in government bonds. Prices were pushed up and their yield was consequently decreased. Pessimism in the immediate aftermath of the referendum has subsided and savings rates have begun to bounce back. However, it is expected that rates will remain volatile until Brexit talks are settled and it can be determined what policies will be in effect. The Brexit referendum also impacted mortgage rates. Experts were wrong, however. While it was predicted that rates would initially rise following the vote, they actually fell. Again, this was partly due to the cut of the Bank Rate. It was also caused by increased competition in the mortgage market. Towards the end of 2016, rates began to creep back up, and this pattern of gradual increases is predicted to continue (Dyson, 2016).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The UK and EU negotiating teams met for the first time on June 19, 2017. They meet face-to-face for four days each month in Brussels to try to reach an agreement on the rights of UK and EU citizens after Brexit, a figure for the amount of money the UK will pay upon leaving, and what will happen to the Northern Ireland border. These negotiations are complex, as it is complicated to unpick 43 years of treaties and agreements. The UK team is led by David Davis, a veteran Conservative MP who is Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. On the EU side, Michel Barnier, a former French foreign minister and EU commissioner, is leading the charge (Wheeler). Since this has never been done before, a great deal will have to be improvised as the negotiations continue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barnier has not been hesitant to remind the UK side that the â€Å"clock is ticking† on the negotiations. EU summits in March and June 2018 will be important in the process, but the real time crunch is expected to come in the fall of 2018. If a deal is to be approved by Parliament, the European Parliament, and the EU states, it will need to be agreed upon by this point to meet the Article 50 deadline. 72% of the EU states will have to vote in favor of the deal for it to pass. Although the UK could leave before March 2019 if an agreement is reached sooner, that is highly unlikely at this stage. May says leaving the EU with no deal in place is preferred to signing a bad one (Wheeler). If Brexit occurs with no agreement on trade, the UK would operate under World Trade Organization rules.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One main topic of discussion in the negotiations is the type of trade deal the UK will have with the UK following Brexit. Studies by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research suggest that leaving the single market could cause a long-term reduction in UK trade with Europe between 22% and 30%, unless they sign exactly the same free trade deal they have currently. Many in the EU have made it clear that they do not support this. This significant drop in trade reflects the purpose of the single market as reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers within the EU. The government believes that a portion of the trade impact can be offset by creating new free trade deals with countries outside of the EU, but that could take a while (Wheeler). The other major problem involving trade is immigration and labor mobility. Internationally operated businesses often require moving key staff in and out of the country seamlessly, and certain sectors such as agriculture and food preparation rely on thousands of EU workers. This issue is one that would be particularly impacted by a â€Å"cliff-edge† exit and would greatly benefit from transitional arrangements. While it has yet to be agreed upon for sure, at this time, it seems that all EU nationals lawfully living in the UK for at least five years will apply for â€Å"settled status† and be able to bring over spouses and children. Any deal on future legal status and rights must also be reciprocal and give certainty to the 1.2 million expats living elsewhere in Europe. Barnier has demanded more clarity and ambition from the UK government, saying that this proposal does not go far enough and he wants the same level of protection citizens have under current EU law. May has said one of her key takeaways from the Leave vote is that the British people want a reduction in immigration. She would like the net migration, or difference between the amount of people entering and leaving the country, to reach a â€Å"sustainable† level of below 100,000 per year. The rate of increase in population has slowed since the vote, largely driven by an increase in emigration from the UK by citizens of many East and Central European countries (Wheeler). Another very important facet of the Brexit negotiation is how to avoid a â€Å"hard† border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, who have been living mostly in peace since the Good Friday Agreement twenty years ago. The invisible land border has been crucial to economic development and has been of huge symbolic importance. Neither side wants Brexit to result in new barriers, but the UK government has not yet produced a realistic proposal on how to avoid physical border controls. The EU worries that leaving this border unpoliced creates a conduit for goods to flow illegally between the UK and the EU via Ireland (Financial Times: Brexit risks). The final contentious topic of discussion is how much the UK will owe the EU for its exit. Barnier wants the UK to cover their liabilities and budgetary commitments. A Commission spokesman likened it to still needing to pay your tab even if you leave the bar. The â€Å"divorce bill† could include pension payments to EU officials, guarantees on loans such as the bailout of Ireland, and spending on infrastructure agreed on but yet to be financed. The EU wants Britain to respect the obligations resulting from the entire period of their membership, referencing the seven-year budget period that runs through 2020. The estimates as to how much this bill could end up totaling range from 5 billion pounds to over 100 billion euros. Once Britain leaves, the EU will have to fill a void in its budget of about 10 billion euros, which could mean increasing contributions from the remaining 27 members, cutting spending, or finding alternative revenue sources (Kennedy, 2017). Ideally, this issue would have been addressed first, but the British preferred to address everything at the same time so trade-offs and compromises could be made. This approach is part of the reason why little headway has been made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two more current issues are affecting the talks surrounding implementation. The UK government’s EU Withdrawal Bill, formerly known as the Great Repeal Bill, reached committee stage in the House of Commons in November 2017. This bill aims to ensure that European law will no longer apply in the UK following Brexit, by repealing the 1972 European Communities Act. Any existing EU legislation will be carried over into domestic UK law to help with a smooth transition. This bill will be one of the largest legislative projects ever undertaken in the UK, presenting a unique challenge because the body of EU law is found in many different places and in many different forms. Many UK laws will also no longer work upon exit, since they refer to institutions of the EU. Since not all of this can be accomplished through the repeal bill, the government plans to create powers to correct statute where necessary, without full Parliamentary scrutiny (Wheeler). The passing of this bill is further complicated by the ongoing negotiations with the EU.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another new development affecting Brexit is growing evidence that thousands of fake accounts may have been used to influence the Brexit vote. Britain’s intelligence watchdog is facing demands to examine whether Russians interfered. Academics in the UK have found that at least 419 Twitter accounts operating from the Kremlin-linked Russian Internet Research Agency tweeted about Brexit. Additionally, thousands of other Russian twitter accounts posted more than 45,000 times about Brexit during last year’s referendum, in a span of just 48 hours. Approximately 13,000 accounts that tweeted about Brexit during the campaign disappeared after the vote. Theresa May has declined to say whether she believes Russia had interfered, supporting the position that there is no evidence yet. Putin also has denied Russia’s role, saying the day after the vote that, â€Å"We closely followed the voting but never sought to influence it,† (Booth, 2017). The impacts of the Withdrawal Bill and possible Russian intervention have yet to be seen, but will definitely affect the proceedings of the talks surrounding implementation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The year and a half following the Brexit vote has been a contentious time in the UK. The full economic impact is unknown, and markets will likely be volatile as discussions continue and Brexit plays out fully. It is yet to be seen exactly when and how the UK will exit the European Union. Further complicating the exit date is May’s promise that Members of Parliament will vote at the end of the two year process to approve whatever deal is agreed to. They could potentially vote to send the UK back to renegotiate. Andy deal that is made also must be approved by the European Parliament. With so much uncertainty regarding the politics, economics, and other implications of Brexit, discussion on this topic is far from over. Once a deal is finally agreed to, it will impact the UK and the EU for years to come. References Booth, R., & Hern, A. (2017, November 15). Intelligence watchdog urged to look at Russian influence on Brexit vote. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/15/intelligence-watchdog-urged-to-look-at-russian-influence-on-brexit-vote Brexit: What are the pros and cons of leaving the EU. (n.d.). Retrieved from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.theweek.co.uk/brexit-0 Carswell, D. (2015, October 09). Douglas Carswell: Why Im backing Vote Leave in the EU referendum. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/11922172/Douglas-    Carswell-Why-Im-backing-Vote-Leave-in-the-EU-referendum.html Connington, J. (2017, March 10). ​​​How Brexit will affect your money: investments, currency and more. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/isas/brexit-will-affect-money-investments-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   currency/ Dyson, R. E. (2016, June 24). Brexit: ​how will your savings and mortgages be affected? Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/personal-banking/savings/brexit-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   outcome-what-it-means-for-savings/ Financial Times: Brexit risks destabilizing Irelands fragile peace. (n.d.). Retrieved from     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   https://www.ft.com/content/046ce872-c30a-11e7-b2bb-322b2cb39656 Financial Times: Brexit timeline: key dates in UKs divorce with EU. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/64e7f218-4ad4-11e7-919a-1e14ce4af89b Kennedy, S. (2017, July 14). Explaining Brexits Costs and Whether Britain Will Pay Up.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-14/brexit-s-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   costs-and-whether-britain-will-pay-up-quicktake-q-a Riley-Smith, B. (2016, June 16). Leave or Remain in the EU? The arguments for and against Brexit. Retrieved from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/leave-or-remain-in-the-eu-the-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   arguments-for-and-against-brexit/ Theresa May Seeks 2-Year Brexit Implementation Period. (n.d.). Retrieved from     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://time.com/4952988/britain-theresa-may-brexit-two-years-implementation-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   period/ United Kingdom. (n.d.). Retrieved from   https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/gbr/ What are the key issues for the Brexit negotiations? (2017, March 29). Retrieved from     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39196315 Wheeler, A. H. (2017, November 13). Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the EU. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887