Modern Day Communication

Introduction The traditional process of human communication has always involved a certain degree of direct personal interaction between individuals yet with the introduction of new technology preferred methods of communication have become more impersonal resulting in an increasingly isolationist society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Day Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As technology improves methods of communication have steadily become more convenient wherein people are no longer limited in their ability contact one another but rather can choose from a plethora of choices. The creation of mobile phone technology has enabled people to be contacted at anywhere at anytime through either a direct phone conversation or a more discreet text message. Online methods of communication such as email, chat messengers or even online video conferencing services such as those on Skype have made it so th at global methods of communication have become far easier and affordable compared to the situation two decades ago where international communication was an arduous affair often involving significant delays, costs or even an inability to be contacted due to ones location. It was through the greater interconnectivity of countries through globalization that communication similarly became more globalized thus making it more convenient for the average user. Despite the current ease of use most people have with utilizing an assortment of methods of communication, as of late the most popular methods of communication such as texting, email and chat messengers have actually promoted a culture of isolation (Reid, 423 – 435). This is due to the fact that as these popular methods of communication become the norm so to does the level of social isolation of its users increase due the lack of direct face to face communication (Gordon, 60). As such, this brings up the question if it is possi ble to become more isolated due to the use of popular methods of communication despite the greater level of communicative interconnectivity that technology has brought about, and if so what are its negative consequences? Trend in Social Isolation Direct face to face interaction in order to communicate ideas and gain insight has been replaced with the convenience and rapidity brought about by the today’s popular methods of communication. With the loss of direct interaction comes a growing trend of isolation wherein people prefer being able to communicate with each other through short rapid fire messages rather than the long eloquent styles often seen in face to face interactions (Denial of Isolation, 10). As a result, emotional cues and responses usually evident in most direct conversations are absent resulting in more individuals becoming isolated both emotionally and socially from the world around them due to the lack of interaction (Cole and Cole, 40).Advertising Looki ng for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is due to these factors that there has been an increase in social awkwardness among young adults who have become so used to popular methods of communication that when placed in an instance of direct social interaction they tend to stumble around the conversation because of a certain lack of practice in direct communication. It is due to instances such as these that certain individuals have begun to prefer technologically based methods of communication since they are able to avoid problems related to their inability to properly communicate and socialize in public. This in turns continues to promote the trend of social isolation resulting in possible problems later on in life for individuals who experience this apparent â€Å"side-effect† of modern day communication. Understanding the Effects of Modern Methods of Communication In his book â€Å"The Shal lows†, Nicholas Carr presents readers with the notion that the traditional method of reading books, essays and various other written works are superior to what is offered today on the internet (Carr, 3). For Carr, the internet is a medium based on the concept of interruption where multitasking and rapid fire reading is the norm rather than curious oddities. Reading short articles, responding to emails and chatting at the same time has become so ubiquitous with internet usage that most people barely give it a second thought. On the other hand, as Carr explains, this has resulted in people losing the ability to enter into a slow, contemplative method of thinking normally associated with reading novels in print (Carr, 14). A crowding out effect can be seen where people find it harder to concentrate on lengthy articles, books or essays and a growing preference has developed for short rapid fire articles which can be browsed within a few minutes. It must be noted that with the deve lopment of the internet people have in effect become able to communicate their ideas to an audience through a massive scale. Blogs, internet article sites and various other online means of posting ideas have become so ubiquitous with modern day society that it is hard to imagine our current culture without the various articles we read on a daily basis which are a form of communication between a writer and reader in which the ideas they have regarding sports, politics and society in general are relayed to us on a daily basis. While the internet on any given day produces hundreds of thousands of pages of content, easily rivaling and surpassing the traditional publishing world in the amount of material produced however most of what is actually created is of poor literary quality, incomparable to what is written by professional writers and scholars.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Day Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such a case is similar to the observation made by novelist Harvey Swales in 1951 during the rise in popularity of the paperback novel in which he stated that it could be the start of either an increase in the value of produced material or the inundation of trashy literature into an already polluted ocean of books and novels. As such it can be said that the traditional method of communicating ideas through journals, books and various other forms of printed media have steadily been replaced in popularity through an apparent flood of literature that does not even reach the same literary heights. For Carr the perceived value of the internet is one of human deterioration where people lose the ability for solitary single minded concentration in favor of rapid fire multitasking due to the proliferation of articles that can be easily consumed and read (Carr, 8). Positive Effects in Communication It must be noted that Clay Shirky in his book â€Å"Cognitive Surplusâ⠂¬  states that the internet has provided people with a platform in which to collaborate, communicate, experiment and as a result create effective social change through various collaborative works (Shirky, 5 – 10). For Shirky it is this ability to interact and create rather than remain a static passive observer that makes the internet a positive force towards the buildup of social and cultural development. In the eyes of Shirky, the internet acts as an open platform for contribution where user driven content and collaboration drives social and cultural development (Shirky, 11). Collaborative efforts such as Wikipedia, Wiki’s and social networking sites such as blogs, twitter and online message boards all contribute to utilizing the aptly named cognitive surplus towards creating an ever increasing amount of user driven content that contributes towards societal development. While Shirky does indicate that not all content is productive such as the internet meme â€Å"lo lcats† the fact remains that people are actually doing something rather than remaining static that signals a progressive change towards dynamic social interaction (Ruberg 33). Online projects such as Wikipedia, Project Guttenburg, Ushahidi and various other online drivers of collaboration help to improve the accessibility of information and promotes drivers of interactivity resulting in greater amounts of user driven content.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As it was mentioned earlier, the indicator of progressive social and cultural change is dynamic contribution with the internet being the latest and best instrument to bring about such changes to human society (Drezner 31). The only problem facing the contributions made on the internet to act as triggers to create change in society is in their inherent value and the amount of control asserted on them. Social Networking, Communication and Change On the other hand developments such as Wikipedia, Google Books, Project Guttenberg and various review sites have enabled users to contribute to the wealth of knowledge that the internet is known for further expanding the ability of individual users to gain access to all forms of information whether it be statistical, opinionated, encyclopedic or even a mere review. Social networking sites such as Facebook, twitter and MySpace have helped to create collaborative online communities that can actually enact social change in the real world. The inf amous online group Anonymous is famous for setting up the February 2008 protests against the church of scientology wherein literally thousands of people around the world protested outside various scientology establishments and churches. The website Wikileaks has helped to encourage transparency in government operations and various other message boards have become spring boards for actually change in the way society has begun to operate on a global scale. Based on this it can be seen that true change is on the way for the internet, a true tool for societal collaboration to enact change on a global scale. Preserving the Levels of Integrity In light of the recent scandals involving corrupt public officials, self-serving politicians and criminal justice professionals who seem more in league with crime than justice what is needed is to create a set standard involving proper ethics and morality in order to preserve in the eyes of the public the necessary ethical standards people in such p ositions should have. One standard that should be maintained is adherence to properly doing ones job, in various recorded cases it has been seen that various public officials and criminal justice professionals have in fact been slacking off with their duties resulting in the public wondering why such officials are in their positions in the first place. While such actions are brought about by the tediousness of their jobs it must be noted that in such professions where the public is directly affected by ones actions slacking off is never an option due to the possible repercussions such actions may have on the general public good. Another necessary standard is the need to preserve the integrity of one’s position despite outside influences in the form of cash bribes or other forms of altering one’s decisions. A position in a public office entails that need to prioritize equality amongst the people rather than focus on a particular group due to a self-serving attitude. It is only when public officials start to serve their own causes rather than that of the people that problems in the system occur. Based on this it is important to maintain a certain degree of impartiality in order to maintain an effective public system that ensures all individuals are treated fairly and equally. On a relatively minor note, in such cases involving necessary standards for potential criminal justice professionals and public sector officials what is needed is to properly integrate standards in the production of literature or text in order to ensure its professionalism while at the same time using current practices in information dissemination in order to get the information to the general public. It must be noted that no matter how professional a document looks it is absolutely useless if the information within it is not seen by general public. For criminal justice professionals and public sector officials maintaining their professionalism in light of the recent trends in trashy online communication is important however what must be taken into consideration is properly informing the public about information garnered by their profession so that the public can be well educated and can make informed decisions. Works Cited Carr, Nicholas. What the Internet is Doing to our Brains The Shallows. New York: Norton Company, 2010. eBook. Cole, Larry, and Michael Cole. â€Å"Sensory isolation while being a prisoner of the information age.† Communication World 15.4 (1998): 40. Business Source  Premier. EBSCO. Web. â€Å"DENIAL OF ISOLATION.† Communications of the ACM 43.12 (2000): 10. Academic  Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Drezner, Daniel W. â€Å"Weighing the Scales: The Internet’s Effect On State-Society Relations.† Brown Journal of World Affairs 16.2 (2010): 31-44. EBSCO. PDF. 08 May. 2011. Gordon, Michael. â€Å"High-tech loneliness: How our inventions keep us apart.† Futurist July 1990: 60. Academic Search Premier. EBS CO. Web. Reid, Donna J., and Fraser J.M. Reid. â€Å"Text or Talk? Social Anxiety, Loneliness, and Divergent Preferences for Cell Phone Use.† CyberPsychology Behavior 10.3 (2007): 424-435. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Ruberg, Bonnie. â€Å"Cash In on the Internet Memes Phenomenon.† PC World 27.8 (2009): 33. EBSCO. PDF. 08 May. 2011. Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age. New York: Penguin Press, 2010. eBook. This essay on Modern Day Communication was written and submitted by user Cailyn Cruz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Why Go to College Essays

Why Go to College Essays Why Go to College Essay Why Go to College Essay Before I read the short essay â€Å"ATTITUDE† by Charles Swindoll, attitude means mere a physical position or a manner to me. As a non-native English speaker, I just consider the word â€Å"attitude† as a way to show one’s posture toward something. However, I could not help admitting that my concept of attitude was totally wrong right after meeting Swindoll’s essay. I always thought that someone’s success depends on his gift or intelligence which comes with passion.On the contrary, Swindoll defines attitude as the more important thing than anything else and even the only thing with which we can do to change the inevitable. According to Swindoll’s theory, having a certain attitude can decide how one’s life would be. Generally I agree with his argument. Surely his point that the most significant thing in one’s life can be the way how he responds to his circumstances is right. However, there are still variou s obstacles that cannot be overcome only with attitude. Before have a positive attitude, we need to have a strong will power.Also before getting a will power, we must experience something in failure or in need desperately. Nevertheless his argument can be applied only after some prerequisites like a will power or desperation are satisfied; I am willing to use his thought for my successful college daily life. I would take a positive attitude on learning process, so I will be careful not to be absent from class and try to be punctual as possible as I can. Also I will apply it to making a good relationship with others. First of all, I will apply this attitude theory to the relationship with my son right away.

Accounting Systems Design & Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounting Systems Design & Development - Essay Example Therefore, in an organization a steering committee plays the role of a decision maker (Shelly and Vermaat, 2010, p. 420). In the context of a system development project, the roles of the steering committee are as follows: The steering committee takes the responsibility for the feasibility of the project, developing the business plan. It ensures the scope of the project aligns with the need of the customers or the stakeholder groups. The steering committee also assists in the process of evaluation of project risks and the approaches of project risk management. The committee also provides guidance to those involved directly in the project. The guidance is offered mainly in the field of business issues related to the success of the project. (b) Discuss one advantage and one disadvantage of phased-in and direct switch-over implementation strategies. Solution: Phased-in implementation can be defined as a process of changeover from a preexisting system to a new one. The phased-in strategy has to move across a number of stages in order actually implement it. Advantages: Through the phased-in implementation process, it is possible to develop an overall implementation plan and further test it in small scale employing the production data. Apart from that, it also ensures establishing tractable and reasonable measures of success. Furthermore, it institutionalizes the process as it takes place. The changes in the process of implementation can be easily incorporated in the strategy through the process of familiarization. Also, the team members become the actual functional owners. The changes in this process are gradual and, therefore, easy to get accustomed to. Disadvantages: The biggest disadvantage of phased-in implementation strategy is that the process of implementation is very much time-consuming. Also, the implementation strategy is comparatively slower than the direct implementation strategy. The implementation process differs on a project-to-project basis. The impac ts of the implementation are not visible readily and have to wait till the results appear. In this implementation strategy, it is very difficult to maintain the momentum of the team members until and unless a situation of urgency is reached. Direct Switch over Implementation Strategy The direct switch over implementation strategy is about the direct switchover from the old system to the new system (ISRD group, 2006, p. 315). Some of the advantages and disadvantages are illustrated below: Advantages: The process of implementation is extremely fast as compared to the other forms of implementation strategies. Sometimes, the implementation process is completed within a week or is implemented overnight. Disadvantages: Sometimes, huge delays may occur due to absence of any scope of reverting. The system becomes unfamiliar to the user. It does not provide any option by which the old and new systems can be compared. 2. Using the Table provided, classify the following control activities as g eneral or application and explain your reasoning, (a) Employees have a password to gain access to the system. (b) When sales are entered the system retrieves customer details based on the customer number. (c) A check is performed to identify if all cheques can be accounted for. (d) Systems development is subject to signoff by the CIO before it can take place. (e) Virus definitions are updated daily. (f) The Sales Manager must approve all discounts

Economic policy in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic policy in the USA - Essay Example United States applied Keynesian approach that supports fiscal policy as the best measure to boost socio-economic growth. Fiscal policy is important in managing economy within the projections of the government (Cohen 67). United States has over time used fiscal policy at national level as the best way to enhance expansionary economic policy. For instance, increased taxation has given the country revenue to fund various sectors and more importantly initiate economic stimulus programme. Such programmes help in creating more jobs which constitute expansionary measures hence boosting the overall national income per capita. The changing socio-economic and political structure of the contemporary society has initiated free-market economy. In this regard, United States uses monetary policy through its reserve bank to regulate inflation and hence boosts its global competitiveness in trade. The theoretical tenet behind monetary policy is the free interaction of forces of demand and supply (Cohe n 120). It is also the basis of capitalism which has seen United States remain consistent in terms of global economic performance ranking. The monetary policy has also been critical to the United States considering the use of its currency as the standard of measure. This means consideration of its foreign policy on trade which depends on the strength of its currency in global market. Fiscal policy remains in force within United States towards welfare of the citizens and particularly towards provision of education and healthcare.

Accounting Standards Boards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting Standards Boards - Essay Example This convergence was done in order to improve the two main US accounting principles i.e. IFRA and GAAP. China and Japan also worked in this coverage of two boards. In accordance with the 2010 reports, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s have issued a statement of global accounting standard and convergence in order to direct the SEC staff. This was done to make a work plan which should be used to incorporate IFRA standards in US financial reporting system (Colson, Robert H, 2003, p.22). A brief history on the relationship of these two boards is described below: Interest of international accounting began in 1950s due to the integration of World War II and due to the increase of capital flaws in the systems. An international congress of accountant was hosted by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1962. It discussed the steps for the development of accounting, auditing and other reporting standards. The first textbook of international accounting was publishe d in 1967 which was written by a member of FASB. IASB and FASB relationship was informal one. But in 1988 FASB became a member of IASC which meant that FASB was able to participate in the meetings of IASC. In 1993 FASB and its counter party conducted a joint venture project. This resulted in the improvement of in the relationship and standards of these two boards. In 2000 use of international accounting standards increased rapidly due to which IASB and FASB decided to collaborate and explore US international standards. IASB and FASB finally decided to collaborate and work together in order to improve the US accounting standards. This partnership has been mentioned in â€Å"The Norwalk Agreement.† A memorandum of understanding was issued by both of the boards in 2006. It described the targeted performance they hope to achieve by 2008. In this MOA they shared their common objective with high quality accounting standards. Both the boards completed the first joint project and iss ued a converged accounting standard on business combination in 2007. FASB and IASB updated its memorandum of understanding in 2008 in order to establish convergence goals of 2011. FASB reported the status of their project in order to converge and improve UC GAAP accounting standards in 2010. First quarter congress report was issued by both the boards which reported modification of their joint work plan. A progress report was issued by both the boards in 2011. It reported the progress of the convergence work program. In this report it gave priority to the three main areas i.e. leasing, financial instrument and revenue recognition. 1.2 IASB equivalents of the FASB original pronouncements FASB and IASB mainly establish standards in relation to finance and accounting which helps nongovernmental organizations to prepare financial statements. FASB major pronouncement is to develop the principles of general accounting, while IASB focuses on international financial reporting analysis. This indicates that IASB is not equivalent of the pronouncements of the other board. There exists difference in the practices of both the boards. FASB uses a rule based approach, which differs from the principles of IASB; it focuses on techniques, processes and organization. In spite of these differences in the original pronouncement, both the boards have agreed to converge for the best interest of financial economy. This means that the main reason of the convergence was to set universal standards of accounting. In order to reduce these differences meetings were conducted by auditors to ensure the success of both the boar

A Definition Of Collaborative Learning English Language Essay

A Definition Of Collaborative Learning English Language Essay What is collaborative learning? This article looks at the definitions of collaborative learning and provides the reader with an overview of the definitions of collaborative learning, its various forms, and its goals, uses and scope vis-a-vis the traditional classroom and school system. It was midnight on a school night. I saw the light on in my 16 year olds room and went to tell him to go to sleep. His door was uncharacteristically open and I could hear animated voices from inside his room. I found him on Skype with a couple of friends. They were quizzing each other, working out numericals and clarifying each others concepts for a big physics test next morning. Have you worked on your homework math problems with a friend? Did you ever get together with peers in a group to understand a difficult theory in college? Did you ever brainstorm with other classmates on a school project? Weve all done collaborative learning at some stage of our lives; we just didnt know what to call it. The very dictionary definition of collaboration will tell us what collaborative learning means. The word collaboration brings together the Latin col- meaning with or together with the Latin labor or toil. For educationists, collaborative learning is a comprehensive term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers together.1 How can teachers use Collaborative Learning? Collaborative Learning happens when students work together or are made to work together in pairs or groups: to understand or make meaning of a concept or text to create a solution for a problem (given in class or self-discovered) to explore a topic, a question, an area of knowledge to apply the principles learned in their curriculum to conceive of new ways to apply the knowledge they have learned in class to construct a tangible article or a physical object (for example, a report, a term-paper, a model volcano, a recycled-paper bag, a solar panel, an  electric  vehicle) out of the course-learning The above, of course, is an indicative and not a comprehensive list of the ways in which collaborative learning may be used by teachers. Forms of Collaborative Learning Many educators seem to confuse collaborative learning with the more structured approach of cooperative learning. Let us say that cooperative learning is a type of collaborative learning. The developers of cooperative learning models and strategies have laid out several specific components that teachers must control: a small, inter-dependent group determined by the teacher, face to face interaction, carefully structured activity leading to the accomplishment of a predetermined goal, individual accountability of every member of the group and a groups assessment and processing of its own work as a team.2 Other types of collaborative learning that may be used both inside and out of a classroom structure are discussions,  brainstorming  sessions, peer-teaching groups, workshops, team projects, group field-work, study groups, seminars, simulations, role-plays, case-studies etc. Collaborative learning, thus, can be specific, controlled and structured or it can be spontaneous, experiential and totally open-ended. Collaborative Learning in the traditional school system Of course, the traditional school system is at odds with the very spirit of collaborative learning. Schools, as they were conceived and as they are still administered, are essentially authoritarian constructs. Lectures are the preferred method of teaching and the formal physical, emotional and psychological set-up of the traditional classroom is confrontational. Teachers are still equated with discipline and consequences. They are the transmitters of knowledge and the evaluators of the students grasp of the information they have given to the students. They are the regulators of the competition that is encouraged between students through the assessments and recognition and rewards for individual achievement. Conversation is discouraged in traditional classrooms where learning is a solitary pursuit of an individual student faced with the information being given to him from the front of a classroom by a teacher who is the expert instructor. There are definitive syllabi for every subject with course content to be covered in a set period of time; there are lecture plans for every teaching hour and teachers are under pressure to ensure that their students have ingested the carefully planned and delivered information and are capable of regurgitating it as required during formal assessments. Memory is more important than assimilation. In collaborative learning, on the other hand, the process of learning is basically more important than what is learned. Students are taught, by hands-on experience, how to learn and not what to learn. When they learn, assimilation of the material is an absolute requirement as a student must take the material, absorb it, make it his own and then present it or teach it to others. Mere memorizing will not help the collaborative learner. Changing paradigms of an evolving system Collaborative learning, by its very definition, takes the power away from the teacher as guru and distributes that power among the students as self-sustaining, motivated learners who take ownership and responsibility of the entire process of leaning in an interactive, talking-to-each-other and engaged manner. The teacher becomes merely a facilitator, an expert designer of a students intellectual process and a mid-wife of a more emergent learning process.  3 The traditional us versus them power-structure of the traditional school is obviously not conducive to the mutual trust that is required for purely collaborative learning. It is also relevant to point out here that like teachers, students too have to be prepared to take on the challenges and opportunities offered by collaborative learning. I must emphasize that collaborative learning is a tool, just like other teaching methodologies. It is up to the school and the teacher to use this or another tool depending on the objective, the task, the group and the preparedness of the students. A group-discussion may enhance a lecture; it cannot and should not replace it until both teachers and students are ready for the complete shift to another paradigm. As more and more teachers change their classroom strategies and re-orient their relationship to the curriculum from the traditional transmission to transactions that lead to transformations in the personal and social relations of the student to his curriculum,the school system is also slowly evolving and accommodating itself to the more student-centered, process-oriented and non-competitive model that defines collaborative learning. End-Notes 1. Smith, BL and MacGregor, JT, What is Collaborative Learning? in Goodsell, Maher, Tinto, Smith MacGregors  Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education; National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment; Pennsylvania State University: 1992. 2. David, Johnson Holubec.  Circles of Learning: Cooperation in the Classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company 1990 3. Smith and MacGregor op.cit

Ethnicity and Education Essay

Most studies found that overall ethnic minorities tend to do less well than other members of the population when it comes to educational achievement. The government sponsored â€Å"Swann report† found that â€Å"Asians† did almost as well as â€Å"Whites† however not as well, one Asian group in particular the â€Å"Bangladeshi’s† did particularly badly and â€Å"West Indians† preformed considerably worse than â€Å"Whites†. Many factors which occur inside the school are the cause of educational achievement however other factors contribute. The expectations of teachers on ethnic minorities have caused differences in educational achievement. Bernard Coard believes that teachers expect â€Å"Black† children to fail therefore labelling the child as a failure. Interactionalists are concerned with how teachers â€Å"pidgeonhole† students this is the labelling theory, this is where the teacher makes a judgement of the child based on the child’s appearance, behaviour, previous family members and relationships with other students. However most labels are based on stereotypes rather than evidence, the reality is that once a label starts it is difficult to get rid of and this can cause problems for a student’s educational achievement. Teachers will discuss the students label in the staff room and other teachers will attach the same label to the child and this can lead to the child not being allowed to attend school trips. If a student is labelled as a failure by a teacher then the teacher is likely to put the student into a lower tier exam thus the pupil can only achieve a maximum of a grade C and can’t achieve to the best of their ability. When a student is labelled as a failure the student can begin to believe that the label is true and begin to make it part of their part of their identity, become a failure this is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy thus creating ethnic differences in educational achievement within the school system. David Hardgreves argues that anti school sub cultures can be formed as a result of negative labelling. However Maureen Stone and Swann both indicate that those who are labelled may not accept their labels. Institutional Racism within schools can lead to educational achievement and the differences it causes within ethnic minorities. The â€Å"Swann report† found that a small number of teachers are consciously racist however there are a great deal of teachers who are â€Å"unintentionally† racist. Bernard Coard states that the British educational system makes children become educationally subnormal he states that â€Å"West Indian children are told that their language is second rate and unacceptable† he states that within the British educational system the word â€Å"White† is associated with â€Å"good† and the word â€Å"Black† with evil. Coard also states that the attitudes portrayed in the classroom are reinforced by the pupils outside of the classroom. Many sociologists would also argue that the mispronunciation of student’s names and not learning them can be classed as racism within the school system. Cecile Wright found that majority of staff are committed to ideals of equality but despite these ideals there are still considerable amounts of discrimination in the classroom. Asian children were often excluded from discussions and teachers expressed an â€Å"open disapproval of their customs and traditions†, these comments from teachers made Asian children feel more isolated from other pupils. Martin Hammersley found that racist comments in the staffroom did not lead to racism in the classroom. J. Taylor found that â€Å"most teachers are concerned to have a fair policy towards the treatment of black pupils†. Mac an Ghaill studied 25 afro Caribbean and Asian students studying A levels. He found that â€Å"although they disagreed over the extent of racism within education, this did not directly determine their attitude to education and their levels of academic success. The way that students responded to schooling varied and this was influenced by their ethnic group†. This could eventually lead to the formation of anti-school sub cultures. These are pupils who have rejected some or all of the values and rules set down in the school ethos. Peter Woods identified 8 different groups ranging from Ingratiation total conformity to Rebellion outright rejection of school rules and values. This can cause ethnic differences in educational achievement within the school system. The Ethocentric curriculum can cause ethnic differences in educational achievement this is the school being biased towards one particular culture. Many sociologists argue that the curriculum is geared towards white middle class students. The curriculum is set in place for white middle class students and this means that ethnic minorities will not understand the curriculum and will fall behind and not do well thus leading to educational underachievement. Parents from ethnic minorities may not be able to afford or have the right experience to make an informed choice on the best school to suit their children’s needs whereas middle class parents have the money and correct experience to make an informed decision on the best school for their child. Ethnic differences in educational achievement are the result of school factors however other factors have significance. Material Deprivation is the effect poverty has on educational achievement. Poorer parents from ethnic minorities may not be able to provide their children with the educational toys needed such as computers. Cramped housing means less space to study. High rate of illness can lead to missing days of school. Children from poorer backgrounds may need to contribute to the financial running of the home thus getting part time jobs which will affect their studies and will leave school at the earliest opportunity to start work. Harker states that overcrowding causes a negative effect on educational achievement which can cause differences in ethnic minorities which can cause bullying and truancy. Cultural Deprivation is the term used to describe serious inadequacies in the socialisation process and its effects on educational achievement. Poor parenting means children underachieving in education. Many sociologists argue that ethnic minorities tend to be more fatalistic meaning that parents tend to have low aspirations and expectations for their child meaning less emphasis is placed on doing well in education. Whereas â€Å"White† middle classes would have high aspirations and high expectations. Socialisation focuses on the values, expectations and norms transmitted from parents to children. Children from Ethnic tend to focus on immediate gratification where they try to reep their rewards at the earliest opportunity such as leaving school at 16 to earn money. Whereas â€Å"White† middle class children aim for a bright future described as deferred gratification which is putting off short term rewards to gain better rewards in the future. Cultural Deprivation can affect the way parents prepare their children for school. Working class children would sit and watch T. V. whereas middle class parents would take their children to museums. Driver and Ballard state that high achievement in Asian groups may be linked to the fact that they live in close knit families that can help each other. Price highlighted a high rate of single parent families in black Caribbean communities which may explain high underachievement. Linguistic Deprivation is the ability to use appropriate language which is an important factor in educational success. Bernstein came up with two codes of language Restricted and Elaborate codes. The Restricted code is used in casual situations. This is limited vocabulary and Simplistic grammar which can only be understood if you are aware of this topic. The Elaborate code is used in formal situations. This is sophisticated grammar and vocabulary and can be understood if aware of the topic. Bernstein found that White middle class children had the ability to switch between the two codes whereas children from ethnic minorities were limited to using the restricted code. This means they are severely disadvantaged in education where the language is all formal. In conclusion, it is probable that a number of factors work together in producing the lower levels of achievement found in some ethnic groups. The Swann report concluded that racial discrimination inside and outside school along with social deprivation were probably the main factors. Others would add that cultural factors also play some part in explaining the differences.

Attitudinal Behaviour Essay

Purpose – In order to classify individuals based on their needs, this paper aims to consider both self-stated attitudes and behaviours in a comprehensive range of daily ï ¬ nancial affairs. Furthermore, it aims to study the impacts of socio-demographic variables such as gender, age, and education. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was answered by 1,282 respondents in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Factor analysis revealed ï ¬ ve components. Based on these components a two-step cluster analysis (Ward and K-means analyses) identiï ¬ ed distinct subgroups. Linear regressions were used to investigate the impacts of socio-demographic variables. Findings – Factor analysis revealed ï ¬ ve underlying dimensions of ï ¬ nancial attitudes and behaviour: anxiety, interests in ï ¬ nancial issues, decision styles, need for precautionary savings, and spending tendency. Cluster analysis segmented the respondents into ï ¬ ve subgroups based on these dimensions with an ascending order of speciï ¬ c needs for ï ¬ nancial products. Gender, age, and education were found to have signiï ¬ cant impacts. Research limitations/implications – Real consumption behaviour cannot be observed through the survey, which limits the external validity of the study. Practical implications – The segmentation identiï ¬ es different levels of ï ¬ nancial competence and needs for ï ¬ nancial products. It allows ï ¬ nancial service providers to offer more effective advice and to meet customers on their own level to improve personal ï ¬ nancial management. Originality/value – Attitudes and behaviours in daily ï ¬ nancial affairs are examined to reveal individuals’ ï ¬ nancial competence and consequential product needs. A heterogeneous sample covers a variety of demographic groups. Keywords Personal ï ¬ nance, Savings, Questionnaires, Factor analysis, Cluster analysis, Switzerland Paper type Research paper Introduction Everyone has to manage his or her personal ï ¬ nance in one way or another. Some tend to save a lot, some like to collect information before each purchase, some like to follow their gut feelings. Private investors are not a homogeneous group but rather The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the University Research Priority Program â€Å"Finance and Financial Markets† of the University of Zurich and the National Centre of Competence in Research â€Å"Financial Valuation and Risk Management† (NCCR FINRISK), Project 3, â€Å"Evolution and Foundations of Financial Markets†. In addition, they would like to thank the Swiss ï ¬ nancial company that provided them with client data and the anonymous referee for the helpful comments. International Journal of Bank Marketing Vol. 27 No. 2, 2009 pp. 108-128 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0265-2323 DOI 10.1108/02652320910935607 individuals with various ï ¬ nancial practices combined with different levels of experience, anxiety and interest in ï ¬ nancial matters (Gunnarsson and Wahlund, 1997). In an increasingly competitive marketplace, ï ¬ nancial institutions need to emphasise customer relationships and the retention of existing customers that require an in-depth understanding of their attitudes and behaviours (Harrison and Ansell, 2002). The heterogeneous market is divided into smaller more homogeneous groups to meet speciï ¬ c needs with a corresponding business model (Jenkins and McDonald, 1997). Market segmentation relies, in the ï ¬ nancial industry, largely on socio-demographic information to deï ¬ ne segments for speciï ¬ c services (Harrison, 2000). It is questionable  ¨ as to how appropriate they are (Jorg, 2005), therefore in this study, selected aspects of ï ¬ nancial affairs such as routines and attitudes are gathered to gain insights towards signiï ¬ cant behavioural patt erns. The objective in this research is to examine the extent to which a broad range of private investors can be classiï ¬ ed into a small number of clusters in order to learn about group-speciï ¬ c needs in ï ¬ nancial affairs. More than 1,200 participants in Switzerland have answered our questionnaire with a response rate of 79 per cent. Unlike some other studies in this ï ¬ eld (e.g. Lim and Teo, 1997; Wood and Zaichkowsky, 2004), this survey is not limited to students, but includes a broader range of the public. Instead of focusing solely on savings behaviour (EBRI, 2002; MacFarland et al., 2003), the present study embraces a wider scope of daily ï ¬ nancial concerns. Thereby factor analysis exposes ï ¬ ve underlying dimensions: anxiety, interests in ï ¬ nancial issues, decision styles, need for precautionary savings, and spending tendency. We demonstrate that our respondents can, based on these dimensions, be classiï ¬ ed into ï ¬ ve distinct groups by cluster analysis where from cluster I to V, the need for action for a better handling of ï ¬ nancial matters increases: for example, the â€Å"Gut-feeling followers† show a intuitive way of decision taking, disinterest in ï ¬ nancial subjects and a lack of awareness for the need of provision which make it difï ¬ cult to argue for or to initiate remedial action. Each cluster raises key issues in meeting their needs and allows for guidance to design and adapt instruments to assist in speciï ¬ c ï ¬ nancial requirements. To illustrate how ï ¬ nancial behaviour can be modiï ¬ ed to improve personal ï ¬ nance speciï ¬ cally for each group, examples from the area of retirement savings, an important part of daily ï ¬ nancial management, are chosen (Clark-Murphy and Soutar, 2005). Linear regression further reveals that the clusters highlight socio-demographic characteristics and help generate a better understanding, although one socio-demographic factor alone does not offer enough information to detect cluster membership. The main theoretical contribution of this paper is that we segment the investors based on the revealed dimensions in attitudes (e.g., level of anxiety), together with the self-stated ï ¬ nance-related behavioural pattern (e.g., spending tendency). In this way we could identify the speciï ¬ c needs and provide different services to each subgroup. Theoretical background and literature review Individuals show considerable deviation from the expectation of rational behaviour implied by ï ¬ nancial models (Barberis, 2003). Being conscious of the empirical limitations of the homo economicus model for exploring the behaviour of private individuals, behavioural ï ¬ nance broadens the view by combining knowledge from psychology and economics ( Camerer and Loewenstein, 2004). Our study belongs to this area. However, instead of focusing on particular anomalies and biases that individuals succumb to, such as overconï ¬ dence and procrastination (Biais et al., 2005; O’Donoghue and Rabin, 1998), we broaden the scope under review by studying general patterns when dealing with ï ¬ nancial issues. Market segmentation In the ï ¬ nancial services industry, market segmentation is a common method to understand better and serve the diverse customer base with its wide-ranging needs and various behaviours (Speed and Smith, 1992). Competitive pressures from deregulation of the ï ¬ nancial services market increase the requirement for market orientation and a more intimate knowledge of the market and its segments (Gunnarsson and Wahlund, 1997). Previous research has shown that there are various beneï ¬ ts from taking a segmented approach to the marketplace: a better serving of customer requirements; a tailoring of offerings; and higher customer satisfaction (Harrison and Ansell, 2002). It can increase customer retention and create loyalty and long-term relationships that positively affect performance (Martenson, 2008). Market segmentation aims to recognise patterns of ï ¬ nancial behaviour, identiï ¬ ed by studied segment predictors to group individuals into segments according to their product needs (Harrison, 2000). Yet, marketing in the ï ¬ nancial services industry today is still predominantly based on socio-demographic features like gender and age which are easy to identify and easy to apply in the composition of groups (Machauer and Morgner, 2001). A prediction of needs from socio-demographic characteristics cannot be assumed; therefore these widely used a priori segmentations are under review (Speed and Smith, 1992). In contrast, post hoc methods entail the grouping of respondents according to their responses to particular variables, focusing on customer motivations (i.e. needs/behaviour) that are more likely to result in a service based on individual n eed (Durkin, 2005). In research, behavioural segmentation is increasingly found (Elliott and Glynn, 1998; Soper, 2002), although researchers continue to concentrate on the ï ¬ nancial behaviour of speciï ¬ c groups and selective variables  ¨ (Warneryd, 2001). This study focuses on the general population, giving a more holistic view of personal ï ¬ nancial management activities and taking attitudes and behaviour into account. Individual investors The literature on individual economic behaviour often focuses narrowly on speciï ¬ c  ¨ areas such as risk attitudes (Warneryd, 1999; Wood and Zaichkowsky, 2004) or saving (Normann and Langer, 2002; Thaler and Benartzi, 2004). Other ï ¬ elds of research target investment in securities (Barber and Odean, 2001; Brennan, 1995; Keller and Siegrist, 2006) or focus on speciï ¬ c segments such as occupational groups (e.g., dentists and  ¨ managers (Jorg, 2005)). Speciï ¬ c ï ¬ nancial issues or situations, however, are not indicative of an individual’s behavioural and attitudinal disposition toward ï ¬ nance. Rather an interest in ï ¬ nances or having certain habits related to managing one’s ï ¬ nancial means may indeed be a moderating factor to learn about behaviours and needs (Loix et al., 2005). The attitudes and behaviours toward ï ¬ nances regarded in this study focus on individual ï ¬ nancial management behaviour. It is a topic with important implications that has not been sufï ¬ ciently examined in ï ¬ nancial and economic behavioural studies (Loix et al., 2005). The subject is not covered by the extensive research on individual’s attitudes and habits towards money, as such studies focus on the meaning of money (Lim and Teo, 1997) or basic values concerning money in general as an abstract concept (Raich, 2008), and not on an individuals’ ways of dealing with his or her personal ï ¬ nance. Previous studies of private investors have used mainly behaviour-based criteria or attitudes and do not combine both aspects (Keller and Siegrist, 2006) that are the focus of this study. This study is not product-linked but wider ranging in that it examines the self-stated ï ¬ nancial attitudes and behaviour of individual investors. Attitudes and behaviours A frequently discussed question in research is to what extent attitudes predict behaviour. A direct relationship between attitudes and behaviour has often been found to be weak, but difï ¬ culties in ï ¬ nding a strong relationship might derive from  ¨ differences in deï ¬ nition and measurement (Warneryd, 1999). The more speciï ¬ c the attitude is the better are the chances of ï ¬ nding a substantial correlation with behaviour if behaviour is also deï ¬ ned as a speciï ¬ c act (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). Therefore, deï ¬ ned questions or attitudes can have predictive power and a higher correlation of attitude to-wards behaviour has been conï ¬ rmed in studies (in a comprehensive  ´ meta-analysis: Glasman and AlbarracÄ ±n, 2006; Tesser and Shaffer, 1990). A further question is the beneï ¬ t of knowledge concerning behaviour. Whilst behaviour changes over time, there is a popular assertion that â€Å"past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour† (Ajzen, 1991, p. 202). It is a reï ¬â€šection of these ideas that leads to attitudes and behaviour being explored in this paper. Financial needs segmentation Several typologies concerning the ï ¬ nancial affairs of private investors can be found in the previous literature, but with more speciï ¬ c approaches: se gmentations are based on ï ¬ nancial maturity and knowledge (Harrison, 1994), provision for retirement (Gough and Sozou, 2005) or savings strategies (Gunnarsson and Wahlund, 1997). Loix et al. (2005) come closest to the focus of this study with the question of orientation towards ï ¬ nances but their goal is to develop a measurement scale for individual’s ï ¬ nancial management. In this study, we examine the self-stated ï ¬ nancial attitudes and behaviour through a broader basis and do not restrict ourselves only to questions concerning risk or saving. We apply the methodology of cluster analysis to identify groups of private investors in order to obtain insight into the enforcing or modifying of speciï ¬ c behaviour. Cluster analysis has become a common tool in marketing and is a well-adopted method for market segmentation as well as the applied factor analysis apparent in this paper (Punj and Stewart, 1983). The aim of the present study is to obtain a better understanding of people’s needs in ï ¬ nancial matters to provide adequate services and products. This study, based on ï ¬ nancial service consumers, identiï ¬ es distinct motivational clusters that were independent of the more established socio-demographic segmentation variables used in targeting and communicating by ï ¬ nancial institutions. This study demonstrates that, by segmenting respondents on the basis of a broader range of ï ¬ nancial attitudes and behaviour, a yield of clearly interpretable proï ¬ les can be realised and is helpful to identify those people in most need of professional ï ¬ nancial advice. This research suggests that customer’s ï ¬ nancial proï ¬ les may be useful in predicting their response to new products as well as persuading them to use existing services for the speciï ¬ c beneï ¬ ts they value. Participants and questionnaire The data come from a questionnaire that wa s completed by 1,282 respondents from various regions of the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The respondents were recruited from two sources: 53 per cent of the participants (n  ¼ 680) were clients seeking consulting advice from a Swiss ï ¬ nancial planning company, together with participants in courses in ï ¬ nancial training within the same ï ¬ rm (convenient sample). The second source was employed to avoid a client bias in the study. A total of 602 study subjects (47 per cent of the total study) were identiï ¬ ed through a combination of â€Å"quota[1] and snowball[2] sampling procedures† (Vogt, 2005) so that its composition in terms of sex, age, and other demographic characteristics came close to reï ¬â€šecting the respective proportions in Switzerland. Although not every member of the population is equally likely to be selected, the sample is composed of a wide variety of backgrounds. The diversity came from such groups as participants in a study relating to ï ¬ nancial literacy, and from different sources such as a nursing home, a group of university students, a group of teachers, company employees from four Swiss companies unrelated to the ï ¬ nancial services sector, a group of self-employed people, participants in a course for the unemployed, and a group made up of parents. The questionnaire was designed in German. Participants were ï ¬ rst asked to give their self-assessment by answering 17 questions on their ï ¬ nancial behavioural practice or attitude towards ï ¬ nancial affairs. The response format is a ï ¬ ve-point-Likert-type scale with â€Å"absolutely† and â€Å"not at all† at the two ends of the question spectrum. Subsequently, the questionnaire contains questions concerning socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, career stage, and education[3]. The age of participants ranges from 18 to 84 years old, with 58.9 per cent between 36 and 65 years old (n  ¼ 755). The natural demographic balance of men and women is reï ¬â€šected in the sample with 49.3 per cent men (n  ¼ 632) and 50.7 per cent women (n  ¼ 650). The proportion of people with a university degree or equivalent is 46.6 per cent (n  ¼ 598), whereas 33.8 per cent participants (n  ¼ 433) obtained an apprenticeship (up to ï ¬ ve years). There are 14.5 per cent participants (n  ¼ 186) who have a high school diploma as the highest educational level, whereas 5.1 per cent participants (n  ¼ 65) have only attended secondary school. There are 10.5 per cent (n  ¼ 135) participants who were studying at a university or at another institute of higher education at the time of our survey. Methodology and results Factor analysis As the ï ¬ rst step we conducted an exploratory factor analysis, a principal component analysis, in order to determine the underlying dimensions of the ï ¬ nancial attitudes and behavioural tendencies. The chosen solution with ï ¬ ve principal components was constructed using the varimax rotation technique and can explain 53.3 per cent of the total variance. Different opinions concerning what constitut es a high loading are found in the literature, e.g. 0.3 (Gardner, 2001). Here, the rotated factor loading of 0.5 was chosen as a threshold.

Free Essays on The New Deal

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Ratio Analysis of Macy's and Nordstroms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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