Impact Of Air Pollution In China - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1334 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Ecology Essay Level High school Tags: Air Pollution Essay Pollution Essay Did you like this example? Ever since Deng Xiaopings Reform and Opening Up policy, which emphasized on rapid industrialization and decentralization, China experienced an economic miracle, ranking 2nd in GDP in the world and lifting millions out of poverty. However, this GDP-above-all rationale which radically improved Chinas economy has dealt a huge blow to the environment. For instance, the heavy exploitation of land and natural resources, as well as the reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation are one of the few sources contributing to Chinas environmental destruction. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Impact Of Air Pollution In China" essay for you Create order Since the scope of environmental pollution is too large for practical concerns, I shall only be evaluating the impact of air pollution on Chinas development in this essay, as air pollution is one of the most dangerous and controversial type of pollution occurring nowadays in China. Owing to the combustion of coal and malpractices of the heavy industry, air pollution has been ever worsening in China ever since the Reform and Opening Up, however it seems to have worsened drastically for the past decade. For example, smog, a weather phenomenon involving a dense layer of dust suspended in air (mainly PM2.5 and SO2), is bringing disastrous effects to many eastern cities in China, and the problem was brought to light when even the capital, Beijing, succumbed to the heavy smog. According to lecture readings, a mere 22/522 cities in China have good air quality with 55 having seriously unacceptable air quality . Air pollution problem in China has caused various negative impacts to health, economic development and social development. Firstly, in terms of health implications, severe air pollution has led to deterioration in general health and thus an increased burden on Chinas public health system. In fact, air pollution has caused 1.58 million deaths in China in 2016 alone , coming second in the world after India. Air pollution is now the 4th most common cause of death in the world, with 6.1 million deaths in 2016 attributed to air pollution, since it causes serious illnesses like cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Polluted air contains substances such as sulphur dioxide and PM 2.5 suspended particulates, accumulate in the respiratory tract or enter the bloodstream, either as an irritant inducing heart and lung diseases, or even as a carcinogen to induce cancer, resulting in death or affecting child development due to prolonged exposure. Air pollution has also cast doubts on Chinas public health system. According to the World Bank, the health expenditure resulted from air pollution accounted for 2% of Chinas GDP, mainly because of increased usage of emergency visits in acute cardiopulmonary conditions, which is on the rise partly due to air pollution (as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, etc) . This expenditure is projected to rise as more and more people gradually become sick, forcing the government to allocate more resources into public healthcare. Should China fail to reduce pollution and prevent air pollution-associated illnesses, a huge sum would have to be paid to address public health problems in curing the population. From the viewpoint of economics, the Reform and Opening Up brought benefits to both the urban and rural communities. Ironically, it has brought drawbacks to both by sacrificing the environment in favor of rapid economic growth. Firstly, in urban cities, the worsening air pollution has led to a reduction in foreign interest in investing in China and incentive to set up branches in China, as well as unwillingness of overseas staff, especially experts and senior executive staff, to come to China for work. With persistent smog, the poor living standards (as aforementioned the possible adverse health effects of smog) and work environment has deterred businesses to set up branches in China. For example, in a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce, which covered various businesses in eastern and northern part of China, Almost one-third of the companies said they had no plans to expand investments in China in the coming year (2016), up from 27 percent last year and 16 percent in 2013, and more than half of the respondents said pollution made it more difficult to recruit senior executives to work in China, raising concerns over air quality turning away expertise, professionals and executives away from working in China . Secondly, tourism is also affected by air pollution. In the past decade, China has begun developing its tourism industry. As a result, tourism related profits, including retail, service and hotel industries, begins to contribute more and more to Chinas total GDP. However, with the severe smog, foreigners will be deterred from visiting China, partly because of health issues, and partly because of the diminished attractiveness of natural scenic spots, which used to be a main feature of Chinas tourism, thus undoubtedly reducing Chinas income from tourism. In fact, 6 out of 8 Chinese cities including Beijing which made it into the Top 100 City Destination Rankings by Euromonitor International, experienced a drop in tourist arrival from 2012 to 2013, which correlated with the notorious reports of heavy smog during the time. With more traditional and social media from both China and beyond such as documentaries and news, China is more often put under the international spotlight than before , and the actual air pollution problem can be easily depicted and shown to foreign tourists, hence lowering their desire to come to China fearing for their health, not only leading to a reduced number of tourists but also a significant decrease in national income from tourism and related industries. Thirdly, agriculture in China is also affected by air pollution. Being one of the largest agricultural economies in the world, China has a history of ? »Ã‚ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¹, or to establish the country by agriculture, and currently produces 1/5 of the worlds grain and 1/2 of worlds vegetables . However, air pollution affects farming in two ways. Firstly, air pollutants like sulphur dioxide or ozone directly contaminate water sources or soil, thus affecting the crops. Secondly, the presence of suspended particulates blocks out sunlight, resulting in lowered photosynthesis rates and hence yield less crops. For example, Hunan, being a major province of rice production, is suffering from decreased crop yield these years . The severe air pollution also affects the farmers health and thus productivity, as they often work outdoors, inhaling a lot of pollutants over time, and thus prone to the aforementioned health risks. As we can see, despite economic gains from the Reform and Opening Up, the economy in both urban and rural areas are suffering from air pollution, which suggests the scope and severity of air pollution on Chinas economic growth. In the social aspects, air pollution has stirred civil unrest and general dissatisfaction towards the alleged industries and government responsible for air pollution. This originates from the inability of the civil society or media to observe or regulate malpractices, due to the lack of transparency and participation of civil society or media in Chinas government policies and industries, especially in the past. Over the years, a lot of mistrust is built up in the population, some of which resorting to unorthodox or illegal methods to voice their opinions towards malpractice. For example, a complaint of bad odor and leakage from a chemical factory in Fujian has escalated into riots and violent clashes with the factory staff and the police who were sent for a c rackdown, of which many were arrested, and several staff were badly beaten . Had there been effective, legal measures for locals to complain, and officials to address this problem, violence could have been avoided. In conclusion, air pollution has dealt severe blows to Chinas urban and rural economy, citizen health, and social stability. Chinas environmental protection minister, Zhou ShengXian, admitted that Environmental quality is not satisfactory and environmental protection work is arduous, on the Peoples Daily. The government must act swiftly to enforce strict environmental regulations; the industries ought to establish better corporate social responsibility to reduce their malpractices; and the civil society ought to voice out concerns more in order to pressurize the local government or industry. It is only through combined efforts and decisiveness of the Chinese Government, which is still a massive influence in Chinas policy-making and development, can air pollution be alleviated.

The American Civil Right Movement - 922 Words

It was just a single line in a speech given more than fifty years ago, yet many still remember it as one of the most important turning points in Southern political history and the American civil right movement. As many civil rights activists were fighting for the abolishment of Jim Crow laws, newly elected Governor George Wallace stood at the podium under the Alabama State House to deliver his inaugural speech which would later cement his legacy amongst the most controversial figures in Southern history. His infamous line, â€Å"segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever†, represents the pinnacle of the southern struggle between pride and blame (Wallace). To some, George Wallace was an unabashed racist who was the embodiment of white supremacy and opposition toward the civil rights movement in the South. To others, he was a brave fighter for states’ rights amidst one of the most difficult transition periods in the South. Regardless of one’s p ersonal opinions about Gov. Wallace, his influence on many of the themes covered in this course such as the transformation of Southern politics, race relations, and ideals cannot be undermined. The Alabamian stood at the center stage of the southern civil rights movement where his fierce rhetoric and the subsequential outburst of racial violence and anger were forever seared in the region’s memory. By studying George Wallace and his inaugural speech, one can trace the roots and evolution of southern ideals and politicsShow MoreRelatedThe American Civil Rights Movement586 Words   |  2 PagesHas someone ever told you that you were not allowed to do something that others had the right to? Maybe it was your parents, your boss, the government, but you thought you had just enough right as anyone else did? Well, during the 1960’s not everyone had the same rights. During the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were fighting for equality. They didn’t want â€Å" separate but equal† they wanted full equality for their people. This caused many riots throughout the US. When we look at riots weRead MoreThe African-American Civil Rights Movement1295 Words   |  5 Pages The African-American Civil Rights Movement is arguably the largest and most successful push towards toward change in American history. The movement was influenced by some of the biggest figures in American history as well, led by Martin Luther King Jr. and influenced by others such as president Kennedy and Johnson. Amongst the numerous protests and powerful speeches during the Civil Rights Movement perhaps the most prominent is the series of three marches in 1965 known today as the â€Å"Selma to Montgomery†Read MoreThe Civil Rights Movement And The American Civil Movement958 Words   |  4 Pages The Civil Rights Movement, also known as the American Civil Rights Movement and other names, is a term that encompasses the strategies, groups, and social movements in the United States whose goals were to end racial segregation and di scrimination against African Americans and to secure legal recognition and federal protection of the citizenship rights enumerated in the Constitution and federal law. The movement was characterized by major campaigns of civil resistance. Between 1955 and 1968Read MoreThe American Civil Rights Movement1519 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Civil Rights Movement is personified through several prominent personalities. These figures exhibited strong character throughout their careers in activism that revolutionized the ideals and opportunities of the 20th century, standing as precedents for courage and perseverance in the face of widespread systemic oppression. However, not all of these figures received the acknowledgment and acceptance that their legacy deserved. One such figure was Bayard Rustin, a lifelong Civil RightsRead MoreThe American Of The Civil Rights Movement949 Words   |  4 Pagesstatement. As a whole, the Civil Rights Movement accounted for a drastic amount of changes to black businesses that primarily served black consumers. For instance, African American people stayed at blacked owned hotels, resorts, and restaurants, which gave way for African American entrepreneurship (Blackford 149). Once segregation was outlawed, African American consumers leapt at the opportunity to shop at white owned businesses. Post-Civil Rights Movement, the African American community has becomeRead MoreThe American Civil Rights Movement912 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Ferguson Riots after a young, unarmed teenager named Michael Brown was shot by a police officer. Some believe that these events and the emergence of the #BlackLivesMatter campaign could be the beginning of yet another American civil rights movement. The first LGBT movement began in 1969 after the raid of one of the few gay bars in the United States, Stonewall Inn. Often, the story of this seedy nightclub is distorted or hardly taught at all. A huge example of this is the recent movie on the riotsRead MoreThe American Of The Civil Rights Movement1886 Words   |  8 PagesFrom slavery to the Civil Rights Movement, the African American community has faced hardships, discrimination and prejudice based on their position in the racial hierarchy in the United States. Although the melting pot called the American population has learned to coexist in t he twenty first century, the African American community continues to face these problem even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by Congress prohibiting discrimination of race, color, religion, sex, or national originRead MoreThe American Civil War And The Civil Rights Movement1725 Words   |  7 PagesAfter the American Civil War (1861-1865), major changes which were crucial to the establishment of African Americans in the American society took place. Before the bloody war, slaves were comprised of thirteen percent of the total population of the United States. The treatments they receive from their masters ranged from generous to abusive. The issue of slavery was becoming more and more apparent in social, economic, and most importantly political aspects of the country. In fact, even before theRead MoreThe American Civil War And The Civil Rights Movement1539 Words   |  7 PagesIn elementary school, students study the Civil War, and the Civil Rights movement. Teachers s peak about slavery and racism as if it were a thing of the past; and juvenile minds are lead to believe that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has finally come true. But as these futile minds mature, they encounter different versions of this â€Å"dream†. Caucasian faces may live to believe the world is a blissful place, but scoff at the waitress who struggles to speak english. Brown faces may look at the homosexualRead MoreThe American Civil War And The Civil Rights Movement901 Words   |  4 PagesStates were slave owners (Piersen 1996: 24). However, the controversy over slavery was a hotly debated topic in American society, leading eventually to the American Civil War (1861-1865), which finally brought slavery to an end. After the emancipation, overcoming slavery s legacy remained a crucial issue in American history, from Reconstruction following the war to the Civil Rights Movement a century later. The practice of slavery dates to prehistoric times, although its institutionalization

Music Piracy Is a Good Thing Free Essays

Music Piracy is a Good thing Pirating music is one of the most common crimes in the world that happens everyday. However, ones you read this essay, I hope you will see this issue from a different perspective, it may not look like such a terrible crime after all. Most successful artists make in the tens of millions every year according to eHow. We will write a custom essay sample on Music Piracy Is a Good Thing or any similar topic only for you Order Now com. If that’s the truth, how badly is piracy really hurting these people? If music piracy is effecting the artist so much then why do majority of the artists are living in mansions bigger than the White House? If pirating music hurts musicians income so badly it would show, and after all this time of pirating music it hasn’t. Music piracy benefits artists more than it hurts, therefore it should be legal. Music piracy is mostly committed by people who are everyday people who have average income jobs and have families who end up being sued by big record companies over downloading music for free. It seems a bit to greedy when you look at the difference in pay between the artist and the people who download the songs. ( †¦) say that the people who pirate the music are more likely to go to the show and buy the albums after downloading music (Ernesto). Also, people who pirate music tracks are very likely to develop an connection to the bands orartists and that will lead to them attending the shows, buying albums and merchandise. When putting this issue in perspective, record companies are just looking for money without any consideration for the ways of getting it. Record companies start suing people who have downloaded music for ridiculous amount of money in attempt to intimidate and scare off the fellons from downloading music illegally. The main groups affected are college kids that don’t have the money. Sarah Barg was a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Sarah received an email from a label company stating that she owed $3,000 to the Recording Industry Association of America (Bratton). For that amount,, Sarah would be paying $7. 87 for each song. Majority of the songs she pirated were from the eighties and weren’t even relevant anymore, and yet she was battling record company’s in court over them them. Sixty students like Sarah at UNL received the same similar, as well as hundreds sent out to over sixty other universities across the country. Not knowing ow else to handle the situation, Barg contacted her parents and they had to cover her settlement. â€Å"I don’t know what I would have done. I’m only 20 years old,† says Barg. Well over five hundred students across the states have paid settlements to avoid being sued. â€Å"I see it as bullying,† UNL freshman Andrew Johnson says, â€Å"Legally, it makes sense, because we donâ⠂¬â„¢t have the money to fight back. † Johnson illegally downloaded one song and settled $3,000 to avoid being sued for one song. The money used came from the 18 year old’s college fund and he now has to work two jobs to compensate for his losses. The record companies seem to target those can’t fight back. In 2007, major record companies such as Warner music groups, Warner Bros Records, Inc. , and Sony BMG Music Entertainment, tried to sue a young girl from Texas named Whitney Harper for illegally downloading music from file sharing networks on the internet (Malisow). Whitney was at the time was sixteen years old and was being sued for a minimum of $750 per song when Whitney downloaded thirtyseven songs. That is a little over $20,000 and she is only sixteen years old. Harper tried to use the Innocent Infringer Act that would reduce fees to $200 per song. In order to accomplish that, Harper had to prove she was unaware of the copyright laws by claiming that the copyright notice placed on cds were not on the file sharing networks on the Internet therefore she was unaware. The companies referred to the sixteen-year-old as a â€Å"long term massive infringer† of copyright laws. Harper warned that if the companies won the case that downloading music off the Internet could never be innocent infringement. The Harper case is one the few after many years still going through federal court. The companies had stated they were going to begin transitioning away from suing individuals and find better means of fixing the issue. After years of record companies using an intimidation method to fix the pirating problem, it got them nowhere because the amount of pirates only went up, and the efforts by the companies were in most cases useless. According to the Wall Street Journal, they attempted suing many single mothers, a thirteen-year-old girl, and a dead peope. The new approach is for the companies to work with Internet service providers and when music is eing pirated the user receives a warning that they will lose Internet service if they continue(WSJ. com). The companies still reserve the right to sue if someone is a heavy violator or has ignored several warnings, but even with this new system, it still seems like the companies are only out for money, but in an attempt to escape negative attention from the media, they change their approach. According to The Independent, peo ple who illegally download music also spend more money on music, concerts, merchandises than anyone else. The Secretary of State for Business, Peter Mandelson, stated that the record companies new approach to crack down on illegal down loaders by cutting off internet service could potentially harm the music industry more than help it. â€Å"The people who file share are the ones who are interested in music. They use file sharing as a discovery mechanism. † The artists also have mixed opinions over file sharing, some such as James Blunt and Lily Allen are anti-piracy and Shakira is pro-piracy(Shields). Sites have come out with monthly bills for unlimited music plans that seem fairer. Some artists don’t feel affected by file sharing and support the fact that piracy creates a bigger fan base for them. Bands like Angels and Airwaves have produced free records so copyright wasn’t an issue. They figure that the fans will still come see them play and record sales aren’t the only thing to being in a successful band. Some artists don’t seem to realize that. Most artists make plenty off of record sales even with a piracy problem, so court cases and law suits on everyday people by record companies seems a bit greedy and selfish. Even with the new laws, they are still pushing to stop this unstoppable problem. Today music piracy is referred to as a dead issue. Most cases that are still pending are being dropped. This year a $54,000 fine on a single mother of four was dropped by the U. S. District Court Judge, Micheal Davis, who stated piracy is â€Å"no longer monstrous and shocking. The need for deterrence cannot justify a two million verdict for stealing and distributing twenty-four songs for the sole purpose of obtaining free music†(physorg. om). Thomas Rasset was convicted in 2007 and was ordered to pay $220,000, but the judge who presided over the trial called off the verdict, saying it was â€Å"wholly disproportionate and oppressive. † Her case was one of the thousands that had actually made it to court. In 2011, with new laws, these cases should not be forgotten about. The people who lost cases should be compensated and apologized to because they did nothing other than have an interest in the artist. How to cite Music Piracy Is a Good Thing, Essay examples

Gattaca The Movie And Discrimination Essay Research free essay sample

Gattaca The Movie And Discrimination Essay, Research Paper In the film Gattaca the chief character Anton was discriminated against because of his cistron make-up. Anton neer even had a opportunity in the society in Gattaca because the possible employees of companies were non tested on their accomplishments or cognition but on their physical and mental possibilities. The same society besides used derogatory footings for people like Anton. Just because his parents decided that he would come into the universe of course alternatively of through cistron therapy or change. Footings like religion birth and invalid were used against Anton. I think cistron therapy has it promises, but when used in the manner as it was used in the Gattaca I think its advancement should be carefully monitored. Right now sheep and other animate beings are being cloned. Soon Primatess and Worlds could be cloned. I think we should farther look into human cloning for research on the parenting procedure and other physiological experiments that can merely be used now on indi stinguishable twins separated at birth. We will write a custom essay sample on Gattaca The Movie And Discrimination Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These experiments when used could be used to derive penetration on what our cistrons determine in our personalities. I besides think that the accomplishment of us worlds cloning ourselves would be a great accomplishment for T he full human race such as it was when we landed on the Moon in 1969. In the film Gattaca they hardly showed the moral effects of the actions. Anton s father showed more pride in his brother than Anton, but what about Anton doing friends, was he doomed to be a societal castaway in friendly relationships besides? The 2nd rate swimmer so down by being 2nd in a race about committed self-destruction, what about him? The film neer revealed how hapless states around the universe dealt with finally going a state of an inferior human race. The film reasonably much shows how Hitler s program of making a perfect human race would be like. The film does demo some positives though. A longer lifetime full of wellness was promised to all planned gestations. Diseases were besides virtually eliminated and cistron jobs where besides stopped. The offense work outing potency of holding every 1s cistron boy file were besides showed. Such engineering could be used nevertheless with out cloning or familial neutering. Weighing all these positives and negatives though is non a pick for me or anyone else, but a pick for future coevalss to come when they have the engineering and pick whether to make up ones mind if it is needed or right for their clip.

Effects of Apples Marketing Strategy on Customers Behaviour in Chinese Market

Introduction In a retrospect, Apple, Inc. is one of those companies that were destined to become the world leaders. Launched into the global market with its innovative concept of Apple III, a personal computer that turned out to be quite competitive in the environment dominated by IBM and Microsoft, the organisation has been increasingly successful ever since (Hagedoorn, Carayannis Alexander 2001).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Effects of Apple’s Marketing Strategy on Customers’ Behaviour in Chinese Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, with the creation of the global market, the company has faced a range of challenges, particularly, the need to promote its products with an account of the cultural specifics of the target population (Schiavenza 2013). Despite impressive differences between the Americana and the Chinese cultures, Apple managed to adjust its marketing campaign to the c ultural specifics of the above-mentioned market by putting a very strong emphasis on the significance of the technological advance (Minakhmetova Savchenko 2015). As a result, Apple may have spurred the creation of a new type of consumer behaviour in China and even launched an irreversible process of change in the Chinese society (Apple’s foray into China — and the mind of the new Chinese consumer 2013). Literature Review and Research Background Apple, Inc. has been known as the key innovator in the It market for a while (Chapman, Hoskinson Christian 2013) due to the integration of the so-called Quantum strategy into its design; specifically, the mixture of technological advances and efficacy in the company’s overall performance (Heracleous 2013) deserves to be mentioned. Entering into the global market, the company, however, had to bend its strategy so that Apple’s products could appeal to the target demographics; notably, the cultural specifics of the states, which Apple has chosen to expand in, have been identified carefully by the organisation. As a result, the entrance into the Chinese market planned previously by Apple was carried out rather smoothly with the introduction of the new consumer philosophy to the Chinese customers (Better days ahead; Apple in China 2013). The specified tendency can be explained by the fact that, as a worldwide brand, Apple, Inc. already has a very active community of customers and followers (Montgomerie Roscoe 2013), who, in their turn, have created a range of traditions and values related to the company and its vision (Apple plans Apple University in China, bringing Jobs’ vision to Asia 2013). Therefore, when rethinking the possible effects, which Apple, Inc. is going to have on the Chinese community after the adoption of the specified marketing approach, one must admit that opening the Chinese population to new opportunities in terms of education and the use of technology in their daily life can be deemed as a fairly positive change (Apple in China: big country, big company 2015).Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After all, the fact that â€Å"Apple currently has 12 stores in China and corporate offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai† (Apple plans Apple University in China, bringing Jobs’ vision to Asia 2014, par. 5) means that the company has a range of employment options for the local residents. In the light of the fact that the Chinese society is currently facing significant challenges in meeting the needs of farmers and workers and that a strong effort is required in order to steer the state economy and politics in the right direction, the creation of a new type of society members, which Apple along with other several companies contributes to, is clearly a big step in the right direction: â€Å"A new generation of workers, above al l rural migrant workers, is standing up to defend their dignity and rights† (Chan, Pun Selden 2013, p. 112). Seeing that â€Å"Apple and Foxconn now find themselves in a limelight that challenges their corporate images and symbolic capital, hence requiring at least lip service in support of progressive labour policy reforms† (Chan, Pun Selden 2013, p. 112), it can be assumed that the marketing strategy chosen by Apple is bound to affect not only the creation of an entirely new type of customers in the Chinese market but also reinvent the very concept of economic relationships within the specified environment. It should be noted, though, that the implications of the approach adopted by Apple can be viewed as a double-sided sword, as it may turn out to have rather drastic effects on the Chinese society. Though clearly providing the Chinese population with a range of benefits, including the opportunity for the Chinese people to enter the environment of international comm unication, Apple affects the very core of the Chinese consumer culture by shifting the emphasis in the set of cultural values from appreciation of time honoured traditions to the pursuit of the ephemeral fades. On a more practical level, the specified change makes Chinese consumers are likely to be driven away from some of the current issues in the Chinese economy with the introduction of a new fad (Fitzsimons, Chartrand Fitzsimons 2008). Specifically, the fact that the local afflicted landowners and workers will no longer have the support of the rest of the Chinese population with the new concept of wellbeing engulfing the local population: â€Å"The Chinese state is also seeking to raise domestic consumption and hence living standards, in part in major response to the struggle of aggrieved workers and farmers† (Chan, Pun Selden. 2013, p. 112). More importantly, some of the studies related to the ethics of the company and the approaches, which Apple used as the means of wi nning Chinese customers’ trust, reported about â€Å"a powerful indictment of Apple, supply chains, consumer fantasy about technology, and the ethics of consumption† (Litzinger 2013, p. 175). Therefore, the alterations, which the Apple Company’s strategy is going to have on the economic and social life of the Chinese population, are far from being stellar. Research Objectives The principal goal of the study, therefore, is to investigate the effects that the current strategy undertaken by the Apple, Inc. has on the consumer behaviour patterns in China. Specifically, the research will consider the effects, which the current marketing approach has on the Chinese people’s mindset and their concept of the social elite.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Effects of Apple’s Marketing Strategy on Customers’ Behaviour in Chinese Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In other wo rds, the study is aimed at determining whether Apple’s concept of innovative products as the means of being singled out contributes to the creation of a new stratum of the Chinese society, i.e., the so-called technology related elite (Huang, Hu Zhang 2013).  Additionally, the study incorporates several key objectives. It is essential to identify the specifics of the marketing strategy that Apple, Inc. has adopted in China. Moreover, the characteristics of the Chinese consumers’ culture will have to be identified to locate the changes, which Apple’s strategy has triggered in the Chinese society. Finally, the key factors, which have contributed to the change, including both the internal (i.e., the intrinsic factors that are related directly to the mindset of Chinese people) and the external (i.e., the global market, Apple’s vision (Mission statement of Apple 2015), etc.) ones will have to be identified in order to retrieve the necessary information. The key research question is, therefore, whether the approach adopted by the Apple, Inc. may possibly spawn a societal change in China.  The negative effects, which the Apple strategy is going to have on the concept of a Chinese customer and the ethics thereof, however, are not restricted to the societal effects. Apart from the concern for the working class in China, the issue regarding environmental awareness rates among the Chinese people deserves to be mentioned (Apple announces new environmental initiatives in China 2015). It is feared that the concept of technological advances as the measure of a social status may have a rather negative impact on the Chinese environment: â€Å"Apple’s success in the Chinese mainland’s market is achieved at the expense of the local environment† (Jilong 2012, p. 45). By stressing the significance of innovative technology as an attribute of being rich and socially popular, Apple, inc. may make the target denizens of the Chinese population forget about the need to be environmentally friendly. Finally, the fact that Apple products have never enjoyed wide popularity in China to begin with deserves to be brought up (Reeve 2013). Seeing that the target market is dominated by Samsung, Apple will have to work especially hard in order to attract Chinese customers; therefore, it can be assumed that the tools to be used by the company are going to leave an especially persistent strategy. Therefore, the study is aimed at answering the following questions: What alterations has the Apple Company done to its marketing approach in order to promote its products to the Chinese population? What consumer behaviour is considered traditionally acceptable in China? In what way does the marketing strategy adopted by Apple alter the behavioural patterns of Chinese buyers? What effects will these changes have on the Chinese society in the nearest future? Methodologies and Methods Seeing that the relationships, which are going to be identified, are primarily qualitative, there is no obvious need to quantify the research outcomes (Gunter, Zhu Murphy 2011). Indeed, a closer look at the nature of the study will show that the key variables, i.e., the marketing strategy adopted by Apple, Inc. (the independent variable) and the changes in the consumer behaviour of the Chinese population (the dependent one) do not need to be quantified in order to define the link between them.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the qualitative research design is suggested as the basis for the study (Khan 2014). As far as the research method is concerned, it can be suggested that a combination of a general research and a phenomenology should be used as a primary design for carrying out the study. The choice of two methods simultaneously can be justified by the fact that the issue to be considered in the course of the study is twofold. On the one hand, the specifics of Apple’s marketing have to be considered; on the other hand, the analysis will have to be carried out in the context of the Chinese culture. Therefore, a thorough study of the phenomenon in question placed in the specified setting needs to be conducted (Wertz 2014). As far as the general research is concerned, the specified step is crucial for identifying the basic characteristics of Chinese consumers, as well as the Chinese culture in general (Sincovics Alfoldi 2012). By reviewing several major works on Chinese consumerism, as well as Chinese traditions in general, one will be capable of predicting the effects, which the Apple strategies are going to have on the target denizens of the population. In fact, the general research mentioned above is going to incorporate an overview of the information regarding the Apple strategies as well. Thus, a full overview of the conflict to be considered can be obtained. The data regarding Apple’s marketing strategy and the effects that it has on the Chinese consumers, therefore, will be collected with the help of an overview of the existing literature on the subject. Particularly, articles in peer-reviewed journals, which were released after 2011, will be considered as the key secondary source of information for the research. Moreover, the reports released by Apple, Inc. and the Chinese government, which reflect the alterations in the Chinese people’s consumer behaviour, will be studied thoroughly. In addition, observations of the customer behaviour cha nges among Chinese people will be conducted based on the reports published by the trustworthy sources. As a result, the latest alterations in the consumer behaviour patterns will be identified and included into the study, which will make the analysis richer and more objective (Onwuegbuzie, Leech Collins 2010). The analysis of the information retrieved in the course of the above-mentioned observations and the study of the related literature will be conducted with the help of the constant comparison analysis. Being one of by far the most widely used tools for understanding and interpreting qualitative data, the specified device will allow for a careful evaluation of every significant factor affecting buyers’ behaviour in China. The data required for the research will be sampled with the help of the tool known as snowball sampling (Heckathorn 2011). The method in question will help split the research into several key stages based on the severity of the factors that affect the k ey dependent variable (e.g., the customer’s behaviour). Consequently, the tool under consideration can be deemed as an adequate choice for the specified study design and research setting. In fact, the method of snowball sampling will be updated by using social networks, such as Facebook (Baltar Brunet 2012). Thus, the options for data retrieval will be increased greatly.  In addition to the above-mentioned research tools, interviews will be administered to the participants. The interviews will be aimed at determining the shift in values among the Chinese population after the introduction of Apple products into the target market; specifically, the issue regarding the change in people’s perception of their social status after the purchase of Apple products will be considered.  The interview will consist of ten open-ended questions. Although the information retrieved in the course of interviewing is likely to come in the form of an unstructured text, classifying the data based on a specific taxonomy will allow for identifying the key factors that affect the buyers’ behaviour. The questions included in the interview will help identify the recent trends in the Chinese society, the rates of enthusiasm regarding acquiring new gadgets among Chinese people, the attitude towards the people possessing the specified devices, etc. It is assumed that the tools listed above will help attain a high level of academic objectivity and contribute to the understanding of the effects that the marketing approach adopted by Apple, Inc. has on the Chinese population in terms of their customer behaviour. However, in order to gain a deep insight on the alterations in the above-mentioned behavioural patterns, the changes in question will have to be considered from the perspectives of both the social and economic specifics of China. The case in point is a graphic example of a clash of cultures (i.e., the American and the Chinese ones); therefore, it must be viewe d from the cultural perspective as well. By identifying the essential changes, which the Chinese people have to undergo under the pressure of Apple’s obtrusive marketing campaign, one will be able to locate a reasonable compromise for the company to make between the need to attract more customers and the necessity to prevent any possible harm to the Chinese society. Reference List Apple announces new environmental initiatives in China 2015, https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2015/05/11Apple-Announces-New-Environmental-Initiatives-in-China.html. Apple in China: big country, big company 2015, http://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/apple-in-china-big-country-big-company/ar-AA8GHuj. Apple plans Apple University in China, bringing Jobs’ vision to Asia 2013, http://9to5mac.com/2014/11/03/apple-plans-apple-university-in-china-bringing-jobs-vision-to-asia/. Apple’s foray into China — and the mind of the new Chinese consumer 2013, http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/ar ticle/apples-foray-into-china-and-the-mind-of-the-new-chinese-consumer-2/. Baltar, F Brunet, I 2012, ‘Social research 2.0: virtual snowball sampling method using Facebook,’ Internet research, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 57–74. Better days ahead; Apple in China. 2013, http://www.economist.com/news/business/21591229-tech-giant-can-rebound-its-recent-misfortunes-china-better-days-ahead. Chan, J, Pun, N Selden, M 2013, ‘The politics of global production: Apple, Foxconn and China’s new working class,’ New Technology, Work and Employment, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 100–115. Chapman, R, Hoskinson, R E Christian, G 2013, Apple Inc.: Keeping the â€Å"I† in innovation, http://www.cengagebrain.com.mx/content/9781133516491.pdf. Fitzsimons, G M, Chartrand, T L Fitzsimons, G J 2008, ‘Automatic effects of brand exposure on motivated behaviour: how Apple makes you â€Å"think different.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Source: Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 21–35. Gunter, L, Zhu, J Murphy, S A 2011, ‘Variable selection for qualitative interactions,’ Statistical Methodology, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 42–55. Hagedoorn, J, Carayannis, E Alexander, J 2001, ‘Strange bedfellows in the personal computer industry: Technology alliances between IBM and Apple,’ Research Policy, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 837–849. Heckathorn, D D 2011, ‘Comment: snowball versus respondent-driven sampling,’ Sociological Methodology, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 355–365. Heracleous, L 2013, ‘Quantum Strategy at Apple Inc.,’ Organisational Dynamics, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 92–99. Huang, C, Hu, L Zhang, X 2013, Consumer experience analysis, http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:624813/FULLTEXT01.pdf. Jilong, W 2012, ‘Multinationals’ environmental colonialism: A case study of Apple Inc. and China’s countermeasures,’ China Economist, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 44–54. Khan, S N 2014, ‘Qualitative research method – phenomenology,’ Asian Social Science, vol. 10, no. 21, pp. 298–310. Litzinger, R 2013, ‘Labor in China: A new politics of struggle,’ The South Atlantic Quarterly, vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 172–178. Minakhmetova, A Savchenko, D 2015, Mobile marketing strategy development in China, Japan and South Korea, http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:822708/FULLTEXT01.pdf. Mission statement of Apple. 2015, http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/mission-statements/apple-mission-statement.html. Montgomerie, J Roscoe, S 2013, ‘Owning the consumer – getting to the core of the Apple business model,’ Accounting Forum, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 290–299. Onwuegbuzie, L J, Leech, A L Collins, K M T 2010, ‘Innovative data collection strategies in qualitative research,’ The Qualitative Report, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 696–726. Reeve, N 2013, RCM demotes Apple, http://ww w.ftadviser.com/2013/02/15/investments/investment-trusts/rcm-demotes-apple-e6IacpYBNnVhxAkrazz1kM/article.html. Schiavenza, M 2013, ‘The logic behind Apple’s strategy in China,’ The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/09/the-logic-behind-apples-strategy-in-china/279569/. Sincovics, R R Alfoldi, E A 2012, ‘Progressive focusing and trustworthiness in qualitative research,’ Management International Review, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 817–845. Wertz, F J 2014, ‘Phenomenology,’ Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 93–101. This proposal on Effects of Apple’s Marketing Strategy on Customers’ Behaviour in Chinese Market was written and submitted by user Quinn I. to help you with your own studies. 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Cold Sassy Tree Continuation Essay essays

Cold Sassy Tree Continuation Essay essays Loma stepped off the train and into the depot. She thought of the day she had in Athens and couldnt help but feel jealous of her friend who had everything whereas she had noting. She was about to find out she had less. She looked up to see half the town there waiting for her. She looked a little confused as she thought to herself, Did everyone wanna know how my trip went badly enough to come and greet me at the depot? But it wasnt smiling faces that greeted her. Then her father approached her with a grim look on his face, and she knew right then the town hadnt come to see how her trip went. Something aint right, she thought to herself. However, she didnt expect what she heard next. Loma, Im real sorry bout this, But Camp done gone and kilt hisself. She just looked at him like he was crazy. She couldnt believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. It just couldnt be true. Cmon Loma, Will Tweedy will take you home in the artermobile, he said putting his arm around her. She couldnt move she looked at her father again, and then looked at the people in the depot. Everyone looked at her like they were sorry for her. She quickly looked away from them, she couldnt stand all these people feeling pitying her. After seeing their faces it was finally starting to sink in that her husband was dead, and he was the one that took his life. She started to walk with her father and Will towards the car, she needed to get out of here and fast. She was feeling guilty about Camps death and she didnt want to lose it in front of all these people. Why couldnt I have been nicer, she thought, I was just so mean to him, no wonder he went and killed himself, he was being put down all the time and its all my fault. Even though she had married Camp just to make her father mad because he didnt want ...

The aspects of sports merchandising and marketing Essay

The aspects of sports merchandising and marketing - Essay Example By combining the aspects of merchandising and marketing into a sports range, sports merchandising is the way expert sports teams and organizations market and distribute their products to the purchaser. The vast preponderance of the marketing attempt for sports team is accomplished throughout the playing of the teams' games. Professional sports are able to create an implausible amount of experience throughout their games since their uniforms, team colors, and logos are on exhibit for the course of the game to both those in attendance, and the people inspection the game on television. Teams use dissimilar tactics and marketing maneuvers to augment attention and sales in their apparel. We will spotlight on the merchandising efforts of the Wanderer Football Club (WFC), the leader in expert sports organizations in merchandising. I will look at the largely merchandising effort as well as how the league markets itself through a variety of dissimilar avenues (Stephens, Tim. 2002). Sports and the mass media enjoy a symbiotic relationship. On one hand, the mass media, more than anything else, were responsible for turning organized sports from a relatively minor element of culture into a full-blown social institution. On the other hand, sports has been the vehicle for bringing dramatic attention to new mass media forms, which in turn have brought new sporting experiences to the public. This marriage of sports and the mass media has enabled each to flourish. Sports marketers are interested in the relationship between sports and the mass media and in how to use the media to target their messages at sports consumers. In a sense, sport marketing offers a form of narrowcasting, whereby a large group of consumers with common interests is brought together through sports events and programming. The more specific the analysis of the sports-media relationship, the more targeted is the message, and the more effective and powerful is the sports marketing strategy (Buccaneer s Online). 3. Methodology Marketing Strategy What strategic issues confront the sports marketer The list is endless, and this section deals with three of the entries on the list. Licensing products has generated vast amounts of revenue for some teams as marketers take advantage of brand equity in teams and properties. In a sense, the majority marketing engages segmentation of one sort or another. This section examines one method of segmentation and in the process provides a great deal of high-quality advice about segmentation plan. When looking at the merchandising effort of professional sports teams, you must look at the top dog in this, the Wanderer Football Club (WFC). Football is king in the industry for a lot of reasons, none larger than the vast attractiveness and viewing of the sport. In a survey by ESPN/Chilton sports, two-thirds of all Americans consider themselves to be football fans. Maybe even more shocking is the fact that forty-three percent

Analysis of Important Project Management Factors Essay

Analysis of Important Project Management Factors - Essay Example Though, many researchers have presented a wide variety of ethical theories for other disciplines. But still there is not considerable progress in the field of project management (Siguroarson, 2009; Mingers & Walsham, 2010; Stahl, 2008). In the past few years there have emerged massive changes in the field of information technology. In fact, it has changed the world considerably and at the present we have started believing that the majority of business organizations are well aware of the fact that their significant liability to global and local societies is further than only generating and maximizing profit. In other words, there is at the present a rising concern with the question of how organizations and their project teams should react, as well as this situation leads us to think about ethics as the suitable academic and idealistic area. Additionally, it is predominantly significant for the project management of IT projects for the reason that they involve a wide variety of social and environmental effects. These effects can emerge in result of project management of latest technologies and the organizations that have power over them. On the other hand, researchers have not paid considerable attention in putting into practice a practical implementation of ethical information system mechanism (Siguroarson, 2009; Mingers & Walsham, 2010; Stahl, 2008). In addition, (Couger, 1989; Laudon, 1998), believe that there is no methodical study or literature which can be acknowledged as one discovery, for instance, project management ethics, IT ethics, information system ethics, business ethics, and in medical and legal ethics. There could be many reasons behind it for instance the current and past literature on...In this scenario, the ethical decision will be based on the maximum total utility. In view of the fact that this theory focuses on the results or outcomes of decisions, hence it is typically acknowledged as 'consequentialist'. On the other hand Kantian deontolog y follows a basically different idea and determines the ethical superiority of a decision in keeping with the purpose of the decision maker. In this scenario, the ethical assessment of a maxim relies on whether it can be imagined or universalized as a general rule. In view of the fact that this approach focuses on the duty bound intention of the decision maker with little focus to consequences hence it is acknowledged as deontological. In addition, a set of ethical theories frequently discussed in the context of project management paradigm minimized both the significance of responsibility and consequences, however focuses on the decision maker. The third ethical theory is known as virtue ethics, which does not take into consideration hypothetical difference between right and wrong on the basis of outside features of an act however it is actually foundational upon the way in which a certain act focuses on the character of the decision maker (Siguroarson, 2009; Walsham, 2003; Charlesw orth & Sewry, 2002). All the ethical theories are implemented on humans for the reason that they all guide the people to differentiate between right and wrong. In addition, all the theories demonstrate that we should do good and avoid bad activities but their way of explanation is different from one another.

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Parenting by Leonard Pitts Essay

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Parenting by Leonard Pitts - Essay Example This research will begin with the biography of Leonard Pitts Jr. He was born in the United States and is a famous commentator, journalist, and an author. Leonard Pitts in his popular op-ed essay â€Å"spare the rod, spoil the parenting’’ makes use of a range of rhetorical or persuasive strategies to strengthen and support his opinions on the use of physical punishment to discipline children. The title of the story seems to be inspired from ‘He that spareth is a rod, hateth his son’ which is a biblical proverb. The proverb clearly portrays the importance of punishment. Leonard Pitt strives to persuade and educate parents regarding the importance that physical punishment has in the mental and intellectual development of children. Pitt tries to persuade his audiences to accept the fact that spanking and other forms of corporal punishments are necessary for forcing children to maintain discipline. Throughout the open format of the essay, Leonard Pitt uses a sa rcastic and blunt approach to not only spark reader’s interest but also to persuade them to accept his views. Therefore, the author tackles a sensitive topic in a casual yet authoritative manner which keeps his audiences intrigued till the very last line. The author’s strategy to use blunt diction and vocabulary to attract reader’s sympathy works phenomenally. In addition, Leonard Pitt argues and clearly points out the differences between corporal punishment ways and physical abuse, this argument forms the center of foci in his essay.... Pitt attempts to seek reader’s sympathy and understanding by stating that like most kids, his children are spoiled brats as well. Leonard makes use of his personal experience to convey to the readers that he is a parent who is capable of recognizing his children’s faults. In addition this strategy prevents the reader from thinking that the author is being judgmental towards others. The essay has an open format which makes the reader feel as if they are having a conversation with their best friend. Perhaps this is one of the most powerful rhetorical strategies used by the author throughout the essay. This allows the reader to take in and accept the information being conveyed by the author, without being intimated. Leonard maintains the strategy of having a conversation with his reader by asking questions such as ‘who is teaching whom?’ and ‘who is the in charge here?’This strategy not only ensures reader’s interest but also makes the read er realize that the author is not targeting a particular group of parents but in fact he is targeting the faults of all parents including him. He portrays the negative attributes of children by pointing out that they are ‘overindulged’ ‘spoiled’ and ‘materialistic brats’. Furthermore, the author blames his children to be bad and spoiled. This strategy forces the readers to sympathize with the author and realize that children need to be rewarded with a spank every time they misbehave. However, the author would never have been able to persuade the parents about the importance of corporal punishment if he had portrayed children as being good. Therefore, the author quotes ‘the screaming five year old’ and ‘misbehaving backside’ to reinforce his point that parents

A Play Based Curriculum | Analysis of Parent Attitudes

A Play Based Curriculum | Analysis of Parent Attitudes Abstract Parents select the type of school and curriculum they want for their children. There are numerous factors influencing parents choice of school, but practicality, location, affordability, and previous experience with the school are some of their most important considerations. Knowledge and understanding of the different components of the early childhood curricula is a necessity, but such is still dependent on many factors influencing parents choice. We know from the literature (Brain Klein, 1994; Reay Lucey, 2000) that parents enrolling their children in an early childhood education program that implements a play-based curriculum may have done so only because the school has met their expectations in some way, and not because they are aware of the benefits of the play-based program. Nevertheless, what we dont know is if parents would only understand and appreciate the curriculum, would they have made another choice, would they be more involved and have realistic expectations of their childs learning opportunities? This study explores the beliefs and attitudes of parents regarding the play-based curriculum. Using qualitative methods, I aim to gather information in narrative form on parents beliefs and attitudes regarding play-based curriculum The analysis of the data will be based on the narrative responses of the parents, and focus on commonalities, differences, and emergent themes. Introduction I just want my child to have fun! is a comment I hear regularly from parents touring my preschool. But the magic of fun somehow disappears as children reach the age of three or four, and when they start to prepare for real school. Standards, standardized tests, honors, grades etc., soon become parents greatest concerns. Somewhere along the line, the fun comment is replaced with questions pertaining to kindergarten readiness and requests for worksheets, homework and some sort of grade. As a preschool owner/educator, I remember so vividly the day I decided to leave an incredible 13-year career as a public school teacher in one of Ohios wealthiest school districts to own and run my own preschool. This was not an easy decision, because I love teaching; leaving the classroom was one of the hardest professional decisions I have ever made. However, the standards and standardized testing that were dictating our curriculum practices were in complete conflict with my beliefs. Fortunately, I had options and decided to stay in education by moving to younger ages, which at the time, seemed exempt from the overt pressure of standardized testing. I envisioned a facility that embraced play as the primary learning philosophy one that valued child interests and focus groups, one that integrated multicultural facets. I could not be more pleased with my decision to walk away from an amazing retirement, decent salary, and summers off with my own children to offer my ideals to other young learners. Little did I realize that the same nightmares that plagued me previously would continue to haunt me at my preschool. Although research on play and cognitive development provide a lot of support for the play-based curriculum for our young children, the recent state and national emphasis on proficiency test performance has reinforced the concept of minimal play time, even in the primary setting. Many preschools and elementary schools have reduced or even eliminated play from their schedules ( Bodrova Leong, 2003; Brandon, 2002; Johnson, 1998; Murline, 2000; Vail 2003). Play, even the small segments, are being replaced with academic readiness practices, particularly literacy and reading to match the content of standardized testing (Brandon, 2002; Fromberg, 1990; Johnson, 1998; Steinhauer, 2005; Vail, 2003). The constant struggle for accountability, as well as top-down standards and coercive pressure to raise scores on an endless series of standardized test- (Kohn, 2004, p.572), in addition to the battle of improving education, all seem to be dictating current educational trends. Even if a program embraces the importance of play, the outer forces that continue to press for academics is constantly threatening the foundation from which our young children build their educational future. We strip them of their best innate confidence in directing their own learning, hurry them along, and often wear them out. (Almon, 2003, p.20). This push for a more academic foundation in the early years may find us losing sight of the real purpose of learning. If we continue down this path of creating a test-prep curriculum in which our emphasis is on how the child scores on a reading test rather than on allowing children to read for pleasure and information after leaving school, we might generate quite the opposite effect and negatively impact cognitive development. Nevertheless, the global challenge that the Information Age has imposed on us has likewise prompted education officials to redefine school achievement. The governments move to establish educational standards through the (No Child Left Behind Act) NCLB was based on the decline of education standards since the start of the 70s (Peterson, 2003). At present, most schools implement standard-based curricula, formal evaluation methods, and numerical grading system in response to the call for a wider educational transformation. Suffice to mention, the U.S. ranks only 19th in the Literacy Index established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2007). Such data support the current trend in education, and imply the need of preschool educators to respond accordingly. In this consideration, it is worthwhile to weigh what we know about the significance of play-based curriculum as it contradicts with what officials in Higher Education promote, the standar d-based curriculum. With the help of parents who themselves have witnessed the relevance of play-based curriculum to the current education system and to the broader aspects of their childrens lives, this study shall gain novel findings on how parents understand the play-based curriculum. Knowing how parents understand play-based curriculum is important, it will provide insight into what information parents draw upon in making early educational decisions for their children. . Since parents are the ones who decide where to enroll their children, it would be best to learn how they feel towards play-based curriculum. To secure a well-informed research finding, during this study I will focus on interviews, observations and documents/documentation, with parents whose children are currently enrolled in a play-based curriculum. I plan to interview five parents; conducting three interviews: a Life History interview , a Current Context interview that includes a summary of their present situation, and a Follow up interview. In addition to the three interviews, observations will be conducted and artifacts will be collected to enhance the data collection. I currently own and operate a preschool situated in a Northeastern Ohio suburb. The demographics surrounding my school consist of upper middle class, educated, two-parent households. In the recent past, we were operating with 248 Caucasian families but have noticed a cultural trend changing our schools population: we now house six native Asian families, eight native Indian families, three African-American families, and two biracial families out of a total of 257 families. This trend, I believe, is due to a new 30-acre hospital facility opening across the street. This study will take place in a similar preschool. The commercial brand preschool (pseudonym) has similar demographics and utilizes a play-based curriculum. As I tour families, I am always assured that parents want the best for their children. The decision to leave a young child to a non-family member is difficult but common, and it is what brought me to this point in my life: a 43 year-old mother of two daughters, ages 10 and 13, pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an early childhood focus. A very attractive, well-dressed woman in her mid-thirties, entered my school foyer holding an expensive handbag, and armed with a list of questions, began her quest for the perfect childcare provider. This well-spoken mom has a two-year-old son and an infant daughter. She, an attorney and her husband, a resident doctor, just moved to our community from Washington, DC. My tour involves a short introduction of myself and my background, as well as the schools. I always include a short description of our philosophy, which includes play, a tour of the facility, an introduction to all teachers, and, finally, a meeting in my office where we address all questions on their list. Such a list typically includes: safety and security, ratios, sick policy, discipline policy, sanitation procedures, lunch and snack, tuition, etc. In this instance, curriculum was never mentioned, even after I spoke of our play-based philosophy, our Flex Learning Program, etc. Such things did not seem important to thi s mom. She asked about teacher turnover, how many infants were currently enrolled, how many teachers were in the classroom, and if her baby would be rocked to sleep. She asked if her young toddler would visit the gym, which is located in the older building; if he would go outside every day; and if he could participate in karate and soccer. Literature supporting everything discussed during the tour, including curriculum issues, was handed to her, as well as a business card with the web address for any additional information. This is very much a typical tour. The mother called later to announce that her decision was complete and her children would be starting the next Monday. That was two years ago. Her children still attend my school full time, now ages three and five. Both kids are in the West facility that houses older children: older Preschool, Pre K, Jr-K, K, and after school classrooms/program. Her children are thriving academically and socially. Yet, two years later, her concern shifted to academic readiness. She made an appointment with me to review the Ohio Pre K standards which she received from her neighbor. Our hour-and-half hour meeting consisted of examples of just how these standards are being implemented, met, and mastered without the use of paper/pencil, drill, skill worksheets, and assessment tools. Although our philosophy has not changed, nor has her desire for her children to have fun, the fear of success in school has crept into this moms thinking. Walking through her sons and daughte rs classrooms daily and observing kids building blocks, doing dramatic play, using sand and water, and working at art stations, reassures her that the kids are indeed having fun, but what are they learning? How can she be sure they will be prepared for school? This has me posing several opposing questions. What are parents beliefs  and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curriculum, and has their beliefs and attitudes changed since entering the play-based program? What evidence can I offer parents that play-based curriculum is an appropriate curriculum for primary school readiness? How do I advocate for preschoolers as a time in life to cherish play as a basis for holistic development and learning? It is my desire, as a strong advocate of play for small children, to better understand where parents are coming from, how they are informed, and what they draw upon to make their final conclusions. Therefore, in my study, I will inquire from parents their beliefs and attitude about play-based curriculum in the hope of better understanding where parents are coming from. This information will better inform teachers in their parent education practices as well as parents in their search for a preschool. About Early Childhood Education Programs Early childhood education programs provide foundational learning experiences to very young children in preparation for formal schooling. Early childhood education programs strive to provide children with the basic skills in literacy and numeracy, which are crucial for all levels of education, while, at the same time, providing the social, emotional, and cultural interaction that children need for maturity and social development. There is a wide variation in child care programs in the United States ranging from basic care-based, and sometimes simply custodial-based care to nationally accredited early childhood programs such as those promoted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). A number of early childhood education models are in place: Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, Waldorf, Play-Based, and Academics-Based, each having a different philosophy and educational objective, but all striving to contribute to the readiness of children for formal instruction (Si nger, Singer, Plaskon, Schweder, 2003). Theoretical Frameworks Earlier theories on child development do not directly specify play as an essential aspect of cognitive development yet constructivist theories recognize it as an important factor affecting childrens interest and social development. In addition, neuroscience contributes to the view that physical and age-related play enhances brain, physical, and overall development (Frost 1998). The social constructivist theory is the force that determines this study. It claims that individuals perceptions of the reality around them shape their thoughts and behavior (Berger Luckman, 1966) and that the construction of meaning is a process forged in the crucible of everyday interactionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦meanings are negotiated, exchanged, and modified through everyday interactions with others (Rosenholtz, 1989, p. 3). It also says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing and reflecting upon those experiences. Constructivism posits that children develop their own concepts of things based on prior knowledge and experience. Guided by people, prior knowledge or experience, they perceive, analyze, and eventually make up their own ideas regarding the world. Therefore, prior skills used at play may be applied relevantly to other situations, such as problem solving, analysis, or decision-making. This makes play an important part of childrens life, as it serves as the introduction to higher skills and more difficult challenges of life. In particular, Lev Vygotsky (cited in Palmer, 2004), a well-known constructivist supports the importance of play in the childs development. In his last lecture, Play and the Psychological Development of the Child, Vygotsky emphasized the importance of play during the childs early years. According to him, play is part of a childs Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). ZPD is the difference between what a child can do and what s/he cannot. During play, the child behaves beyond his age, and discovers new ways of doing things such as different shapes and heights of blocks. As the child does this, s/he explores the depths of ZPD, which consequences to a better learning ability. In the same way, neuroscience provides support for childs play. Frost (1998) documents that brain development is further improved as children engage in age-appropriate play. Conversely, he illustrates that deprivation of play could result in aberrant behavior (8). It can be gathered that in Vgotskys social constructivist theory, parents form an understanding when it comes to identifying the fit academic environment for their child based on their expectations Research Methodology: Focus and Questions Based on the goals of this study, the employment of methodology through the acquisition of narrative inquiry and the case study design are appropriate. Narrative case study will be used for this research project as it will allow me, the researcher, to witness and report a descriptive setting in order to share experiences Case Study This study adopts the case study design with the view that individual cases provide more in-depth information. Case studies focus on the individual, his/her experiences, and immediate reality, which is needed to derive meaning and understanding of the issue or concept under examination. Moreover, it provides real examples from real people who are unencumbered by the use of predetermined measures or surveys, and whose responses will only result in numbers and statistics (Bogdan Biklen, 2007). In this study, individuals, the parents (either mother or father in one family) should have a child or children who are enrolled in a school that implements play-based curriculum. These individuals will be interviewed and asked to share their stories based on open-ended questions that correspond to the over-arching research questions. In doing so, the individuals experiences and beliefs will be discussed in order to arrive at a better understanding of the research topic, which regards parents be liefs and attitudes of a play-based curriculum. It is expected that other factors such as race, religion, and socioeconomic status would influence the experiences and thoughts of parents. Thus, the parents selected for the study will come from different backgrounds. In addition to the three planned interviews, observations including parent/ teacher conferences, PTO meetings, various parent celebrations such as A Day in the Life of PreSchooler, Muffins With Mom, (Root)Beer and Pretzels with Dad, Parents Night Out, Parents Information Evening etc will be observed. Artifacts such as Parent Handbook, Schools literature including the schools mission statement, student rights, student portfolio information will be submitted to supplement Narrative Inquiry For the purpose of this study I will also be drawing on narrative inquiry (Clandinin Connelly, 2000) to investigate five parents beliefs and attitudes towards a play -based early childhood curriculum within a privately owned early childhood facility. Coming from the social constructivist perspective, I believe that experiences are significant. Clandinin Connelly also suggest experience is significant in their three dimensional framework for studying how the participants past, present and future contexts influence their beliefs and attitudes towards a play -based early childhood curriculum. Focusing on narrative inquiry will help me to underdtand how parents beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood curriculum have been established. This unique approach is attractive because it provides the opportunity for the parents voices to be heard. In understanding their beliefs and attitudes of a play-based early childhood curriculum, narrative inquiry will allow me to explor e how their beliefs and attitudes affect their decsion to enroll or not in enroll in a facility that promotes a play-based curriuculum and how these beliefs and attitudes have evolved, through the stories that they share. This study will use the narrative in-depth interview as a qualitative data collection method, which can elicit far richer information than a survey. Further, interviews offer the researcher a means to clarify responses and validate participant responses. Cohen et al. (2000) posited that individual behaviors can only be understood by understanding individuals interpretations of the world around them. Therefore, meaningful social action needs to be interpreted from the point of view of the actors or the people who are in that particular situation. It can be said that parents who have already enrolled their child in a play-based preschool would naturally feel more strongly about it than parents who have not sent their child to a play-based preschool (Bryman, 2004). This qualitative case study will examine preschool parents beliefs and attitudes using a narrative inquiry data-collection strategy in order to showcase the experiences and perceptions of parents towards play-based curricula in early childhood programs. Case study and narrative inquiry seek to understand the particular details in a historically and socially bounded context (Clandinin Connelly, 2000). Main Research Questions The main research question for this study is what are parents beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curriculum? Supporting Research Questions I have identified several supporting research questions to reflect upon throughout Clandinin and Connelly (2000) three-dimensional interviewing process. In looking forward/backward I am interested in understanding how individuals life histories inform their current beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculums. In looking inward/outward I am interested in understanding what outside factors influence their current beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculums.. What are their beliefs on play? What are parents beliefs regarding developmentally appropriate practices? What are parents perceptions of early learning? What evidence can I offer parents that play-based curriculum is an appropriate curriculum for primary school readiness? How do I advocate for preschoolers as a time in life to cherish play as a basis for holistic development and learning? Children have different needs and the preschool program should be able to address those needs. From my experience, I have found that parents often choose preschools that are child-friendly; that is, they have passed safety standards, provide enough learning materials, employ qualified and caring teachers, and maintain an attractive facility. Rarely do parents ask about the schools curriculum or its academic offerings. In my experience, parents expect preschools to teach children basics like shapes, colors, alphabet, numbers, and reading. Most preschools integrate these basic skills into their learning programs, but each preschool differs in how the said skills are presented to the children for teaching purposes. Exploring parents beliefs and attitudes would help identify the relevance of play-based curriculum, whether it has helped facilitate their childrens readiness and ability to learn and develop skills needed for the real school or for everyday living. Moreover, their responses will serve as valuable insights to educators in general, including those who are not implementing play. Considering its focus, play-based curricula may be largely misperceived as not providing enough attention to skills and learning. Also, the current standard-based education being implemented, may consider play unimportant, thus curtail time for it or totally disregard it. Such would be deterrent to children whose basic needs include play and fun. In this view, the questions that I would like to expound on include: What are parents beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculum? What factors led to the development of these beliefs and attitudes? How do/did play-based curriculum affect their childrens learning and development? and How do parents beliefs and attitudes regarding play impact the implementation of play-based curriculum and standard-based curriculum/formal instruction? Purpose of the Study I believe it is important for all parents to have a thorough understanding of the curriculum that their child will be experiencing, whether in preschool or in any other educational setting. Preschools enjoy a certain amount of flexibility in how they teach young children. Different teaching models are available, and some schools integrate two models (i.e, Montessori and Reggio Emilia). When parents know and understand the curriculum of their childs preschool, they are more likely to become involved in the schools activities. They then know how to reinforce their childs learning at home, and tend to collaborate more with teachers (Sission, 2009). My quest to understand the beliefs and attitudes of five parents towards a play-based curriculum has multiple purposes. First, is to provide readers and the early childhood education sector with information concerning parental beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculum; second, to learn how, according to parents views has play-based curriculum affected their childrens learning and development; and third, to discern whether they believe it serves as an effective tool for early childhood education. Statement of the Problem Early childhood researchers have reported that young children learn best through activities that support the development of the whole child (Elkind 2001). David Elkind (2001), in a piece reminiscent of Piagets constructivist views, entitled Young Einstein: Much Too Early, argued that young children learn best through direct interaction with their environment. Before a certain age, they simply are not capable of the level of reasoning necessary for formal instruction. However, national concern with accountability, competition, testing and back-to-basics, puts an over-emphasis on academics and single-subject teaching (Elkind, 2007; Ornstein, 2002; Perrone, 2000). In response to these concerns, early childhood programs may focus the curriculum on the teaching of academic skills (Morrison, 2004). These factors have led to narrowly-defined curricula, which deny young children valuable life experiences found in play. Although a growing concern on math and language ability in the higher yea r levels has prompted the implementation of standard-based curriculum, it is not enough to impose such kind of system in the preschool level. In the first place, children are a lot different from adults in their ways to learn. Unlike adults, children, especially small ones, need play (Ginsburg, 2007); they need to be interested in what they do in order to continue with it. Therefore, the need for play in the preschool should not be disregarded. Nevertheless, the significance of play in instruction should be supported by research and by parents belief in the curriculum. Therefore, a study of the parents beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood curriculum may provide information useful to teachers and administrators when planning strategies for implementing a successful preschool program. Rationale With the demand for effectiveness, test achievement scores, and accountability, many preschool programs have adopted and reinforced formal instruction, and have used play as a recreational period rather than a learning medium. In an Oregon state-wide survey sent to all kindergarten teachers and principals with first-grade teachers, Hitz and Wright (1998) found that sixty-four percent of kindergarten teachers, sixty-one percent of principals, and seventy-two percent of first-grade teachers reported that formal academic instruction was more prevalent in kindergarten than it was 10 to 20 years ago. In this scenario, creative expression may be considered not as important as cognitive development. Creativity may be viewed as irrelevant to the development of thinking and problem solving. Conversely, it is possible that teachers and administrators have adopted academic instruction and other formal practices, even though most of them considered such developmentally inappropriate. This last s cenario implies the loss or lack of academic freedom among educators, thus contradicting democratic principles. Early childhood educators have shown concern with the type of instruction used in their education programs. Practices used in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes reflected an environmentalist-behaviorist view, even though teachers reported having other views. From a study of teacher practice, Hatch and Freeman (1988) found that two-thirds of early childhood teachers were implementing programs in conflict with their philosophies concerning childrens learning. Early childhood experts have long asserted that programs for young children should provide for the development of social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative skills, but the abovementioned findings do not reflect this anymore. In short, there is a gap between researchers recommendations and teachers practices (Bredekamp, 1997; Logue, Eheart, Leavitt, 1996). Parents are the deciding authority when it comes to the type of education that their children should receive. Their beliefs and attitudes towards a curriculum and later their decisions are typically influenced by their own beliefs, experiences, and attitudes. As a consequence, their views affect the implementation of programs for young children. This study does not confirm that parents views regarding curriculum implementation are sufficient to implement a favorable program. Nevertheless, it considers their views because they form part of childrens learning environment. It is important to gain their views about play-based education because aside from the teacher, they are the ones who have access to information regarding their childrens development and ability whether in school or outside it. Motivation As an experienced primary educator, and a current preschool owner and educator, I am interested in parents beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curriculum and whether their decision to enroll their child in a play-based curriculum is borne out of their understanding of the program or other factors. I personally believe in the play-based curriculum and would like to determine if this attitude is shared by the parents. If they do not, I would like to know the basis for their dislike of the curriculum. Parents of my students are informed of our play-based curriculum at enrollment. Despite this, however, some still confront me with disbelief about the curriculum. As an educator and business owner, this study would lead me to a better understanding of parents beliefs and attitudes about play as a vehicle for learning Understanding how parents understand play-based curriculum is significant and will add to the literature in many ways. In exploring how parents underst and play-based curriculum this study will contribute to current literature available offering new ideas Contributions to the Research Childrens play has come under renewed attack. Inspired by my own experiences as a preschool owner I hope to contribute through this narrative case study various lived stories of parents and how their beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood curriculum have evolved. Since parents are the customers of early childhood programs, is it important to understand their beliefs and attitudes. While there is plenty of research supporting play-based curriculums in the early childhood classroom, it is mostly from the educators and childs view point, literature is lacking in this area as it pertains to the parents, their own beliefs and attitudes. While not meant to portray generalized information the rich descriptive stories of these five parents will represent the larger community. Outlook In chapter two of this research proposal, Literature Review, I describe the context in which preschool programs, play-based curriculum, and parental choices have been studied in the past, and the implications of research findings to current practice. . The literature review is organized from the general to the specific, which means that a general overview of preschool programs is provided, followed by a discussion of the play-based curriculum, and concluding with parents choice. In chapter three, Methodology, I further describe the use of case study and the narrative inquiry approach to justify the use of such methods and design as proposed for this study. The chapter also provides the description of the research setting, the research sample, the data gathering procedure, data analysis, the timeline, and validity and reliability concerns, as well as the anticipated limitations of the study. The main research question as well as the supporting questions will be outlined in detail as well within the chapter three. Chapter four, Findings, will draw on common themes that exist within the participants stories that describe their beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curricul

Homesick :: essays research papers

Sela Ward, the author of Homesick believes her family shows her everyday what a home truly is. Keeping in touch with her Southern roots is a chronic part of her life. This paper will share with you ideas about the book Homesick in addition to how it relates to my life and English 121.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book Homesick relates to my life in many ways. Like the author I feel the best gift my parents give me is spending family time together. Another way I can relate is that I get rapture from spending time with my friends. My family is also very close-knit like Ward describes hers in the book. Manners being a critical element to success are also an element that relates to my life. My life and the book Homesick have many ways they relate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I thought the book Homesick was phenomenal. Ward used excellent writing techniques to make you feel as if you were living her life. The deep romance she feels for the South is fascinating. I enjoyed discovering about the charitable ways a successful actress has helped others. The story opens your eyes to lessons we carry with us from childhood. I didn’t want to put down this excellent book until I had read it all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many concepts in Homesick that relate to English 121. An acquisition in English 121 is to write for a universal audience; the book Homesick can be understood by a universal audience. English 121 and the book demonstrate how crucial it is to write descriptively. The book used good â€Å"hookers† to get the readers attention like we do in English 121. English 121 and the book closely relate in ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book Homesick relates to the reading Coming to an Awareness of Language by Malcolm X. The book and the reading are both expressive autobiographies. Both also reflect back to a previous time in the author’s lives. Homesick and Coming to an Awareness of Language both demonstrate lessons learned by the authors. Both authors tried to emulate people they respected. There are many similarities between the book and the reading.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homesick demonstrates many examples of definition, narration and description.

Child development Essay

The following essay will examine factors that affect a child’s learning and development. All children are distinctive individuals and differ in pattern and timing of maturation, as well as individual personality, learning style, cultural and family background. Each child has its own varying strengths, weaknesses, specific needs and skills. The age of a child is an effective indicator to the sequence of stages of development; however, it is only an estimation of maturation, as the mentioned independent factors will differ from child to child. The stages of development in children aged one to five years include the prenatal period, infancy, toddler stage, and early childhood and cover a plethora of progress in all areas of development. Expected changes in growth take place in all areas of development, particularly in the early years, and these include physical, intellectual, language, emotional, and social development. The first five years of life are crucial for expanding the foundations for learning and development. Research has shown that the developing child is learning to discover, communicate, and extend ideas about how things work. Read more: Factors that influence child development essay The successful progress of these abilities and skills depend largely on a child’s early environment. Parents, teachers, and care providers promote development and learning when they provide experiences that build on and extend the child’s capabilities. However, it is clear from evidence on both sides of the argument that development and learning result from a contribution of both biological factors and environmental factors. Empiricists believe environmental influences shape learning and development, while nativists emphasise inborn, genetic characteristics influence development (Bee, 2006b). Development could be described as an interactive relationship between the inherited qualities of an individual and the external environment. A child’s emotional and social development is shaped by internal influences, for example, a child may be inherently shy or outgoing, however the environment will also influence the child’s social and emotional development, such as successful first relationships, cultural values and how family and peers interact with the child, i. e. the child’s immediate social environment. Cognitive development could be influenced by internal factors. Research has shown that teratogens (legal or illegal drugs), smoking, alcohol consumption can have adverse affects on cognitive development (Bee, 2006 a). A study by Monuteaux, (2006) shows the negative effects of smoking on the development of a child, and there is speculative study that maternal diet and smoking could be causal factors of ADHD (Bakker, 2003). Scarr (1983) summarises the internal and external influences on children’s development, â€Å"Both genes and environments are constituents in the developmental system, but they have different roles. Genes direct the course of human experience, but experiential opportunities are also necessary for development to occur† (Scarr, 1983, pp. 433). It is interesting to consider cognitive development in children and the subsequent affect on learning and behaviour. Piaget was an influential Swiss psychologist who researched cognitive development. Piaget believes cognitive development transpires through a combination of direct experience from one’s environment and an instinctive structure of biological maturation. Piaget suggested individuals are born with intellect to serve as a basic function that assists adaptation to their environment (Shaffer, 1989). His theory proposes that development proceeds through a set of four stages from infancy to adulthood. Piaget believed that the first stage of cognitive development is the sensorimotor stage; this occurs in the first two years of a child’s life and involves infants using motor skills and all the senses, sight, smell, touch etc to explore and gain an understanding of the environment. Preoperational stage progresses from the sensorimotor stage and includes the use of language to understand the environment, images and symbols are also used to represent the environment; this is from two to seven years of age. Piaget believed language is egocentric at this stage. The next stage is termed concrete operations and children begin to use logical thought processes to further their understanding and occurs from ages seven to eleven. Formal Operation is the last stage Piaget believes takes place in cognitive development and it involves the ability to use abstract thought processes. This is from eleven onwards (Shaffer, 1989). The central idea of Piaget’s cognitive theory is the attainment of schemas, and further assimilation and accommodation of these schemas constantly return the child to a state of equilibrium. A schema is any thought or object that one may have experienced and is then organised to aid coherence. Assimilation is the process of adding new information to enhance the understanding of an existing schema, and thus producing a new schema. Accommodation is the adjustment of an existing schema in order to include new information. Equilibration is the term Piaget uses to describe the balance a child reaches when it satisfied with a schema, new information places the child in a state of disequilibrium or imbalance, until, assimilation and accommodation allow equilibration to take place. As with all theories, Piaget was criticised for placing too much emphasis on environment and not considering social interaction as an impacting force (Cohen, 1993). It has also been suggested that children appear to have existing understanding of basic principles, e. g. a study by Gibson and Walk, used a ‘visual cliff’ where a checkerboard pattern continued several feet below a glass table. The test showed that infants as young as 5 months were able to perceive depth, and would not proceed when they reached the end of the ‘cliff’ (Bee, 2006b). This shows that many foundations of cognitive ability are already present and further learning will increase cognitive development. Vygotsky is another central figure in the domain of constructivist theory; however, he differs from Piaget in that Vygotsky places more emphasis on social learning and its effect on cognitive development. His theory focuses on a term he called ‘zone of proximal development’ and defined it as â€Å"the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers† (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). Vygotsky believed that learning takes place in this zone. The idea of ZPD suggests that cognitive development is established by social learning with capable peers or adults and cooperative analytical skills. In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky stated that development was an intricate lifelong process that could not be defined into stages, but instead is to be examined as a means of development rather than an end. Vygotsky’s theory reflects correlation between learning and development. Newborn children are constantly learning from their experiences and they form understanding from theses experiences, Vygotsky, believes this learning is directly linked to sociocultural perspective. As they grow older, infants readily learn from observation and cooperative learning with peers and adults (Moyles, Miller) The psychodynamic approach addresses children’s learning by focusing on internal mechanisms, such as instincts, conflicts and unconscious forces. A familiar idea of this theory is that unconscious as well as conscious forces regulate behaviour. Freud suggested three intuitive drives for survival, the sexual drive to reproduce the human race, hunger and pain trigger the instinct to preserve one’s life and aggressive drives are the third force. Freud’s theory is criticised on many accounts, mostly that he suggests the main underlying cause of problems are sexually related, and secondly it is scientifically difficult to measure the hidden unconscious of a being. Freud’s theory implies that children learn behaviour through the progress of three stages. The newborn and infant are driven by what he termed the id; this is an inborn instinct, which demands instant gratification. As the child grows older, it learns that it cannot achieve instant gratification all the time, and the ego develops as an intermediary pacifier, which takes social contexts into consideration and delays gratification. The superego is the higher form of moral reasoning and is often considered as a parental restrictor, this last stage develops much later in development (Bee, 2006b). It can be seen how Freud’s theory affects social and emotional development and behaviour in the first five years, as most children at this age are controlled by the id and the developing ego. Erikson’s theory is often viewed as an extension of Freud’s psychosexual theory of Development. Erikson suggests that development progresses over a lifespan and he portrays this in his theory of the eight stages of psychosocial development. His theory proposes that each stage has a conflict within it that must be resolved before proceeding to the next stage; each stage presents the opportunity for success or failure. The first three stages are relevant in the first five years of a child’s life and include emotional, social and cognitive development on behaviour acquisition. The first stage is trust versus mistrust and takes place in the period of the first two years of infancy; this stage propounds an emotional crisis in which the child must successfully develop trust and security and emotional well-being. If the care provider does not reciprocate emotional care positively the child becomes mistrustful. Once the child has learned trust, it advances to the next stage of autonomy versus shame, and approximately takes place in early childhood. This stage concentrates on the child’s ability to develop confidence and a sense of independence. Children at this age (approximately two to four years) begin to manage small parts of their lives, and Erikson suggests toilet training is a huge feat in establishing independence in a child. It also consists of decision-making and choice over things like food, clothes etc, if a child is unsuccessful in this stage then it leads to shame and a feeling of inadequacy. The third stage occurs from about three to five years of age, and incorporates the child’s ability to play and develop social skills of leadership or subordination, power and a sense of self. If the child cannot overcome the crisis then inhibition, fear and a prolonged development are the result. The successful child proceeds to the next stage and so forth (Brain 2005) The humanistic perspective argues that behaviour is subjective as individuals determine and control their own thoughts and actions. Maslow hypothesised a hierarchy of need, in which each level of the hierarchy had to be satisfied before the human need moved on to the next level. For example, according to Maslow’s hierarchy it is not perceived that an individual would desire the comfort of a spouse or children, if basic physiological needs such as food and water were not satisfied (Bee 2006a). Children develop and learn most productively in the environment of a community where they are safe and valued, and their emotional and physiological needs fulfilled. If physical nourishment is transpiring then Maslow’s theory depicts emotional well-being as an important factor, certainly all aspects of development are influenced by successfully accomplishing positive first relationships. This provides the constructive foundation for effective social and emotional development, which will inadvertently affect cognitive development as well. Skinner constructed a theory he termed operant conditioning, and based it on the notion that learning is a means of behaviour modification. His experiments show how he conditioned rats to pull a lever to release food, the incentive for the rats was the food and the required behaviour was pulling the lever. The theory illustrates that changes in behaviour are the consequences of an individual’s reaction to incentives that occur in any given environment; subsequently the reaction will produce an outcome. When a specific response is reinforced, behaviour is conditioned, and the individual will respond to a stimulus to achieve its incentive; the result will be consistent each time. The crucial aspect of Skinner’s model is reinforcement, a particular behaviour can be acquired through reward, and certain behaviours prevented through punishment (Brain, 2005). Skinner’s theory belongs to the Behaviourist approach and is effective in explaining some of the causes and modifications of behaviour; it is often used in schools to elicit particular behaviours from children (usually in the form of sweets or stickers). Social learning theory clarifies behaviour in terms of consistent equal correlation between cognitive, behavioural, and environmental influences. Social learning theory has four main components, attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation, which cover physical, cognitive and behavioural development. Attention requires concentration so that the events are observed accurately. Retention includes the intellectual organization of information in order to store it effectively in the memory and remember the correct processes of events. Motor reproduction includes the physical ability to imitate the behaviour, for example, a human is not physically able to fly like superman. Motivation involves the child to be willing and motivated to imitate the behaviour. The observed consequences of a particular behaviour (whether punished or rewarded) may influence a child’s decision to imitate or not, Bandura called this modeling (Brain 205) One of the famous experiments conducted by Albert Bandura, known as the ‘Bobo doll’ experiment revealed that children imitated aggressive physical and verbal behaviour towards the dolls, exactly as they had observed, whereas the children who observed non-aggressive behaviour displayed practically no aggressive behaviour (Shaffer, 1989). Bandura suggests that social behaviour is learned primarily by observing and imitating the actions of others. Children are often observed imitating adults in role-play. Punishment and reward are also influences on behavioural development as mentioned in Skinner’s theory, for example, a child may observe a peer being rewarded with a sticker for tidying up and then learn that to obtain a sticker s/he must also tidy up. This theory facilitates an understanding of how behaviour is acquired and how it may be modified. John Bowlby developed attachment theory and he suggested that first relationships are the basis for young children’s development, predominantly their social and emotional development. Bowlby (1979: 129) states â€Å"†¦ attachment behaviour is held to characterize human beings from the cradle to the grave†; much of Bowlby’s work was on the maternal bond that develops with a child. He believed that the connection between mother and child, or caregiver and child has a basic gentle and evolutionary basis, in order for the child to receive appropriate care, protection and nourishment; it has a tendency to maintain nearness to the main caregiver. Bowlby maintained that a child displays attachment behaviour when separated from the main care provider, first as protest, then despair and finally as detachment. First relationships can be summarised as â€Å"a deeply rooted motivational system that ensures close contact between babies and adult caregivers who can protect, nurture, and guide their development† (Shonkoff, 2000, p 230). Bowlby expanded and utilised various research to support his theory, one of his early works included research on delinquent adolescents and discovered maternal deprivation to be a recurring matter. Michael Rutter (1981) criticized Bowlby’s theory, and suggested that early experiences cannot be held as direct underlying causes for later emotional distress, Rutter believed it is more significant how children are looked after in the period of severance not the actual severance itself (Cowie, 2002). Bowlby introduced three stages of attachment, during the first pre-attachment phase (0-2 months) babies do not develop a particular attachment, and are content to be cared for by anyone. In the second phase (2-7 months) babies show a firm attachment to the main caregiver and cling to this figure when in the presence of a stranger, Bowlby termed this ‘stranger fear’. The last phase is around two years of age and is labelled separation anxiety, the infant is confident to move away from the main caregiver provided they remain physically present for the child to return to Brain (2005). Bowlby suggested that constant loving care and nurturing was essential during the crucial phase between approximately 6 months and 3 years of age, maternal deprivation or separation from the primary caregiver would result in considerable detrimental effects on social and emotional development of the child (Cowie, 2002). Harlow and Harlow’s famous experiment on Rhesus monkeys provided support to Bowlby’s theory (Bowlby, 1973). In these experiments, young monkeys were separated from their mother shortly after birth. Two wire monkeys were substituted as artificial surrogate mothers. The first monkey was made of wire mesh and provided food; however, the second monkey was covered with foam and cloth and only provided comfort. The young monkeys nursed at the wire monkey but sought contact with the cloth monkey. The experiment showed that infants need a mother’s love and comfort, and it proved that infants prefer proximity and comfort from a mother, rather than just using the mother for nourishment. The young monkeys clutched to the soft cloth doll and explored more when in the presence of the soft cloth doll, and the doll seemed to provide them with a sense of security. Infants reared without normal social interaction with other monkeys, displayed either fearful or aggressive behaviour and the effects were apparent from two years of age, well into adulthood (Brain 2005). The experiment portrayed the importance of warmth, love and comfort that a nurturing mother or primary carer provides is essential for intellectual, social and emotional development. Mary Ainsworth’s research was based on an experiment to observe attachment behaviour between a child and the primary caregiver (usually the mother) the experiment is known as the strange situation. The procedure involves a child playing in a room, meanwhile the caregiver and stranger alternately enter and leave the room, the child’s play behaviour and responses to caregiver and stranger are observed. The experiment placed children in four categories of attachment, secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant and disorganized. Attachment theorists are realizing that children differ from birth, but individual personalities and development are influenced by social experience, environment, and the attachment relationship is affected by the characteristics of both child and caregiver (Parkes, 1993) Cultural differences in child-rearing practices have various implications and meanings across cultures. Culture defines a set of beliefs and patterns of behaviour; this can be in a social, religious, societal or ethnic context. Culture clearly has an influence on the development of children, Edwards and Gandini (1989) point out that culture organises and translates children’s behaviour and development (Hinde, 1993). â€Å"To understand development we must come to terms with the ways in which individuals, in developing their own self-concepts and participating in social relationships, both shape and are shaped by their social and cultural environment† (Hinde, 1993). In a research paper Reebye, (2006) found various studies on cultural differences in child rearing and the impact this had on child development. Chen et al. (1998) studied reticent behaviour in Chinese and Canadian children and the child-rearing attitudes of the relative mothers. The results showed that Chinese babies were significantly more withdrawn and shy than their Canadian counterparts, and the underlying cause of this behaviour difference lay in parental styles and attitudes. Taciturn behaviour was positively associated with the Chinese mother’s approval, whereas the Canadian mothers negatively received it, which implies a variation of the connotation of behaviour inhibition across both cultures (Reebye, 2006). Another example Reebye (2006) presents is a study conducted by Marcovitchet al (1997) which assessed the development, attachment and behavioural problems in adopted Romanian orphans between three to five years of age. The study revealed that children who had spent less time I institutional car displayed better development outcomes and more securely attached compared to the group of children who had spent more than six months in institutional care. The latter group were insecurely attached and scored less on development outcomes. The disadvantage of cross-cultural studies is the limitations of the range of studies in measuring attitudes, beliefs, cultural practices etc. Reebye (2006) continues to describe the importance of relationship development and its effects on affective, cognitive, social development and moral and ethical attitudes. Child-rearing practices and attachment directly influence these developmental factors, and it is important to remember that parenting practices are in turn influenced by social and cultural traditions. †The factors such as parental intuition, parental attitudes, attributions and beliefs, learned parenting skills, accepted cultural and societal parenting norms, family factors, and environmental factors such as extended family support, poverty or unemployment – are the most influential ones. Each of these or all collectively, can be considered from a cross-cultural perspective. † (Reebye 2006). In today’s modern and often changing world, many cultures also change and adapt, from generation to generation. Changes in societal norms, immigration and such alike affect child-rearing practice considerably, such single parenting is a common family structure, yet in the Victorian times was extremely rare and frowned upon, other changes include inter-racial adoptions, parenting by same sex couples, use of surrogate mothers etc. It can be suggested that children’s social, emotional and cognitive development is indisputably influenced by environmental factors, genetic compositions, attachment and first relationship, cultural traditions and this is reflected in their unique personalities and behaviour. â€Å"In general, there is a need to understand multiple outcomes of child development (cognitive, physical, social, and emotional) within the context of multiple factors (social, economic, cultural, and community-level)† (The National Institute of Health, 2006). The first five years are important to understand the influences and causal links of child development in the early years. This may facilitate children’s well-being and ensure that government policies regarding children are reflective of child development needs, in particular families living in poverty or deprived areas. For example, quality of schools and education will affect cognitive development, and racial, gender, and religious integration will have positive effects on social development. It can be inferred that positive emotional development underpins all other areas of development, and if emotional development is defective then it will be replicated across other areas of development. In essence, all areas of development are interwoven and interdependent. The first five years are crucial for positive development, basic needs such as food, sleep and safety ensures good physical development, providing love, comfort and positive first relationships and attachments is essential to assist emotional development, which will also helps social development, and the correct stimulation and interaction ensures healthy cognitive development. REFERENCES Bakker, S. C. Van Der Meulen, E. M. Buitelaar, J. K. Sandkuijl, L. A. Pauls, D. L. Monsuur, A. J. Vant Slot, R. Minderaa. R. B. Gunning, W. B. Pearson, P. L. Sinke, R. J. (2003) â€Å"A Whole-Genome Scan in 164 Dutch Sib Pairs with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Suggestive Evidence for Linkage on Chromosomes 7p and 15q† American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 72, pp. 1251-1260 Bee, H. (2006a) Lifespan Development, Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc Bee, H. (2006b) The Developing Child, Boston, MA: Parson Education, Inc Bowlby, J. (1973) Separation: Anxiety & Anger. 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