Thursday, September 19, 2019
Fields Of Psychology :: essays research papers
Psychology (Ph.D. Code: PSY) Fields of study: Clinical, cognitive, and social psychology; neuroscience and behavior; visual perception. The program offers doctoral study for students who intend to become psychological scientists or scientist-practitioners. Students who plan to terminate their studies with the master's degree are not encouraged to apply. Admission is not limited to students with undergraduate backgrounds in psychology. Theory, method, and research experience in a number of areas of psychological science are emphasized. Course requirements are organized into the three broad areas of cognitive science, neuroscience, and clinical science. Students have intensive research training with individual faculty in the areas of clinical psychology, cognition, functional imaging, perception, psychobiology, sensory neurophysiology, and social psychology. Students in clinical psychology are also provided with extensive training in clinical skills. Major practicum facilities in which students receive supervised clinical and/or applied research training are found in the Vanderbilt Medical Center and other institutions in Nashville. The department is in a building which offers generous laboratory space for individual and group experiments with human subjects, and facilities for animal experimentation. It has a computerized classroom and connections to the campus mainframe computers. Computerized equipment for neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and psychophysics is also available and is especially suited for work on sensory systems. Human subjects are available through a University research pool, Vanderbilt clinics, and the local school system. In addition, the department has an animal facility providing a wide variety of species, including fish, rodents, and primates. Faculty: 22 Graduate enrollment: In residence 37; average in entering class 5-8 Address: 111 21st Avenue South; 37240 Phone: (615) 322-2874 E-mail: patricia.m.burns@vanderbilt.edu [Psychology] Psychology and Human Development (M.S., Ph.D. Code: GPSY) Fields of study: Clinical, cognitive studies, community, developmental, and quantitative psychology. The Clinical program focuses primarily on issues facing children and families. Faculty members study the development of aggressive behavior and depression in children and adolescents; psychological factors accompanying developmental disability and chronic physical disease; the role of communities in mental health; cognitive intervention for learning and behavioral problems; and the delivery of mental health services to children, youth, and families. The goal of the clinical program is to educate psychologists as scientists and practitioners so that they may pursue a variety of career paths. The Cognitive Studies program focuses on laboratory- and field-based research into cognitive processes as they occur in formal and informal learning situations. Areas of research emphasis include cognition, instruction, and technology; cognitive development;
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Staging of a Tragic Drama :: essays research papers
â€Å"Staging of A Tragic Drama†          Much of our knowledge of Greek theater comes from archaeological studies and historical writings of the time. By the 600s B.C., the Greeks were giving choral performances of dancing and singing at festivals. Tradegies were performed as part of an important yearly religious celebration. Greeks then later staged performances in the Theater of Dionysus.           Ancient Greek theaters were outdoors, that seated thousands of spectators for annual contests in acting, choral singing, and writing comedy and tradegy. Beyond the circle and facing the audience was the skene, originally used as a dressing area and later as a background for the action. According to Webster, pg. 326. The theater seated about 14,000 people. It consisted of rows of stadiumlike seats that curved about halfway around the orchestra. The stage house, that was facing the audience had three doors. The action may have taken place on a raised platform, or perhaps entirely in the orchestra. A wide central opening, to which were added later two smaller side openings, a rolling platform which can be pushed through the central opening, a roof, and a crane.           Greek tragedy, perhaps because it originally was associated with religious celebrations, was solemn, poetic, and philosophic. Nearly all the surviving tragedies were based on myths. The main character was an admirable, but not perfect, person confronted by a difficult moral choice. According to Webster, pg. 326. Greek tragedies were performed by a few actors, never more than three on stage at one time. The main characters struggle against forces ended in defeat and in most Greek tragedies, his or her death.           The actors wore masks to indicate the nature of the characters they played. Men played women’s roles and the same actor appeared in several parts. The acting style was probably far from realistic. The poetic language and the idealized characters suggest that Greek acting was formal. According to Webster, pg. 326. The dancers were men wearing a kind of jersey which held in the padding. Sometimes they danced with women, padded, naked or clothed. Men wear masks, tights, and over the tights any other clothing that suits his part.           Greek tragedies consisted of a series of dramatic episodes separated by choral odes. The episodes were performed by a few actors, never more than three on stage at a time, during the 400s b.c. A chorus danced and sang and chanted the odes to musical accompaniment. According to Webster, pg. 327. The performances was a unique performance to please the god Dionysos. The earliest record of Greek drama dates from about 534 b. Staging of a Tragic Drama :: essays research papers â€Å"Staging of A Tragic Drama†          Much of our knowledge of Greek theater comes from archaeological studies and historical writings of the time. By the 600s B.C., the Greeks were giving choral performances of dancing and singing at festivals. Tradegies were performed as part of an important yearly religious celebration. Greeks then later staged performances in the Theater of Dionysus.           Ancient Greek theaters were outdoors, that seated thousands of spectators for annual contests in acting, choral singing, and writing comedy and tradegy. Beyond the circle and facing the audience was the skene, originally used as a dressing area and later as a background for the action. According to Webster, pg. 326. The theater seated about 14,000 people. It consisted of rows of stadiumlike seats that curved about halfway around the orchestra. The stage house, that was facing the audience had three doors. The action may have taken place on a raised platform, or perhaps entirely in the orchestra. A wide central opening, to which were added later two smaller side openings, a rolling platform which can be pushed through the central opening, a roof, and a crane.           Greek tragedy, perhaps because it originally was associated with religious celebrations, was solemn, poetic, and philosophic. Nearly all the surviving tragedies were based on myths. The main character was an admirable, but not perfect, person confronted by a difficult moral choice. According to Webster, pg. 326. Greek tragedies were performed by a few actors, never more than three on stage at one time. The main characters struggle against forces ended in defeat and in most Greek tragedies, his or her death.           The actors wore masks to indicate the nature of the characters they played. Men played women’s roles and the same actor appeared in several parts. The acting style was probably far from realistic. The poetic language and the idealized characters suggest that Greek acting was formal. According to Webster, pg. 326. The dancers were men wearing a kind of jersey which held in the padding. Sometimes they danced with women, padded, naked or clothed. Men wear masks, tights, and over the tights any other clothing that suits his part.           Greek tragedies consisted of a series of dramatic episodes separated by choral odes. The episodes were performed by a few actors, never more than three on stage at a time, during the 400s b.c. A chorus danced and sang and chanted the odes to musical accompaniment. According to Webster, pg. 327. The performances was a unique performance to please the god Dionysos. The earliest record of Greek drama dates from about 534 b.
Why Do We Teach Art in Schools? Essay -- Why Art Education?
Many times in life, the importance of the creative mind is overlooked in a hope that beyond that mind is something of more importance to society. The need for someone to find a cure for â€Å"x†or to discover why â€Å"q=p†is viewed as a higher priority than discovering the next Gustav Klimt or Rembrandt. Being of significance in today’s society is measured in beakers and equations not watercolors and pencils. Because of this mentality it is vital that teachers not overlook the merit of teaching and incorporating art into his/her daily lesson plans. What many people do not realize is how incorporating art into a lesson plan can not only add to the learning practice, it can bring fun and introduce different elements to a seemingly mundane or routine experience. In addition to these things studies have shown that incorporating art in lesson plans can raise the level of SAT scores. According to the College Entrance Examination Board, â€Å"SAT scores of students who studied arts for more than four years were 59 points higher on the verbal portion and 44 points higher on the math portion than were the scores of students with no course work or experience in the arts†(Sakura). Cutting art from a school’s program, due to financial cutbacks, may prove to be more costly than keeping it would be. Martin F. Gardiner of Brown University’s Center for the Study of Human Development found that first-grade students who regularly received just one hour of music and one hour of visual art each week showed â€Å"improved reading skills and were significantly ahead in math skills compared to control groups in other first-grade classrooms†(Gardiner). What do these statistics show us? Obviously it means that art is more... ...cate art programs in our schools. If schools are looking for an equation that proves that art is necessary, this is it: art + children = success. Works Cited Ansary, Tamim. More Art, Better Schools. 2006. 27 Sept. 2014. . Gardiner, Martin F. Study of arts, music may enhance young pupils' math and reading skills. 12 Feb. 1998. 18 Sept. 2014. . The Importance of Art In Schools. 27 June 2000. Sakura of America. 19 Sept. 2014. . The Painter’s Keys. Genn, Robert. 2006. 18 Sept. 2014. . Wachowiak, Frank and Robert D. Clements. Emphasis Art. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. 2006. Why Do We Teach Art in Schools? Essay -- Why Art Education? Many times in life, the importance of the creative mind is overlooked in a hope that beyond that mind is something of more importance to society. The need for someone to find a cure for â€Å"x†or to discover why â€Å"q=p†is viewed as a higher priority than discovering the next Gustav Klimt or Rembrandt. Being of significance in today’s society is measured in beakers and equations not watercolors and pencils. Because of this mentality it is vital that teachers not overlook the merit of teaching and incorporating art into his/her daily lesson plans. What many people do not realize is how incorporating art into a lesson plan can not only add to the learning practice, it can bring fun and introduce different elements to a seemingly mundane or routine experience. In addition to these things studies have shown that incorporating art in lesson plans can raise the level of SAT scores. According to the College Entrance Examination Board, â€Å"SAT scores of students who studied arts for more than four years were 59 points higher on the verbal portion and 44 points higher on the math portion than were the scores of students with no course work or experience in the arts†(Sakura). Cutting art from a school’s program, due to financial cutbacks, may prove to be more costly than keeping it would be. Martin F. Gardiner of Brown University’s Center for the Study of Human Development found that first-grade students who regularly received just one hour of music and one hour of visual art each week showed â€Å"improved reading skills and were significantly ahead in math skills compared to control groups in other first-grade classrooms†(Gardiner). What do these statistics show us? Obviously it means that art is more... ...cate art programs in our schools. If schools are looking for an equation that proves that art is necessary, this is it: art + children = success. Works Cited Ansary, Tamim. More Art, Better Schools. 2006. 27 Sept. 2014. . Gardiner, Martin F. Study of arts, music may enhance young pupils' math and reading skills. 12 Feb. 1998. 18 Sept. 2014. . The Importance of Art In Schools. 27 June 2000. Sakura of America. 19 Sept. 2014. . The Painter’s Keys. Genn, Robert. 2006. 18 Sept. 2014. . Wachowiak, Frank and Robert D. Clements. Emphasis Art. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. 2006.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
After failing
Europe was needed as an ally because if Lincoln had dated that he wanted the abolishment of all slavery in all territories then Europe would have joined the war which have resulted in a much more complicated situation, meaning the North would have lost. The Union war effort wanted not only to include reunification but also to abolish slavery. To achieve this so called emancipation the Union was forced to invade the South and take over their lands. Unable to use limited war tactics for victories, the North needed to take more drastic measures to ensure victory.After failing to cake the lead in the war, the decision to use total war was enforced by taking on the goal of eliminating slavery. Knowing the slaves were crucial to their way of life, the North used this ‘fault' as motive for the spirit of the war. The war effort was being promoted throughout the North as it became more than just a war to preserve the nation. The attack on the Southern way of life allowed the North to ru in the economic framework oftener opponents. 2.Careful Union diplomacy managed the Civil War crisis with Britain and need British flirtations with the Confederacy by providing cautious tactics on dealing with the, at the time, easily provoked 3. The primary military strategies of each side were that the Confederacy could fight defensively behind the interior lines, the South had an advantage in morale, they had the most talented officers including General Robert E. Lee himself, and that Southerners seemed always prepared to fight. The North's great strength in the Economy made up for the South's great lack in that area.The North had about three-fourths of the nation's wealth and three-fourths of the railroads. They had control over the sea which was a huge advantage because they were able to cut off Southern supplies and crush the Southern morale. Their sea power also enabled them to exchange big grain quantities for munitions and supplies from Europe. The North also had the vast ma jority Of the men with a population Of 22 million to 9 million in the seceding States. Each side attempted to carry them out by using each one of their advantages o the best of their abilities throughout the Civil War.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Cusick and Her Lesbian Relationship with Music Essay
In the essay â€Å"On a Lesbian Relationship with Music: A Serious Effort Not to Think Straight†by Suzanne G. Cusick, she brings up an interesting topic about the connection between her being a lesbian and her being a musician, a musicologist, if there exists any. I’m especially interested in the â€Å"power system†and the link between musicality and lesbianism she mentions in this article. Here, I’ll try to analysis them in detail and relate them with other issues in music and sexuality, exploring them in a more general picture. Cusick redefines the concept of sexuality in her essay, as the way of â€Å"expressing and/or enacting relationships of intimacy through physical pleasure shared, accepted, or given.†According to her, this process of expressing and enacting can also be found in our musical activities, where the circulation of physical pleasure can be experienced as well. Thus, she says that our musicalities and our sexualities are â€Å"psychically next-door neighbors.†(70) I need to claim that this idea of her amazes me. From my previous musical experience, I’m pretty sure that music is a subject highly intimate for me. For instance, I usually have reluctance when I’m asked to sing or perform a song written by myself, even if I think it is a brilliant one. And this won’t happen if the song is someone else’s. In my opinion, music, especially my own music which I’m personally attached to, is an expression of my true self, and that identity and personal characteristics contained in it makes it so special that I won’t be willing to share it with others, unless it’s someone really close to me. Another fact that I think will support Cusick’s idea is that different people always have different opinions towards the same piece of music. No matter how the composer perceives it, the listener usually has the tendency to relate it to his/her own personal experiences, which differ from person to person. It is reasonable to think that music is a symbol of someone’s personalities and characteristics, because of the intimacy the music creates. Therefore, I believe that there exists a connection between the musicality and the sexuality of a certain person, since both of them are revelations of his/her true identity, and we can examine our own behaviors on both of them. In other words, these two factors are connected because of the person who they belong to, and they are contained in the system of his/her perspectives. Cusick also explains in her article what does it mean to be a â€Å"lesbian†and how to define sexuality, which are essential questions if we want to relate it to music. From her point of view, the essence of one’s sexuality and the element of all relationships is the power system. An example that can explain this is what musicologists say about the masculinity in Beethoven. In Susan McClary’s opinion, there exist musical constructions of gender and sexuality. She regards the field of music and musicology as male-dominated, since the masculine norm and the distinction between genders are deeply rooted in music, such as masculine and feminine cadences, rhythms, gendered major and minor triads, etc. (7) She also analyzes Beethoven’s music, which to her contains â€Å"pounding†, â€Å"thrusting†gestures that represent masculinity. (75) On the contrary, in Sanna Pederson’s article â€Å"Beethoven and Masculinity,†she redefines the concept of masculinity and the link between it with Beethoven. She states that we can find an alternative approach, arguing that we regard Beethoven as symbol of masculinity because of the overwhelming idea that viewing woman as â€Å"as unchanging, eternal essence, as the opposite of the dynamically striving and achieving man.†(326) Matthew Head also approaches this from another perspective by examining the heroic in Beethoven’s works, finding many cross-dressed he roines. (132) It’s notable that although there is importance put on female characters, women usually need to conceal their sexuality and transgress the gendered norms in order to serve as the epitomes in the aesthetic sphere. This shows that, no matter what kind of connection there exists between Beethoven and masculinity, there does exist a power system that emphasis on the inequality between men and women, where women as less – worth less, power less – man, in both our society and in music. Whichever argument we believe, we should admit the extensive presence of the power system in our society, and in practice, it can be found both in music and in many relationships between people, especially heterosexual ones. The most significant point of view of her in this essay, I think, is that she believes being a lesbian is an escape from this power system: As a woman, as a non-dominating and non-power woman who loves another woman in her relationship, the flow of power can exist in both directions, as opposed to a heterosexual relationship where a man typically plays the dominating and powerful part. And Cusick believes that this is the beauty of a lesbian relationship: it’s about â€Å"organizing the force field of power, pleasure, and intimacy that refuses the simple binary opposition male and female†. The lack of opposition creates a world that scrambles the usual components of â€Å"man†and â€Å"woman†, and a world â€Å"free of fixed categories.†(73) This reminds me of the documentary â€Å"Paris is Burning†, which stunned me with its idea of celebrations of a powerful expression of personalities, without any restriction of boundaries. There, what matters is the personal prides, which are fully showed in the â€Å"drag nights†in New York. Cusick further explains the elements in a lesbian relationship as the â€Å"power/pleasure/intimacy†triad. (71) From my understanding, this is indeed an appropriate way to observe a relationship. As I mentioned before, power is an important factor that circulates within the relationship. What’s more, pleasure and intimacy are objectives that we usually want to achieve when we are involved someone we love, and thus they are essential bolsters of a relationship. As Cusick says, this triad can be experienced more freely in lesbian relationships, because without the power flowing only in one direction, the equality and balance between the two lovers can give them more intimacy and pleasure, both physically and psychically, from their relationship. Hence, in Cusick’s article, being a lesbian is not merely a sexual orientation; it is also the way one prefers to behave, to organize the relationship to the world in a â€Å"power/pleasure/intimacy†triad. It’s a way of refusing, breaking, and creating, and to cope with the world in a way that she prefers. And these behaviors can also be detected in a person’s musicality, which is also built in his/he r identity. More interestingly, Cusick talks about the â€Å"lesbian relationship†she has with music. She treats music as a woman, and a woman that can be a lover, and also the beloved – as in a lesbian relationship where the power circulates both ways and cross without boundaries. (78) In the article â€Å"Musicality, Essentialism, and the Closet†written by Philip Brett, he also discusses music be perceived as feminine. Brett says that in history, music has often been considered a dangerous substance, â€Å"an agent of moral ambiguity always in dander of bestowing deviant status upon its practitioners.†(11) By describing music as a woman that â€Å"ravish†our sense or our soul, people from the medieval and early modern times let us see how close music and sexuality can be. This also makes Cusick’s treating music as a female lover more sensible. Another idea of her that interests me is that she thinks her choice of music can reflects her sexuality. She says that her love for hidden relationships and the tension between the ostensible structure, which represents the tension between a social norm and â€Å"a very high degree of eccentricity,†suggests her escape from the power system. Also, she dis-prefers music hat upset this power equilibrium. (77) She explains this by saying that her â€Å"lesbian self†let her prefer certain kinds of music and reject some other kinds. This makes me think about in general, how people’s choices of music reflect their sexuality and identity, and to what degree. I agree that the choices of music can reflect that person’s personality to some extent, but I also believe that the music he/she listens can shape that person into the qualities and personalities that the music wants him/her to have. The same as Cusick’s relationship with her music, there is a counter -influence here as well. Rentfrow and Gosling found in their research that people’s music preferences are related to a wide array of personality dimensions and self-views. If the links between music preferences and personality do exist, we can easily infer that our choices of music reflect our identity, which also links to our sexuality. Besides, we can always see the influences of music on people. It has been shown by Frederick H. Martens that music exerts its collective influence in the course of history. He also says that as an individual influence, music is one of the factors in the life of kings and rulers, which also â€Å"has exerted a more or less direct influence on the destinies of countries and peoples.†We can see clearly from his article that music can significantly affect one’s views and thoughts on this world, therefore it is an important element in directing people’s personality and characteristics. Hence, the relationship between a person and the music he/she listens is a mutual one. People’s preference of music decides the music they choose, and what they choose can reversely change them as well, directing them into the qualities that can be defined through that music. This can also illustrate Cusick’s point that her relationship with music is about the power dynamic that circulates both ways between music and her, and this relationship highly resembles the one between lesbian lovers. Thus, the link between music and sexuality is obvious. Furthermore, I’m wondering about how the connection between identity and sexuality works in other subjects and fields of study. Cusick says in her article that she does not address the texts of music because she thinks that they tend to trick us into staying in a â€Å"power-over paradigm that is mighty close to the regime of compulsory heterosexuality.†Personally, I don’t entirely agree with her on this. In my opinion, other subjects such as literature and art can also illustrate one’s identity, thus they can represent people’s qualities through the â€Å"â€Å"power/pleasure/intimacy†triad as well, and so does texts in music . The reason why Cusick thinks that focusing on texts can deviates us is that her love and professional interests in music leave her only looking at music as an intimate lover. But for people from other fields and domains, their subjects can be treated as lovers and beloved as well. For example, it is reasonable to imagine a poet feels extreme intimacy in his relationship with poems. Cusick mentioned by herself in the notes that she can also find tremendous joy from cooking, and she loves to peel fruits and vegetables without a knife, because she believes it will create wholly pleasurable experiences. (83) I would not say Cusick is also in love with vegetables, but what she says can suggest that pleasure and intimacy do not solely exist between people and music. As Pygmalion can fall in love with the statue he carved, why can’t a songwriter build a romantic tie with the texts of music he wrote? In other words, as long as we have passion, the relationship between people and his/her subject of study can be developed in any area, within which we can find its connection with sexuality. This essay of Cusick is not very long, but the notions it contains, I believe, are really valuable sources of thoughts if we want to explore the relationship between music and sexuality, especially when we want to discover it from a perspective about our own identity and personal characteristics. Cusick has nicely shown that the boundary between music and sex can be a blurred one, where both are means of negotiating power and intimacy through the circulation of pleasure. Here, the most important is the people that involves both with music and with sex, intimately experiencing them and wholly mingling with them. As Cusick says, what really matters is neither music nor sex, but â€Å"the transcendent joy of being alive, not dead, and aware of the existence.†(69) Works Cited: Brett, Philip, Elizabeth Wood, and Gary Thomas. Queering the Pitch : the New Gay and Lesbian Musicology. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2006. McClary, Susan. Reading Music : Selected Essays. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2007. McClary, Susan. Feminine Endings : Music, Gender, and Sexuality. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1991. Rentfrow, Peter J, and Samuel D Gosling. â€Å"The do re miÊ ¼s of everyday life: the structure and personality correlates of music preferences.†Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 84.6 (2003) : 1236-1256. Frederick H. Martens. The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr., 1925), pp. 196-218 Burnham, Scott G, and Michael P Steinberg. Beethoven and His World. Princeton [N.J.]: Princeton University Press, 2000. Head, Matthew. â€Å"Beethoven Heroine: A Female Allegory of Music and Authorship in Egmont.†19th-Century Music 30 (2006-07), 97-132.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Evolution of bullying Essay
Bullying behavior has been continuously changing over the years. Different forms of bullying have emerged and they continue to develop and be used in the schools. Technology has played a very big role in the evolution of the behavior. The first forms of bullying that have existed over the years included both direct and indirect methods that were used in the practice. The methods continue to be in use till today but have been evolved by the use of technology. Name calling was one of the types of bullying that were used by the bullies on the victims (Stanffordshire, n.d). The victims were given certain names that were intended to humiliate them and lower their self esteem. The method has since evolved and is in use in more places rather than just in schools. Physical bullying has also evolved from the physical injuries that were inflicted on the victims and it has included theft as a method that is used to involve threats and lead to the violence. Social isolation that was once used to make the victims stay alone without friends and was experienced by children of all age groups has evolved to also include homophobic isolation. Homophobic isolation is the type of isolation that is practiced by the bullies on the children who are termed as gay or they are seen to be gay (Stanffordshire, n. d). It also includes those seen to be bisexual or they portray characteristics that make them seem to be associated with the opposite sex. It is being practiced in the secondary schools and higher levels of education. The method is normally spread through the social websites through gossip and in other websites. One form of bullying that has emerged in schools involves the abuse that is directed on children who are of different races and cultures. This form of bullying has been growing over the years with cases being reported that show the increase. The cases also show that the bullying is also changing according to the different age groups. 25% of children of age 8 were seen to be bullied more compared to the children who were 5 years who only made 20% of the overall cases in that age group (Stanffordshire, n. d). Cyber bullying is the latest and most commonly used form of bullying in the schools today. It continues to evolve with the changes in technology. It uses text messages, emails and various posts on websites as a way of bullying. Studies show that over 20% of young people in schools who are between the ages of 11 and 19 have been bullied through this form of bullying (Stanffordshire, n. d). The children in the schools today are growing up in a different technological world that is very different from that of the adults. They have experienced information and technological developments that they are now using to evolve the bullying practice. The environment in the technological world is becoming threatening and is creating anxiety among the children. They are misusing the technology especially the mobile and internet to bully others. Over 22% of young people have been reported to carry out cyber bulling (Digizen, n. d). They are able to carry out the whole practice remaining anonymous to the victim. This form of bullying has made it possible for the bullies to carry out the practice at any time or place (Digizen, n. d). Effects of Bullying There are various consequences that are seen to arise from the practice of bullying. Students who are seen to bully others tend to carry the practice out of school and they tend to get involved in criminal activities and they experience a lot of legal trouble in their adulthood. They maintain this behavior even in the workplaces negatively affecting their ability to develop relationships that are positive. A study has proven that 60% of the students who were bullies when they were in grade 6-9 were convicted of a crime by the age of 24 (Banks, 1997). The bullies are also prone other problematic behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse. Victims of bullying tend to be very unhappy while in schools and they end up getting depressed and have low self esteem (Wright, 2003). Their school work is affected and they may choose to remain at home instead of going to school. They tend to isolate themselves from social activities that involve the schools and this makes them even lonelier. The loneliness and depression may lead them to commit suicide. This is particularly in the cases of emotional bullying where the emotions are targeted by the bullies. The victims also have difficulties when forming relationships in the future. The by standers who witness the bullying also get affected by it. They are not able to stop the bullying or help out the victim even though he or she may be their friend. Some are usually afraid of becoming the next victim so they end up avoiding confronting the bully. Others on the other hand may be of the opinion that the victim deserved the bullying (Sampson, 2002). They may actively get involved by teasing and ostracizing the victim and motivating the bully. They may also feel less accountable for the actions that are going on when they are in a group. Hence they do not feel the urge to help the victim. Role of Teachers and School Administrators Teachers and school administrators have a role to play in preventing bullying in the schools and making the schools a safe haven free from any bullying activities. They should first be aware of the existence of the problem so that they can develop measures to intervene. The teachers can help detect the existence of the practice and encourage the victims of bystanders to speak out. The interventions that are developed should be able to include the whole school and not intimidate the bullies or the victims either (Olweus, n. d). Teachers and the school administrators can also help identify the areas that are used by the bullies to attack the victims since they mostly do so in private and hidden areas. They should therefore eliminate the existence of such areas within the school’s compound. They can also involve the students to develop rules within the classrooms that are against the behavior. To increase awareness of the problem to the parents, the school administrators should develop parent teacher days to make the parents aware of the problem’s existence and the importance of the parents to get involved in the whole process (Sampson, 2002).
Saturday, September 14, 2019
M3 Interpret the contents of a trading and profit and loss account performance of the organisation Essay
Interpret the contents of a trading and profit and loss account and balance sheet for a selected company explaining how accounting ratios can be used to monitor the financial performance of the organisation . Profit and Loss account. The P&L will not tell you about the underlying health of the business, such as how much money it owes or is owed and what the value of its assets are. It shows how much money did business made in a year. It records two things sales and cost/turnover. The trading account shows the income from sales and the direct costs of making those sales. It includes the balance of stocks at the start and end of the year. There are different sections of P&L which include: 1. Sales- it is the total value of what you’ve sold during the period of time. The formula for it is price time’s quantity. 2. Cost of sales- these are the costs that are directly related to the sales you have made. It includes raw materials or stock you have purchased to resell. It may also include the cost of creating the items that you sold, including the cost of staff time if you are selling service. 3. Gross Profit – This is the sum of sales revenue minus cost of sales. It tells you how much profit you are making directly from your sales. 4. Operating Costs – These are all the other costs associated with running a business, such as the rent and rates on your premises, accountancy and legal fees, and depreciation. These costs cannot be directly linked to your sales and may not change very much even if your sales figures were to change significantly. 5. Net Profit – This is the gross profit minus the operating costs. This is almost the true profit of your business because it’s made up of all the income and all the costs. The net profit is transferred over to balance sheet. Balance sheet A balance sheet shows the value of a business on a particular date. A balance sheet shows what the business owns and owes. It is also used as a guide for solvency of the company. Anything in your business that has financial value is included in the balance sheet. Everything is split into four groups. 1. In first group is included everything that can be liquidated (sold for cash) including stock, cash, and money owed by customers, are current assets. These are usually short term. 2. Second group is more long-term; including property, machinery, patents and long-term investments these are called fixed assets, which are long term liquidation. 3. Third part of balance sheet is current liabilities and they are what the business owes in the short-term: money owed to suppliers, taxes due, short-term loans and overdrafts. 4. The last group is long-term liabilities they are what the business owes in the long-term – to be paid after one year, as well as capital and reserves. Gross Profit Margin This ratio examines the relation between the gross profit and sales revenue. It also measures the % of gross profit that is made from a given amount of sales. It shows how efficiently a business is using its materials and labours in the production process and gives an indication of the pricing, cost structure, and production efficiency of your business. The higher the gross profit margin ratio the better it is for business. The higher the percentage, the more the business retains of each pound of sales, which means more money is left over for other operating expenses and net profit. A low gross profit margin ratio means that the business generates a low level of revenue to pay for operating expenses and net profit. It indicates that either the business is unable to control production or inventory costs or those prices are set too low. Acid Test Ratio This method excludes stock as stock is not a very liquid asset. Acid-Test ratio provides a more rigorous assessment of a company’s ability to pay its current liabilities. A higher acid-test ratio indicates greater short-term financial health. The acid-test ratio is more conservative than the current ratio, which measures much the same thing, because the current ratio excludes the value of inventory. Net Profit Margin Net profit margin measures how much of each pound earned from sales of good and service the company is translated into profits. It also provides clues to the company’s pricing, cost structure and production efficiency. Net profit is used to pay for interest, tax and distribution to the owners. The higher the net profit margin ratio the better it is for the business. It indicates whether a firm has enough short-term assets to cover its immediate liabilities without selling inventory. A low net profit margin ratio may mean that you are not generating enough sales, the gross profit margin is too low, or that you are not keeping your operating expenses under control to leave an acceptable profit. A business with a low ratio might need to take on debt to pay its expenses. Return On Capital Employed It shows the return for money that is spent and it also says how well you do with the money. ROCE should always be higher than the rate at which the company borrows otherwise any increase in borrowing will reduce shareholders’ earnings and it indicates that the company is not employing its capital effectively and is not generating shareholder value. For a company, the ROCE trend over the years is also an important indicator of performance. In general, investors tend to favour companies with stable and rising ROCE numbers over companies where ROCE is volatile and bounces around from one year to the next. Debtors Days It shows how long it takes debtors to pay you money back. Increases in debtor days may be a sign that the quality of a company’s debtors is decreasing. This could also mean a greater risk of defaults. It could similarly be an indicator that cash flow is likely to weaken or that more working capital will be required. Investors should be aware of why changes in debtor days are happening, especially if there is a very large increase or a clear long term increasing trend. It may reflect a change in how the business operates, or its environment. This is not necessarily bad, but it can be an indication of a potentially serious problem.
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