Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Investigate fourth graders - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 23 Words: 7046 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? 1.1. Background of the study The purpose of this study is to investigate fourth graders learning experiences in using English as foreign language during the learning process in classroom context. In the process of learning, learners need experience as a result of what they have been involved in that learning. Experience is gained by direct involvement or participation of an event. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Investigate fourth graders" essay for you Create order As stated by Kellough (1998 : 280) when students are involved in direct experiences, they are using more of their sensory input channels, their learning modalities (i.e., auditory, visual, tactile, kinesthetic); and when all the senses are engaged, learning is most effective, meaningful and longest lasting. Moreover, in the context of learning English as foreign language, experience in using English is essential to achieve effective, meaningful, and longest lasting learning. As the results, learners are able to use the language for their daily communication. Experience will be better to gain when learning is done in early age. Curtain and Pesola (1988:3) stated that when language learning begins earlier, it can go on longer and provide more practice and experience, leading ultimately to greater fluency and effectiveness. This study was employed to pupils who have range age from 7 until 10 years old (concrete stages) (Curtain and Pesola, 1988). It is assumed that when they learn Engli sh from Primary School, they have more practice and experience. As supported by Curtain and Pesola (1988:3) the thinking skills of most children in elementary school foreign language programs are at the concrete stage, and experience plays a major role in all learning. However, children learning English as a foreign language in Indonesian elementary school context face many serious challenges. One challenge relates to lack of social uses of the English language real-life situations which would likely involve children in their daily life (CREST, 2002 :3). The pupils have experience in using English only from classroom context. They are lack to face real English communication. Moon (2001:14) added that in the foreign language situation, the pupils depend almost entirely on the school for input. Consequently, the English learning experience in classroom context is very essential to support pupils practice and communication simulation. For that reason, it is needed to conduct a study which is investigating whether learning experiences in our Primary School has accommodate pupils practice and simulation communication. The findings of this investigation are answered by describing learning experience from the classroom observation and categorizing data description. Learning experience is the experience in using language during the learning time, which is formulated in simulation and practices. The learning experience is developed by practice and communication simulation done by learners. By doing so, they will get a clear picture or discourse understanding about the use of language. The examples of practice and simulation communication are achieved from the physical activities (i.e., hands on experience), as cited by CREST (2002:3) children learn by way of physical activities (i.e., hands on experiences) in the context of doing things embedded in their daily lives, both individually and socially. From that hands on experience Moon (2000:6) also explained that the use of songs, rhymes, poems, drama and classroom routine all help to give children access to ready-made bits of language so they can begin to communicate. Curtain and Pesola (1988:xiv) assumed that successful language learning for children is organized in the term of concrete experience; considerable planning should go into the use of visual, props and realia, and hands-on activities. Concrete experience from the use of visual, props and realia and hands-on activities are able to lead pupils attain their language learning goals. Curtain and Pesola also gives example of concrete experience, those are song, rhymes, finger play, props and Concrete Materials (dialogs, role play, small-group or pair work). In addition from previous study conducted by Ririt (2004) said that various learning experiences in English program will be developed through various kinds of material, activities, such as song, stories, games, reading text, and media. It can be concluded that in this study by having practice (sing songs, do classroom routines, read text, play game) and communication simulation (dialog, role play), the pupils will be able to achieve the purpose of learning English as foreign language for young learner which is developing pupils communicative competence in language accompanying action in school context and developing pupils awareness of the importance of English in global community. It is stated on Standar Isi Kurikulum Muatan Lokal Bahasa Inggris Provinsi DKI Jakarta (2006). Mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggris di SD/MI bertujuan agar peserta didik memiliki kemampuan sebagai berikut: 1. Mengembangkan kompetensi berkomunikasi dalam bentuk lisan secara terbatas untuk mengiringi tindakan (language accompanying action) dalam konteks sekolah; 2. Memiliki kesadaraan tentang hakikat dan pentingnya Bahasa Inggris untuk menngkatkan daya saing bangsa dalam masyarakat global Standar Isi Kurikulum Muatan Lokal Bahasa Inggris Provinsi DKI Jakarta (2006) is a government policy which is listed the purpose of learning English for primary schools pupils in Jakarta. However, there are some problems about the implementation of learning experience that the pupils get from the learning. They have unvaried activities; make them bored and not interested to the learning, have the learning activities but does not give experience (it is not hands on activities); and misconception to teach grammatical than convey the meaning of language message to children. Retrieved information from https://www.businessballs.com/experiental learning.htm, there is mentioned the differences between experiential learning and conventional training and teaching. The differences are in how the learning process happens. The example of conventional training, the learning are usually presented by power point presentation, chalk-and-talk classes, reading, attending lectures, exam study, observation, planning and hypothesising, theoretical work, unreal role-play. In other hand, experiential learning presents by physical activity, games, and exercises, drama and role-play which bec omes real, actually doing the job or task, outward bound activities, teaching others, hobbies, pastimes, and passions. Based on the importance and problems of learning experience, and requirement of government policy, this study is conducted to examine the fourth graders learning experiences in using English as foreign language during the learning process in classroom context. 1.2 Research Questions The research questions of this study are: What kinds of learning experiences that pupils acquired to support their English practice and simulation? To what extend that learning experiences accommodate the pupils need? 1.3 Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to investigate fourth graders learning experiences in using English as foreign language during the learning process in classroom context 1.4 Method of the study This study used a case study as its methodology. This study was carried out at four schools, SDN Cipinang Muara 14 Pagi East Jakarta, SDN Pisangan Timur 03 and 05 Pagi East Jakarta, SDN Pesanggrahan 06 Petang South Jakarta. The subjects of the study are fourth grader at each those schools. The research subject is pupils learning experiences in English classroom. This study used classroom observation and teacher interview to gain the data. Class observation is used to provide description of learning activities then to be analyzed into what learning experiences. Teacher interview is used as the additional data of what in teachers plan and how the implementation of learning experiences happen in the classroom. 1.5 Significance of the study This study is mainly to find out pupils learning experiences at Primary Schools. It gives a thick description of what kinds of learning experiences that pupils acquired during the learning process of English. This result will be beneficial as an input to the English teacher, school and the researcher itself; it gives the recent data about pupils English learning experiences at four grade of primary school. Thus, it will be an input for those schools in developing their school curriculum and English Department of State University of Jakarta students who are interest in teaching English to young learner. CHAPTER 2 2.1. English Learning Experiences Experience as a result of learning process is a must. Madya, S et all. (2004) stated that experiences are paramount and activities is a must in learning process.The experience it self is gained by doing activity or letting the learners to practice doing it. From Webster dictionary, the definition of experience is practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity (Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/experience). Pupils English learning experiences in the classroom context also can be achieved with direct participation during the learning process. During the learning process, pupils are given by teacher various learning activities which is contain various experiences. Then, as supported by Moon (2000:7) if pupils enjoy the learning activities, they will be more involved and this may increase their desire to continue. This is very positive for language learning, because if children wan t to continue with an activity for some time, it will give them more exposure to language input and more chance to practice the language. They will also develop more positive attitudes towards English, as they will associate it with something enjoyable and pleasing. Teaching English to the primary school students need varieties of activities. The teacher needs to plan a range of activities to avoid students getting bored. In Ferguson (2008:v) mentioned that research shows that games and activities provide a fun and interactive learning environment and promote effective language learning. When students are active, engaged, and enjoying themselves, their ability to learn and master new vocabulary and other linguistic functions is much higher than if they are simply learning by memorization or drills. Therefore, the activities which carried on experiential learning for young learner is hands on activity or physical activity. Moon (2000:8) gives example of physical activities such as ma king things, action songs, games, rhymes and drama provide excellent context for language learning. It is also supported by Curtain and Pesola (1988:199), they said, because children require hands-on learning experiences with concrete object, the elementary school foreign language classroom must have a wide variety of objects and material available, as many of them as possible from the target culture. Futhermore, Moon (2000:9) stated that childrens desire to communicate is very powerful and this carries over into foreign language learning. If they are engaged in an interesting activity, they will talk their heads off happily. This is very useful for language learning because it means that pupils will get plenty of practice in using the language. In this study, the practice and communication simulation that pupils use during the class is limited. Practices are singing songs, doing classroom routines, reading text, playing game, and simulation communications are dialog, role-play. Pa ul (2003)l mentioned some kinds of activities that can makes learning more meaningful, he stated that when playing, singing, and learning are integrated into total learning experience, the combination is very powerful. Children learn through first-hand (concrete) experiences, particularly through structured play as stated by Gipps (1994, p.26) cited in Brewster (2003). Pupils are expected to be facilitated by the teacher with concrete experiences. 2.2. English for Forth Graders The characteristic of young learner based on CREST (2002:3) children have their own world, which is far different from that of adults. The pupil is not the mini adult. They have their own way to learn. As stated also in CREST (2002:5), the characteristics of children are: Children learn naturally Children know a lot about literacy before schooling All children can learn Children learn best when learning is kept whole, meaningful, interesting, and functional. Children learn best when they make their own choices Children learn best as a community of learners in a non-competitive environment Children learn best by talking and doing in a social context. Curtain and Pesola (1988:67) explained those children ages 8 to 10 is named Intermediate Students. This intermediate students is categorized to grades 3, 4, and 5. Children at this age are at a maximum of openness to people and situations different from their own experience. For these students, a global emphasis is extremely important, because it gives them an opportunity to work with information from all parts of the world. As intermediate develop the cognitive characteristics of the concrete operations stage, they begin to understand cause and effect. Students in intermediate grades can work well in groups. They can begin a more systematic approach to language learning, but they continue to need first-hand, concrete experiences as starting point and continue to benefit from learning that is embedded in context. Moon (2000:7) defines that children are naturally curious and active. They eagerly explore their environment and interact with people, which helps them to construct their u nderstanding of the world they live in. An important way in which they do this is through physical activity and experiencing things at first hand. Children love discovering things and because they respond well to being asked to use their imagination, they may well be involved in puzzle-like activities, in making things, in drawing things, in playing games, in conducting physical movement (Harmer, 2001, p.38) 2.3. Related Researches on the English Learning Experiences There is a study about learning experience, which has done by Kartika, Jatu (2007). Her study entitled Supporting Basic Literacy through English Learning Experiences is focus on students basic literacy through learning experiences. The study was done in SDN Tegallega 1 and 2 Bogor. The result of her study is students have been involved in English learning experiences in the context of executing classroom assignments but have not yet fully supported the students basic literacy. Her classroom observation data showed that students were mostly engaged in language pronunciation activity during the English and very limited learning activities were pursued to develop students self-awareness in employing English to be socially literate. Her finding from the data interview and questionnaire showed that students felt bored to be engaged in unvaried activities and felt difficult to memorize English word. The previous study conducted by Ririt (2004) entitled Fifth Grade students preferences towards English Learning at Labschool Elementary School founds that various learning experiences in English program will be developed through various kinds of material, activities, such as song, stories, games, reading text, and media. Another study, which carried out, by Astriani R. F (2006) notes that in her survey titled The English Vocabulary size of elementary school students in Jakarta, the score of average vocabulary size of the students is 477 words out of 1000 words. She is recommended that the teachers in elementary school should emphasized teaching and learning English in vocabulary and they also apply creative teaching and learning techniques such as singing, drawing, telling stories, and mentioning something through games so that the pupils will feel happy when they are learning English. Yeni (2009) in her research entitled Using Games to increase students participation in Listening Activity at SDN Pisangan Timur 11 shows that games; missing lyric, word race, Simon say, whats the number and song puzzle can be used to increase students participation. It also reports that there was significant improvement to the students participation in listening activities. Students were actively involved in listening activity. The students are interested in following the game and feel enjoy confident in participating activities. 2.4. Conceptual Framework The purpose of the study is to get factual data and information of pupils learning experiences in English classroom context by using describing, categorizing and analyzing classroom observation. The researcher decided to conduct the study on fourth grade because English is introduced in Primary School started from fourth grade of primary school. The study is also meant to see whether pupils have various kinds of learning experiences during the learning process. Learning experience can be developed by practice and simulation communication. If the pupils have experience in practice and simulation, it is assumed that they have meaningful, effective and longest lasting learning experience. 2.5. Definition of Terms Learning experience is the experience in using language during the learning time, which is formulated in simulation and practices. The learning experience is developed by practice and communication simulation done by learners. Practice means sing songs, do classroom routines, read text, play game and communication simulation here and communication simulation means dialog, role-play. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY This chapter describes how this study is carried out. It covers the design of the study, the subjects of the study, instrument of the study, data collection procedures, and data interpretation. 3. 1. The Design of the Study This study is conducted through a case study in order to find in depth (1) what kinds of learning experiences that pupils acquired to support their English practice and simulation (2) To what extend that learning experiences accommodate the pupils need. The data is picked up through classroom observation and interview. 3.2 Research Setting 3. 2. 1 Time and place of the Study This study was carried out from March up to April 2009 in four primary schools. They are SD Negeri Pisangan Timur 03 and 05 pagi, East Jakarta; SD Negeri Cipinang Muara 14, East Jakarta; and SD Negeri Pesanggrahan 06 Petang, South Jakarta. 3. 2. 2 Subject of the Study The subjects of this research are the fourth graders from four schools in Jakarta. Their experiences during the English class were be observed and recorded. 3. 3 Data Collection Method For the first research question What kinds of learning experiences that pupils acquired to support their English practice? The data was gathered by observing and recording the pupils and teachers interaction during their English class. After observing and recording, the visual data was transcribed. The data transcriptions were described as data description. Afterward the data was be classified by bolding the description, it was be reduced based on the needs of the study and will be put in the table because of the amount of data collected during the classroom observation. Next, the data reduced will be put in the table which is categorized based on the synthesis which was mention in the conceptual framework. The categorization was made in order to answer the research question. Second research question, to what extend that learning experience accommodate the pupils need? is answered by analysing the data categorization. Besides, the interview is also used to support the information of learning experience in the data analysing. It is open-ended interview and it is done after the class ended and recorded. 3. 4. Data Interpretation The data from the recorded classroom observation was analyzed from transcribing and categorizing learning experience data. The information of pupils learning experience also gathered from data interview. The data obtained in this study were mainly descriptive data, which had been narrated by using a procedure, proposed by Woods (1996: 27); and Bailey (1996) described as follow: Data Labeling The data were classified by bolding the description related to the focus of the study. Data Reducing The observation data were reduced based on the needs of the study and was put in the table because of the amount of data collected during the classroom observation. Data Categorizing The data reduced will be categorized based on the synthesis, which was mention in the conceptual framework. The categorization was made in order to answer the research question. CHAPTER IV Data Description and Research Findings This chapter presented data description and interpretation to lead the discussion in the research findings. The data description of this study is based on classroom observations. A. Data description A.1 Classroom Observations Data The factual data of pupils learning experiences in this study was obtained from classroom observations. The interaction between teacher and pupils from four schools observation is described in the following data description. CASE A 1. Observation on March 7th, 2009 The observation was carried on Saturday, on 06.30 to 07.40 a.m. The pupils started the class by saying Good Morning to reply teachers greeting. The pupils also said I am fine, thank you. And you? when the teacher asked them How are you?. At that time, it was the first time of observation, so the teacher introduced the observers before starting the lesson. While the teacher was introduced the observers, one of the pupils was coming late. With automatically the teacher and the pupils greeted the late boy by saying Good Morning. The pupils were asked to recall their memorization about the previous lesson. A pupil mentioned the previous lesson was question but another pupil mention public sign. Pupils were experienced to recall the information that they have studied before. Pupils were experienced to count number of their classmates. Each pupil was experienced to count one until thirty two. They counted the amount of pupils that come in the class. There were 32 pupils and 5 were absent. After all pupils are ready, they were experienced to read the picture on the whiteboard. The pupils tried to recollect their previous memory about public sign. They pay attention to the picture then mentioned the function of those public sign picture. Pupils were experienced to answer teacher question by mentioning that Cross Park sign mean you cannot park here, stripe sign mean you do not enter, turn left, turn right, go straight. Then, the pupils were asked to use their hand in giving direction of left and right sign. The pupils were experience to act out the teacher instruction by using their hands. They seemed able to differentiate right sign and left with enjoyable. Next, the pupils guessed the second pictured drawn by the teacher on the whiteboard. They mentioned it was a picture of lampu lalulintas. Pupils were experience translating word into English with teacher scaffolding. Then they have to repeat words written in whiteboard in order get the right pronunciation. Pupils were experience to pronounce traffic light, red, yellow and green. The pupils also were experience to mention the meaning of each traffic light lamp colour. They were able to identify meaning of the green lamp for go, yellow lamp for be careful and red lamp for stop. After mentioning the meaning, the pupils were experience to pronounce the words such as stop, be careful and go by repeating their teacher. Then pupils were reminded by their teacher, the expression for borrowing something from friends. They were experience to mention the expression for borrowing by saying May I borrow your à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The pupils also were experience to practice the conversation in simple dialogue. They practiced in pairs. After practicing the conversation, the pupils were noisy. The teacher engaged the pupils to sing happy song in order to get pupils silent. Pupils were experience in English to sing Happy song, please silent. That time, pupils have a small test. Before starting the test, a pupil cleaned the whiteboard in responding teacher instruction. Pupils were experience in English to act out teacher instruction such as Clean the board please; Listen to me please; Sit down please; Silent please. They were experience in English to do the teacher instructions. Afterwards, the pupils were experience in English to answer the written test. They matched part A into part B. Finishing done the test, the pupils were experience to check the answer test with a whole class. The pupils were given chance to come forward to write the answers on the whiteboard. Most pupils were enthusiastic to come forward. They raised hand and the teacher selected them. While a pupils writing on the whiteboard, the others pupils sing a song Que Sera Sera. Pupils were experience in English to sing a song. In the end of the class, pupils were experience in English to mention what they have learnt on that day. Pupils simulated again the conversation of borrowing things from friends. After that, teacher closed the class by singing Happy song, good bye 2. Observation on March 14th, 2009 The observation was held on Saturday from 06.30 to 7.40. The class was opened by pupils greeting. Pupils were experienced to greet the teacher by saying Good Morning. Also replied greeting How are you? by saying Im fine. Thank You. And You?. Before the class starting, their sitting places were arranged. They have to sit on their own chair to avoid much tease between them. The pupils were experience in English to mention previous study such as public sign, stripe sign, do not enter, no smoking, push, pull, exit, enter, turn right, turn left. Then, they asked to pay attention to the picture shown by the teacher. The pupils were experience to guess the picture and to conclude the picture. The picture was not clear enough to be seen from the back class, so some pupils come forward to look at the picture. They were ordered to sit, the teacher said Sit down please then the pupils sat on their chair. The pupils were experience to do the instruction in English. After the pupils settled down, the pupils were asked to conlude the pictures theme. They were experience to conclude the theme pictures by saying it is about Hobby. The teacher wrote some words on the whiteboard, the pupils were experience to repeat and to read aloud words such as watching, playing soccer, swimming, traveling, sleeping, reading books. Every word they were repeated and read, they were experience to gesticulate it. They act as they were playing soccer, swimming, traveling, sleeping, reading books and cooking. The pupils seemed enjoy the activites. Next sequence, the pupils were asked about their hobby. They were experience in English answering teachers question What is your hobby? by saying My hobby is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦... Then, the teacher asked the pupils to ask her hobby. The pupils were experience in English to question the teacher by saying What is your hobby?. After that the pupils were explained about the difference of his and her. They were given the example question in distinguishing his or her. The pupils were experience to pronounce his and her. Subsequently, the pupils were experience to do questioning and answering to their friend about hobby. They practiced how to ask their friends hobby use English. The pupils were experience to practice conversation in a simple dialog and to note it in their workbook. Pupils were experience in English do the task in written. In the closure time, the pupils were experience to write home work in their workbook do the same task. They have to question their families hobby. Teacher closed the class by saying Good bye. 3. Observation on April 18th, 2009 The observation was done every Saturday, at 06.30 to 7.30 a.m because the English class is every Saturday. Pupils started the class by praying and then greeting the teacher. They were experience greeting the teacher by saying Good Morning. Next, the pupils were asked to guess the picture that be drawn by the teacher on whiteboard. They were experience to identify the picture by saying Radio and Television. After that, they have to pay attention to what teachers was done. The pupils were supposed to guess the teachers act. They were experience to conclude the word from teachers action. The pupils said Lamp when the teacher turn off and turn on the lamp. The pupils were experienced repeating the teacher by saying Radio, TV, and lamp. From the three pictures, the pupils asked to guess what the key word for those things is. The pupils have the right answered which is electronic. The core activities of that day, pupils were experience to practice turn on and off the lamp, turn on and turn off the tv, play and eject the cassette from the radio. The pupils followed step by step the teachers instruction like turn on the tv please, turn on the lamp please, turn off the lamp please. In practicing play and eject the radio, the pupils were experience to identify the button in the radio. They have known which play button, stop button, rewind button, fast forward button are. They also were experience to mention each button function. Finally, they were experience to write the right procedure of playing the cassette in their workbook. The pupils have to arrange the sentences into good order. While the pupils writing the task, some pupils were chosen randomly to come forward in front of the class. They practiced press the buttons from the button pictures on the whiteboard. Before the class was dismissed, pupils were asked to conclude what they have learned on that day. The class were closed by the teacher saying Good bye and pupils were experiences in English replaying say Good bye. CASE B 4. Observation on March 3rd, 2009 The observation was conducted on Tuesday afternoon at 12.30 to 13.40. The pupils replied teachers greeting by saying Good Morning. Afterwards, they sang a song titled Happy song but with a little different melodies. The pupils recalled their experience in previous meeting by mentioning the English of lemari with cupboard. The class started with guessing the English of thing that teachers point out. The teachers pointed out two cupboards, and the pupils mentioned it by saying These are cupboards. Some pupils seemed still confused the diffrence of these are and this. Then they listened to teacher explanation about the difference of the these and this. The pupils were experience to read aloud This is a cupboard; These are books; That is a chair; Those are chairs Finally, the pupils were experience to do the exercise fill in with this, these, that or those. They did the task in an exercise paper. While pupils were answering the questions, they were checked for the absent. After finish a nswer the exercise, the key answer be written on the whiteboard. They were experience to write the answer on the whiteboard. Teacher checked pupils answer on the board. The pupils checked their friends work or peer correction. Teacher closed the class by submitting pupils paper. 5. Observation on March 10th, 2009 The pupils started the class by saying Good Afternoon to the teacher. The observation was held on 12.30 to 13.40. The pupils opened their text book. They were experience to repeat the teacher reading sentences. They repeat the sentences such as What are you wearing? and I am wearingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦... Then the teacher asked the pupils as the model to explain the meaning of dialogue above. The pupils were supposed to answer what kind of their friends clothes. They were experience to mention T-shirt, shirt, skirt, and shorts. Subsequently, they continued reading the text together a whole class. The pupils were experience to read aloud in front of the class. They practice the simple dialogue to ask kind of their friends clothes. The pupils were given the explanation how to answer question begin with what, when, why and question begin with Isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦... The pupils were expected to be able answer the Isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. question with yes or no answer. After be explained, the pupils opened their textbook. They looked to the picture, and answer the questions there. They were experience to answer the exercise in written. The pupils also have to do the additional questions which were written by the teacher on the whiteboard. After finishing the task, the pupils checked the right answer together. They wrote their answer in the whiteboard, and then be checked by the teacher. The pupils attendance also be checked while they wrote on the whiteboard. The class was ended by saying Good bye to the teacher. 6. Observation on May 5th, 2009 The class was started at 12.30 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 01.45. The pupils were experience in English to greet the teacher by saying Good afternoon. The pupils were involved in a game to guess the name of animal and fruit. They seem curious to answer the questions, but most of them could not answer it. Only one pupil was able to answer and answer the question. After having an opening activity, the pupils were experience in singing One and one I love my mother. The song actually is not the native version song; it is Indonesian song which is translated in English. Next, the pupils were asked some questions from the teacher. They have to make some sentences, however they only repeated what the teacher saying. They seemed did not understand to the teachers questions. The pupils just kept silent. After that, the pupils were asked to identify the differences between there is and there are. They have to write a sentence using there is and there are on the whiteboard. One pupil came forward and wrote it on. The other pupils were looked at their friends writing. The pupils and teacher checked the sentence together. The pupil were experience to make error in writing complete sentence. Subsequently, the pupils missed writing the s for plural noun. Then, they were given the explanation differences between singular and plural noun. After all, the pupils were given the explanation about pronoun. They listened to teacher explanation but when the teacher asked questions to checked pupils understanding, the pupils just kept silent. The pupils were asked to make sententes using there is and there are also with pronoun. The pupils were experience to do the task in written using English. They did the task then submitted afterwards. The teacher leaved the class by saying Good bye. CASE C 7. Observation on March 4th, 2009 The observation was undertaken on Wednesday at 06.40 to 07.30. The pupils were experience to greet teacher by saying Good Morning. The pupils were given their daily test paper. Afterwards, the pupils were reminded to keep study because the midterm test would be faced two weeks later. The pupils opened the book page 93. They were invited to imagine as they are in the zoo. Pupils recalled their past experience when they are going to the zoo. The pupils were experience to mention name of animal that they have met in the zoo such as elephant, lion, horse, bird, crocodile, fish, snake, dog, peacock, monkey, pig, and giraffe. The teacher wrote the words on the whiteboard, and pupils supposed to read the words. Then, the pupils were experience to mispronounce like elephant instead of eleven, snake instead of snack, bird instead of beerd. They were drilled to pronounce those words. The pupils were experience to pronounce bird, zoo, horse, and rhinoceros. Next, the pupils pay attention to teachers drawing on the whiteboard. The teacher stated the objective of that day. The pupils would learn about parts of animal body. They were experience to mention the picture by saying elephant, fish and monkey. They also were experience to identify between nose and trunk. The pupils were experience to pronounce tusk. Subsequently, the pupils were experience to name parts of animal body in their workbook. They looked at the picture then put a tick n a table. Because they do not complete the task, they have to finish it at home as a homework. Teacher closed the class by saying Thank you for your attention. Good bye 8. Observation on April 8th, 2009 The class observation was conducted at Wednesday at 10.00 to 11.20. The pupils were experience to greet the teacher by saying Good Morning. After greeting the teacher, the pupils were asked to submit their LKS home work. Some of them have completed do the homework, but the rest of them have not completed the homework. The pupils were experience to do the task in written (LKS). The pupils were asked to prepare a piece of paper, because there would be a listening test. The pupils were engaged listen teachers instruction. They were experience listen, write and answer the teachers dictation. The teacher desribed the words about animal, things in the classroom, family, colour, letter. The pupils were experience to guess words based on the verbal description. When they already known the answer, the seemed very happy. After all questions are answered, the pupils and the teacher checked together the answer. They were experience to mislead writing the words. The objective for that time lesson was listening practice. The class closed by saying Good bye. 9. Observation on April 29th, 2009 This obsevastion was carried out on Wednesday morning. The pupils started the class by greet the teacher, saying Good Morning. After they greet the teacher, the pupils asked to distribute the textbook. They do not have the textbook, so when the English lesson time, they used school textbook. Next, the pupils were experienced to recall the previous lesson. They mentioned about parts of body, such as head, shoulder, finger, knees, neck, ear, nose, mouth, cheek. Then when the teacher asked what in English sikut, jidat the pupils seemed difficult to mention the English of sikut and jidat. However, they looked familiar with parts of body names. After that, the pupils sang Head Shoulder Knees and Toes Song song. From that song, the pupils were experienced in mention parts of body names, such as head, shoulder, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Then, they mention the amount of parts of body, like two eyes, one nose. Pupils were involved to listen teacher description. They listened a monster description. They have to imagine how is the monster look like. After listen the monster description, they have to draw the description. the teacher gave example in the whiteboard. Then, the pupils were experienced to draw on their notebook. They listened the monster description given by the teacher, and then they draw it. They were experienced to draw parts of body such as head, eyes, mouth, teeth, hair, neck, leg, and horn with its amount. Next they played the hangman game about parts of body, occupation, animal, and transportation. The pupils seemed enjoy the activity that day. The class ended by teacher saying thank you for your attention today, Bye! . CASE D 10. Observation on March 10th, 2009 The observation was carried to fourth grade pupils on Tuesday at 09.00 to 10.30. The English class was started after sport subject. The pupils condition after sport subject making them becomes noisy. The pupils started the class by greeting their teacher. They were experience in English saying Good Morning. The pupils opened their book page 115. They were supposed to pronounce the words written on book. They were experience in English repeating the words lion, giraffe, elephant, snake, crocodile, monkey, bird, rabbit, bear, cow. After drilling the vocabulary, the pupils were engaged in a guessing game. They were experience to translate words like tiger means harimau, elephant means gajah, bird means burung, and snake means ular. They were divided into 4 groups. In mentioning bird and snake, the pupils were experience to misprounounce. They were also experience to make error when translating harimau. Some pupils answered that harimau is lion. Next sequence, after able to guess the word, pupil were asked to write the word on the whiteboard. Pupil was experience in writing rabbit, deer in whiteboard. Pupils were experience to mispronounce deer. Then, they have to repeat their teacher. That fourh grade pupils were experience to repeat the words this is an elephant, it is big, it has tusk and a trunk, this a lion, it is the king of animal, it has big teeth and sharp nail it is a snake, it is long animal, it has poison, this is a giraffe it has a long neck this is a bird, it can fly, this is a crocodile it can live in the water and on the land this is a rabbit it is a funny animal, it has big ear and two big teeth, this a dog, dog can live with people in home. After repeating those words, the pupils were asked to translate them. When they mentioned the words they seemed fluent to translate it, it was because they have already asked to memorize those words from a week ago. At the end of the class, the pupils were invited to read aloud those words in front of the class. They were experience to read aloud in English in front of the class. After all, they were also experience to do the task in written. They did the exercise which was taken from their textbook. The class ended without closure from the tecaher. 11. Observation on March 24th, 2009 The observation was begun at 09.00 to 10.30 in a noisy situation class. The pupils were given their midterm test paper by the teacher to be checked together. However, when the teacher distributed the paper, the pupils chat loudly and teased each other. Finishing distributed the paper, the pupils were asked to recall their memory to previous study. They were experience to mention their previous lesson by saying badminton, volleyball, basketball, run, walk, and tabbletennis. After that, the pupils opened their text book and repeated the teacher. They were experience in English to repeat the senteneces The girls are playing badminton; The boys are playing football;The girls are running;The boys are walking;The boy is walking;The boys are playing basketball;The girls are playing table tennis;The boys are playing tennis;The boys are playing volleyball. Subsequently, the pupil raised hand when the teacher asked them about their favourite sport. They were experience in English to practice simple dialogue What is your favourite sport? and answer with My favourite sport isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. The pupils in pairs practiced the dialogue in front of the class. Before performing in front of the class, they were given time to practice it, in contrary some of them did not practice the dialogue. They chat and teased each other. Pupils were experience to mispronounce when they have to practice the dialogue. Finally, the papers which have distributed at the beginning were cancelled to be checked. The class ended with no closure. The pupils scattered after the break time bell ringing. 12. Observation on May 5th, 2009 The observation was held on Tuesdasy at 09.00 to 10.30. The English class started by greeting from the pupils. The pupils were experience to greet in English by saying Good Morning. The environment of class at the time was not pleasant. There was water fall from the roof. However, the pupils still enthusiastic to learn English. The pupils opened their textbook. The pupils were expeience to mention things in their bed room lamp, pillow, chair, mattres. Some pupils mentioned the things in bedroom with L1 but other able mentioned them use L2. Some pupils were difficult use L2 to mention the things. After mentioning the thing in the bedroom, pupils were experience to repeat the sentences What are there in your bedroom? and There are bed, lamp, fan, air conditioner, table, cupboard, and chair. Afterward, pupils were experience to mention things in kitchen by saying refrigerator, pan, teapot, knife, and spoon. Some of them mentioned in L2 by saying kompor, panci, garpu. Then, pupils were given the explanation about the difference between there is and there are. Thereafter, the pupils were experience to spell the words bed, lamp, air conditioner, cupboard, chair, refrigerator, pan, kettle, knife, plate. Then, they play like a spelling bee competition. They have to spell the words individually. Next, the pupils were experience to translate words by saying gelas, lemari, kursi into English. They were also experience to translate refrigerator, pan, knife, kettle into Indonesian. In the end of the class, the pupils were asked to come forward in front of the class. They were experience to mention five things in bedroom and kitchen.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Defining Racism - Response Essay - 797 Words

Tierenee R. Roberson SOCI 4421.01 â€Å"Defining Racism† February 22, 2011 Professor Harris Response Paper: Defining Racism In this article by Beverly Daniel Tatum, she uses her various life experiences to show the issues that come along with attempting to define racism in America. There are several external issues that come not only from defining racism, but with separating racism from prejudice. In dispelling preconceived notions that these two words are interchangeable, Tatum makes several distinctions in the meaning and application of the two words in everyday life. Before going further into the separating factors of the two words, Tatum discusses how unintentional our prejudices can be. Throughout her article, Tatum†¦show more content†¦According to her, prejudice is an inescapable product of the racist soceity in America. She goes on to further explain the evolution of internalized oppression, which is when members of stereotyped groups internalizes and perpetuates the stereotyped categories of his or her group. In addressing the issue of intenalized oppression, Tatum gives some responsibi lity for the state of racism to the very people who suffer from it. In the article, Tatum uses the definition of racism that is given by David Wellman in his book Portraits of White Racism, which says that racism is â€Å"a system of advantage based on race† (Tatum, 1997). This definition is something that I found to be very interesting. In many cases, racism is not defined to include the advatages that come from its existance. Instead racism is seen as a singular act, and never as a wholistic system that subtly disadvantages a specific group of people. When discussing how to end racism, no one ever gives solutions to erradicate the subleminal and covert racism that permeates every system from education to healthcare, because that would shoot down the ideal that in America is an equal and fair place for achieving one’s dreams. In the last section of her article, Tatum address whether or not racism is exclusive to Whites or whether it is applicable to all people regardless of race. In this section, she is very specific is stating that theShow MoreRelatedAnnotated Bibliography Of The Heart Of Darkness1207 Words   |  5 Pagesthe failures of the white men’s control and the suffering of the so-called â€Å"savages†. He realizes that the cruelty present in the white man creates a barrier between him and the white men living in the Congo. ACHEBE, CHINUA. An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrads Heart of Darkness. Massachusetts Review, vol. 57, no. 1, Spring2016, pp. 14-27. EBSCOhost, scsl.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=discusurl=http://search.ebscohost.com.scsl.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=truedb=lfhAN=114187095site=eds-livescope=siteRead MoreAmerica Is Racist ! When I Say My America980 Words   |  4 PagesMy America is racist! When I say â€Å"my America† I mean through my eyes as an African American female, America is racist. As a young child I knew that racism existed but not to the extent that I understand now. I would get made fun of for being â€Å"extremely black† in elementary school despite it being a majority black school. As I grew older the name calling didn t stop, I would find people of different races, including my own commenting in shock and surprise about how dark I am. â€Å"Damn she s dark† oneRead MoreIs Racism in the Heart? by Tommie Shelby Essay1343 Words   |  6 Pages Racism is not a factor of the heart, according to Tommie Shelby in â€Å"Is Racism in the ‘Heart’?† He writes â€Å"the ‘heart’ does not have to be involved in order for an action or institution to be racist† (483). Instead, Shelby argues that racism is based on the effect of a person’s actions on deepening racist institutions or promulgating the oppression of a particular group of people based on their race. The individual intention of a person or the â€Å"purity† or his or her heart does not take precedenceRead MoreShift Of Emphasis From Racism1180 Words   |  5 PagesShift of Emphasis From Classism to Racism Disasters often present to a society the opportunity for self-examination by stripping away the facade and revealing the underlying problems and inequities that were overlooked and oppressed by the established social order. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, not only did it bring about complete destruction to the physical landscape, but it also brought to light the social inequalities and vulnerabilities that were present and deeply rooted in theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Sister Outsider 1709 Words   |  7 Pagesthat promotes systems of oppression that correspond with racism. Lorde explores many themes within her writings, but this paper will concentrate on the underlining themes from â€Å"The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism† (Audre Lorde), themes such as the need and use of anger without guilt, oppression vs. oppressed relationship, and the need for a different feminist movement. When dealing with racism Lorde proclaims that the only response for deali ng with such issue is anger. Not just any typeRead MoreSocial Stereotypes in America Essay1479 Words   |  6 PagesThe terrorist hi-jacked several aircraft carriers and set them on a crash course for various national landmarks. Since the events of September 11th many Non-European American citizens have been targets of discrimination, prejudice, hate crimes, racism, and stereotyping. According to Holman (2008), Arab nurses reported experiencing discrimination in the forms of intimidation and patient rejection more frequently than prior to the attacks of September 11th. Outside of the public arena, the discriminationRead MoreEssay on Social Connotations of Name and Well Being1548 Words   |  7 Pagesterrorists commandeered several aircraft carriers and set them on a crash course for various national landmarks. Since the events of September 11, 2001 many Non-European American citizens have been targets of discrimination, prejudice, hate crimes, racism, and stereotyping. According to Holman (2008), Arab nurses working in local urban American cities reported experiencing discrimination in the forms of intimidation and patient rejection more frequently than prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001Read MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad964 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"I’m Not Racist But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From Neil Bissoondath’s perspective, racial discrimination occurs everywhere and is conducted by everyone, either willfully or ignorantly. Bissoondath’s attempt is to inform the reader of the connection between stereotyping and r acism and in turn condemns such acts. Joseph Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness,† however, exposes the brutality of the Europeans on Africans. While Bissoondath’s work addresses the sensitivity of racial judgement and racial superiority intended to bring hatredRead MoreEssay On How Many People Does It Take To Make A Difference1245 Words   |  5 Pages How Many People Does It Take to Make a Difference? One! A) What did you learn about yourself in doing the exercises in the book (How Many People Does It Take to Make a Difference? One) that you didn’t already know? Response: This book has taught me many things about myself that I didn’t know . For example , I usually dont think about life in a hard way but this book helped me view life differently. In the beginning of book one of the first exercises it asks â€Å"Read MoreA Brief Note On The, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And Queer Essay1061 Words   |  5 PagesOld-fashion racism was, with the intent to cause harm. Now in modern times micro-aggressions are used against to degrade LGBTQ members more than anything else. Micro-aggressions is a term that used to describe subtle or indirect racism. According to Professor Sue the general nature of micro-aggression is that there is two different types of racism, Old Fashion Racism and contemporary racism. Old fashion racism is purposeful with the intent to cause harm, meanwhil e most contemporary racism is disguised

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Comparer shopping Saudi Arabia Free Essays

The United States and Saudi Arabia both have their own unique way of shopping. It is not common that we in AKA are spending an hour or more in front of the computer screen looking for clothes, shoes and other personal items like furniture, cars, and audio systems. However, in the United States I think that many people like to shop online from Amazon or others companies online. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparer shopping Saudi Arabia or any similar topic only for you Order Now First of all, based on this simple fact, I believe hat there is a difference between Saudi Arabia and the United States about how people like to shop. For instance, in Saudi Arabia there are more than ten malls in each city that has more than 10,000 people. Rather than in America, Saudi Arabia has many more place for you to buy these items like many more clothing stores, stores for shoes etc. On the other hand, I have lived in three states which include Kentucky, Texas and New York. Each city has more than 10. 000 people, but all of the cities have no more than two malls. So to me, Saudi people like to go out for shopping rather than shopping online like Americans. Secondly, there is a lot of web sites that many people in America use to find vehicles. For Instance, Internet browser sites like ‘cars. Amend scraggliest can help people shop around and search for certain cars, such as Honda, Toyota and Ionians, but In Saudi Arabia there are no web sites like that at all. So In conclusion, to me America spends much more time doing online shopping than our country where people would spend time In the malls with our family and friends. Finally, I think that everyone has their own way of shopping and which way they would Like to shop. Aimed Littoral, September, 25 14 How to cite Comparer shopping Saudi Arabia, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Real Courage free essay sample

Between me and the athletes there were several more tables, all filled with energetic dancers, thoughtful theater kids, and noisy band members with their instrument cases spread over the table along with the peanut butter sandwiches and bags of carrot sticks. I didn’t feel like I matched any of these groups. At my old school, I was friends with everyone, and we didn’t have to share a hobby in order to have plenty in common. It seemed as though all of these groups shared one specific thing with each other, which I didn’t share with any of them. One day, I noticed someone else sitting like me: quiet and alone in the shade of one of the courtyard’s big pine trees. She was small and brown-haired, reading a book while she munched on an apple she had pulled out of the crumpled paper lunch sack that sat on the ground next to her. We will write a custom essay sample on Real Courage or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Strangely, this girl seemed perfectly happy to sit by herself, and I guessed that was the reason she hadn’t introduced herself to me or asked me to sit with her. Between me and the athletes there were several more tables, all filled with energetic dancers, thoughtful theater kids, and noisy band members with their instrument cases spread over the table along with the peanut butter sandwiches and bags of carrot sticks. I didn’t feel like I matched any of these groups. At my old school, I was friends with everyone, and we didn’t have to share a hobby in order to have plenty in common. It seemed as though all of these groups shared one specific thing with each other, which I didn’t share with any of them. One day, I noticed someone else sitting like me: quiet and alone in the shade of one of the courtyard’s big pine trees. She was small and brown-haired, reading a book while she munched on an apple she had pulled out of the crumpled paper lunch sack that sat on the ground next to her. Strangely, this girl seemed perfectly happy to sit by herself, and I guessed that was the reason she hadn’t introduced herself to me or asked me to sit with her. Between me and the athletes there were several more tables, all filled with energetic dancers, thoughtful theater kids, and noisy band members with their instrument cases spread over the table along with the peanut butter sandwiches and bags of carrot sticks. I didn’t feel like I matched any of these groups. At my old school, I was friends with everyone, and we didn’t have to share a hobby in order to have plenty in common. It seemed as though all of these groups shared one specific thing with each other, which I didn’t share with any of them. One day, I noticed someone else sitting like  me: quiet and alone in the shade of one of the courtyard’s big pine trees. She was small and brown-haired, reading a book while she munched on an apple she had pulled out of the crumpled paper lunch sack that sat on the ground next to her. Strangely, this girl seemed perfectly happy to sit by herself, and I guessed that was the reason she hadn’t introduced herself to me or asked me to sit with her.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Adolescent psychology Essay Example

Adolescent psychology Essay The following paper will deliver research on the area of adolescent psychology with the theme of self-mutilation or self harm that occurs with adolescent girls.   This concept of masochism will be dissected in the essay using peer reviewed journal articles.   The psychosis behind this action will also be explored and the impetus of the problem will also be given in this paper.   The history of the subject will be given as it relates not only psychologically with adolescence but also some sociology will be incorporated into the paper to give it a fair balance of prognosis. Adolescence is a period of socialization where children develop relationships outside of the family.   These relationships further fuel or enhance their perceptions of the world, their bonding with surrounding society members and their view of human interactions.   In an environment where there is a distant mother or absent father, where the child is found to have problems acting socially normal with other people, the person is defined as a deviant.   Not everyone who has been subjected to the above findings will go on to become a self-mutilator, but these types of adolescent girls are or have been defined by these terms.   Body image in the media is intended to represent a product and to sell that product.   The media gurus choose thin models not as attesting to how women should look but rather as a tribute to how they want their product to appear to the audience.   The idea of thinness is misconstrued on the idea that women’s bodies are too thin and thus those to o thin bodies present to the advertising world what their body should look like, but this is not true.   Thinness is in the eye of the beholder, â€Å"When individuals evaluate their appearance, they can either concur or disagree with other evaluators.   If dissensus occurs its direction can be either self enhancing or self-denigrating† (Levinson 1986; 330).   It becomes apparent then, that early childhood development is essential to creating an identity and furthermore to creating a sound human being who is not prone to acts of aggression We will write a custom essay sample on Adolescent psychology specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Adolescent psychology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Adolescent psychology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Thus, the act of bloodshed is art, thereby attributing self-mutilation as a means of reinvention of self, not only as punishment but an endeavor to transform the self due in part to low esteem, predisposition, or other abnormalities.   Often times this sacrifice of the adolescent’s blood is equated with Christ’s sacrifice for redemption of humankind, thus, the mutilation is cleansing of their sin (Hewitt 1997; 104).   The adolescent girl is using this pain and sacrifice for the importance of self expression.   Thus, mutilation becomes associated with salvation.   Masochism becomes equated with sacrifice, and blood is equated to a necessary part of this ritual.   The adolescent girl feels more human, less mundane when mutilation occurs, and thus she feels as though she were finding an inner truth to herself, one that the pedestrian tantrums that other adolescent girls indulge did not deliver to her.   (Hewitt 1997; 104). In Pipher’s studies (1994) she recognizes that female deviance is formed not only from interaction or lack of interaction from family, but also to the deliverance of aggression from friends and kids at school.   Girls will call other girls sluts (the manifestation of anger through verbal outbursts) and do mean things to them while they ‘aren’t looking’.   Boys do not verbalize their malice but act upon it by physically abusing their supposed assailant.   These two areas of socialization are prevalent in the various typological profiling for self mutilation.   An abusive environment will generate different responses from men and women.   Men, with an abusive childhood will transgress their behavior in terms of killing, raping or violent crimes.   Women are more likely to internalize their reactions and become self-destructive, turning to drug abuse or prostitution.   The internal deviance of women causes most people to disbelieve their capabili ty of being hands-on violent or self aggressive.   Thus, mutilation becomes associated with body image, and control.   Dittmar and Howard go on to state that roughly 20% of models in the fashion industry are underweight which in turn clinically diagnosis them with the condition of anorexia nervosa.   These conditions give further rise to other women’s problems.   Since the cultural idea of thinness as perpetuated by the media and the fashion industry is to have increasingly thin body types, the average woman or man tries dieting and exercising to keep up with the ‘standard’.   When the average woman or man finds that they are still not ‘normal’ according to the cultural guidelines of the word, they begin to be dissatisfied with their bodies which leads to low self-esteem, â€Å"Thus it stands to reason that women are likely to experience body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and even eating disorders if they internalize and strive for a be auty ideal that is stringently thin and essentially unattainable† (478). Adolescent girls use pain as a gateway of understanding life.   Common mutilations practices include the performance of burn their limbs and slicing themselves with sharp razors.   In more dire, or ritualistic mutilations, the adolescent girl will use her own blood and outline her physiognomy on the plane of a mirror, at which she is peering.   She would take blood from her sliced open eyelids and trace her face in the glass.   By performing in this fashion the girl was able to visually and metaphorically re-engineer the product of artistry in her shedding of her own blood which in turn become a dichotomy of both process and product (Hewitt 1997; 103). Patricia Pearson, in her book, When She Was Bad, describes early acts of aggression by women as being a verbal attack demonstrating manipulation to an astounding degree.   Name-calling is the epitome of this action or lack of action.   Women are renowned for the pressures they present each other in early adolescence.   This verbal act of abuse is amplified in self mutilation through their indirect aggression to the themselves, Self-mutilative behavior (SMB) refers to the direct and deliberate destruction of one’s own body tissue without suicidal intent.   SMB is a pervasive public health problem occurring at a rate of 4% in the genera adult population and 21% in adult clinical populations.   Adolescence is a period of significantly increased risk for SMB, as is evidenced by rates of 14%-39% in adolescent community samples and 40%-61% in adolescent psychiatric inpatient samples (Nock Prinstein 2005; 140). The sociology involved with delinquent girls can be linked most especially to peer associates and to the culture at hand for delivering a message of women as â€Å"Other† and viewing women as unable to commit such a heinous crime as serial killing. Social bonding is more prevalent for females than males, and because there is a lack of support for women to be aggressive or to commit crimes then there are less female criminals if one is to believe serial killing is a cause of socialization.   Passivity is a ‘trained’ female trait, which enables them to not break out into fits of rage but to internalize the problem (and if aggression is addressed it is done so verbally).   Women are not seen as aggressive or as criminals.   Culture would believe that female serial killers are against nature. Men are the war makers, the abusive husbands, and the dirty side of society waiting to pounce on victims from the crevice of a dark alley. Men are the hunters and women are the gatherers as is historically thought for agriculturally based societies.   But this kind of thinking is phallic and has been thought too long.   Although self-mutilation is thought of as control over the self, the fringes of this definition incorporate the less noticeable mutilation of eating disorders.   Anorexia and bulimia are also forms of control over the self through the vehicle of the body.   The detriment of this fact, the fact that thinness is amounting to such problems as anorexia nervosa raise many social and cultural issues.   The cultural issue may best be summarized in Dittmar and Howard’s article as they quote Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer, both spokespersons for top models, â€Å"†¦(s)tatistics have repeatedly shown that if you stick a beautiful skinny girl on the cover of a magazine you sell more copies†¦Agencies would say that we supply the women and the advertisers, our clients, want.   The clients would say that hey are se lling a product and responding to consumer demand.   At the end of the day, it is a business and the fact is that these models sell the products† (478).  Ã‚   Thus, the opposite side of the spectrum is arguing that businesses or model clients are merely representing something that already exists within the cultural dynamic.   The argument is that thin models represent what people want to see and so the products the models are advertising sell more copies.   The clients of the modeling agencies are merely tied into the vicious cycle of believing what they want to believe.   Although this point seems somewhat valid, the validation stops when such perpetuating leads to serious illnesses (in some cases anorexia or bulimia have lead to death). It can plainly be deciphered from the above text that body image is created by the media, as Guttman quotes in her article â€Å"Advertising, My Mirror† in an interview with Christian Blachas, â€Å"That image comes to us from the fashion world.   People like to say advertising starts trends like the recent wave of ‘fashion pornography.’ But this came straight from designers and fashion journalists.   The job of advertising is to pick up on trends.   It’s rarely subversive because brands don’t gain anything from shocking people too much.   Advertising’s a remarkable mirror, but it doesn’t start fads† (25).   Consequently, Blachas is stating that if fault is to be placed anywhere for the over correction of dieting, then the blame is not on the fashion industry but on advertisers who are the ones who pick up trends and allow these trends to filter down to every consumer; thus, while 20% of models are diagnosed as too â₠¬Ëœthin’ this relevant percentage can be related to the American public. Women and men are sensible enough to know what is too thin to be realistic; often times media transform their model’s bodies and digitally enhance or decrease the model’s body thus presenting a false image.   This is not done in order to impress upon young girls that their bodies should be thin but merely in keeping in mind with the best possible way to present the product of the advertisement.   The fact that such images are digitally enhanced in one way or another is no secret and therefore the justification that such images produce too thin body ideals does not hold against the argument that they indeed do, I mean we can alter that body shape definitely†¦I mean the computer can pretty much do anything.   You can alter it†¦they don’t tend to †¦but its kind of up to the model editor†¦You make ‘em†¦sort of squish them together to make them look thinner (Milkie 2002; 851). Another argument against the too thin body image presented in the media is that this is more of a cultural attitude.   In The body of the beholder the authors highlight that more often than not Caucasian women have poor images of themselves while African American women do not; this is attributed to culture and not to media; in other words, the body image is in the eyes of the beholder and not in the eyes of the media, â€Å"Quite commonly researchers restrict samples to white subjects or ignore race as an independent variable in their designs.   However, existing anecdotal and case studies report that blacks assign positive qualities of well-being and power to heavy-women† (Levinson et al. 1986; 331). This argument however is hard to accept since the media drenches the advertisting world with continuous images of the thin model as is seen with CK models, Victoria’s Secret models, and especially in layouts of Sports illustrated. The adolescent girl sheds blood in order to be human, to physically feel something because often times the emotional part of the brain is cauterized from one event (i.e. divorce, death, disassociation, etc.).   The adolescent girl sees the body as a vehicle, a tool of expression through pathological masochism.   Thus, she is making a succinct statement to society and the self, not only of sacrifice and redemption but also in an egotistical fashion she is stating that her arms are hers to do with what she pleases.   If she wants her arms to be scarred then that is how they will be and this message is delivered to herself or society as control. Adolescent girls engage in SMB for a myriad of reasons which may entail doing it for personal boundary definition, to relate to power in being the one to penetrate which involves various other sexual reasons behind SMB, and it also relates, or could relate to the sense of mastery of death (Nock Prinstein 2005; 140).   These reasons all point to one fact; control.   The adolescent girl becomes affluent in SMB in order to gain control or have some sense of control over herself and what is done to her body.   With the changes that are natural during this period of an adolescent girls life SMB correlates for psychological reasons that the girl wants to combat nature and individualistic if masochistic in order to have control. Thus it may be surmised that SMB is automatic, that is, there is little socializing that contributes to the action.   On the contrary however socialization, especially with adolescent girls, is an area in which they definitely feel as though they are not in control of their environment or themselves.   Self mutilation can be done using cutting, burning or by inserting objects under one’s skin (Nock Prinstein 2005; 141).   The participants in Nock and Prinstein’s study included 66 girls ages 12-17 who were studied for a period of twelve months. The results discussed in this study included the participation in SMB while not indulging in alcohol or drugs.   The participants reported that they felt no pain during self mutilation, even with lack of alcohol or drugs; what further perpetuated the act of SMB as Nock and Prinstein report, â€Å"A substantial proportion of adolescents reported that their friends had also engaged in SMB.  Ã‚   Friends’ behavior may increase adolescents’ access to SMB through prming as apotential strategy for achieving automatic and social contingencies.   Results indicated that the number of SMB incidents among friend was significantly associated with a social positive reinforcement function of SMB suggestion that some adolescents may believe that their friends’ behavior was successful in eliciting specific social behaviors from others in the interpersonal context† (Nock Prinstein 2005; 144). SMB is often also seen as an escapist route for adolescent girls.   With the fact that they feel no pain when they perform SMB it may indicate that they will increase their cutting or burning in order to feel something or also in order to exude proper control of their neuron stimulus.   When this is achieved adolescent girls often times experience a period of euphoria because they exerted complete control not over their emotions but over their physical threshold of pain which signifies to them a certain strength.   If an adolescent girl indulging in SMB is able to continual to do harm to herself without feeling pain or without stopping the performance of self infliction then she is exhibiting to herself that what physical torment she can endure.   Followed by euphoria and coupled with the body’s natural adrenaline levels and its ability to produce natural relaxers in times of stress, the adolescent girl feels as though she has accomplished a goal. As Nock and Prinstein state the act of SMB may be an unintentional act to begin with but the symbolism of control through inflicted pain and the threshold of that pain are too enticing for an adolescent girl and she indulges increasingly in SMB, â€Å"The initial act of SMB may occur nonimpulsivley , but subsequent acts may occur without substantial planning.   Examination of antecedents to initial SMB episodes as compared with factors that serve to maintain or reinforce ongoing SMB is a high priority for future research†¦this impulsiveness and lack of physical pain is of high concern as this suggests SMB is difficult to prevent and treat given the limited time frame for intervention and the lack of naturally occurring aversive consequences† (Nock Prinstein 2005; 143-144). Adolescent girls who participate in self mutilation often have associate feelings of emptiness, detachment, anhedonia, and ‘a restricted range of affect may increase the likelihood of engaging in SMB for automatic positive reinforcement to generate certain sensations of feelings’ (Nock Prinstein 2005; 144).   Thus it may be surmised that not only is SMB a reason enforced with the concept of control but it also alludes to adolescent girls trying to engage in the bridge between sensation and reality.   Adolescent girls want to feel something through their act of SMB; although this may seem contrary to the above statement of adolescent girls wanting to have control over their pain, it is subsequent to this reason in that adolescent girls participate in SMB to both have control over how they feel but also to initiate some sort of feeling.   Often times if pain is the only feeling which becomes synonymous from SMB then they are achieving their goal even if they remain stoic during the process. Ingrassia Springen further emphasize that white culture teaches that it is okay and even normal to have an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, but in black culture these are even more of a phenomenon as black girls do not succumb to this masochism since their culture does not present it as a strong factor to be considered normal, â€Å"Black teens dont usually go to such extremes. Anorexia and bulimia are relatively minor problems among African-American girls. And though 51 percent of the black teens in the study said theyd dieted in the last year, follow-up interviews showed that far fewer were on sustained weight-and-exercise programs. Indeed, 64 percent of the black girls thought it was better to be a little overweight than underweight. And while they agreed that very overweight girls should diet, they defined that as someone who takes up two seats on the bus.†Ã‚   (Ingrassia Springen 1995; 66). The origins of self-mutilation arrive to the Western world from ritualistic practices in which body scarring and tattooing were emphasized.   During these rituals the person having the scarring done to them or the tattooing had to exhibit complete control of emotions and not let on that they were in pain.   This was a mark of pride, this theme of control.   The adolescent girl’s delivered message to society is found inside the fact that she does not exhibit pain nor fear during her mutilation, but complete control.   This action thereby makes the body a canvas, a conduit of self, masochism, and deliverance. Despite the strength that these adolescent girls surmise that they may be gaining from building up a threshold for SMB, the fact remains that it is a serious health detriment.   These adolescent girls are becoming habitually reliant on an insalubrious action whose causes are imbedded in detached human emotions and controlling psyches.   This paper has presented the facts of the socialization of adolescent girls and the genderizing of them as well as has dedicated its research to the automatic causes of SMB as well as the initial stages of the disorder which to reiterate are within oneself or else outside of oneself and thereby in society.   The impulse to be masochist resides in the fact of both following the peer influences crowd under the guise of fitting in and having a proneness to commit SMB because that is what friends are doing , as well as SMB being committed in order to achieve a personal goal.   That goal, for adolescent girls resides in the fact of them building a threshold of pain and dominating themselves through cutting, or burning.   SMB is thus both a psychological as well as a sociological phenomenon.

Monday, November 25, 2019

An Assortment of 30 Synonyms for Assortment, Mixture, or Variety

An Assortment of 30 Synonyms for Assortment, Mixture, or Variety An Assortment of 30 Synonyms for â€Å"Assortment,† â€Å"Mixture,† or â€Å"Variety† An Assortment of 30 Synonyms for â€Å"Assortment,† â€Å"Mixture,† or â€Å"Variety† By Mark Nichol This post lists thirty words to employ as alternatives for assortment, mixture, and variety, accompanied by brief definitions. 1–2. An agglomerate or agglomeration is a jumbled collection or mass, and the first variant also serves as a noun and an adjective (and can also refer to a volcanic rock consisting of various combined fragments). Agglomeration can also refer to the action or process of massing. 3. To botch is to bungle, or make a mess of, but the word can also describe the mess itself as a noun. 4. Clutter implies a concentrated assortment that impedes effectiveness or progress. 5. A collage is an artistic composition consisting of assorted elements or materials, but by extension the word can also refer to an assortment of any kind. 6. â€Å"Crazy quilt† implies a random assemblage of parts, from the original notion of a quilt consisting of odds and ends of fabric, though quilts are generally now assembled to create a pattern. 7. A farrago is a confused assortment. 8. A grab bag was originally a prize handed out at a fair or another event and consisting of a small sack with assorted toys and/or treats. Now, the phrase refers to any random collection. 9. Jumble suggests a disordered assortment. 10. Jungle, besides its primary meaning of â€Å"a region of tropical vegetation,† by extension can refer to a confused mass as well as a complex process. 11. Litter, from the Latin word for bed, came by extension from the sense of animal bedding material or organic matter on a forest floor to refer to accumulated objects strewn about. 12. Though medley is primarily understood to mean â€Å"a series of portions of two or more songs compiled as a single composition,† its original meaning is â€Å"mix.† 13. Mà ©lange refers to a usually incompatible assortment. 14. Cognate with manage, menagerie first applied to management of a farm and its livestock, then to a collection of or place for keeping animals for exhibition, and then, by extension, to any assortment. 15. A miscellany or miscellanea is a collection of various compositions or things. 16. A mishmash is an assortment of things literally or figuratively mashed together. 17. â€Å"Mixed bag† in similar to â€Å"grab bag† in current meaning, although the phrase more often refers to something with both positive and negative impacts. 18. Montage usually refers to a visual medley, but it can also be directly synonymous with medley in both artistic and general senses. 19. Motley originally had a sense of â€Å"multicolored† and described the variegated-pattern attire of the stock theatrical character Harlequin or a court jester, but it later came to describe a varied assortment. 20. To muddle is to make confused or unclear, and the noun refers to being mentally confused or to objects being in a state of confusion. 21. An olio is a collection or mixture. 22. A hybrid Latin/English term that literally means â€Å"gather all,† omnium-gatherum suggests a collection. 23–24. Patchwork, and â€Å"patchwork quilt,† denote a disordered collection, from the notion of a quilt made of assorted patches of fabric or something analogous to it in appearance. 25. A ragbag was originally a sack containing scraps of fabric, and by extensive the word came to refer to an assortment. 26. Rummage is primarily employed as a verb meaning â€Å"search,† but as a noun it refers both to a search through an assortment of objects or such a collection itself. 27. Similarly, to scramble is to rush or to make a difficult, energetic effort, but as a noun, the word pertains to a disordered collection that would require such activity when searching for something in it. 28. Shuffle describes the action of rearranging or moving back and forth, and a shuffle is an assortment of things messily rearranged. 29. A tumble is a careless, disordered, or sudden fall, and based on the middle sense, the word may also refer to a collection of things in disarray. 30. A welter is a chaotic assortment. Synonyms for assortment, mixture, and variety derived from names of food dishes are discussed in this post. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and ExpressionsDifference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"Comment, Suggestion, and Feedback

Friday, November 22, 2019

FISCAL POLICY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FISCAL POLICY - Essay Example 3). Towards meeting the objectives, the UK government adopted two fiscal rules (HM Treasury 2008, p. 3). The first rule is â€Å"the golden rule† that holds government must borrow only to invest and not fund current spending (HM Treasury 2008, p. 3). The second rule is described as the â€Å"sustainable investment rule† and requires that the â€Å"public sector as a proportion of GDP would be held over the economic cycle at a stable rate and prudent level† (HM Treasury 2008, p. 3). In general, under the second rule, â€Å"net debt would be maintained below 40 per cent of GDP over the economic cycle† (HM Treasury 2008, p. 3). The Economist Online Magazine reported January 20th this year that an important component of UK’s fiscal management is the UK government’s policy of â€Å"opening up the public services to competition and private providers to much greater extent than any of its predecessors†. As shown by the graph captured by Figur e 1, however, despite opening up the public services to competition and private providers, both the real and nominal value of public services have been on the rise in the United Kingdom since 1996. ... According to Adam et al. (2010, p. 2), UK taxation in the last thirty years is not much different from the policies that other countries have implemented worldwide: government has increased the share of value added taxes but reduced both specific and income taxes. Yet at the same time, Adam et al. (2010, p. 2) described the UK taxation has been unusual to some extent in the following respects: UK imposed zero VAT to many goods compared to other countries. UK abolished tax relief for mortgage interests. UK has only a small share of tax revenues from social security contributions. UK has an â€Å"unusually† large share from recurrent taxes on buildings. Even if indeed there was redistribution in favour of the poor through taxation, Adam et al. (2010, p. 3) were unsure if inequality in the UK has decreased. This observation appears indicative that reduction of inequality does not constitute to be a main cornerstone of the UK’s tax policy in the UK’s fiscal framework . According to Adam et al., the redistribution in favour of the poor that has taken place was done to strengthen financial work incentives before anything else (2010, p. 3). In summarizing the main tax reforms from 1978 to 2008, Adam et al. (2010, p. 11) pointed out the following: The basic rate from income tax was reduced from 33% to only 20% The top rate of 98% from unearned income and 83% of earnings was reduced to a significantly low 40%. The higher value-added tax higher rate of 12.5% was abolished but the standard rate increased from 8% to 17.5% (recall however that there are relatively many item that are zero-rated in terms of VAT taxes). Capital gains taxes returned to a flat rate. Inheritance taxes replaced capital transfer

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The dust bowl of the 1930s Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The dust bowl of the 1930s - Research Paper Example The Dust Bowl caused losses amounting to millions of dollars in the process drying up the already depressed the economy of the United States in the 1930 through the damages created. The advancement in technology has made NASA believe that Jet Stream could have partly contributed to the drought. The decade of the 1930s was opened with unparalleled growth and prosperity. During the decade, the demand for wheat in the word was high making most farmers purchase tractors, one way plows and combines as a result of making a big chunk of the available land to be under the wheat plantation and with little regard being given to the damage that was being done to the environment (Siegfried, Max, Philip, Randal, and Julio 2004). The grasslands that should have never been plowed being plowed up, in the process breaking millions of acres of land meant for farming in the Great Plains. The year 1930 despite being dry, most farmers made wheat crop. As a matter of fact, in the year 1931, the wheat crop was mostly considered as a bumper crop largely due to the existence of over twelve million bushels of wheat. Wheat could be found everywhere be it in the elevators, in the roads and even on the ground. This increased supply in wheat resulted into prices of wheat going down hence most farmers incurring massive losses and going broke forcing a big number of the farmers to abandon their fields. Between the years 1934 to the year 1936, three record drought were experienced with the year 1936 experiencing a more severe storm that was even more severe and spread out of the plains and across all over the nation. These years of drought were accompanied by what we can consider as record breaking heavy rains, tornados, blizzards and flash floods. In the month of September in 1930, a rain of over five inches was experienced within a very short time in the Oklahoma Panhandle (Siegfried, Max, Philip, Randal, and Julio 2004). This flooding in Cimarron County was further accompanied with a dirt s torm which had profound damage on several small buildings and granaries. Additionally, during the same period, the region was whipped again by a strong dirt storm originating from the southwest until when the winds gave way to a blizzard from the north. The drought began after the blizzards in the winter between 1930 and 1931 which was first experienced by the northern plains feeling the dry spell and immediately followed by the southern plains in mid-July (Siegfried, Max, Philip, Randal, and Julio 2004). The ground as a result dis not have enough water that would necessitate planting until the late September during the same period. As a result of this, there was late planting characterized with early frost and with much of the wheat being small and weak, the wheat was beaten by dirt from the abandoned fields when in 1932 the spring winds began to blow. Various causes can be traced to the Dust Bowl experienced in the US Midwest during the 1930s. Amongst the causes could be the preva iling unstable ocean temperatures in the 1930s. this can be scientifically be explained by the fact that when the temperatures are cooler than normal in the tropical Pacific Ocean while on the other hand the Atlantic Ocean temperatures are experiencing ideal drought conditions as a result of the unstable sea surface temperatures, dry air coupled with high temperature could

Monday, November 18, 2019

Introduction to International Business Global Marketing Assignment

Introduction to International Business Global Marketing - Assignment Example Furthermore, as the retail market of China is growing rapidly just as United States, so, the organization of Wal-Mart desired to penetrate Chinese Markets (Yates, 2013). The Chinese retail market is recognized as one of the most growing market, with estimated revenues of $ 860 billion in the year 2006. Moreover, it is estimated that the retail revenue of the Chinese market might increase to $ 2.4 trillion by 2020. This estimated attracted the world’s leading retailer, Wal-Mart to penetrate into the market of China as compared to others. However, it had to face wide range of challenges or risks at the time of penetration or expansion. These are stated as below. Customer Preferences: this is recognized as one of the most important challenge that the organization of Wal-Mart had to face at the time of penetrating the market of China. However, in order to mitigate the challenge, the organization decided to implement the strategy of ‘go-native’, i.e. local adoption. The organization of Wal-Mart decided to implement the taste and preferences of the local customers so as to attract a wide range of customers of varying income groups and cultures. For example: Wal-Mart decided to offer fresh foods for dining purposes so as to enhance the reliability and loyalty of the customers towards the brand (Gereffi & Ong, 2012). Culture: the organization of Wal-Mart adopts the local culture of China at the time of promoting the products so as to attract a wide range of customers towards the brand that might amplify its brand value and market share. Logistics and supply Chain: in order to mitigate the logistics and supply chain issues, the organization of Wal-Mart recruited a wide range of suppliers in order to attain the ingredients very easily (Gereffi & Ong, 2012). Economic risks: inflation rates acted as one of the biggest economic risk for the organization

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The meaning of childhood and the ideal childhood meaning

The meaning of childhood and the ideal childhood meaning What does childhood means and what would be considered an ideal childhood? The period of time between the childs birth till the child reached adulthood, its experiences and quality of those years sums up childhood. For children to develop to their optimal, they would need loving, warm and responsible caregivers, within an environment that stimulates their growth. They should be living in lives free from fear, violence and exploitation. Unfortunately, this is not always so. It was reported that 90% of the world children were born into poverty. They live in poorly sanitized areas and suffered from malnutrition. They are exposed to diseases such as malaria, polio, tuberculosis and Aids. They lived in fear of war and famine. Their life expectancy is only of 40 years (Gammage P. 2008) Millions of children suffered in poverty depriving of their many rights including health and education, protection from exploitation and harm. Childrens rights are being denied and are robbed of their childhood. On the 20 November 1989, the United Nations adopted The Convention on the Rights of the Child and ratified all countries except the United States of America and Somalia. The Convention set standards concerning children and their rights. In this essay, I will discuss about the need to protect childrens rights, the aims of the Convection on the Rights of the Child and the difference it makes to childrens lives. The need to protect children Poverty threatens all aspects of childhood, it deprives children of their chance to grow and develop to their full potential. Lives of poor children in Honduras are examples of children whose childhood are being compromised and needed help and protection. Hurricane Mitch in 1978 has caused serious damages to Honduras. Families live in poverty while the city is on the road to recovery. In order to provide basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, both parents would need to work. Young children are being left at home without adequate care. Their health and development were seriously affected. Some even resort to taking the older sibling out of school to help look after the younger ones. Similarly in Botswana, parents had to bring their children to work when faced without support from extended family or money to pay for childcare services. These children are at risks of being exposed to sudden life threatening injuries. For some parents, they engage cheaper inexperienced babysitters to mind their children. Young children were being neglected. There were also many cases of children being left alone at home w ithout any supervision or care by adults. It was not a surprise for surgeons in the hospitals to attend to children who were involved in accidents at home. In Mexico, due to the lack of affordable childcare, mothers bring their young children along to their work. Once again, these childrens lives are constantly at risks. Their health and development will be affected. Research showed that 19 percent of the working parents in Vietnam and 27 percent in Mexico, left their children alone or in the care of another child at home. A high of 48 percent of the working parents in Botswana without support left their children home alone or in the care of another child. These parents were poor and had little education had no choice as they could not afford any childcare services ( Heymann, J. 2006) Children living in poverty are exposed to diseases and malnutrition. In Africa, children live in overcrowded shacks with no running water or electricity. They live and play in alleyways that are covered with sewage and trash. Their parents cannot afford to feed them or parents themselves are ill. Due to poor diet and weaken immune systems, many African children died. Poverty increases childrens vulnerability to other dangers including violence and exploitation. Child labour and child trafficking prevails. In Asia, it was reported that there were more than a million child prostitutes. Parents who are heavily burdened with debts sold their children into the sex trade. There were also many who were kidnapped and forced into prostitution. The aims of the UNCRC In 1989, United Nation adopted the Convention on the rights of the child. It is an international treaty that defines persons aged below 18 years as children. It aims to safeguard childrens rights, welfare, interests and development. All governments have acceded to the Convention except the United States of America and Somalia. There are a total of 54 articles stating the basic human rights of all the children in the world. The right to survival; the right to physical and mental development; the right to protection from harm and the right to be involved in family, social and cultural activities are some of childrens entitlements. Since 1989, there is a significant change in the attention given to early childrens rights. Various laws and policies in countries have been reframed to accommodate the convention. In UK, laws that govern health, housing and welfare benefits have a profound impact on the childrens lives. Children are affected by laws governing the Education and employment rights. The Children Act 1989 put in place the relationship between children, parents and the state. Local authorities were given the power to look after the welfare of childrens lives and provide safeguards against poor care. The Children Act 1989 calls for the reform in child care law pertaining to child services and child protection. Children are protected from harm, with local authorities investigating their situations of risk. Other Agencies like the housing, health and education authorities were involved in assisting the local authorities with their enquiries. Inter-agency work is a distinctive UK response to protecting childr en from harm (Thomas, N. 2009). In 1999, the Sure Start Local Programme (SSLP) had most of the deprived areas in England covered. This programme was designed to provide support for families and parents. It supports good-quality play and learning experiences for children under 4 years of age. Childs health and development, including family health were looked into (Thomas, N. 2009). In recent years, the Childcare Act 2006 requires English local authorities to look after the well-being of young children and provide specific services (Thomas, N. 2009). In acceding to the UN convention, UK has made provisions for areas such as the right to a good education, to participate in cultural and recreational activities, the disable childs right to care and education. Article 12 of the UN convention states that the child has the right to express an opinion, and his voice should be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings which affects them (Thomas, N. 2009) On 2 October, 1995, Singapore acceded to the UNCRC and came into effect on 4 November 1995. Singapore is a nation without any natural resources. Our people are our only asset, children are our future, and thus their well being is our main concern. As reported in MCYS press release, there are several different government agencies with its policies which formed the Inter-ministry committee (IMC) on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. IMC serves as an inter-agency platform for deliberation and coordination of various issues concerning children. Childrens rights and interests are respected and protected. The government also take a serious view on any child abuse or ill-treatment of a child. However, in special circumstances, slight canning is permissible. Children who misbehave may also be given slight canning on the palm of the hand. Corporal punishment is prohibited especially towards females. Canning can be administered by the headmaster. Singapores education system aims to acquire not just academic knowledge, but also impart values and increase the sense of rootedness in our children. These aims are articulated in our Desired Outcomes of Education. Children with special needs are not left out. The government has implemented the Integrated Childcare Programme, helping childcare centre to equip their staff and the centres to accommodate children with special needs. The discussion above are examples to shows Singapore commitment to uphold the rights and best interests of children. Singapores vision for our children and youth is to be a confident nation full of compassion and committed to social responsibilities, yet developed strong ties with their family and community. UNRC weaknesses The United Convention on the Rights of the Child is not without its weaknesses. According to Vanessa Pupava, children viewed as priceless may not be good all the time. There may be negative consequences for both child and parents. As defined by World Health Organisation, harm to child includes physical and emotional ill-treatment, abuse, neglect and exploitation. All these would affect the mental health and development of a child. In such broad terms, raising a child would become a very problematic task for parents. Parental authority may become abusive in itself. Parents would become paranoid; parents may also become overparented (Furedi F 2002). These children would lose their freedom to play and learn about risk. In other cases, parents and educators may lose sight of their commitment towards children. They are afraid of infringing the rights of the children and may they feel that they cannot attain the ideal way of upbringing the children, in the end, they may transfer their duti es to other institutions or even specialist services (R.Roose and M.Bouverne-De Bie, 2007 p.431-443). In UK, childrens rights can sometimes be seen as problematic. Adolescents may become aggressive and demanding. Parents and teachers fear of losing control with their teens. When children are given the right to participate in decision making, it may seem to discard the traditional notions of parents control over their children (R.Roose and M.Bouverne-De Bie, 2007 p.431-443). Conclusion Best interest of the child is one of the focal point in the convention on the rights of the Child. The childs rights include protection, prevention and participation in decision-making. It would be still a long way for successful implementation of the convention as adults still hold their own perceptions of children. This concept would also have different meanings for different countries in their own context. It would require the joint efforts of all for successful implementation of the convention and tackling with the constraints and shortcomings that comes alongside with it.