Educational Social Policy In Britain After WW11

Educational Social Policy In Britain After WW11 The following essay will attempt to analyse and highlight the development of educational social policy in Britain after the post-second world war era. It will be important for the essay to illustrate how the secondary school system was changed by the 1944 Education Act, and how this impacted on secondary schooling in the decades that followed. The essay will attempt to illustrate and highlight the key developments within the education system such as the move back from local authority to more centralized government control. Finally, the essay will analyse social policy implemented by New Labour and in particular how the policy changes have affected secondary schools in the most deprived areas of the country. The essay will also focus on the continuation of specialist schools from the Conservative party to New Labour and aim to review the criticisms on the schools. After the Second World War in 1945, Clement Attlees (1945-1951) Labour government implemented the Education Act 1944 which created a three tier school system involving secondary schools, and for the first time in Britain ensured the provision of free education for all children. The new system of secondary schools would cater for children aged between the ages of 11 to 15 years old, and divide the children in to three distinct types of schooling. These were Grammar, Technical and Secondary modern schools, entry to the schools would be determined via a universal examination, known as the eleven-plus (Bochel et al, 2009, p.238). In theory this would allow children to be allocated the school which best suited their academic ability. So a pupil who scored highly in the eleven plus would go to the grammar school and the pupil who was more suited to a technical career would go to the technical school, the others would be sent to the secondary modern schools. Essentially the Education Act of 1944 allowed the Labour Government to provide the provision of financial support to local authorities, thus allowing the local authorities to control the education in their areas and gave them the freedom to manage their schools as they wished. Within these schools there was to be a sense of academic balance. But in reality, there were few technical schools, which meant the system was more two tiered rather than three tiered. Since grammar schools were selective, and secondary moderns took the rest, there was never a sense of academic balance. According to Bochel et al (2009, p. 239) during the 1960s Labour government policy changed and they began to introduce non-selective or as they were known comprehensive schools gradually. The arguments for comprehensives are they reduce the likelihood of discrimination or disadvantage on the basis of class, and that they improve the prospects of children of middling ability. The main argument against is that the selective system may be more consistent with the idea of equality of opportunity. Working class children who went to grammar schools did better than those who go now to comprehensive schools. Another factor that contributed towards the transformation of secondary schooling between the 1940s and the 1970s was due to the fact that Britain did not want to fall behind in terms of economic reasons. Hence, the rise of technical school in order to compete against her European neighbors in the job markets. By 1979 the Conservative government had gained power in Britain and Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, during this period Britain had been suffering from an economic slump. Improving the state of Britains economy was the fundamental and overriding pledge of the Conservative government during this period. The Conservative based it principles on the Neoliberal or New right as it commonly known, consisted of believing that job of education should mainly be concerned with promoting economic growth through improving the basic skills of the future work force. This could be achieved by encouraging competition in the educational market place, which in theory would raise schools in regards to efficiency and educational standards (Blackmore Griggs, 2007, p.139). According to Bochel et al (2009, p. 241) the first educational policy the Conservatives put in place was the Education Act 1980 which gave the local authority the freedom to introduce the Assisted Places Scheme and not continue with the comprehensive education system of secondary schooling. The Assisted Places Scheme allowed high academic attaining children from poor family backgrounds to be eligible to attend fee-paying private schools. However, the biggest change in educational social policy under the Conservative government came in 1988 with implementation of the Education Act 1988. In contrast with the 1940s social democratic Labour government thinking which gave the freedom to local authorities to develop their own plans on how to manage schools in their area, and the funding to support those ideas. The Conservative government of the late 1980s centralized control of state schools by the process of Grant maintained schools. The concept involved allowing state schools to opt out of local authority control if the enough parents voted to support his move. The idea behind this concept was to free up schools and allow them to specialize in subjects or attract higher achieving pupils. The Conservatives hoped this would offer a real choice for parents, and encourage schools to compete in the educational marketplace (Baldock et al, 2007, p391). As well as, offering schools to opt out of local authority control, the Education Act 1988 also gave parents the right to send their children to the school of their. Once again the Conservatives believed that Open enrolment would encourage a marketplace in which schools would have to compete against each other and improve their results. In conjunction with this piece of legislation was another piece of legislation which identified that under the new system the financing of schools would be dictated by the number of pupils that had enrolled there. For example, schools that were seen as being successful would attract larger numbers of pupils thus they would receive more funding. This would in theory act as a boost to underachieving schools to improve (Alcock, 2008, p.43). In order for parents to ascertain which secondary schools were the most successful it was necessary for government to instigate a way of testing and assessing how the school were performing. The Education Act 1988 policy makers developed the national curriculum in order for the results to be published and establish league tables to help provide information to parents so they could make an informed choice. In 1997 the Labour government came back in to power under the reinvented name of New Labour, one of New Labours manifesto pledges was Education, Education, Education. New Labour have developed and built on the Conservatives 1988 Education Act. New Labour were influenced by their socialist roots and in 1998 decided to develop the Education Action Zones which were set up to help raise educational standards and combat social exclusion in some of Britains most deprived areas (Ellison Pierson, 2003, p.186). In order to help alleviate this social inequality, Labour decided to design academies to replace failing comprehensive schools in lower income and inner city areas. This social policy had been devised to dramatically improve the educational standards within these deprived areas, the academies work by being sponsored by wealthy individuals, religious faiths, charities, businesses and by city education authorities (Ellison Pierson, 2003, p.186). Although, there have been some improvements in GCSEs at the academies, there has been some strong criticisms levelled against them. There have been reports of academies taking less students with special or students with behavioural problems. Another criticism made against the academies involves the influence of sponsors, how far can a sponsor dictate what the school can teach or not teach? Would a deeply religious sponsor allow certain scientific ideology to be taught if they conflicted with the sponsors beliefs? As well as developing the inner city academies, New Labour also continued to use Conservatives policy on grant maintained schools, as they also believed it would provide diversity and choice within the educational market-place. Labour social policy believed in schools specializing in particular subject areas rather then a single type of school for everyone. For a state school to attain specialist status it would need to raise  £50,000 in funding from the private sector sponsors. In 2005, the House of Commons Select Committee on Education and Skills published a report on a two-year study in to secondary education. The study showed that specialist schools tend to have a higher ratio of middle-class pupils than non-specialist schools. So this may account for their better results. The report also highlighted schools in low income areas have difficulty in raising funds to become a specialist school. Research also indicates that some specialist schools will select those they view as being the most able students in order to enhance their results, and these students tend to come from a middle class background and not from a poorer background. In conclusion, the development of education during the last six-five years has seen dramatic changes. The post-second world war establishment of the tripartite school system; broke the mould in Britain by offering free access to secondary school to all children aged 11-15 years old. It was conceived to offer children a chance to fulfil their potential by way of dividing them in to the appropriate category according to their abilities. But this was shown to be a divisive system and catered only for children who had shown some academic ability whilst taking the eleven plus exam. It eventually highlighted the inequalities within the tripartite system due to the fact there were few technical schools, and most children who were not academic high fliers were consigned to study at secondary modern schools. This was also coupled with the fact that the exclusive grammar school were selecting on high academic potential. During the Conservative era of power and especially in the Education Act of 1988 again highlights the inequalities of educational social policy. Making schools publish their exam results in league tables would further establish the haves and the have not within society. Although, the league table would offer parents a better insight in to the better performing schools, this would also have a negative effect on the poorly performing schools. As the best schools would have an enormous amount of people trying to enrol in to them, it would only harm the least performing schools in as much as that the more students you could have at the school the more funding the school would receiving from the local authority. When New Labour came in to power in 1997, the nation expected the dismantling of the Conservative policy on education; but New Labour continued to use certain aspects of the Education Act 1988. One of the policies that they have continued is setting up specialists schools, but this has also been shown to up the inequality between student enrolments. As the 2005 House of Commons Selective Committee has eluded to that the high rankings in the league tables could be due to the fact that are more likely to admit pupils from middle class backgrounds than working class backgrounds. New Labour policies on raising educational standards in the more deprived areas of major inner cities by implementing academy status on failing secondary comprehensive schools does seemed to have worked in small amounts. Although, there is some concern that sponsorship of the academies could be divisive due to fact that it really does depend on who the sponsor is and what they want to add on to the curriculum.

Symbol, Allusion, and Myth in Irving Laytons Rhine Boat Trip Essay

Symbol, Allusion, and Myth in Irving Layton's Rhine Boat Trip  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "...haunted/by the ghosts of Jewish mothers/looking for their ghostly Children" (Layton). Though physical evidence of the Holocaust is now slightly limited, as time tends to destroy the tangible, the cry for justice and the remembrance of systematic genocide by a sadistic people enacting ignorant dogma will ring indefinitely throughout the world. Humanity will always be guilty of the atrocities that it instigates. Irving Layton, in his poem, Rhine Boat Trip, depicts the eternal evidence of the Nazi Crime, a stain of culpability that is reducible from all who have witnessed it. Layton is able to portray the onus of this horrific event through his employment of symbolism, allusion, and myth. The everlasting, inescapable pain of the Holocaust is so imbedded in our culture that our senses can become paralyzed by the enormity of its reverberation through the years since the last chimney fire in Aushwitz was snuffed. Through his use of symbolism, Layton is able to -it a picture in the minds of his readers, one that juxtaposes the subject matter with his choice of diction. Beginning with the title, Rhine Boat Trip, symbolism is installed in the poem. A boat trip on the Rhine is thought to be a journey through the ultimate bucolic paradise. What is encountered on this scenic route; however is far from the ideal vacation experience. Layton creates an ironic dichotomy between a life of luxury and intense human suffering. When the boat visits castles along the Rhine, its passengers are really witnessing the remnants of wealth accumulated by the Nazis from slave labor in concentration camps, a cruel practice that quickly stimulated the struggling German econom... ...rnatural power. Even the voices of the Lorelei, which sailors could not drown out of their ears, are ineffectual and in audible when the beauty of nature is tainted by the barbarity it has given   to, forever reminded of the supremacist desire that went too far. Even the most serene places of the Rhine, are filled of reminders of a massive suffering and a people who could not face the truth of the wickedness found in the Aryan race for dominance. Irving Layton's poem, Rhine Boat Tdp, depicts the immortality of the legacy left by those who were murdered, a legacy of remembrance they left in every breath of humanity, eternally seared with its guilt. Layton illustrates his message by expertly using literary devices such as symbolism, allusion, and myth. He is able to paint in the mind of the reader an unforgettable picture of human flaw and the karma of crime.

Life Course Case Study Essay

Introduction In this assignment I conduct a life course case study of a seventy-four year old man, Mr. Gambina, in order to find out whether structure or agency has been most influential throughout his life. The agent is the person who actually performs the action, while structure refers to the main structures in society that influence the way the agents act. Most structuralists share a conviction that individual human beings function solely as elements of the (often hidden) social networks to which they belong. The life course theory emerged in the 1960s out of the need to understand human development as occurring across the life span. This field, which emphasizes how individual lives are socially patterned over time, and the processes by which lives are changed by changing environments. Life-course studies emphasise the importance of epistemology in the study of society. Thus, collecting information on the four interrelated dimensions of the life story: structural, socio-cultural, interpersonal and personal story. According to Janet Z. Giele and Glen H. Elder, Jr., â€Å"Any point in the life span must be viewed dynamically as the consequence of past experience and future expectation,† I have tried to keep this in mind while conducting my study and analysis of Mr. Gambina’s life span. Theory The sociological theory that I shall be taking into consideration is that of C. Wright Mills. Mills’ aim was to develop what he called sociological imagination. The sociological imagination, he argued, is an outlook on society that focuses on the intimate connections between larger structural issues (what he called Public Issues) and the daily problems that confront individuals (Personal Troubles). Mills sought to demonstrate how issues of power, ideology and class are tied up with the daily troubles of ordinary individuals. Mills also sought to expose what he saw as the tragedy of sociology – the inability, unwillingness or refusal to cultivate the sociological imagination. An important assumption underlying Mills’ work is that social reality is both macroscopic and microscopic. Sociologists should try to understand social reality in terms of the meanings that social structures have for individuals. Failure to comprehend these macro-micro inner-connections results in sterile, pseudo-sophisticated rambling, which contributes little to the development of the social sciences or to the usefulness of sociology for progressive social change. This reluctance to cultivate the sociological imagination is, for Mills, the tragedy of modern sociology. Mills thought that social structure has a reality independent of the activities of ordinary individuals. Nonetheless individuals make and remake the social relations of everyday life. The aim of good sociology is to sensitise us to the many ways that social structure influences the daily lives of ordinary people. His greatest political and intellectual concern was that people in advanced societies would be manipulated into a state of acquiescence and political impotence, a state where the role of human reason would no longer play be an important force for progressive social change. He says, â€Å"we cannot adequately understand ‘man’ as an isolated biological creature, as a bundle of reflexes or a set of instincts, as an ‘intelligible field’ or a system in and of itself. Whatever else he may be, man is a social and an historical actor who must be understood, if at all, in close and intricate interplay with social and historical structures† . Literature Review There have been many life-course studies in the last century, each focusing on a separate element of the interviewee’s life, ranging from why and how people choose their friends to the female social climber . A similar study to the one I am conducting is Katherine R. Allen and Robert S. Pickett’s 1984 life-course study of women born in 1910, in America. Allen and Pickett paid particular attention to the variations in life patterns and choices fostered. They realized an increased trend in the employment of women, the expansion of educational careers, significant alterations in marriage and divorce patterns, a prolongation of the life course and a great  imbalance in the proportions of women to men in their later years. Also in 1984, Dieter Ulich and Winfried N. Saup conducted life-course research, conducted towards coping with crises in old age. They found negative stereotypes and self-concepts in the elderly. They argued that gerontology would help towards coping with stress. Susan De Vos and Steven Ruggles explored the connections between the life course and the kin group, in 1985, focusing on the demographic determinants of kin groups, such as frequency and timing of births, deaths and marriages, which all define the context within which rules of kinship operate. Steven Ruggles used microsimulation (following the kinship path of the individual as they age) to examine the connection between an individual’s life course and the nature of his or her kin group and its sensitivity to overall demographic conditions. A more recent study is that of Ulrich Karl Mayer in 1997, which examined the challenges faced in cross-cultural comparisons of life courses. He constructed two complimentary ideal types, based on life courses in deregulated societies and flexibly co-coordinated societies. Mayer found that links between macroinstitutional structures and individual life courses must be constructed as mutually reinforcing systems to enable successful cross-national comparisons. He concluded that cross-national comparisons of life course patterns should contain a description of the institutional configurations and of the make-up of collective actors and models of incentive systems and individual-level transitions. However, none of the life-course studies I reviewed deal specifically with the influence of structure and agency throughout the individual’s life, the topic which I am dealing with. Methodology and Methods Methodology There are two main kinds of research: quantitative and qualitative. In this case study I use qualitative research, also known as interpretive research, naturalistic research, phenomenological, descriptive research. There are three main types of qualitative data collection: interviews, observation and documents, the product of which is a narrative description. Qualitative research is very dependent on the researcher as a person. The researcher is an instrument, not a mechanical device or test instrument, as in quantitative research. By using qualitative research, the researcher gets much more depth and detail than in a standardised questionnaire, and it helps the interviewer see the world view of the people studied, the respondents’ categories, rather than imposed categories. Descriptive research attempts to avoid pre-judgements, although some disagree here as we always make judgements, but just don’t admit it, for example the choice of one location or group over another is a judgement. The goal is to try to capture what is happening without being judgemental; to present people on their own terms, try to represent them from their perspectives so reader can see their views. However, qualitative research gives a much less generalised result, and makes it difficult to collect data and make systematic comparisons. Some claim the qualitative research is too dependent on the researcher’s personal attributes and skills. Method In this case study the method I used is that of an intensive, or in-depth, interview. This is an unstructured one-to-one interview, in which broad questions are asked, giving the interviewee a starting point and then asking questions to help push him or her in the right direction. Interviews are the most flexible means of obtaining information, since the face-to-face situation helps answers to be in more depth and detail. Also, information can be observed by the interviewer without having to ask the specific question. Unlike in mail or telephone questionnaires, sensitive  questions cannot remain unanswered, and the interviewer can be certain who exactly is answering the questions, family members will not be able to confer. On the other hand, one-to-one interviews may create and interviewer bias: physical appearance, age, race, sex, dress, non-verbal behavior and/or comments may prompt respondents to answer questions untruthfully. In general, interviews are a disadvantage because a lot of time and money is required, but this is not the case for this particular life-course study, as it only deals with one person. Results Birth and Family or Origin The respondent, Mr. Gambina, born in 1927, was born during the lull between the two World Wars. When I asked him about his childhood, he told me that it was very normal, referring to things all children do, in particular his holy communion, confirmation, and that he was an altar boy. He had only good things to say about his parents, describing them both as quiet and devoted to their family. The little trouble he got into with his parents was to do with going out instead of staying home to study; he said he felt very carefree during his teenage years, telling me that they used to play in the streets, even though a war was on. The most significant even of his teenage years was the Second World War, and his father being repatriated to Sicily because of it. Education Mr. Gambina remembers enjoying school, in particular remembers his teacher who he described as gentle and well meaning. One of his lasting memories of school is the lessons being interrupted by air raids. He had a talent for languages, and remembered the name of an important book, Manzoni’s classic ‘I Promessi Sposi’ after only a second of thought. When asked about the role of education in a person’s life, he immediately replied, â€Å"Education is  everything†. Love and Work Mr. Gambina was 17 when he had his first date, which was a walk on the front. What he remembers as difficult about dating was that he a girl who he would have liked to ask out was always with a female friend of hers, making her very unapproachable. The respondent’s attitudes towards sex have always been in sync with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. He said that one of the main reasons with his wife was that she was a woman with her own mind, and he realized that the relationship â€Å"meant business† straight away. He held that he always wanted to get married and have a family of his own; in fact he went on to have four children, two girls and two boys. He describes the best part of marriage was the birth of his children, and the worst his wife dying. The values the interviewee tried to impart on his all his children are those of the Roman Catholic Church. The respondent’s ambition was only to live a normal life, which he succeeded in accomplishing. When he was young he had wanted to be a notary, but since schooling had to be paid for, and he was relying on his brother for income, he could not continue studying. He said the war helped him to understand and accept his adult responsibilities, and he realized he had become an adult when he began working as a clerk, which he decided to do because he liked office work, also there was not much choice at the time, as it was just after WWII. Historical Events and Periods As already mentioned, the Mr. Gambina lived through the experience the Second World War; also he mentioned the granting of Malta’s independence as the important historical events he saw. He has seen the development of cooking on the Maltese traditional kenur to gas ovens, and remembers old wives tales to cure sickness put into practice. He was, and still is, and active member of the community, from being an altar boy as a child, to being an active member of the Legion of Mary now: visiting old people’s homes, the mental  hospital and parishioners in their own homes. He considers the most important thing his family gave him as honesty, the most important thing that he gave his family as affection and the most important thing he gave to the community as his time. Retirement Mr. Gambina remembers feeling relieved when he retired from his full-time job, as it was during Mintoff’s government, and he was boarded out for being a nationalist supporter. He went on to part-time work with a relative, but eventually had to stop because of health problems. He says he doesn’t miss work, that he’s living a happy life now and commented on how nice it is not to have to wake up early every morning, rain or shine. The worst thing about being retired, however, is that, since he is a widower and his children do not live with him any more, it can get lonely. His time is occupied now with working for the Legion of Mary (as mentioned earlier), running errands for himself and his children, and baby-sitting his grandchildren. He says he is very proud of his grandchildren, the best thing about them being their affection, and the worst thing when they argue. He hopes that they will always give importance to family unity. Inner Life and Spiritual Awareness The interviewee says he had a happy childhood, he definitely felt loved; one of his happiest childhood memories is preaching the Christmas sermon. He counts his turning point as a teenager as WWII, especially since his father was not with him, and his turning points as an adult as getting married and becoming a father. He says the greatest stress of being an adult is responsibility. Spirituality plays a major role in the interviewee’s life, his primary beliefs being to love God and his neighbour, and giving importance to saving his soul. Even though he sometimes doubts, he feels he has inner strength, which he gets from God and when he feels drained renews his strength through prayer. He feels at peace with himself, which he says was achieved by keeping hope alive. Major Life Themes Mr. Gambina says that the most important gifts he has gotten are the values passed on to him from his parents, pointing out that they are the same as those of the Catholic Church. His crucial decisions were deciding to get married and have a family, which taught him to appreciate life more. He can handle disappointment serenely, knowing that life goes on. His greatest joy has been the births of his children and grandchildren, while the worst points are the deaths of his father, mother, wife and brother. His greatest worry is that he has to leave this world. Though he knows he stopped changing a long time ago, he does not feel old and believes he can cope, adding that his children and grandchildren keep him alive. Discussion Agency and Structure both play important factors in our lives. Agency is the power of actors to operate independently of the shaping constraints of social structure. Structure, on the other hand, is the main structures in society and their sway on our personal lives, such as the government, religion, education, and the work place, as illustrated through this life-course study. My job now is to determine where both structure and agency have influenced the subject’s, Mr. Gambina’s, life. When asked about his childhood, Mr. Gambina said he considered his it to be normal with reference to activities related to the Roman Catholic Church (namely his First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and that he was an altar boy), this is a clear indication that the structure of the Church has played a very large role in his life, so large that he defines himself by it. We can also see this influence in Mr. Gambina’s attitudes towards sex as a teenager, the values he tried to impart on his children (those of the Roman Catholic Church), which he also considers to be the most important gifts from his parents and what he considers to be that happiest memory of his childhood – giving the Christmas sermon. We can also see the weight religion carries for him in his choice of activities: working with the Legion of Mary, one of their activities being going to people’s houses to pray with  them, and to give them a statue of the Virgin Mary to pray to for a week. Another structure that played a significant role in Mr. Gambina’s life is education. Though he did not continue his education past ordinary level standard, this was not because he did not want to, but because it was too expensive to do so at the time. This obviously does not mean that he does not treat getting an education as important, and when he was asked, he himself said, â€Å"Education is everything†. Inevitably, the war played a large part in Mr. Gambina’s life. He counts it as the event that turned him into an adult. Also, since his father was repatriated to Sicily, his teenage years, the years in which he needed a father’s guidance most, were spent without that support. In this way, we can see, again, the dominance of structure in Mr. Gambina’s life course. In his work, Mr. Gambina was also affected by structure. Starting work when he did was due to the fees that had to be paid to continue schooling, which his family could not afford. The type of work he did was influenced greatly by structure to, although he wanted to work in an office job, he did not have much selection at the time, as it was just after the Second World War had ended, and there were a lot of people left unemployed (this is also another way in which the war affect Mr. Gambina’s life). I also cannot ignore the comment Mr. Gambina made about being relieved to have retired, as he was discriminated against, and in his own words, â€Å"boarded out,† of his job as a clerk because of his political beliefs. One aspect that structure did not control was Mr. Gambina’s choice for a wife. It was not common at that time for women to be working, but this is precisely what first attracted Mr. Gambina to who would become Mrs. Gambina. He liked that she was an independent woman. In this circumstance, we see that agency playing its role. Conclusion The life course study conducted was to indicate to what extent the  respondent’s life was a product of structure and/or agency. All individuals are affected by social structure, and at the same time, each and every structure is made up of individuals, all performing diverse social actions. In examining Mr. Gambina’s life story, it becomes clear that structure has played a much more prominent influence in his life than agency. First and foremost the Second World War, which affected not only Mr. Gambina’s everyday life, but also the life of each individual that lived through it. Education, another structure, is also a factor that Mr. Gambina considers to be important. In his work, we can see Mr. Gambina being affected by structure in the type of job he opted for, and also the influence of the government, even in his office, which had influenced his everyday life, and caused him to detest his last two years of work. In the case of Mr. Gambina, the great importance that he has given to his religion has throughout his life, as illustrated in both the results and the discussion, obviously leads to the reasoning that structure, and especially that of the Roman Catholic Church, has been given priority in his life span. The only case I could find in Mr. Gambina’s life of agency taking control is when he chose his wife, and his decision to rear a family, though I must admit, I am not exactly sure that the choice to have one’s own family is a choice made completely independently. In conclusion, I think the answer to the question ‘has agency or structure been given priority throughout the life course of Mr. Gambina?’ is indisputable. Structure has been the major influence in his life story, and still remains so. References Richard T. Schaefer, Sociology, seventh edition, McGraw-Hill, 2001 C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination, 1959 Janet Z. Giele and Glen H. Elder, Jr., Methods of Life Course Research Roger D. Wimmer and Joseph R. Dominick, Mass Media Research, An Introduction, Wadsworth, 1994 Internet sources http://www.socialscience.eku.edu/Ant/BANKS/CWMILLS_HT2.htm

Movies Set In Italy - Italian Films - Films About Italy

Most French Famous Christmas Song Petit Papa Noël

Frances most popular Christmas song, Petit Papa Noà «l, was made famous by the late French singer Constantin Tino  Rossi. Nearly every French person knows the first lines of the chorus of this song; children learn it at school. Its about a child singing to Santa, telling him to please not forget to drop toys for him but feeling guilty because the night is cold, and Santa may get cold. In the French rendition of the song, note that un soulier is a very old word for une chaussure (a shoe). Also, le refrain refers to the chorus. For ease of translation, and to help students in their language studies, each stanza in French is followed by its English Translation Lyrics to Petit Papa Noà «l Le refrain: Petit papa Noà «lQuand tu descendras du cielAvec des jouets par milliersNoublie pas mon petit soulier.Mais avant de partirIl faudra bien te couvrirDehors tu vas avoir si froidCest un peu à   cause de moi. Little Santa ClausWhen you come down from the skyWith thousands of toysDont forget my little stocking.But before you leaveYou should dress wellOutside you will be so coldAnd its kind of my fault. ---- Cest la belle nuit de NoelLa neige à ©tend son manteau blancEt les yeux levà ©s vers le cielA genoux, les petits enfantsAvant de fermer les paupià ¨resFont une dernià ¨re prià ¨re. Its the beautiful Christmas nightThe snow spreads its white coatAnd their eyes raised towards the skyOn their knees, the little childrenBefore closing their eyelidsAddress a last prayer Le refrain Le marchand de sable est passà ©Les enfants vont faire dodoEt tu vas pouvoir commencerAvec ta hotte sur le dosAu son des cloches des à ©glisesTa distribution de surprises. The sandman has passedThe children are going to sleepAnd you will be able to begin,With your sack on your back,To the sound of church bells,Your distribution of surprises. Le refrain Il me tarde que le jour se là ¨vePour voir si tu mas apportà ©Tous les beaux joujoux que je vois en rà ªveEt que je tai commandà ©s.   I cant wait for sunriseTo see if you brought meAll the lovely toys that I see in my dreamsAnd that I ordered from you. Le refrain Et quand tu seras sur ton beau nuageViens dabord sur notre maisonJe nai pas à ©tà © tous les jours trà ¨s sageMais jen demande pardon. And when you are on your beautiful cloudCome first to our houseI wasnt always very goodBut I ask for your forgiveness. Le refrain Christmas in France As you study this famous French Christmas song, note that French Noà «l traditions are quite different than in the U.S. and other countries. Even  the French Santa Claus is a bit different. Other helpful ways to study the French Christmastime, include: 7 Essential French Christmas Traditions8 Gift Ideas for Your Francophile FriendsA recording of the Catholic mass prayers in French With your holiday studies complete remember to say: Joyeuses fà ªtes de fin dannà ©e! (Happy Holidays!)

Descriptive Essay On Time Machine - 777 Words

The Time Machine It all began in the City Hall of Denver, Colorado at 11:59 P.M. Suddenly, the room went dark blinding my eyes. The room was like the midnight sky without any light. Once the power came back on, I ambled over to my test tube from where the substance had caused the power outage throughout the building. Scientists had been searching for a substance to allow time travel. I carefully examined the results making sure to record what I used to make the sophisticated substance. The results made me stand frozen with multiple emotions running through my mind. I was admired that I had made this discovery as a volunteer at the City Hall. The substance had traveled at the speed of light along with causing a power outage throughout†¦show more content†¦Consequently, my time machine had been discovered by all of the employees in the building. They were constantly going and leaving without my permission. It was so crowded that I couldn’t even make my way to the front of the line. Everyone had gone back in time when I was able to reach my precious machine The next morning, I woke up in a hovering bed. There were Jetpacks everywhere. Instead of fl ying to work with a popular Jetpack, I decided to walk. On my way I noticed that the sky was gray and hazy with little to any sunlight. The weather was bone chilling even though it was early September. All of the buildings in Denver were skyscrapers allowing employees to fly to their office and enter through their window. When I arrived at the city hall, it had no floors and Jetpacks were everywhere. Consequently, flying a Jetpack was the only option left. No elevators and steps to take. â€Å"This is my fault letting the officials get their hands on my invention,† I said in an enraged voice. â€Å"I gotta fix this,† I mumbled so anyone who remained near me wouldn’t hear me. I spent the whole day fixing all of the problems the time machine had caused to modern society. One by one, I sent the officials back to the present. By the end of the day, all of the government officials had been sent back to the present with my technology. By the end of the day, I felt like I could just collapse in my office. I was glad that I was able to send all of them back because, too many people travelingShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Essay On Time Machine817 Words   |  4 PagesThe Time Machine In The City Hall of Denver, Colorado, I was about to make the world s biggest discovery. Consequently, the room went dark, blinding my eyes. The room was like the midnight sky without any light. Once the power came back on, I ambled over to my test tube from where the substance had caused the power outage throughout the building. The world was currently searching for a substance to allow time travel, but I’d just figured it out. I carefully examined the results, recording whatRead MoreComputer Science Is Not A Science Essay1583 Words   |  7 Pagesare three parts to the evolution of a science, essentially, three steps a science must go through in order to become a mature science. In order to show how computer science does not fit in a scientific paradigm... The initial stage, the descriptive stage, is the time within a science when all the components of a field are being observed and catalogued; this is the Baconian step of science, due to the fact that all that was done was observation. The dynamic or etiological stage is where the rules ofRead MoreHow to Construct Research Question1149 Words   |  5 PagesIB Extended Essay – Forming a Research Question Choice of topic The topic chosen must focus on the human past, be worthy of study, and lend itself to systematic investigation in line with the published assessment criteria. 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Evaluation of Information Systems Investments †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Evaluation of Information Systems Investments. Answer: Introduction: Presenting a substantial contribution to the body of concept on Strategic Information Systems. The author observed that these systems are developed in response to corporate business initiatives; these systems are developed so as to provide the business a position of competitive advantage. It has been considered as a salient feature n the sector of information technology. This systems aids the business corporations in categorizing the processes related to stores and also transformation of data is also done which has been created and received. According to MCArthur, T, (2014) it has been observed that Wesfarmers has adopted the conglomerate structure for the organization. On the basis of this organizational structure, it has been described that the structure is the amalgamation of the of two or more business entities in a single corporate structure. This forms a group of companies that usually involves a single parent company and different subsidiaries. However, in a conglomerate, diversification of the business in the companies is normal practice, and usually these companies depict a multi-industry corporate structure. These corporate structures are often multinational. As Wesfarmers has been astute holding up calmly to buy quality organizations at engaging costs throughout the years and in the process making a stone strong aggregate structure. This structure has made the business entity in minimizing the investments risks and also a capital market will be created within the organization so as to enhance the growth. Moreover, it has also been noted by the author, that the above mentioned organizational structure is also becoming a reason for number of operational issues which has been discussed further. As the size of the group or the corporation is expected to increases, there will be an increase in the expenses incurred in the managerial operations and activities (Galliers Leidner, 2014). Also there are number of issues related to accounting, for instance, there will be complexity in the consolidation and group disclosures. Inertia has made a decline in the innovation and creativity among the employees and which has also been considered as one of the operational issue. System acquisition method ERP can be considered as the most likely system acquisition method. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a system which has been described as the business management software (Peppard Ward, 2016). This will enable Wesfarmers in utilizing a mechanism of integrated applications for the management the business operations and also this system will allow the business corporations in automating a number of back office function which are associated with technology, services and human resources. The below presented flow chart is dictating the sales procedure which has been followed by Wesfarmers for executing the sales and making the goods available for the consumers. The process has been segmented in the following steps. The first step involves prospecting .i.e. finding the customers, analyzing the needs and the requirements and after that presentation of the order sheet which contains the details about the products which is essential for the customers while placing the order (Cassidy, 2016). The next is the approach which is to be made by the company towards the customers. A good approach will determine the success path of the sales process. The salesperson should have a good knowledge about the products which re to be sold. The assessment should be scheduled in order to determine the needs of the consumers. This will aid the salesperson in directing the efforts which are to be made so as to sell the products to the targeted consumer. After that the products are required to be presented in-front of the consumers. This will aid in developing the will to buy the product (Willcocks, 2013). A strong and attractive presentation will ensure a positive response of the buyer towards the product. Most of the sales process fails as the sales person fails to close the process effectively. This has been considered as advancing the process towards getting an ultimate order. The last step in the process of taking the follow up, a good follow-up wills double the success of closing ratio. The below mentioned are some of the control problems which can be faced during the process: The warehousing managers and the supervisors are expected to update the inventory subsidiary ledger and accounts. The manager determines what should be ordered (Aversa, Cabantous Haefliger, 2017). The following are the frauds which can occur in this system: Since the warehouse manager selects the supplier and the order is placed, the inventory can be ordered which is not needed or is expensive as compared to the market price from a dealer with whom he has a personal fraudulent setting. In against of this the dealer is expected to pay a kick back to the warehouse manager. Vendor fraud can also take place in this scenario, where the manager authorizes order and receives the goods. The manager can present himself as a process and execute fraudulent transactions. Development and adoption of accounting software According to Realitysoftware, (2017), accounting software are considered as the computer applications which are utilized for recording and processing the accounting transactions and operations are executed as accounting information system. This system comprises of the varied range of modules such as accounts receivable, accounts payable payroll and trial balance. Moreover, the following are the benefits which were noted by the author. A good planning and implementation of the accounting systems will aid mostly all the aspects. This system is developed by combining the various models the dealing with some specific areas of accounting such as, Accounts payable- where the billing and payment of the due is done by the business corporation Accounts receivable- In this system Wesfarmers will be entering money owed to it Billing: In this the entity produces bills (Rainer et al., 2013) General ledger: These are the companys books Payroll: The firm keeps a record of the salary, wage and associated taxes Current market size On the basis of the research executed from au.finance.yahoo, (2017) it has been concluded that Wesfarmers is one of the multinational brand name in its own sector and has been enjoying a top position. According to raszkiewkz, (2017), the key takeaways are presented by the author as follows: Revenue was seen to have a hike of 4.3% to $34.9 billion Whereas, the Profit 13.2% to $1.6 billion A half year fully franked dividend of $1.03 was declared, up 13.2% The sector of supermarket has been dominated by a selected association of retail corporations, of which Wesfarmers (Coles) and Woolworths are Australias largest. Both the business corporations have experienced substantial developments over the last four decades; more than doubling their combined market share to over 70 per cent of the countrys supermarket/grocery sector. On the basis of the survey executed by the author it has been noted that the current market share of the business entity is 35%. Leaders in the market competitive advantage As executed from the survey the author states that, Richard Goyder is the current chief executive officer of the Wesfarmers Limited and prior to this he was appointed in this organization as the Managing Director in 1993 and in 2005; he was promoted to the highest authority of the organization. Richards leadership style is unique and effective and his promotion is the evidence of his effective leadership techniques and styles (Bernus, Mertins Schmidt, 2013). Along with Richard Goyder, Rob Scott, current Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Wesfarmers Limited. Apart from these two officers, there are many more leaders preset in the Wesfarmers limited. Leadership strategies adopted by these personalities have helped the Wesfarmers Limited to establish their effective position in the global market. It is noticed that basically modern trait theory of leadership and behavioral theory of leadership is being practiced in the workplace of Wesfarmers limited. As these styles are the results oriented styles. Woolworths is the primary competitorof Wesfarmers and both of these organizations are expanded in foreign countries. Their headquarters is situated in Australia only (Cecez-Kecmanovic et al., 2014). The most appropriate and reliable technique used by Richard Goyder is retaining talent and key employees. Retention of key employees is the biggest opportunity for every organization because they understand the situation of the organization and the working methods are familiar with them (Roberts, 2016). Appointment of any new employee rather being talented and experience, he would require some time to settle down in the new business environment. Appointment ofnewemployeeonthe place of any experienced employee does not guaranty for positive results but retention of key and experienced employee is the guaranty that organization does not needs to suffer from losses or from uncertain situations (Harun Hashim, 2017). Current gaps and challenges in accounting softwares Implementation of ERP system in the organization is not an easy task and all the processes performed in the organization doesgetsaffected from the implementation of ERP system (Iiis 2017). The first challenge would bechallengeto use the new and advanced technique for its users. Wesfarmers limited needs to appoint an engineer or an expert who could guide the employees and the other members of the organization so that appropriate results could be obtained for which ERP system was implemented (Sarker, Xiao Beaulieu, 2013). Other big challengewould be leakage of secret and confidential information of customers. This is due to lack of awareness in relevance with the using advanced technologies which were implemented with a view toincreasethe efficiency of the organization (Morecroft, 2015). Implementation of ERP system could alsoleadsto the retrenchment of those employees whodoesnot have enough information regarding the techniques. In the limelight of the above executed analysis it has been concluded that Wesfarmers is one of the multinational brand name in Western Australia,and its diverse business operations comprises of, supermarkets, liquor, convenience stores and hotels; improvement; office supplies; department stores; and an industrials division with businesses in chemicals, energy and fertilizers, industrial and safety products and coal. The review includes the current organizational structure adopted by the business corporation .i.e. conglomerate structure which has been proven beneficial for the entity. The further analysis concludes the operational issues and the accounting software packages which are required to be adopted by the business entity for the execution of the accounting and other associated activities. Moreover, the sales procedure followed by the business entity and also the current market share of the firm has been presented. References au.finance.yahoo, (2017), Yahoo finance, Assessed on 25th August 2017, https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/WES.AX/analysts?p=WES.AX. Aversa, P., Cabantous, L., Haefliger, S. (2017). WHEN DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS FAIL: INSIGHTS FOR STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS FROM FORMULA. Bernus, P., Mertins, K., Schmidt, G. J. (Eds.). (2013).Handbook on architectures of information systems. Springer Science Business Media. Cassidy, A. (2016).A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. CRC press. Cecez-Kecmanovic, D., Galliers, R. D., Henfridsson, O., Newell, S., Vidgen, R. (2014). The sociomateriality of information systems: current status, future directions.Mis Quarterly,38(3), 809-830. Galliers, R. D., Leidner, D. E. (Eds.). (2014).Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Harun, H., Hashim, M. K. (2017). STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLANNING: A REVIEW OF ITS CONCEPT, DEFINITIONS AND STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT.planning,3(2). Iiis, (2017), Information technology system for competitive advantage, https://www.iiis.org/CDs2008/CD2009SCI/MEI2009/PapersPdf/M704PV.pdf. McArthur, T, (2014), Why Wesfarmers Ltd conglomerate structure is a winning formula, Assessed on 25th August 2017, https://www.fool.com.au/2014/02/18/why-wesfarmers-ltds-conglomerate-structure-is-a-winning-formula/. Morecroft, J. D. (2015).Strategic modelling and business dynamics: a feedback systems approach. John Wiley Sons. Peppard, J., Ward, J. (2016).The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley Sons. Rainer, R. K., Cegielski, C. G., Splettstoesser-Hogeterp, I., Sanchez-Rodriguez, C. (2013).Introduction to information systems. John Wiley Sons. Realitysoftware, (2017), Accounting software development, Assessed on 25th August 2017, https://www.realitysoftware.ca/services/software-development/accounting/. Roberts, M. (2016).Strategic Information Systems: Their Contribution to Organizational Performance(Doctoral dissertation, University of Portsmouth). Sarker, S., Xiao, X., Beaulieu, T. (2013). Qualitative studies in information systems: a critical review and some guiding principles.MIS quarterly,37(4), iii-xviii. Willcocks, L. (2013).Information management: the evaluation of information systems investments. Springer.