The Impact of IFRS for SMEs on UK companies Essay

The Impact of IFRS for SMEs on UK companies - Essay Example All of these entities have the option to adopt corresponding accounting tiered reporting framework under a certain purpose (Baker and Wallage, 2000). For instance in the United Kingdom (UK), publicly accountable entities are required to adopt full international financial reporting standard (IFRS) while those non-publicly accountable entities are required to use IFRS for SMEs. On the other hand, small companies are required to adopt financial reporting standard for smaller entities (FRSSE). However, these different entities have the option to adopt whatever reporting framework they need or most suited to their individual system (Jermakowicz et al., 2006). For instance, in the UK, small companies may have the opportunity to either apply full IFRS or IFRS for SMEs. Small company is defined as having less 250 employees and there are 571 listed of them in the UK in 2010 (Andrews, 2010). Financial reporting standards such as IFRS are designed especially in advanced economies (Tyrrall et al ., 2007). In line with this, there is a strong link between economic system and financial reporting standards. In the UK, it is without question that organisations may eventually adopt it due to complexity of their business operations. However, in the midst of this assurance, it is still important to individually understand how each organisation responds to existing financial reporting standards considering the system they have with them. In line with this, the European Union for instance is trying to call the attention of stakeholders in order to participate in the implementation process (Larson and Herz, 2011). However, in the midst of this strong effort, there is still a need to consider how exactly this will create an impact on the individual stakeholders with specific systems they are adopting. Furthermore, there is certainly an ongoing issue about the effectiveness of using regular IFRS and IFRS for SMEs. Thus, organizations are faced with various considerations on what report ing framework to use in the first place to effectively contribute maximum benefits into their business. For instance, one of the important issues is concerning about cost and successful efforts in adapting to international accounting reporting standards (Cortese and Irvine, 2010). In accounting, an organisation is always faced with issue concerning cost and success of implementing activities. The entire activity does not only employ the idea, but the corresponding compatibility. Companies have ideas on the good thing about creating their own standard about financial and tax accounting reporting and their strong link so as to ensure flexibility in the application process (Street and Larson, 2004). On the other hand, in adopting specific financial reporting framework companies especially in Europe are not only concerned with the costs it may incur. They are also looking forward to the other benefits it may contribute to their organisation (Jermakowicz and Tomaszewski, 2006). The benef its however may vary on what financial reporting standard they employ. Little is known about the impact of IFRS for SMEs on the UK companies. Mostly, the regular or full IFRS have been used and widely evaluated in its performance though. Objective of the study The proponent will assess top ten best small companies in 2010 in the UK

John Maynard Keynes, the Father of Modern Theoretical Economics Essay Example for Free

John Maynard Keynes, the Father of Modern Theoretical Economics Essay John Maynard Keynes (5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), a British economist known also as the father of modern theoretical economics, had made a great impact on contemporary economic as well as political theory. His ideas were tapped by governments for their fiscal policies. He is most well known on his interventionist policy when it comes to fiscal and monetary measures, specifically, to mitigate the undesirable effect of recessions, depressions, and even booms. An article from Time magazine on the 100 Most Important People of the Century, contend that â€Å"[h]is radical idea that governments should spend money they dont have may have saved capitalism† (Reich, no date). As an economist, his first share of international fame was when he was selected as a delegate of the Paris Peace Conference of 1918–1919. It was during this conference that the victors of the World War 1 (specifically, Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, and David Lloyd George) imposed war reparations on Germany. Keynes held his tongue during the conference but let out a roar as soon as he returned to England (Reich, no date). He wrote a book entitled The Economic Consequences of Peace. He wrote that the Germans would not be able to pay the victors. He called Wilson a â€Å"blind, deaf Don Quixote†, Clemenceau a xenophobe with â€Å"one illusion — France, and one disillusion — mankind†, and Lloyd George a â€Å"goat-footed bard, this half-human visitor to our age from the hag-ridden magic and enchanted woods of Celtic antiquity. † Keynes predicted that the reparations demanded by the victors would keep Germany impoverished and might ultimately threaten the neighboring countries if not all of Europe (Reich, no date). And we know that he is indeed right as if it was a prophecy. The book sold almost a hundred thousand copies on that period. But it was only later on after three decades that the real effect of his treatise was felt. After the end of World War II, both US and Britain (as victors of the war) remembered Keynes admonition. The best way to attain a lasting peace is by helping the vanquished start all over again – public investing to create trading partners and building solid democracies (like n the case of Germany, Italy, and Japan during that war; Reich, no date). Keynes founded that branch of economics that is termed â€Å"macroeconomics† today. This is his greatest influence in the history of economics. This actually came from a book he wrote during the depths of the Great Depression. The book was called â€Å"The general theory of employment, interest and money† (published on 1936). The idea is pretty much easy to understand: Governments should not leave the market alone when, and especially, the economy is running slow (interventionist policy of the government). It is during periods of dull economy or recession that markets are saturated and businesses either do not invest or reduce their investment. Such situation, according to Keynes, is a prologue for a very dangerous cycle: â€Å"less investment, fewer jobs, less consumption and even less reason for business to invest† (Keynes, in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia). In 1942, John Maynard Keynes was raised to the House of Lords and was accord the title Baron Keynes of Tilton, County of Sussex. Keynes played a crucial role in the negotiations that transpired in the creation of the Bretton Woods system (the system/conference that created the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization, as we know it today). He was the head of the British Commission and the chairman of the World Bank Commission. He was the brainchild behind the management of currencies between and among countries. He advocated the creation of a world central bank, the International Clearing Union, that will be responsible for the common world currency unit (Reich, no date; Keynes, in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia).

Examining Concepts Of Leadership And Reflection In Nursing Essay

Examining Concepts Of Leadership And Reflection In Nursing Essay Western (2008) says that, the term leadership has different meanings and we will aware of leadership when we see it. By the estimates of Durbin (2000), in academic literature there are 35,000 definitions for leadership (Pye,2005;P.32). According to Stodyill (1974;p.257), there are as many people tried to define the idea of leadership as many definitions of leadership as there are. Hemphil and Coons (1957,p.7) defined leadership as the behaviour of an individual directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal. Clark (2009) says that the change in the definition of leadership occurs according to the person, whom we ask to define the term. Houser and Player (2004) concluded in their study of a dozen nurse leaders as that, the nurse leaders have some common characteristics such as innovative, courageous, visionary, scholarly, resilient, creative, committed, responsive, and thoughtful. Tan (2006) suggests that the concept of leadership as, to influence a person or follower, to do what is critical to achieve societal and organizational goals. Nurses are particularly aware about the necessity of reflective practices among health care professionals (Duffy,2007;Manthey,2001, et al.). Same as that practice of reflective leadership have an equal importance in this profession (Deutsch and Sherwood,2008). Oestreich (2009) says that, reflective leaders must know about, how they are opening paths for clear communication and goal fulfilment, where they are in the progress of their own and organizational goals, and how they connect with others. Great leaders have to walk alone sometimes, such aloneness can facilitate reflection(Drucker,1996,p.9). Qualitative researchers says that , more distant reflection is possible through the observation of the participant. In a nutshell, both the individual leader, more than that the organization benefited by the reflective practices. LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS According to Nanus,B (1985), integrity, passion, and vision are the fundamental characteristics of a good leader. Sociability, integrity, determination, self-confidence,and intelligence are the characteristics belong commonly to leaders (Stodgill,1948,1974). Research among 46 magnet hospitals clearly defined the value of leaders as they are knowledgeable and supportive, enthusiastic and visionary, have expectations and high standards, value professional development and education, demonstrate status and power in the organization, are responsive and visible, are active in professional associations and communicate openly (Mc Clure Hinshaw,2002;Scott et al,1999;Kramer,1990;Mc Clure,Poulin,et al,1983;Kramer Schmalenberg,2005). Murphy and DeBack (1991) identified nurse leader have leadership characteristics such as learning and taking initiative, designing organization structure, mastering change, and managing the dream. LEADERSHIP THEORIES Many leadership theories are useful to nursing (Burns,1985). By Patricia Kelly (2010) the major leadership theories classified in to the following approaches: Behavioural, contemporary, and contingency approaches. BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH In behavioural approach the leadership studies by Kurt Lewin et al.(1930) gave information about three widely existing leadership styles. That are autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership styles. Autocratic style of leadership the opportunity to make decisions centralized in the leader and the leader has the power to control and command the team members. In democratic style the team members have the authority to take decisions and there is a close inter personal relationship between the leader and the individual team members moreover there is sharing of opinions. By Lewin (1939) laissez-faire leaders postpone decision making and are characterized by freedom of behaviour. In this group the negative points are the low productivity and the feeling of dissatisfaction. CONTEMPORARY APPROACH This approach gave importance to the development of learning organizations and lead the process of transforming change. Charismatic theory, transformational leadership theory, knowledge workers, emotional intelligence, and wheatleys new science of leadership are under this approach (Kelly,P,2010). CONTINGENCY APPROACH In this theory the factors in the environment influences the leaders outcomes. This approaches include the situational theory of Hersey and Blanchard, Feilders contingency theory, path goal theory and the idea of substitutes for leadership Among these theories one theory that has become relevant to nursing is the transformational leadership theory (Burns,1985). Transformational leadership is defined as, One who inspires and empowers everyone with the vision of what could be possible(Hood,2010,p.460). The suggestion by IOM (2003,b) is that,the transformational leadership acts as a safety net for the patients. According to Clark (2009,p.17) transformational leadership and authentic leadership are the two different types of leadership styles significantly important for nurses. THE IMPORTANCE OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN NURSING LEADERSHIP The maintenance of a personal professional profile is important for the attainment of maximum reflection in education and practice after the registration of a practitioner, by UKCC. The regularly recording of daily events and preplanned learning activities as a part of reflective process are the bias of this profile (UKCC,1997). One of the inevitable processes in clinical supervision is the reflection. Moreover, clinical supervision helps the practitioner to up bring the standard of care and thus it support in their practice (UKCC,1996). REFLECTION The concept of reflection is difficult to define (James Clarke,1994;Clarke et al., 1996). John Dewey (1933,p.9) defined the term reflection as active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends. By Dewey (1933) the application of scientific methods are possible through experimentation and reasoning and there by challenge and test out true beliefs. His studies influenced the educational ideas and work of Schon,D (1983,1987); Boyd Fales (1983); and Boud et al.(1985). According to Boyd Fales (1983) reflection is the process of internal examination and exploration of a concerned issue, by an event, that self clarify and creates meaning and resulted in a different conceptual perspective. In definitions of reflection, most of them support the ideas of intellectual skills and creativity development, self awareness raising, and new knowledge development (Hancoc k,P,1999). By Boud et al. (1985), to becoming a reflective practitioner, one should consider an issue, triggered by an experience, go back through it, and ponder over it and then they will get a new insight about that particular situation. TYPES OF REFLECTION Schon (1987) noticed two types of reflection in his studies. Reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action. He identified that practitioners use reflection, when they met with unique situations, when they may not be able to use previously learned theories or techniques by formal education. By the concept of his reflection-on-action, to develop as a practitioner or person, critical thinking and construction and reconstruction of events are important. On the other hand, by his reflection-in-action, action from a practitioner reshaped due to his thinking while he is doing it and with out disturbing it. SKILLS NECESSARY FOR REFLECTION By Atkins Murphy (1993) the skills such as description, synthesis, evaluation, judgement, critical analysis, and self-awareness are necessary for reflection. Front-runners in nursing have established some models of reflection, significantly those of Schon (1983,1987); Kolb (1984); Boud,Cohen et al.(1993); Boud,Keogh et al.(1985); and Johns (1992). Their levels of explanations are different, while the retrospective phenomenon of reflection has three fundamental processes. That are retrospection, reorientation, and self-evaluation (Quinn,F,M,).DATE MODELS OF REFLECTION à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reflective Practice was introduced by Donald Schon in his book The Reflective Practitioner in 1983.   There are different models of reflection in practice.   In that I would like to discuss about the two models of reflection Gibbs model, 1988 Johns model, 1995.      GIBBS MODEL OF REFLECTION 1988 Gibbs model is a cyclic process of reflection, in that a practitioner describes the experience and must evaluate and analysis of how they were feeling during the experience.   By the evaluation and analysis of the emotions associated with the situation give the practitioner a chance to understand the situation and come to a conclusion of what else could be done, or what other options could have been taken.   Most importantly,in Gibbs model of reflection the final stage is the formulation of action plan, that give an idea about what actions would be taken if the situation happened again (W http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practice). JOHNS MODEL It is a structured mode of reflection that provides a practitioner with a guide to gain greater understanding.   In this model of reflection, reflection carried out through the act of sharing of emotions with colleague or a mentor and it provides a faster rate of learning than reflection alone.   In order to achieve reflection looking in on ones thoughts and emotions and looking out at the situation experienced are important steps in this model of reflection.   Mainly five patterns of learning are included in to the guided reflection, that are the practitioners analysis about the aesthetic, personal, ethical, empirical, and the reflexive elements experienced through the situation. REASONS TO PREFER JOHNS MODEL OVER GIBBS MODEL I think Johns model of reflection is better than that of Gibbs model because, in Johns model practitioner get an opportunity to share with a colleague or mentor, about their thoughts and emotions of their own and about the situation experienced.   It seems to me that by the sharing of emotions definitely, we will get a clear cut idea about the feelings of the self and about the situation in a faster rate. Looking in and looking out become easier when the structured questions shared between a colleague or an experienced person.   In Gibbs model of reflection, evaluation and analysis of the emotions associated with the situation experienced is important and there is no sharing of ideas or emotions with anybody.   I feel that with out the sharing of emotions reflection occurs in a slower rate.

Women’s Role in China Essay example -- Women Feminism Chinese Culture

Women’s Role in China "The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: 'It's a girl.'" -Shirley Chislom- Women have had changing roles in every society for centuries. Depending on the country, some women have had a harder time achieving equality. One of these countries is China. These women have faced such obstacles as foot binding to concubines. Until the twentieth century women were not considered equals in their society. Many cruel things were done to women in ancient china that are considered unfathomable in other countries. According to Confucius women weren’t equal to men because they were unworthy or incapable of literary education. This was as much as he mentioned women because it was such a natural idea to him that there was no need to mention it, as other early Chinese writers and theorists thought. Women were only considered property and had to obey their brothers and fathers no matter what. Fathers also despised their daughters to the point where instead of being named they were considered daughter number one and daughter number two, etc. Once the woman was married instead of being property to her brother and father, she was now property to her husband and mother in law, whom also despised the girl. It was also common for a husband to have three or four wives. If a woman’s husband were to die she was unable to remarry, sometimes causing women to commit suicide due to no fo od or income. If a woman were to remarry then her skin was peeled of her bones until she died. Another cruel act that was practiced in ancient china against women was foot binding. This tradition started around 1000 when an Emperor believed his concubines small feet were beautiful. This process began when a girl was between three and eleven. â€Å"Her toes were turned under her feet and pressed against the bottom of her foot. The arches were then broken as the foot was pulled straight with the leg, a long narrow cotton bandage would then be tightly wound around the foot from the toes to the ankle to hold to toes in place† (W., Jacob 1). The bandages would then be tightened everyday. This would cause the foot to be around 3 inches long, called lily feet, and sometimes making the toes fall off for lack of blood flow to them. A girl would be considered unacceptable if her feet were ugly and would not be considered f... ...ing it â€Å"voluntarily† so that they can bring the abortion to the countryside. Due to this the ration in China is 118 males to 100 females because there are half a million female abortions a year. Since there are so few females teenage girls are sold for prostitution and $500 mail order brides since the late 1980s. This has also made the literacy rate of women fall, more than 70% of school dropouts are girls. Because of these dropouts more than 70% of China’s semiliterate or illiterate people are women. In conclusion, the role of women in china has made a drastic change from being concubines to being mayors in major cities. Equality was something that took a long time to achieve but through all the hard work they have eventually overcome many obstacles but there are still many more that they need to work on. Perhaps women will always be looked down upon because that is how it started and that is the origin of many people’s thoughts but achieving the status that they have today is a great success. Although the changes came at a later time than that of the west, equality in China took a shorter amount of time. All in all, Chinese women have had great success in their reforms.

Corporate Governance in Nepal Essay

â€Å"The first gaping imbalance in the emerging markets private equity equation was the accuracy timeliness, and transparency of financial and operating information provided to investors, and the willingness of managers to subject themselves to some degree of accountability to outsiders. Even in the best of circumstances, relationships between investors and the managers of their portfolio companies are complex and often contentious, but the absence of sound corporate governance practice has sharply accentuated that tension. Nowhere does this issue become more problematic than with family owned firms. Although widespread in all countries, family ownership tends to be even more prevalent in developing countries. The prototype is an entrepreneur who has built a successful business with virtually no capital or shareholders beyond his or her immediate family and close friends. Absent any accountability to outside shareholders, the interests of the owner and the firm are indistinguishable, and financial accounts are frequently intermingled. These traditions of autonomy, secrecy, and independence run deep within the corporate culture of most developing country firms, rarely challenged until the need for outside capital becomes imperative. Few entrepreneurs, for example, have ever undergone an independent audit or adhered to international accounting standards that are the prerequisites for virtually every professional investor. The prospective investor is thus at the mercy of the entrepreneur for access to information necessary to make critical judgments about company performance and value. The common practice, for example, of maintaining two or even three sets of accounting records in order to avoid the tax collector frustrates the due diligence team’s task of gaining an accurate picture of performance. Opaque bookkeeping and disclosure habits also may impede access to other important information that might alter investor perceptions of company value, such as environmental liabilities or unresolved legal disputes. As one investor noted, â€Å"One big problem is skeletons in the closet. Many of these great companies have hidden subsidiaries, offshore sales and other tax avoidance schemes.† Nor is the lure of badly needed capital likely to overcome resistance to outside investors who are inclined to push and prod management to make painful changes they believe are needed to increase transparency and enhance company value. It is not surprising, there†

Multi-threading in C# With Tasks

Multi-threading in C# With Tasks The computer programming term thread is short for  thread  of execution, in which a processor follows a specified path through your code. The concept of following more than one thread at a time introduces the subject of multi-tasking and multi-threading. An application has one or more processes in it. Think of a process as a program running on your computer. Now each process has one or more threads. A game application might have a thread to load resources from disk, another to do AI, and another to run the game as a server. In .NET/Windows,  the operating system allocates processor time to a thread. Each thread keeps track of exception handlers and the priority at which it runs, and it has somewhere to save the thread context until it runs. Thread context is the information that the thread needs to resume. Multi-Tasking With Threads Threads take up a bit of memory and creating them takes a little time, so usually, you dont want to use many. Remember, they compete for processor time. If your computer has multiple CPUs, then Windows or .NET might run each thread on a different CPU, but if several threads run on the same CPU, then only one can be active at a time and switching threads takes time. The CPU runs a thread for a few million instructions, and then it switches to another thread. All of the CPU registers, current program execution point and stack have to be saved somewhere for the first thread and then restored from somewhere else for the next thread. Creating a Thread In the namespace System.Threading, youll find the thread type. The constructor thread  (ThreadStart) creates an instance of a thread. However, in recent C# code, its more likely to pass in a lambda expression that calls the method with any parameters. If youre unsure about lambda expressions, it might be worth checking out LINQ. Here is an example of a thread that is created and started: using System; using System.Threading;namespace ex1{class Program{public static void Write1(){Console.Write(1) ;Thread.Sleep(500) ;}static void Main(string[] args){var task new Thread(Write1) ;task.Start() ;for (var i 0; i 10; i){Console.Write(0) ;Console.Write (task.IsAlive ? A : D) ;Thread.Sleep(150) ;}Console.ReadKey() ;}}} All this example does is write 1 to the console. The main thread writes a 0 to the console 10 times, each time followed by an A or D depending on whether the other thread is still Alive or Dead. The other thread only runs once and writes a 1. After the half-second delay in the Write1() thread, the thread finishes, and the Task.IsAlive in the main loop now returns D. Thread Pool and Task Parallel Library Instead of creating your own thread, unless you really need to do it, make use of a Thread Pool. From .NET 4.0, we have access to the Task Parallel Library (TPL). As  in the previous example, again we need a bit of LINQ, and yes, its all lambda expressions. Tasks uses the Thread Pool behind the scenes  but make  better use of the threads depending on the number in use. The main object in the TPL is a Task. This is a class that represents an asynchronous operation. The commonest way to start things running is with the Task.Factory.StartNew as in: Task.Factory.StartNew(() DoSomething()); Where DoSomething() is the method that is run. Its possible to create a task and not have it run immediately. In that case, just use Task like this: var t new Task(() Console.WriteLine(Hello));...t.Start(); That doesnt start the thread until the .Start() is called. In the example below, are five tasks. using System;using System.Threading;using System.Threading.Tasks;namespace ex1{class Program{public static void Write1(int i){Console.Write(i) ;Thread.Sleep(50) ;}static void Main(string[] args){for (var i 0; i 5; i){var value i;var runningTask Task.Factory.StartNew(()Write1(value)) ;}Console.ReadKey() ;}}} Run that and you  get the digits 0 through 4 output in some random order such as 03214. Thats because the order of task execution is determined by .NET. You might be wondering why the var value i is needed. Try removing it and calling Write(i), and youll see something unexpected like 55555. Why is this? Its because the task shows the value of i at the time that the task is executed, not when the task was created. By creating a new variable each time in the loop, each of the five values is correctly stored and picked up.

Free Essays on Higher Education

Education; it’s the basis of our lives. We try to run from it, but can never escape it. Some try to pursue it; some do not. It can make or break us. It can be the difference between making your future, or breaking your future. Studies have shown that only one in every four high school seniors go on to a four-year college. And that out of them, only one in every 2 college freshman will graduate from the college he or she starts at. So, to put these statistics into reality for you, pick three of your closest friends and realize that studies show that only one of you will go on to a four-year college. College is more than just pursuing a degree to make money. Gaining a college education helps to increase your understanding of your community, Nation, and world. It helps you to make, and obtain many lifelong goals, and to become a more responsible, and reliable citizen. College seems to have become a â€Å"trend† that has swept the country over the past few years. It’s now considered normal to go to college, and you are frowned upon when you do not attend. However; not everyone is cut out to be a college student, and for those of you who aren’t, don’t worry, because there is life without college. Yes, a college education does help your chances of getting a better paying job, but it does not guarantee one. Four years of hard work and dedication, unfortunately does not guarantee you a job after college. But the unemployment of a college graduate is still lower, than those who only have a high school diploma. In most cases, employers look for a college education. More job opportunities are given to you with a higher education. Also salaries can differ greatly between a college graduate and someone with only a high school diploma. A four-year college is not the only option when looking into pursuing a higher education. Technical schools, Trade schools, and Junior colleges are among some of the most popular. They c... Free Essays on Higher Education Free Essays on Higher Education Education; it’s the basis of our lives. We try to run from it, but can never escape it. Some try to pursue it; some do not. It can make or break us. It can be the difference between making your future, or breaking your future. Studies have shown that only one in every four high school seniors go on to a four-year college. And that out of them, only one in every 2 college freshman will graduate from the college he or she starts at. So, to put these statistics into reality for you, pick three of your closest friends and realize that studies show that only one of you will go on to a four-year college. College is more than just pursuing a degree to make money. Gaining a college education helps to increase your understanding of your community, Nation, and world. It helps you to make, and obtain many lifelong goals, and to become a more responsible, and reliable citizen. College seems to have become a â€Å"trend† that has swept the country over the past few years. It’s now considered normal to go to college, and you are frowned upon when you do not attend. However; not everyone is cut out to be a college student, and for those of you who aren’t, don’t worry, because there is life without college. Yes, a college education does help your chances of getting a better paying job, but it does not guarantee one. Four years of hard work and dedication, unfortunately does not guarantee you a job after college. But the unemployment of a college graduate is still lower, than those who only have a high school diploma. In most cases, employers look for a college education. More job opportunities are given to you with a higher education. Also salaries can differ greatly between a college graduate and someone with only a high school diploma. A four-year college is not the only option when looking into pursuing a higher education. Technical schools, Trade schools, and Junior colleges are among some of the most popular. They c...

Biography of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Conquistador

Biography of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuellar (1464-1524) was a conquistador and Spanish colonial administrator. He is not to be confused with Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez, the Spanish painter generally referred to simply as Diego Velazquez. Diego Velazquez de Cuellar arrived in the New World on Christopher Columbus Second Voyage and soon became a very important figure in the conquest of the Caribbean, taking part in the conquests of Hispaniola and Cuba. Later, he became governor of Cuba, one of the highest-ranking figures in the Spanish Caribbean. He is best known for sending Hernan Cortes on his journey of conquest to Mexico, and his subsequent battles with Cortes to retain control of the endeavor and the treasures it produced.   Fast Facts: Diego Velzquez de Cuà ©llar Known For: Spanish conquistador and governorAlso Known As: Diego VelzquezBorn: 1465 in Cuà ©llar,  Segovia,  Crown of CastileDied: c. June 12, 1524 in Santiago de Cuba,  Cuba,  New SpainSpouse: daughter of Cristà ³bal de Cuà ©llar Early Life Diego Velazquez was born to a noble family in 1464 in the town of Cuellar, in the Spanish region of Castile. It is probable that he served as a soldier in the Christian conquest of Granada, last of the Moorish Kingdoms in Spain, from 1482 to 1492. Here he would make contacts and gain experience that would serve him well in the Caribbean. In 1493, Velazquez sailed to the New World on Christopher Columbus Second Journey. There he became one of the founders of the Spanish colonial effort, as the only Europeans left in the Caribbean on Columbus First Journey had all been murdered at the La Navidad settlement. Conquest of Hispaniola and Cuba The colonists from the Second Voyage needed land and slaves, so they set about conquering and subjugating the unfortunate native population. Diego Velazquez was an active participant in the conquests first of Hispaniola, and then Cuba. In Hispaniola, he attached himself to Bartholomew Columbus, Christophers brother, which lent him a certain prestige and helped get him established. He was already a rich man when Governor Nicolas de Ovando made him an officer in the conquest of western Hispaniola. Ovando would later make Velazquez governor of the western settlements in Hispaniola. Velazquez played a key role in the Xaragua massacre in 1503 in which hundreds of unarmed Taino natives were slaughtered. With Hispaniola pacified, Velazquez led the expedition to subjugate the neighboring island of Cuba. In 1511, Velazquez took a force of more than 300 conquistadors and invaded Cuba. His chief lieutenant was an ambitious, tough conquistador named Panfilo de Narvaez. Within a couple of years, Velazquez, Narvaez, and their men had pacified the island, enslaved all of the inhabitants, and established several settlements. By 1518, Velazquez was lieutenant governor of the Spanish holdings in the Caribbean and for all intents and purposes was the most important man in Cuba. Velazquez and Cortes Hernan Cortes arrived in the New World sometime in 1504, and eventually signed on to Velazquez conquest of Cuba. After the island was pacified, Cortes settled for a time in Baracoa, the main settlement, and had some success raising cattle and panning for gold. Velazquez and Cortes had a very complicated friendship that was constantly on-and-off. Velazquez initially favored the clever Cortes, but in 1514 Cortes agreed to represent some disgruntled settlers before Velazquez, who felt Cortes was showing a lack of respect and support. In 1515, Cortes dishonored a Castilian woman who had come to the islands. When Velazquez locked him up for failing to marry her, Cortes simply escaped and carried on as he had before. Eventually, the two men settled their differences. In 1518, Velazquez decided to send an expedition to the mainland and chose Cortes as the leader. Cortes swiftly lined up men, weapons, food, and financial backers. Velazquez himself invested in the expedition. Cortes orders were specific: he was to investigate the coastline, look for the missing Juan de Grijalva expedition, make contact with any natives, and report back to Cuba. It became increasingly apparent that Cortes was arming and provisioning for an expedition of conquest, however, and Velazquez decided to replace him. Cortes got wind of Velazquez plan and prepared to set sail immediately. He sent armed men to raid the city slaughterhouse and carry off all the meat, and bribed or coerced city officials to sign off on the necessary papers. On February 18, 1519, Cortes set sail, and by the time Velazquez reached the piers, the ships were already underway. Reasoning that Cortes could not do much damage with the limited men and weapons he had, Velazquez seems to have forgotten about Cortes. Perhaps Velazquez assumed that he could punish Cortes when he inevitably returned to Cuba. Cortes had, after all, left his lands and wife behind. Velazquez had seriously underestimated Cortes capabilities and ambition, however. The Narvaez Expedition Cortes ignored his instructions and immediately set out on an audacious conquest of the mighty Mexica (Aztec) Empire. By November 1519, Cortes and his men were in Tenochtitlan after having fought their way inland and making allies with disgruntled Aztec vassal states as they did so. In July 1519, Cortes had sent a ship back to Spain with some gold but it made a stop in Cuba, and someone saw the loot. Velazquez was informed and swiftly realized that Cortes was trying to fool him once again. Velazquez mounted a massive expedition to head for the mainland and capture or kill Cortes and return command of the enterprise to himself. He placed his old lieutenant Panfilo de Narvaez in charge. In April 1520, Narvaez landed near present-day Veracruz with more than 1,000 soldiers, nearly three times the total that Cortes had. Cortes soon realized what was going on and he marched to the coast with every man he could spare to fight Narvaez. On the night of May 28, Cortes attacked Narvaez and his men, who were dug in at the native town of Cempoala. In a short but vicious battle, Cortes defeated Narvaez. It was a coup for Cortes because most of Narvaez men (fewer than 20 had died in the fighting) joined him. Velazquez had unwittingly sent Cortes what he needed most: men, supplies, and weapons.   Legal Actions Against Cortes Word of Narvaez failure soon reached a dumbfounded Velazquez. Determined not to repeat the mistake, Velazquez never again sent soldiers after Cortes, but rather began to pursue his case through the Byzantine Spanish legal system. Cortes, in turn, counter-sued. Both sides had certain legal merit. Although Cortes had clearly overstepped the bounds of the initial contract and had unceremoniously cut Velazquez out of the spoils, he had been circumspect about legal forms once he was on the mainland, communicating directly with the king. Death In 1522, a legal committee in Spain found in favor of Cortes. Cortes was ordered to pay back Velazquez his initial investment, but Velazquez missed out on his share of the spoils (which would have been vast) and was further ordered to undergo an investigation of his own activities in Cuba. Velazquez died in 1524 before the investigation could be concluded. Legacy Diego Velzquez de Cuà ©llar, like his fellow conquistadores, had a profound impact on the trajectory of Central American society and culture. In particular, his influence made Cuba a major economic center and a location from which further conquests could be made.   Sources Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. Trans., ed. J.M. Cohen. 1576. London, Penguin Books, 1963.Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. New York: Bantam, 2008.Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes and the Fall of Old Mexico. New York: Touchstone, 1993.

The Exeter Story's Organizational Structure Term Paper

The Exeter Story's Organizational Structure - Term Paper Example The Exeter has a new manager, he wants to have full control on every aspect of the company, He wants to have a major revamped on what requires renewing in the organization but it also has a great impact to the whole company and its operation (Fowler, 2005). A major change is a right phrase here, and change is not as simple as it is perceived and not a slice of cake. When a company is undergoing change, different aspects of the organization are turned around and things are not done like before.            Having power absolutely gives complete control. The relationships between the superior and the employees come into the picture. At the same time, getting rid of company employees just to have full control of the company is unethical (Heene and Sanchex, 1997). Then, moral values come in. Getting rid of the Finance staff and the HR staff would result to chaos in the organization since there are people engaged in the decision that they might lose their job. The employees are working hard before the General Manager entered the company, this would create criticisms.   The new General Manager would also like to focus on the conventional organizational structure that would limit free communication among the management and employees rather than motivating.          Thus, in view of all the actions of the new managers need proper analysis and considerations especially regarding ethics and moral values in order to In this paper the author demonstrates how to avoid company loss, creating a firm organization wherein employees can work freely, equally delegated workload, smooth operation and harmonious work relationship among employees. Injustice to everyone in the company, each of the employees and their tasks should be examined and investigated who among that are doing their job well.   This would be hassle-free for the new General Manager to identify who goes and who stays (Mclagan, 2002). That way, there will be no chaos. This would be the time wherein the finance employees and the HR employees would merge with another department so they would not lose their job.

Personal Development Planning (PDP) Assignmant Essay - 1

Personal Development Planning (PDP) Assignmant - Essay Example After completing the thirty two questions on line, I received feedback indicating that I should seek further assistance with time-management, concentration, note-taking skills, test preparation and test taking skills and writing skills. Thinking about this I wrote up a personal SWOT analysis with the aim of trying to find out exactly where I was falling short and where I needed to improve. I found a downloadable example from Bristol Business School, belonging to the University of Western England, which helped me with the questions I should ask myself. I found it very difficult to determine my strengths except that I think I am imaginative and very personable at a social level. My weaknesses however, were easier to determine. I know I have trouble with writing, especially long assignments or reports - this PDP assignment is not too difficult because it is broken into different parts. I am very disorganized and never seem to have enough time to finish my assignments on time or have enough time to review the day's or week's lessons. My performance in seminars is not good enough because I am not properly prepared nor positively alert or motivated. I also worry a lot about whether or not I can finish everything and whet her or not I will pass. The main opportunities I could think of were gaining a good job in a good company after graduation and making my family happy by studying hard and graduating. Threats were easier to think about. The biggest threat, gaining a qualification, is obviously dependent solely on me and relates to my weaknesses. Only I can fix things but I believe I have the strength to overcome my weaknesses and prevent them from stopping me taking advantages of my opportunities. At least now I have thought about my strengths and weaknesses and understand that I need to develop in the following areas: time-management, applying myself to study by acquiring appropriate study habits and learning strategies and determining clear goals and objectives. Next I completed a simplified version of a learning approaches questionnaire (based on Approaches to Study Inventory (Tait & Entwistle 1996) and provided by Bristol Business School.Results indicated that I had a surface/passive approach to learning and that I tended to reproduce information and tried to memorize subject matter rather than delving further or seeking to extend that information; that I kept closely to the syllabus provided by the lecturers and did not follow up interest of my own, and that although I really tried and wanted to pass in order to gain a qualification, sometimes I did not do so well.At this point I wanted to know more, so because learning styles is one component of this PDP assignment, I decided to spend time researching learning styles and strategies. I wanted to take the first step in the challenge of changing from a surface learner (not questioning) to a deep learner, and find out more about what learning styles and strategies were, before determining w hich best suited me. (Refer to essay below on Learning Styles.) My second step was to find out more about time-management, not only because it was a component of this PDP assignment but also because I obviously needed to improve this skill. Again, I began with research in the area to acquire as much information as possible, from which I could then develop the most appropriate

ORIENTALISM, PREJUDICE AND DESCRIMINATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ORIENTALISM, PREJUDICE AND DESCRIMINATION - Essay Example USA policy makers have, declared various Islamic countries as promoters of terrorism and a part of ‘axis of evil’. Indeed, citizens from many Islamic citizens are heavily scrutinized at US airports because of such developments. Consequently, Muslims are ignited from such changes and protest against this maltreatment because they don’t want to be suspected as endorsers of terrorist elements worldwide. The first main characteristic of Orientalism is the ‘categorizations or generalizations’ about a specific religious and / or ethnic group over self-drawn assuptions that later lead to negative interpretations and misconceptions about Muslims and Arabs. The second characteristic is that Orientalism discuss about cultural diversity and differences in values such as those between Eastern and Western society. (Hosking, 2009) All individuals should be provided sufficient knowledge through lectures about followers of some major religions such as Christainity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddihism and Jewism so that they could understand religious differences among people. Indeed, there is dire need to foster mingling among people through joint annual gatherings and corner meetings in towns and residential areas. Next, individuals should also be taught that never support media’s propaganda against any particular ethnic or religious group. Rather, if people have ambiguities, they should better read authentic literature and interact with people of a particular religion to eradicate their

The Answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Answer - Essay Example Franchising is basically an act adopted by organization to help in the growth of a company. Franchising is basically considered an alternative business strategy to raise extra capital for growth. To avail a franchising opportunity, it is not a requirement to incorporate, any particular individual either incorporated or not, can avail the franchising opportunity. The franchiser is basically very much willing to give out its franchise to anyone who meets the franchiser’s requirement. Once the requirement are complete, the franchisee can avail the franchising opportunity. the usual requirements are the payment of the initial capital sum, the sharing of profit clause, the system and business method as imposed by the franchiser, etc. Franchising can be seen as a prospective venture for both the franchiser and the franchisee with no capital investment for the franchisee and increased profits for the franchiser by only forwarding the brand name. The only issue with franchising is tha t large multinational organizations offering such franchising offers are really strict when they are choosing any particular franchisee.

Strategic Management of International Enterprises ( Adidas ) Essay

Strategic Management of International Enterprises ( Adidas ) - Essay Example Moreover, establishing strong brand image and a sustainable business position in the global business environment is also a common and widely practiced motivational factor for the multinationals, which can frequently be observed in the recent pace of globalisation2. In keeping with the unconventional trend of internationalisation of the multinationals, the primary aim of this report is to critically analyse the strategic directions and practices of Adidas Group, a German based footwear manufacturing giant in the present global business environment. In order to critically assess the strategic direction of the company, the report would focus on examining the international operations of Adidas that led the company to sustain its dominant position in the global footwear manufacturing and marketing industry. Moreover, the report also critically evaluates issues surrounding its future strategic endeavours. In this context, the report focuses on identifying potential issues driven by the current business trends and develops effective measures that can enable Adidas to uphold its competitive position in the global footwear business industry. Founded in the year 1920, the Adidas Group (Adidas) is a highly valued and a renowned brand operating in the industrial periphery of manufacturing footwear and sports apparels for both men and women. The company is highly envisioned with the aim of being as the dominant marketer in providing best portfolio of sports brands to the customers across the different global markets3. The corporate strategy of Adidas significantly incorporates a wide range of strategic measures that ensures to build its strong and sustainable position in the competitive sports goods business industry. In relation to the current business performance of the company, the corporate strategies can be observed to play a crucial role for Adidas to build its strong brand position in the present

Some questions to answer Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Some questions to answer - Article Example More people need to read the Declaration Independence, Constitution, and law in the Capital. Maybe if lawmakers spent more time doing that instead of raising money for their campaigns, the U.S. would not have as many ignorant lawmakers as there is today. Granny D had to pay a ten dollar fine and was processed as a criminal. I think the system is being twisted by criminals calling themselves politicians and lawmakers. Assignment #2: Pretend that you hug three old persons without any reason and you told them that you love them. Explain your reaction and then explain their reactions It would depend on the three old persons. Some, with Alzheimer’s or feisty personalities, would probably curse or ask if I was crazy. Others would embrace me back and tell me they loved me too. The final group would not have a real reaction, but seemed confused. I would be uncomfortable, because I am not a hug type of person. My discomfort would probably be conveyed. Their reactions would depend on th eir personalities. Old people like young people and other ages all are unique individuals. Some are huggers, some are not. It would depend on the person’s personalities. Just like I am not a hugger, older people would react on their individual personalities. Assignment #3: You have to go to shake your hand with five persons from the Military and tell them "Thank you for your serving" without any reason.

The Answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Answer - Essay Example Franchising is basically an act adopted by organization to help in the growth of a company. Franchising is basically considered an alternative business strategy to raise extra capital for growth. To avail a franchising opportunity, it is not a requirement to incorporate, any particular individual either incorporated or not, can avail the franchising opportunity. The franchiser is basically very much willing to give out its franchise to anyone who meets the franchiser’s requirement. Once the requirement are complete, the franchisee can avail the franchising opportunity. the usual requirements are the payment of the initial capital sum, the sharing of profit clause, the system and business method as imposed by the franchiser, etc. Franchising can be seen as a prospective venture for both the franchiser and the franchisee with no capital investment for the franchisee and increased profits for the franchiser by only forwarding the brand name. The only issue with franchising is tha t large multinational organizations offering such franchising offers are really strict when they are choosing any particular franchisee.

Some questions to answer Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Some questions to answer - Article Example More people need to read the Declaration Independence, Constitution, and law in the Capital. Maybe if lawmakers spent more time doing that instead of raising money for their campaigns, the U.S. would not have as many ignorant lawmakers as there is today. Granny D had to pay a ten dollar fine and was processed as a criminal. I think the system is being twisted by criminals calling themselves politicians and lawmakers. Assignment #2: Pretend that you hug three old persons without any reason and you told them that you love them. Explain your reaction and then explain their reactions It would depend on the three old persons. Some, with Alzheimer’s or feisty personalities, would probably curse or ask if I was crazy. Others would embrace me back and tell me they loved me too. The final group would not have a real reaction, but seemed confused. I would be uncomfortable, because I am not a hug type of person. My discomfort would probably be conveyed. Their reactions would depend on th eir personalities. Old people like young people and other ages all are unique individuals. Some are huggers, some are not. It would depend on the person’s personalities. Just like I am not a hugger, older people would react on their individual personalities. Assignment #3: You have to go to shake your hand with five persons from the Military and tell them "Thank you for your serving" without any reason.

Belonging Notes Essay Example for Free

Belonging Notes Essay †¢ Different environment atmosphere contributes to our sense of belonging. †¢ Adapting after a while strengthens the sense of belonging, knowing the place a bit, feeling comfortable. †¢ Shifting back to civilization, feels out of place, not belonging, shifting in with different surrounding. †¢ Upbringing places a part in our sense of belonging †¢ Technology-internet-find someone with the same interest and sense of belonging kicks in. E.g. Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, Myspace. †¢ Perspective of others shifts our sense of belonging †¢ Obstacles and struggling creates a feel of not belonging and break apart a sense of security. †¢ Enjoyment and change of attitude (positive) helps build sense of belonging. †¢ After being placed in a different place, conditions, our experience alters our sense of belonging Example: Going on holidays and returning home, takes a period of time to feel the feeling of belonging again. †¢ Preparation doesn’t help with the sense of belonging. †¢ Being familiar to the way and knowing the comfort zone (when you are at a place you don’t know/never been to) supports sense of belonging. †¢ Stereotype media acceptance only through appearance- determining whether you belong or not. †¢ Belonging is a choice. †¢ Knowledge and stereotype makes others feel like they don’t belong. †¢ No desire to change belonging †¢ Belonging is a journey †¢ Individuals don’t feel like they belong due to self and the desire to not change. †¢ Belonging is everywhere, what you wear makes you belong to a certain brand, it all comes down to you whether you want to belong who wants you to belong. Remember along with â€Å"belonging† there is always â€Å"isolation† that follows. Responses †¢ Stronger responses shows the relationship/ significant between texts. †¢ Why do people do the things? – REPRESENATION e.g. why does the characters do those actions/ Why has the author/ artist/ producer make or use certain  techniques instead of the others. * Choice of language, form, features and structure shape the meaning and influence responses. The choices are affluent by a composer’s sense of belonging. †¢ How is the concept of belonging conveyed through the text, people, relationships, ideas, places, events and society? †¢ Does it make a difference where the character belongs? †¢ Share some values of feelings -understanding a world in a different way shape in a peculiar way, different society- assumption to being Australian. †¢ Possibility present by a sense of belonging or not belonging Perception †¢ How an individual perception of belonging or not can vary, is shaped by his/her personal, cultural, historical and social context. ASPECTS OF BELONGING: †¢ Experiences †¢ Notion of identity †¢ Relationship †¢ Acceptance †¢ Understanding FORMULA TO ANSWER QUESTIONS: †¢ Identify †¢ Exemplify †¢ Explain †¢ Extrapolate SHORT STORY!: †¢ Do not abuse the concept of belonging too strongly †¢ Don’t use the word belonging †¢ Exclusion, acceptance, struggle †¢ Keep it simple, focus on the concept †¢ IMAGERY!- BOLD, CREATIVE COMBINATIONS TO ACHIEVE ORIGINALITY †¢ Simile, metaphor or personification †¢ SHOW DON’T TELL †¢ Short story-hook reader in the first two lines, straight into action †¢ Explode a moment, two characters, one setting †¢ READ SHORT STORIES †¢ Turning point-climax-should not be death-with too quick-carefully state the relationship. TWISTA TALE †¢ Dramatic beginning †¢ AVOID-irrelevant background info on your character †¢ Character should be revealed through dialogue and actors. †¢ Avoid: lots of internal dialogue †¢ Use experience of own †¢ Close to own world-reflect truth (you can utilize jargon to add a little touch of truth.) †¢ Use paragraphs! †¢ AVOID romance (genre) Fantasy†¦ YOU HAVE 40 minutes to WRITE A DECENT STORY! †¢ Allow the audience to add to the story †¢ DO NOT CONCENTRATE ON THE PLOT – YOU WANT TO SHOW BELONGING! †¢ Recommended to be 4 PGS †¢ Note: The creative writing section to Paper One does not have to be a narrative. EXAM †¢ Have at least two great storylines YOU CAN TWIST to suit any type of belonging questions. †¢ Remembering a story can be risky especially if you walk into the exam and through the reading time, you might have a panic attack. Dos DON’Ts †¢ Let the Q drive and shape your response †¢ Blend your understanding of belonging with the question †¢ DON’T put the questions in your introduction †¢ Thesis or statement throughout response – A MUST †¢ Use the text to support or challenge the thesis or concepts †¢ SPECIFIC TOPIC+ ATTITUDE/ANGLE/ARGUMENT=THESIS †¢ What you plan to argue +how you plan to argue it=THESIS †¢ DO NOT RE-COUNT OR RE-TELL TEXT †¢ ANALYSISEVALUATE TEXT †¢ NO OPINION FOR READERS ESSAY STUFF 1. Thesis-map guide reader 2. Connection between text, comparison or pattern 3. Techniques and contrasts 4. Use cohesive devices E.g. similarity, by contrast, parallel 5. Use topic sentences 6. Support all statement with references to text 7. Vocab for belonging – the better your vocab and structure contributes to an AWESOME MARKS! 8. Quotes + short quotes support what you say, don’t put any quotes that does not support thesis. (Short quotes are best, try to integrate them in your sentence they are easier to remember – it’ll provide the flow for the reader/marker when they are reading†¦. Remember they are reading a trillion PAPERS with some hideous handwriting.) Related pieces FILM †¢ JUST FIND ONE PART OR SECTION TO ANALYSIS †¢ PICK TEXT THAT MAKES READER STAND UP-FIND OWN †¢ Integrate the HOW techniques+ make it personal †¢ Don’t try to write everything down: capture key points †¢ 3-5 related pieces recommended BUT THREE SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH! Things to remember when choosing your related texts: †¢ Try and get a variety of different types. E.g. If you are doing a novel, go searching for a visual piece such as a film or artwork or a picture book. E.g. Frida Kahlo, Kathe Kollwitz. †¢ QUALITY: Do something that you know not many people will do; YOU WANT TO STAND OUT OF THE CROWD and show the markers you know your stuff. †¢ Make sure you can connect your text to belonging†¦ REMEMBER it does not have to be similar to your prescribed text as long as it has some sort of representation of belonging. †¢ Does it play your strength? Try to do something you are passionate or interested in. You will do so much better. †¢ DO NOT FORGET YOUR THESIS! SHORT ANSWERS †¢ Be Specific †¢ Can capitalize on other answers to answer another question. †¢ WRITE ACCORDING TO MARKS – if it id worth two marks DON’T write HALF A PAGE! †¢ TIMING- BALANCE!!! †¢ In this section LOOK for anything that symbolizes a connection, affiliation, relationship AND OF COURSE BELONGING! †¢ Main questions are HOW? WHAT? 11 points concerning belonging 1. Family 2. Friends 3. Belonging to place/national identity 4. Race 5. Religion 6. Political 7. Profession 8. Lifestyle 9. Learn spirit shared identity When studying for English. †¢ HAND WRITE!!! †¢ TIME yourself †¢ Find a quiet environment where you will not be disturbed for a certain time. †¢ PRACTICE! Break down the paper if you want †¢ Get any questions on â€Å"Belonging† pick up your pen and WRITEWRITE! †¢ The teachers are there for a REASON SO USE THEM- this goes for all subjects! If you don’t understand something shovel your hand up in the air, it is likely that others don’t understand it too OR chase after them at recess/lunch. †¢ Place quotes around the house like a crazy person on colorful cardboard and stick them around the house WHERE YOU KNOW you will always see them. †¢ When you have time do not leave it to the last minute. Grab your notes out and start cutting it down. It is a killer when you have to do it A WEEK before the actual HSC exams. †¢ If you know your stuff, you should be confident in crashing and burning the HSC AOS English paper!

Asylum Seeking Families In The Uk Social Work Essay

Asylum Seeking Families In The Uk Social Work Essay Asylum seeking families come to the UK with high hopes for their future and are often seeking protection from a perilous past. They are exposed to destitution, poor health, depression, physical assault, sexual harassment, loneliness and stress and family breakdown. The children of asylum seekers are vulnerable and in need of considerable support (Fitzpatrick, 2005). Young asylum seekers are often torn violently from their past life and forced into a new environment where they do not understand the legislation and the rules of social life. In the current climate of antagonism they face suspicion and mistrust (Sales, 2007). The 1951 Geneva Convention is the basis for international refugee law. It provides the right to make an individual asylum claim and protection from being returned to face danger. Those seeking protection go through a formal process to establish whether they fit the definition of a refugee (Sales, 2007). Asylum seekers live below the minimum benefit levels other hous eholds would receive and are clearly very poor but New Labours pledge to eradicate child poverty altogether by 2020 does not include the children of asylum seekers (Reacroft, 2008). The 2004 Children Act and Every Child Matters (DfES, 2004) identify five broad outcomes for every child, whatever their background or circumstances to have the support they need, however children who are subject to immigration control are systematically excluded from some of the measures proposed to deliver the five outcomes related with the Every Child Matters framework (Crawley, 2006). The tensions between policies for safeguarding and protecting children and controlling immigration is evident in policy and practice. This dissertation is an attempt to investigate the governments response to asylum seekers with reference to child poverty. The dissertation also attempts to consider the impact and implications for social work practice as social work professionals become entwined within processes which mon itor and control those subject to immigration controls. The first chapter will provide a historical background into the arrival of asylum seekers and concerns associated with them. The movement of people geographically is part of human history and controlling it a moderately recent phenomenon (Hayter, 2000). Calls for controls have always been posed, from the 1905 Aliens Act, through to the Asylum and Immigration Act 2006. The arrival of international migrants in to the UK is no new occurrence. This chapter will explore the governments response to groups of refugees and how it has changed through the years. Chapter two will examine asylum legislation and policy, focussing on its impact on children. It will also focus on child welfare legislation. Since 1989 more immigration legislation has passed through the UK Parliament than at any other time during history (Rutter, 2006). Since 1993 and particularly since 1996, asylum seekers are very high on the governments political agenda and therefore a vast number of policies have been implemented . Britain has become one of the leading proponents of the EUs increasing restriction toward asylum seekers and refugees in the last decade (Joly, 1996). Tighter pre-entry deterrent measures have been implemented, with a regime of welfare disentitlement and social exclusion for those who have managed to gain access. This chapter will focus on the radical change of policy on immigration with particular focus on New Labour and their focus on unwanted migrants. Chapter three will investigate the tensions that have arisen with regards to the government paper Every Child Matters and the immigration policies. UK policy and practice in many other areas is based upon the notion that children should be treated differently from adults because they are children. By contrast, children who are subject to immigration controls are currently treated as migrants first and foremost (Crawley, 2006). Local authorities are encouraged by recent policies to exclude children of asylum seekers from the Children Act 1989 as part of the wider government purpose of controlling immigration. Chapter four will explore the tensions for social workers. Social workers who should be protecting and supporting children are required to act as if they are immigration officials. Social workers are poorly trained in issues of immigration and are not encouraged to view asylum seekers as service users (Collett, 2004). The role of the social worker in the lives of asylum seekers w ill be assessed as will asylum seekers experiences of oppression. The final chapter of this dissertation will provide a conclusion, containing a critical assessment of the implications of the discussions for contemporary/future policy and practice. Chapter 2 A brief history of asylum in Britain Asylum achieved a great political profile in Britain during the late 1990s. In order to fully understand the issues and concerns of asylum, an awareness of the historical background of asylum seekers will be focussed upon throughout this chapter. The concept of asylum or refuge has existed in the UK since the Middle Ages. However the first piece of legislation to preserve the notion of asylum in British law was the 1905 Aliens Act. The act defined those who would be excluded from restriction much more cautiously and it was eventually approved through parliament. The 1905 Aliens Act set the outline for rest of the century and ensured that the British welfare state, far from being universalistic, are narrow, exclusive and nationalistic. (Cohen, 2002). The London County Council seemed to have taken a hostile attitude towards Jewish refugees fleeing Nazism in the 1930s. This was on the foundation that refugees were a drain on the local authority administered welfare. Immigration controls ensured that few refugees managed to gain entry to the UK and those which managed to did so on the accepting that the jewish community would take upon collective financial responsibility (London, 1999). Such a financial undertaking could not be sustained and the government was eventually forced into providing some assistance . As the circumstances of European Jewry deteriorated, the British Governments behaviour did not alter fundamentally. Britains overall response to the difficulty of Jews was characterized by caution and pragmatism subordinating humanitarianism to Britains self interst (Friedman and Klein, 2008). Jewish refugees were also associated with supposedly criminality and lack of hygiene. As Jewish refugees became linked with the social problems of urban life, attention was directed on their likely social cost. Recently created immigration officers now needed to make judgements about who was likely to be a burden on the rates. It becomes apparent at this time the need to let in only those who will be economically useful to the British nation and those not likely to need welfare (Hayes Humphries, 2004). Between November 1938 and September 1939, the numbers of Jewish refugees entering Britain were in excess of 40,000 (Stevens, 2004) and by the start of the war, about 80,000 refugees had come to Britain, including 10,000 unacompanied children on the kindertransport The reality that Britain took in these Jewish refugees has an iconic significance for its self definition today as a generous and hospitable nation. The anniversaries of the Second World War has been on Britains heroic role, not only in defeating the Natzis but in providing a place of safety for Jewish refugees. However there was significant resentment towards the refugees from all the divisions of society, particulary the press (Friedman and Klein, 2008). An editorial in the Sunday express in 1938 stated: [But] just now there is a big influx of foreign Jews into Britain. They are over-running the country. They are trying to enter the medical profession in great numbers. They wish to practise as dentists. Worst of all, many of them are holding themselves out to the public as psychoanalysts. There is no intolerance in Britain today. And by keeping a close watch on the causes that feed the intolerance of the Jews in other European countries, we shall be able to continue to treat well those Jews who have made their homes among us. Conflict also came from professional and trade bodies. Jewish refugee doctors coming over to Britain had a difficult time and negative attitudes were also found in the foreign office. Common anti-Jewish prejudice was influential in preparing government policy (Friedman and Klein, 2008). Following the end of the second world war the shortage of labour required many European countries to look to Asia, the Caribbean and Africa for workers to rebuild the continent. Britain, looked towards its old colonies and in the 1940s and 1950s many African-Caribeean, Southeren Asian and African people entered Britain (Okitikpi, 2003). Unlike the Jews before them, these black immigrants had citizenship rights as well as a strong idedological connection. However these citizens were treated as short-term visitors, migrant workers and it was hoped that they would return home and not require the benefits of long term settlement (Hayes Humphries, 2004). By the 1960s and the 1970s the enactment of successive excluding immigration and nationality acts certified the tightening of the immigration rules in order to decrease the flow of migration into Britain (Hiro 1992; Seddon, 2002). In 1978 Margeret Thatcher expressed her thoughts about the swamping of Britain by immigrant culture,it is apparent that the old racist xenophobia was not far under the surface, such a logic was implicit in the way an alleged popular opinion against immigration was used to build support for new nationality laws in Britain which was pursued by the Thatcher government (Baumgartl and Favell, 1995). Towards the end of the 1980s there was an increase in the number of asylum- seekers arriving in Britain. Between 1981 and 1988, the average number of asylum-seekers arriving each year in Britain was less than 4000 increasing in 1989 to 11,640 and it reached a peak in 1991 to 44,840 asylum applications (Bloch, 2000). The year 1989 marked a turning point, with the start of an asylum migration of Turkish Kurds, Somalis, Anggolans and Congolese. The government viewed asylum as a policy problem (Rutter, J, 2006). The media and public opinion. Conclusion It is easy to forget that the arrival of large numbers of Jewish refugees was regularly met with a less than rapturous welcome by the Government, trade unions, certain newspapers and indeed sections of the Jewish community itself. chapter 3 Legislative Asylum achieved a great political profile in Britain during the 1990s. Until the 1990s, Britain had no specific asylum legislation (Sales, 2002). The Asylum and Immigrations appeal Act 1993 was the first act, concerned predominantly with controlling entry. It created processes for dealing with asylum applications, introduced restrictions to social housing for asylum seekers and benefits for asylum seekers were set at seventy percent of income support. An asylum seeker would only be housed in temporary accommodation while his/her asylum claim was being determined. This is a lengthily process and can sometimes take years. Asylum seeker families can be kept in inadequate housing for lengthily periods, with no security, subject to sudden moves, resulting in difficulties in securing school and nursery places and being able to register with a GP (Fitzpatrick, 2005). The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 also restricted the social rights of asylum seekers. The act withdrew cash benefits for asylum seekers and introduced vouchers following court judgement that local authorities should provide necessary subsistence for destitute asylum seekers. Adults were not allowed to receive cash, but were housed and given subsistence in kind and in the form of vouchers (Sales, 2002). The labour Party came into power in May 1997. It assured to alleviate the pressure on local authorities and began a review of the system for asylum seekers. The result was the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (which came into effect in April 2000). This Act was more draconian than any other measures introduced by the previous Conservative government (Fitzpatrick, 2005). The Act confirmed that with exceptions contained in regulations, everyone subject to immigration controls is to be denied council housing and a range of non-contributory benefits. These benefits comprise the core, means tested benefits of last resort (income support, income based jobseekers allowance, council tax benefit, housing benefit, a social fund payment) and family and disability benefits ( working families tax credit, child benefit, severe disablement allowance, invalid care , attendance allowance, disabled persons tax credit, disability living allowance). In addition, the act disentitles those subject to controls from National Assistance Act and Children Act support, solely on the basis of destitution (Cohen, 2002). The Act gave a series of new powers to the Home Secretary, mainly in relation to appeals (Chatwin, 2001: 7) and extended the powers of search and arrest and detention of asylum seekers. The most controversial clauses concerned the extension of the voucher scheme to all asylum seekers and compulsory dispersal. The local authorities direct role in supporting asylum seekers ended and was replaced with NASS (National Asylum Support System). NASS operates on the presumption that the mass of asylum seekers are undeserving and bogus, while the minority granted Convention status are the deserving (Sales, 2002). Vouchers Asylum seekers who receive section 4 support are entitled to free temporary accommodation and thirty five pounds a week in vouchers provided by accommodation providers. No change can be issued for these vouchers. Vouchers come in a variety of forms, such as paper vouchers, luncheon vouchers and card gift vouchers (where credit is loaded onto a plastic card and deducted as it is being spent). Luncheon vouchers are accepted in more than one shop, whereas paper vouchers and card gift vouchers limit the person to shopping in certain shops. Long distances may have to be travelled to collect these vouchers from the post office and when using the vouchers difficulties can arise in the shops. Shops that accept vouchers are more expensive than other shops and markets not participating in the scheme, shop staff may not always recognise or know how to process vouchers (British refugee council, 2008). A study from the home office (home office, 2001) which was used as evidence about the operation of the voucher scheme when it was reviewed in 2001, found out about asylum seekers experiences of using vouchers. 205 asylum seekers completed questionnaires which were translated by trained interviewees. In depth interviews were also conducted with asylum seekers. Many asylum seekers completing the questionnaire reported they felt embarrassed when collecting the vouchers because they perceived that people were looking at them. Asylum seekers also felt embarrassed when other people complain about the asylum seeker in the queue as delays have occurred. Many asylum seekers also felt distressed about the difficulty they have adding up the shopping and knowing which vouchers to use. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 This Act allowed for asylum seekers to be accommodated in large accommodation centres, with sites containing about 800 people, asylum seekers would receive health care, full board and education. Regardless of being expensive to build, the Home Office was clear on its justification of the new centres as a means of preventing asylum seekers from working illegally (Home Office, 2002). By the end of 2002 the Home Office identified eight prospective accommodation centres, the planning applications for these centres proved to be a focal point for anti-asylum campaigns. Another focus fo ant-asylum campaigners was the publication of quarterly asylum statistics. This occurrence became a radicalised ritual. The Home Office published its data and the tabloid media responded with articles on the growing issue of asylum seekers. But in concentrating on the crisis in numbers the government creates an image of hordes of people seeking to enter the UK (Rutter, 2006). The legislation also enables NAS S benefit to be withheld from a person who fails to make a claim for asylum as soon as possible when entering the country. Initially this power applied only to single asylum seekers, but has been extended to families. This has led to many people being left without any means of support and homeless. Local authorities are prevented by the legislation from providing support to failed asylum seekers. This excludes vulnerable children who may be at risk from accessing support from social services (Fitzpatrick, 2005). Asylum and Immigration (treatment of claiments) Act 2004) This particular Act contained 50 sections. The Act was nearly twice as long as when it was first presented to parliament. The legislation allows for asylum seekers to be moved to a third world country (of which the asylum seeker is not a citizen) without having a right to appeal or entering the thorough determination procedures (Refugee Council, 2004). The legislation also provides electronic monitoring of asylum seekers who appear over 18. This was suggested by ministers as a humane alternative to detention (Rutter, 2006). Furthermore the legislation widens the existing power to deny support from asylum seekers who fail to claim asylum immediately when entering the UK. NASS benefit may then be withdrawn from failed asylum seekers who refuse to return home. Parents may then have to consider leaving the UK and returning to a place of danger or the possibility of having their children removed from them. Asylum and Immigration Act 2006 Although the number of asylum seeking applications had decreased at this point, the government aimed to enhance the immigration system in line with their objectives of stronger immigration controls. This is achieved by introducing civil and criminal penalties of up to  £2,000 per illegal employee and a possible 2 year prison sentence for those who knowingly employ an illegal worker. Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 The legislative changes in this Act are projected to compliment the Australian stle points based system introduced for immigration. The detention of children still remains at this point. Child poverty Act 2010 Every Child Matters In 2001, the opening of the public inquiry into the death of a child abuse victim Victoria Climbie led to the government paper Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003). The chair, Lord Laming assured that it would mark a turning point in the protection of vulnerable children. The inquiry report (Laming, 2003) made 108 recommendations and seeked to ensure that children do not fall through the safety net of protection. It identified five broad outcomes for children. These are to be healthy, to stay safe, enjoying and achieving, contributing to society and achieving economic well being. They aim to provide children and young people with support, sharing, promote better information and a comman assessment framework for professionals to certify clear accountability and to establish multi-disciplinary teams based around universal services. The Laming inquiry is significant to the situation of asylum seekers. Victoria Climbie, who came to the UK with her great aunt was tortured and neglected and eventually died in horrifying circumstances. Victoria was not an asylum seeker, she and her Aunt were French nationals but their immigration status excluded them from claiming benefits and housing under the habitual residence test. It is apparent from Lord Lamings report that it was the issue of accommodation and financial support that brought Victoria to the attention of social services. The government however subsequently introduced legislation to prevent EU nationals and asylum seekers in the same position as Victoria Climbie from accessing this type of help from social services (Fitzpatrick, 2005). It would appear that asylum seeker children are not treated as children in the general population and their immigration status is viewed first and foremost, rather than the fact that they are children and that every child in the U K should matter, regardless of their immigration status. Chapter 4 Tentions This chapter will attempt to assess the governments assurance that every child matters in the UK and how far this is extended to including asylum seeking children. There are a number of pieces of legislation that are of concern to asylum seekers and legislation that appears to exclude them. Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claiments, etc) Act has been a severely controversial provision which gives the Home Office powers to terminate all welfare support to failed asylum seekers. The tension between policies for safeguarding and protecting children and controlling immigration is evident in policy and practice. Every child matters As discussed in the previous chapter, in 2004 the government published Every Child Matters: Next Steps (DfES 2004) a green paper on childrens services, followed by the children Act 2004. The green paper and legislation was prompted by the inquiry into the murder of eight year old Victoria Climbie. Prior to her death, Victoria Climbie and her carers had extensive contact with social services, the police and hospitals, all of whom failed to share information with one another and ultimately failed to intervene to protect Victoria Climbie (Lord Laming, 2003). The Every Child Matters (ECM) framework aims to bring about root-and -branch reform of childrens services at every level to ensure that all children and young people achieve five main outcomes. The governments aim, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have te support they need to: Be healthy (physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually), to follow a healthy lifestyle and choose not to take illegal drugs; Stay safe (from maltreatment, neglect, violence, sexual exploitation, accidental injury and death, bullying and discrimination, crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school and to have security, stability and to be cared for; Enjoy and achieve through learning by being ready for school, attending and enjoying school, achieving stretching national educational standards at primary and secondary school, achieving personal and social development and enjoying recreation; Make a positive contribution to society by engaging in decision making and supporting the community and environment, engaging in law abiding and positive behaviour in and out of school, developing positive relationships and choosing not to bully or discriminate, developing self confidence and successfully dealing with significant life changes and challenges and developing enterprising behaviour; and Achieve economic well-being by engaging in further education, employment or training on leaving school, being ready for employment, living in decent homes and sustainable communities, having access to transport and material goods and living in households free from low income. The ECM framework is considered a positive step in improving childrens services however there is a view that immigration controls take prority over welfare consideration. The UKs Reservation to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), confines the application of the principles of the CRC in the instance of children and young people who are subject to immigration control, has been in place since the convention was confirmed in 1991 and has been criticised by parliamentary committees in the UK and the international monitoring body for the CRC which states: The committee is further concerned that..the ongoing reform of the asylum and immigration system fails to address the particular needs and rights of asylum-seeking children and recommended that the government: address thoroughly the particular situation of children in the ongoing reform of the immigration and asylum system to bring it into line with the principles and provisions of the convention. Committee on the Rights of the child (2002) Concluding Observations on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paragraph 47 and 48(g). Whilst the Reservation has been present for some time, the difference with the existing approach is the extent to which local authorities and others accountable for providing protection and support to children and their families have been encouraged to prevent children subject to immigration control from the provisions of the Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004 and the CRC. Consequently, the two systems with which children subject to immigration control are most affected immigration and social services- are gradually more at odds with one another. As they have competing objectives and aims, each has tried to compel the other to behave differently (Crawley, 2006). Social service departments have tried to provide support and improve the worst effects on children within hostile practical and political contexts. This position has produced complications for local authorities who are not fully reimbursed for these costs and for the children and families who do not get the thorough protection they need. Imperative questions are raised about the extent to which social services departments can be expected to provide on their duty under welfare law and at the same time participate in the role in controlling immigration. Accompanied asylum seeking children have less rights than citizen children as they are supported through NASS and do not usually have access to child welfare benefits or the provisions of the Children Act, although they do have the right to health care and legislation. Unaccompanied children and the question of age. An unaccompanied minor is a child under 18 years of age who has been separated from both parents and is not cared for by an adult, who by law or custom, is responsible to do so (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 1997). Children who are separated from their parents or carers and who try to claim asylum in the UK battle to negotiate an asylum system designed for adults and a child protection system focussed on children who live in their own community within their own families (Crawley, 2006). Many unaccompanied young people find their plea for asylum to be disbelieved. Those who should slot into the care system as children find their application challenged by immigration officers who class them as adults. Age is key in determining the treatment of young asylum seekers. Many asylum seekers do not have the correct documentation and there is no reliable medical test. The burden of proof is with the applicant (Mitchell, 2003). Age determines the treatment of asylum seekers by s ocial services. Many social services departments remain hesitant to treat 16 and 17 year olds as children in need and often treating them with suspicion (Morris, 2003). Many are supported under section 17 of the 1989 Children Act, often in poor quality bed and breakfast accommodation. The organisation Save the Children, reported concerns about children living with adults not known to them, some were placed in hostels with adults who suffer mental health or drug problems (Mayor of London, 2004). A child whose age is unclear will also be treated as an adult for the purpose of asylum determination procedures. Reasons as to why it is unsafe for a child of his or her origin to return back to their country will not be taken into account when assessing the asylum claim. The fast tracking of age disputed cases can result in vulnerable children being returned back to their country of origin with no appropriate reception arrangements in place and without the assistance of an in-country appeal (Crawley, 2006). Home Office statistics on age disputed applications were published for the first time in 2005 and indicate that in 2004, 5,335 asylum applications were made by individuals who stated that they were less than 18 years of age. Of these, nearly half (44%) were age disputed and treated as adults (Home Office, 2005). This implicates the support and welfare that is made available to them. Clearly there are powerful child protection arguments for ensuring adults do not find their way into the care system.. However if a child is incorrectly identified as an adult they can be forced into adult asylum and accommodation arrangements, including detention or dispersing them to an area in the UK where they have no contacts or support and will not be subject to child protection procedures or be entitled to leaving care services. Section 9 Section 17 of the Children Act obliges practitioners, wherever possible, to provide services for children and their families with the aim of promoting the up bringining of children in their families. It makes clear that the welfare of a child is paramount and that a childs interests are best served within its own family. However local authorities are openly prohibited from using Section 17 of the Children Act to provide support to children and families made destitute as a result of Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claiments, etc). Local authorities then have little choice but to separate children from their families and support them in local authority accommodation under setion 20 of the 1989 Children Act. The governments stated justification for implementing section 9 has been disputed. All the evidence implies that improving the scope and quality of voluntary removal schemes, rather than making families destitute, would be a more successful way of encouraging v oluntary removal (Cunningham and Tomlinson, 2005). The Home Affairs Select Comittee (HASC) rebuked the Home Office for pushing ahead with such contentious legislation. The HASC questioned the Home Office Minister, Beverley Hughes, on the proposals on 19th November 2003. Whilst she began by declaring that it was not at all the governments intention to make people destitute, her testimony offered little reassurance. David Winnick, one of the Select Committees Labour MPs, asked whether it would be fair to describe the policy as starve them out? Whilst Hughes denied this when asked whether the government intended to deny families every form of support and allow their children to be taken into care, she replied, Yes, that is what we are proposing (HASC, 2003: Evidence pp. 8-9). In short, some of the most vulnerable children in the world are routinely denied basic protection

European Colonialism and Imperialism in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay

European Colonialism and Imperialism in Shakespeare's The Tempest William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest reveals how ideologies of racial ‘otherness’ served to legitimize European patriarchal hegemony in Elizabethan England. In the Elizabethan/ Jacobean times of England there were many relevant ideologies relevant to this play. In examining the values and ideologies this text endorses and challenges, the society of the time (Elizabethan England), and a knowledge of how it operated serves a great purpose in analyzing these relationships. As in many texts of this time, Shakespeare is endorsing many ideologies of his time, and, although many have labelled him ahead of his time in many respects in his writing, he is, essentially writing from the Elizabethan or Jacobean point of view and time. The Tempest endorses the inequitable relationships between races based upon the belief of European superiority. The representation of race and ethnicity in The Tempest reveals a text that is awash with imperialist European ideologies. In a play which usurpation is a dominant theme, Shakespeare endorses Prospero’s appropriation of the island and it’s aboriginal population. The representation of Caliban and his brother Sycorax reveals the extent to which racist and sexist ideologies function to maintain the balance of power in the hands of a small, ruling, elite. Indeed, it should be noted that The Tempest is more than a simple play. Rather, it is a complex and multi-layered literary construction. As it cannot be reduced to the single issue of race to investigate the imbalance of power in the play. Attention must be given to the way patriarchal notions of gender inform racial representations in order to understand the imbalances of power i... .... An investigation into the imbalance of power in the play reveals the ideologies of race and gender that drive the power dynamics of the play. The construction of the inferior nature of non-European characters is firmly grounded in imperialist, European and patriarchal values. The Tempest presents the appropriation of the island and it’s inhabitants by Prospero’s imperial patriarchal regime as entirely natural and inevitable, based upon the inherent inferiority of the original population. In doing so, the play is a precise repetition of imperialist rhetoric, which legitimizes European annexation of ‘other’ lands and peoples over which they have no legitimate claim. Bibliography/ Works Cited Shakespeare, W. The Tempest. Ed. Sutherland, J.R. (1990) G. Wilson Knight, (1932) The Shakespearean Tempest, Oxford B. Thompson, (1995) Notes on The Tempest

Negative Peer Pressure Essay -- Peer Pressure Speech

Go on." "Everybody's doing it." "It's only one drink." "You're such a loser." I didn't know what to do. All these voices were repeating themselves over and over in my head. I didn't want to give into them because I knew what I was doing was wrong. I didn't want everyone to think I was scared but what if my parents found out. Why was I here? Are these people really my friends if they are really doing this to me? These were the vital questions that I didn't know the answers to. I knew in my heart it was wrong but I gave in. This is usually the typical outcome of a scene like this. It is called peer pressure. It can be disguised in many different forms. In this essay I am going to look at different ways in which teenagers can be influenced by peer pressure. Many teenagers experiment with cigarettes, drugs or alcohol. It is likely that they take their first cigarette, drink or drug because of pressure from peers or friends. The influence of friends who smoke is the main reason teenagers start, although you are also more likely to start if your parents do. Cigarettes, like alcohol, are an acquired taste but over eight per cent of people who smoke in their teens become permanently hooked. Often adolescents drink to feel less uncomfortable and more relaxed with friends and peers and because they are encouraged to do so by other teenagers. Regular excessive drinking can lead to poor school work, social and emotional problems, the use of other drugs and sometimes even suicide, The main difference between alcohol or cigarettes and other drugs is that once you are over a certain age you can legally buy alcohol and cigarett... ...y develop other symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches. Some sufferers feel short of energy and want to sleep all the time; others will have difficulty in sleeping and become very tired. Tiredness, lack of interest and difficulty in concentrating can affect schoolwork. Depressed people often lose interest in hobbies and activities and feel cut off from the people around them. They feel worthless and believe they have no power to change the situation they are in. some young people turn to drug or alcohol abuse, sleeping around, crime, skipping school or running away from home. These can all be ways of distracting themselves from their feelings. Depression has to be taken seriously and sufferers need to seek immediate help. Counselling, psychotherapy or sometimes medication can make recovery quicker and easier.