The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Two

Elena was surrounded the instant she stepped into the high school parking lot. Everyone was there, the whole crowd she hadn't seen since late June, plus four or five hangers-on who hoped to gain popularity by association. One by one she accepted the welcoming hugs of her own group. Caroline had grown at least an inch and was slinkier and more like aVogue model than ever. She greeted Elena coolly and stepped back again with her green eyes narrowed like a cat's. Bonnie hadn't grown at all, and her curly red head barely came up to Elena's chin as she flung her arms around Elena. Wait a minute-curls? thought Elena. She pushed the smaller girl back. â€Å"Bonnie! What did you do to your hair?† â€Å"Do you like it? I think it makes me look taller.† Bonnie fluffed up the already fluffy bangs and smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement, her little heart-shaped face alight. Elena moved on. â€Å"Meredith. You haven't changed at all.† This hug was equally warm on both sides. She had missed Meredith more than anyone, Elena thought, looking at the tall girl. Meredith never wore any makeup; but then, with perfect olive skin and heavy black lashes, she didn't need any. Right now she had one elegant eyebrow raised as she studied Elena. â€Å"Well, your hair is two shades lighter from the sun†¦ But where's your tan? I thought you were living it up on the French Riviera.† â€Å"You know I never tan.† Elena held up her hands for her own inspection. The skin was flawless, like porcelain, but almost as fair and translucent as Bonnie's. â€Å"Just a minute; that reminds me,† Bonnie interjected, snatching one of Elena's hands. â€Å"Guess what I learned from my cousin this summer?† Before anyone could speak, she informed them triumphantly: â€Å"Palm reading!† There were groans, and some laughter. â€Å"Laugh while you can,† said Bonnie, not at all disturbed. â€Å"My cousin told me I'm psychic. Now, let me see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She peered into Elena's palm. â€Å"Hurry up or we're going to be late,† said Elena a bit impatiently. â€Å"All right, all right. Now, this is your life line-or is it your heart line?† In the crowd, someone snickered. â€Å"Quiet; I'm reaching into the void. I see†¦ I see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  All at once, Bonnie's face went blank, as if she were startled. Her brown eyes widened, but she no longer seemed to be staring at Elena's hand. It was as if she were lookingthrough it-at something frightening. â€Å"You will meet a tall, dark stranger,† Meredith murmured from behind her. There was a flurry of giggles. â€Å"Dark, yes, and a stranger†¦ but not tall.† Bonnie's voice was hushed and faraway. â€Å"Although,† she continued after a moment, looking puzzled, â€Å"he was tall, once.† Her wide brown eyes lifted to Elena's in bewilderment. â€Å"But that's impossible†¦ isn't it?† She dropped Elena's hand, almost flinging it away. â€Å"I don't want to see any more.† â€Å"Okay, show's over. Let's go,† Elena told the others, vaguely irritated. She'd always felt psychic tricks were just that-tricks. So why was she annoyed? Just because that morning she'd almost freaked out herself†¦ The girls started toward the school building, but the roar of a finely tuned motor stopped them all in their tracks. â€Å"Well, now,† Caroline said, staring. â€Å"Quite a car.† â€Å"Quite a Porsche,† Meredith corrected dryly. The sleek black 911 Turbo purred through the parking lot, searching for a space, moving as lazily as a panther stalking prey. When the car came to a stop, the door opened, and they glimpsed the driver. â€Å"Oh, my God,† Caroline whispered. â€Å"You can say that again,† breathed Bonnie. From where she stood, Elena could see he had a lean, flat-muscled body. Faded jeans he probably had to peel off at night, tight T-shirt, and a leather jacket of unusual cut. His hair was wavy-and dark. He wasn't tall, though. Just average height. Elena let out her breath. â€Å"Whois that masked man?† said Meredith. And the remark was apt-dark sunglasses completely covered the boy's eyes, shielding his face like a mask. â€Å"That maskedstranger ,† someone else said, and a babble of voices rose up. â€Å"Do you see that jacket? That's Italian, as in Roma.† â€Å"How would you know? You've never been farther than Rome, New York, in your life!† â€Å"Uh-oh. Elena's got that look again. The hunting look.† â€Å"Short-Dark-and-Handsome had better be careful.† â€Å"He isn't short; he's perfect!† Through the chatter, Caroline's voice suddenly rang out. â€Å"Oh, come on, Elena. You've already got Matt. What more do you want? What can you do with two that you can't do with one?† â€Å"The same thing-only longer,† drawled Meredith, and the group dissolved into laughter. The boy had locked his car and was walking toward school. Casually, Elena started after him, the other girls right behind her in a close-knit pack. For an instant, annoyance bubbled up inside her. Couldn't she goanywhere without a parade on her heels? But Meredith caught her eye, and she smiled in spite of herself. â€Å"Noblesse oblige,† Meredith said softly. â€Å"What?† â€Å"If you're going to be queen of the school, you have to put up with the consequences.† Elena frowned at this as they entered the building. A long corridor stretched before them, and a figure in jeans and leather jacket was disappearing through the office doorway up ahead. Elena slowed her pace as she walked up to the office, finally stopping to glance thoughtfully at the messages on the cork bulletin board by the door. There was a large window here, through which the entire office was visible. The other girls were openly gazing through the window, and giggling. â€Å"Nice rear view.† â€Å"That isdefinitely an Armani jacket.† â€Å"You think he's from out of state?† Elena was straining her ears for the boy's name. There seemed to be some kind of trouble in there: Mrs. Clarke, the admissions secretary, was looking at a list and shaking her head. The boy said something, and Mrs. Clarke lifted her hands in a â€Å"What can I say?† gesture. She ran a finger down the list and shook her head again, conclusively. The boy started to turn away, then turned back. And when Mrs. Clarke looked up at him, her expression changed. The boy's sunglasses were now in his hand. Mrs. Clarke seemed startled by something; Elena could see her blink several times. Her lips opened and closed as if she were trying to speak. Elena wished she could see more than the back of the boy's head. Mrs. Clarke was fumbling through piles of paper now, looking dazed. At last she found a form of some kind and wrote on it, then turned it around and pushed it toward the boy. The boy wrote briefly on the form-signing it, probably-and returned it. Mrs. Clarke stared at it a second, then fumbled through a new pile of papers, finally handing what looked like a class schedule to him. Her eyes never left the boy as he took it, inclined his head in thanks, and turned to the door. Elena was wild with curiosity by now. What had just happened in there? And what did this stranger's face look like? But as he emerged from the office, he was settling his sunglasses in place again. Disappointment coursed through her. Still, she could see the rest of his face as he paused in the doorway. The dark curly hair framed features so fine that they might have been taken from an old Roman coin or medallion. High cheekbones, classical straight nose†¦ and a mouth to keep you awake at night, Elena thought. The upper lip was beautifully sculpted, a little sensitive, a whole lot sensual. The chatter of the girls in the hallway had stopped as if someone had thrown a switch. Most of them were turning away from the boy now, looking anywhere but at him. Elena held her place by the window and gave a little toss to her head, pulling the ribbon out of her hair so that it fell loose around her shoulders. Without looking to either side, the boy moved on down the hallway. A chorus of sighs and whispers flared up the moment he was out of earshot. Elena didn't hear any of it. He'd walked right by her, she thought, dazed. Right by without a glance. Dimly, she realized the bell was ringing. Meredith was tugging her arm. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I said here's your schedule. We've got trig on the second floor right now. Come on!† Elena allowed Meredith to propel her down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, and into a classroom. She slid into an empty seat automatically and fixed her eyes on the teacher at the front without really seeing her. The shock still hadn't worn off. He'd walked right by. Without a glance. She couldn't remember how long it had been since a boy had done that. They all looked, at least. Some whistled. Some stopped to talk. Some just stared. And that had always been fine with Elena. After all, what was more important than boys? They were the mark of how popular you were, of how beautiful you were. And they could be useful for all sorts of things. Sometimes they were exciting, but usually that didn't last long. Sometimes they were creeps from the beginning. Most boys, Elena reflected, were like puppies. Adorable in their place, but expendable. A very few could be more than that, could become real friends. Like Matt. Oh, Matt. Last year she'd hoped that he was the one she was looking for, the boy who could make her feel†¦ well, something more. More than the rush of triumph at making a conquest, the pride in showing your new acquisition off to the other girls. And shehad come to feel a strong affection for Matt. But over the summer, when she'd had time to think, she'd realized it was the affection of a cousin or sister. Ms. Halpern was passing out trigonometry books. Elena took hers mechanically and wrote her name inside, still wrapped in thought. She liked Matt more than any other boy she'd known. And that was why she was going to have to tell him it was over. She hadn't known how to tell him in a letter. She didn't know how to tell him now. It wasn't that she was afraid he'd kick up a fuss; he just wouldn't understand. She didn't really understand herself. It was as if she were always reaching for†¦ something. Only, when she thought she'd got it, it wasn't there. Not with Matt, not with any of the boys she'd had. And then she had to start all over again. Fortunately, there was always fresh material. No boy had ever resisted her successfully, and no boy had ever ignored her. Until now. Until now. Remembering that moment in the hall, Elena found that her fingers were clenched on the pen she held. She still couldn't believe he'd brushed by her that way. The bell rang and everyone flooded out of the classroom, but Elena paused in the doorway. She bit her lip, scanning the river of students flowing through the hall. Then she spotted one of the hangers-on from the parking lot. â€Å"Frances! Come here.† Frances came eagerly, her plain face brightening. â€Å"Listen, Frances, you remember that boy this morning?† â€Å"With the Porsche and the-er-assets? How could I forget?† â€Å"Well, I want his class schedule. Get it from the office if you can, or copy it from him if you have to. But do it!† Frances looked surprised for a moment, then grinned and nodded. â€Å"Okay, Elena. I'll try. I'll meet you at lunch if I can get it.† â€Å"Thanks.† Elena watched the girl go. â€Å"You know, you really are crazy,† Meredith's voice said in her ear. â€Å"What's the use of being queen of the school if you can't pull a little rank sometimes?† returned Elena calmly. â€Å"Where do I go now?† â€Å"General Business. Here, take it yourself.† Meredith thrust a schedule at her. â€Å"I've got to run for chemistry. Later!† General Business and the rest of the morning passed in a blur. Elena had hoped to catch another glimpse of the new student, but he was in none of her classes. Mattwas in one, and she felt a pang as his blue eyes met hers with a smile. At the lunch bell, she nodded greetings right and left as she walked to the cafeteria. Caroline was outside, posed casually against a wall with chin up, shoulders back, hips forward. The two boys she was talking to fell silent and nudged each other as Elena approached. â€Å"Hi,† Elena said briefly to the boys; and to Caroline: â€Å"Ready to go in and eat?† Caroline's green eyes barely flickered toward Elena, and she pushed glossy auburn hair out of her face. â€Å"What, at theroyal table ?† she said. Elena was taken aback. She and Caroline had been friends since kindergarten, and they had always competed with each other good-naturedly. But lately something had happened to Caroline. She'd begun to take the rivalry more and more seriously. And now Elena was surprised at the bitterness in the other girl's voice. â€Å"Well, it's hardly as if you were a commoner,† she said lightly. â€Å"Oh, you're so right about that,† said Caroline, turning to face Elena fully. Those green cat-eyes were slitted and smoky, and Elena was shocked by the hostility she saw there. The two boys smiled uneasily and edged away. Caroline didn't seem to notice. â€Å"A lot of things changed while you were gone this summer, Elena,† she continued. â€Å"And just maybe your time on the throne is running out.† Elena had flushed; she could feel it. She struggled to keep her voice steady. â€Å"Maybe,† she said. â€Å"But I wouldn't buy a scepter just yet if I were you, Caroline.† She turned and went into the lunchroom. It was a relief to see Meredith and Bonnie, and Frances beside them. Elena felt her cheeks cool as she selected her lunch and went to join them. She wouldn't let Caroline upset her; she wouldn't think of Caroline at all. â€Å"I got it,† said Frances, waving a piece of paper as Elena sat down. â€Å"And I have some good stuff,† said Bonnie importantly. â€Å"Elena, listen to this. He's in my biology class, and I sit right across from him. And his name is Stefan, Stefan Salvatore, and he's from Italy, and he's boarding with old Mrs. Flowers on the edge of town.† She sighed. â€Å"He isso romantic. Caroline dropped her books, and he picked them up for her.† Elena made a wry face. â€Å"How clumsy of Caroline. What else happened?† â€Å"Well, that's all. He didn't really talk to her. He's ver-r-ry mysterious, you see. Mrs. Endicott, my biology teacher, tried to get him to take off his glasses, but he wouldn't. He has a medical condition.† â€Å"What kind of medical condition?† â€Å"I don't know. Maybe it's terminal and his days are numbered. Wouldn't that be romantic?† â€Å"Oh, very,† said Meredith. Elena was looking over Frances's sheet of paper, biting her lip. â€Å"He's in my seventh period, History of Europe. â€Å"Anybody else have that class?† â€Å"I do,† said Bonnie. â€Å"And I think Caroline does, too. Oh, and maybe Matt; he said something yesterday about how it was just his luck, getting Mr. Tanner.† Marvelous, Elena thought, picking up a fork and stabbing at her mashed potatoes. It looked as if seventh period was going to beextremely interesting. Stefan was glad the school day was almost over. He wanted to get out of these crowded rooms and corridors, just for a few minutes. So many minds. The pressure of so many thought patterns, so many mental voices surrounding him, was making him dizzy. It had been years since he had been in a swarm of people like this. One mind in particular stood out from the others. She had been among those watching him in the main corridor of the school building. He didn't know what she looked like, but her personality was powerful. He felt sure he'd recognize it again. So far, at least, he'd survived the first day of the masquerade. He'd used the Powers only twice, and then sparingly. But he was tired, and, he admitted ruefully, hungry. The rabbit hadn't been enough. Worry about that later. He found his last classroom and sat down. And immediately he felt the presence of that mind again. It glowed at the edge of his consciousness, a golden light, soft and yet vibrant. And, for the first time, he could locate the girl it was coming from. She was seated right in front of him. Even as he thought it, she turned around and he saw her face. It was all he could do not to gasp in shock. Katherine! But of course it couldn't be. Katherine was dead; no one knew that better than he did. Still, the resemblance was uncanny. That pale golden hair, so fair it almost seemed to shimmer. That creamy skin, which had always made him think of swans, or alabaster, flushing faintly pink over the cheekbones. And the eyes†¦ Katherine's eyes had been a color he had never seen before; darker than sky blue, as rich as the lapis lazuli in her jeweled headband. This girl had those same eyes. And they were fixed directly on his as she smiled. He looked down from the smile quickly. Of all things, he did not want to think about Katherine. He didn't want to look at this girl who reminded him of her, and he didn't want to feel her presence any longer. He kept his eyes on the desk, blocking his mind as strongly as he knew how. And at last, slowly, she turned around again. She was hurt. Even through the blocks, he could feel that. He didn't care. In fact, he was glad of it, and he hoped it would keep her away from him. Other than that, he had no feelings about her at all. He kept telling himself this as he sat, the droning voice of the teacher pouring over him unheard. But he could smell a subtle hint of some perfume-violets, he thought. And her slender white neck was bowed over her book, the fair hair falling on either side of it. In anger and frustration he recognized the seductive feeling in his teeth-more a tickling or a tingling than an ache. It was hunger, a specific hunger. And not one he was about to indulge. The teacher was pacing about the room like a ferret, asking questions, and Stefan deliberately fixed his attention on the man. At first he was puzzled, for although none of the students knew the answers, the questions kept coming. Then he realized that that was the man's purpose. To shame the students with what they didn't know. Just now he'd found another victim, a small girl with clusters of red curls and a heart-shaped face. Stefan watched in distaste as the teacher badgered her with questions. She looked wretched as he turned away from her to address the entire class. â€Å"You see what I mean? You think you're pretty hot stuff; you're seniors now, ready to graduate. Well, let me tell you, some of you aren't ready to graduate kindergarten. Like this!† He gestured toward the red-haired girl. â€Å"No idea about the French Revolution. Thinks Marie Antoinette was a silent film star.† Students all around Stefan were shifting uncomfortably. He could feel the resentment in their minds, and the humiliation. And the fear. They were all afraid of this thin little man with eyes like a weasel, even the husky boys who were taller than he was. â€Å"All right, let's try another era.† The teacher swung back to the same girl he'd been questioning. â€Å"During the Renaissance-† He broke off. â€Å"Youdo know what the Renaissance is, don't you? The period between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, in which Europe rediscovered the great ideas of ancient Greece and Rome? The period that produced so many of Europe's greatest artists and thinkers?† When the girl nodded confusedly, he continued. â€Å"During the Renaissance, what would students your age be doing at school? Well? Any idea at all? Any guesses?† The girl swallowed hard. With a weak smile she said, â€Å"Playing football?† At the ensuing laughter, the teacher's face darkened. â€Å"Hardly!† he snapped, and the classroom quieted. â€Å"You think this is a joke? Well, in those days, students your age would already be proficient in several languages. They would also have mastered logic, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and grammar. They would be ready to go on to a university, in which every course was taught in Latin. Football would be absolutely the last thing on-† â€Å"Excuse me.† The quiet voice stopped the teacher in midharangue. Everyone turned to stare at Stefan. â€Å"What? What did you say?† â€Å"I said, excuse me,† Stefan repeated, removing his glasses and standing up. â€Å"But you're wrong. Students in the Renaissance were encouraged to participate in games. They were taught that a healthy body goes with a healthy mind. And they certainly played team sports, like cricket, tennis-and even football.† He turned to the red-haired girl and smiled, and she smiled back gratefully. To the teacher, he added, â€Å"But the most important things they learned were good manners and courtesy. I'm sure your book will tell you that.† Students were grinning. The teacher's face was red with blood, and he was sputtering. But Stefan continued to hold his eyes, and after another minute it was the teacher who looked away. The bell rang. Stefan put his glasses on quickly and gathered his books. He'd already drawn more attention to himself than he should, and he didn't want to have to look at the blond girl again. Besides, he needed to get out of here quickly; there was a familiar burning sensation in his veins. As he reached the door, someone shouted, â€Å"Hey! Did they really play football back then?† He couldn't help throwing a grin over his shoulder. â€Å"Oh, yes. Sometimes with the severed heads of prisoners of war.† Elena watched him as he went. He'd deliberately turned away from her. He'd snubbed her on purpose, and in front of Caroline, who'd been watching like a hawk. Tears burned in her eyes, but at that moment only one thought burned in her mind. She'd have him, even if it killed her. If it killed both of them, she'd have him.

Tampakan Mining – Case Study

Tampakan Project Sustainability Report 2010 Contents 1 1 2 4 6 10 12 16 20 22 About the Tampakan Copper Gold Project Map of operations Executive General Manager’s message General Manager’s message Targets and Scorecard Scope of the report Our sustainable development strategy and corporate governance Corporate governance and Sustainable Development management system Our economic contributions Case study: Training in high-value crop production boosts income, prepares farmers for Tampakan Project 24Our people and their workplace 24 Employing locally 24 Employee training and education 25 Labor relations 25 Non-discrimination policy 28 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 30 31 Safety and Health behavioral based Safety (bbS) Safest mine award Occupational health Health control and services Health and hygiene monitoring First Aid and emergency response Health promotion and awareness Health impact assessment Case study: Hazard reporting Case study: Tampakan Project promotes safety culture inside and out 32 32 32 33 33 33 33 34 34 34 35: 36 37Sustainable communities Corporate Social Involvement Socio-economic sustainability Environment programs Cultural sustainability Stakeholder consultation and engagement Community sustainability management systems Community grievance Free and Prior Informed Consent and resettlement Artisanal and small-scale mining Case study: mobile Community Information and Resource Center Case study: SMI supports innovative education programs Case study: SMI trains barangay health workers 38 38 38 39 39 39 39 40 40 40 40 40 41 42 43 43 43 45 46 47Environmental performance Environmental incidents Reforestation program Environmental Management System Environmental Impact Assessment Water management biodiversity Climate change Waste management Energy Mine closure and rehabilitation Ongoing rehabilitation post mine closure Case study: Training on production of high-quality seedlings Case study: Study on Lake buluan completed Product stewardship Coppe r and Sustainable Development Copper and health Summary of key sustainability data Global Reporting Initiative Index Glossary About Xstrata plcXstrata is a global diversified mining group, listed on the London and Swiss stock exchanges. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Xstrata maintains a meaningful position in seven major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, nickel, vanadium and zinc, with additional exposure to gold, cobalt, lead and silver. The Xstrata Group also comprises a growing platinum group metals business, iron ore projects, recycling facilities and a suite of global technology products, many of which are industry leaders. The Group’s operations and projects span 20 countries.About Xstrata Copper Xstrata Copper is the world’s fourth largest copper producer. In 2010, its attributable mined production of copper contained in cathodes and concentrates reached 931,500 tonnes. It is also one of the world’s large st producers of smelter and refined copper, including from third-party materials. Headquartered in brisbane, Australia, Xstrata Copper is one of the commodity business units within the major global diversified mining group, Xstrata plc. Its mining and metallurgical operations and development projects span eight countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, PapuaNueva Guinea, Peru, the Philippines and the United States. Its operations and projects are administered through a regional divisional management structure, which ensures that critical decisions are taken close to the related businesses. Xstrata Copper also has a recycling business (Xstrata Recycling) with plants in the United States and offices in Canada and Asia. b TAMPAKAN PROJECT About the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project The Tampakan Copper-Gold Project is located on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, approximately 40 kilometers north of General Santos City.The Project is situated on the boundaries of four province s: South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur, and represents one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits. The Tampakan Project is a 2. 4 billion metric ton deposit, containing 13. 5 million metric tons of copper and 15. 8 million ounces of gold at a 0. 3 % cut-off grade. The Project is operated by Philippine-based affiliate Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), whose 40% controlling equity is a joint venture between Xstrata Copper (62. 5%) and Indophil Resources NL (37. %). The 60% non-controlling equity shareholders of SMI are the Tampakan Mining Corporation and Southcot Mining Corporation (known as the Tampakan Group of Companies). SMI submitted the Mining Project Feasibility Study for the Tampakan Project to the Philippine government in April 2010 and is progressing with the Mine and Off-site Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). SMI expects to submit the Mine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the government by the second half of 2011. I n December 2010, the Project employed 372 employees and 1,185 contractors.The Tampakan Project is managed by Xstrata Copper and adheres to the Xstrata Group’s industry-leading Sustainable Development (SD) Policy and Standards, business Principles, Code of Conduct and Policy on bribery, Fraud and Corruption. Map of operations Manila Catanduanes Mindoro Masbate Samar Ley te Cebu Negros Palawan MINDANAO Zamboanga Davao Tampakan General Santos SUSTAINAbILIT y REPORT 2010 1 Executive General Manager’s message Xstrata Copper’s Asia Pacific projects made significant progress in 2010, achieving a number of important milestones.The strong recovery in global demand for copper in 2010, together with robust copper prices, enabled Xstrata Copper to finish the year with a solid set of operational and financial results. The business was well positioned to take advantage of these favorable economic conditions as a result of the actions taken by our management teams during 2009 in response to the global financial crisis, including prudent cost reductions in the context of an unwavering focus on sustainable development and on our growth strategy.Xstrata Copper’s commitment to sustainable development remained firm in 2010 and was reflected in the 22 national and regional awards presented to our sites during the year for excellence in this field. At the Group level, Xstrata retained its position as Mining Sector Leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2010/11, for the fourth consecutive year, and was named as the Super Sector Leader for basic Resources industries. As part of the Xstrata Group, the principles of sustainable development are integral to our business model and guide our daily decision-making.We take a systematic approach to setting targets, monitoring performance and reporting, both internally and externally, against our sustainable development policy, standards and targets. Throughout the year, our sustainable development performa nce was closely monitored and evaluated by the Xstrata Copper Sustainable Development Committee. Our sites also participated in a range of internal and external audits to provide assurance against the sustainability standards of Xstrata Copper and those of the Xstrata Group.Following an annual review of our management policies, we launched an integrated Xstrata Copper Sustainable Development Policy in May which: strengthened our published position on human rights; improved the alignment between the policy objectives of the Xstrata Group, Xstrata Copper and our operations; and simplified our overall sustainable development framework. Due to the significant advancement of our project development pipeline, in early 2010 Xstrata Copper restructured the organization of our project development activities to capitalize on our regional synergies in South America and Asia Pacific.Under the new structure, Executive General Manager – Project Development South America, bob Drabik, assume d responsibility for the development our Antapaccay, Las bambas and El Pachon projects in Peru and Argentina. As Executive General Manager- Project Development Asia Pacific, I retained responsibility for the Tampakan project in the Philippines and Frieda River project in Papua New Guinea. Our Asia Pacific projects made significant progress in 2010, achieving a number of important milestones. In April, the Tampakan project submitted its Mining Project Feasibility Study to the Philippine government.The project also completed its mine site Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in December, for public consultation and submission during 2011. In addition, the project commenced the EIA process for its offsite infrastructure, including the port, power station, filter plant, transmission lines and pipelines, in the second half of the year. The Frieda River project delivered its pre-feasibility study in October 2010 and commenced a drilling program and technical studies for a feasibility stu dy which is TAMPAKAN PROJECT scheduled for completion in January 2012. The project also continued to undertake extensive environmental baseline studies and stakeholder engagement activities for its ESIA which is scheduled for completion in 2011. The health and well-being of our employees, contractors and visitors continued to be a key priority for the Asia Pacific projects throughout the year. In 2010, the projects achieved their Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) target of

HENRIETTA LACKS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

HENRIETTA LACKS - Assignment Example This created a debate in the science and research world on whether we are in control of what we are made of (Skloot, pp.1-3). The story of Henrietta Lacks brings up the question of consent and whether a patient should be told when his or her cells are put in use. During the 1950s, there was no law against these practices but now there are laws that have to be adhered to. The question of informed consent remains a major ethical issue in nursing practise. He-la cells have had an Impact in medicine and vaccination. They have been used to find a vaccine for polio and even in the study of diseases such as tuberculosis and many others that have in turn changed the medicine world (Skloot, pp.3-7). This story also serves as an inspiration to leave an impact on the nursing community. Henrietta died a long time ago, but her influence is still felt up to today. Through cultural knowledge scientists can study human tissue and develop a cure for diseases as soon as they occur. The centre for disease control engages in the practice of development of cell-based flu vaccines which has helped nurses to fight outbreaks all over the world such the swine flu outbreak. Nurses have used the study stem cell culture for therapeutic and research activities affect health leading growth of medicine as a branch of science (Nagy, Rossant, Nagy, Abramo, Newerly,

Integrating Language and Mathematics Learning Essay

Integrating Language and Mathematics Learning - Essay Example Apart from acquiring oral, written, and reading skills in English, they also need to learn to use these skills in content areas like mathematics and science. Mathematics is defined as â€Å"The study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols† or â€Å"a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement†. (www.thefreedictionary.com) Information about various subjects is communicated using mathematics, and in this respect it is often considered a language with its own vocabulary and grammar. Mathematical symbols from many alphabets and fonts constitute the vocabulary, and mathematical logic which decides the validity or otherwise of a mathematical argument and forms the grammar of mathematics. â€Å"All academic language is more abstract than social language. Because this is particularly so in math and science, these subjects present a special challenge to English learners. These students must be explicitly taught to use academic language.† (Muir) Contrary to common perceptions, mathematics has its foundations in attempts to describe and solve real life issues. Concrete examples include the need to measure farms using geometry, understanding why apples fall with the aid of calculus and understanding the risks in gambling using probability. Mathematics does also involve the study of some areas which deal with abstract matters lacking any known physical manifestations. Though the ability to handle numbers with ease and use of mathematics are crucial to employability and job success, LEP students are often denied the required level of mathematics education since it was believed that English language skills had to be acquired before even basic mathematical or computational skills could be taught. A compartmentalized system of language and mathematics education was the norm for LEP students, but recent research suggests that integrating language and

White Collar Crime as a Non-Violent Type of Crime Assignment

White Collar Crime as a Non-Violent Type of Crime - Assignment Example Owing to its organizational nature, white collar crime requires an organizational approach towards mitigation. The text in this study will define through a proposal addressed to a financial institution how a Chief Risk Officer can strategize and implement measures to curb white collar crime within a financial institution. The text will highlight a risk strategy, overall organizational chart, software and technology, and finally the procedures and policies that will see to it that the institution’s finances are safe and transparent. Every organization requires measures that address threats or potential risks which may act as loopholes leading to white collar crime within or beyond the organization. The offered consultative measures feature governance that is sustainable, programs that manage risks, and compliance with the set measures that work to manage, monitor, identify, and remediate the entire organizing process in preventing the vicious. Access means that all organizational documentation and data has controlled exposure to affect both its security and privacy. This is because access to such crucial aspects of an organization means that modification and/or misuse of the same can enable the one possessing them to exercise whatever they wish. The set access controls should be designed to ensure that the right person accesses the information or documentation they need, only when they need it. This is important because unauthorized personnel cannot misuse such, and in case of any crime, then it is possible to narrow down to the few who have the access (Pontell & Geis, 2010). Again, security should go beyond the organization level, especially in cases where there is internet use. Most firms store or conduct their activities online, where it is known that virtual transactions and storages are prone to cracking and hacking. As such, there should be measures that comply with up-to-standard IT security to curb these risks.  Ã‚  

Case Study 11 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study 11 - Research Paper Example There is extreme competition to be the first to market between the three major companies. The first company to market with new capabilities has historically been able to capture the major suppliers of video games for each console. Once the console is able to capture enough game titles, the company console will have secured the main amount of revenue. With the gaming industry, although the console companies might attempt to be the low-cost provider, the discount and retail companies do not attempt to sell the consoles below a certain standard price. Among manufacturers of consoles there is a price effect for products with similar capabilities and this was evident when the Nintendo DS was able to continue to hold the leader in sales of hand-held consoles. The Nintendo DS was $130, and the PSP was $150. The industry is highly focused on graphics and having the best resolution for the games. The focus of the major consoles has been to capture the avid gamers who want High definition grap hics and higher computing power. â€Å"The processing capabilities of the Sony PlayStation 2, in particular, allowed game developers to create complex games that were presented at a high screen resolution.† 2. ... This part of the industry is important because consumers will not purchase the system unless there are enough games to warrant such a purchase. The strongest competitive force are the competitive rivalry between each game console and the customers bargaining power. The reason the competition is the strongest force is due to the fact that each of the companies rush to be the firs to market with the next great thing, causing great pressure on rivals to produce something either similar or better. When Sony tried to compete with the new Xbox, it rushed the PS3 along too quickly and lost sales in the process. The weakest force is the threat of new entrants who would have to pay large amount of research and development costs in order to enter into the market. The costs are between $2-7 million for research and development and then production would be even more costly. The emerging competitive force that would have the great effect on industry attractiveness is the bargaining power of buyer s. A new console would enter into a market with a lot of buyers, who as shown by the Nintendo Wii would like to play an interactive game within the family or in a group setting. Once the technology is available the new entrant could also produce a new console, undoubtedly at a higher cost and possibly capture some of the new market. The fact that the market hasn't competed on price in most cases also is an attractive factor for a new entrant. 3. How is the video game system industry changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those driving forces individually or collectively change competition in the industry? The video game industry is

Moral delemmas Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Moral delemmas - Research Paper Example al. March 2009). During intense police pursuit, some police officers mistakenly use their pistols instead of the taser gun. The facts of the case so states that BART Officer Johannes Mehserle killed Oscar Grant while trying to subdue Mr. Grant during an arrest. Officer Mehserle mistaken used his pistol instead of his taser to subdue the suspect and accidentally killed the suspect. Note that there are a number of moral dilemmas that often result from the use of taser guns. The people involved in the situation including the arresting officer, police department authorizing the use of taser guns and the suspect often have to deal with a number of moral issues resulting from the incident such as what happened between Officer Johannes Mehserle and Oscar Grant. In the police operation, both the arresting officer and the suspect are at risk. As it is, ethical dilemmas often happen arise in connection with the arrest. The first moral dilemma that we need to look into is whether or not the pol ice department should allow police officers to use tasers when subduing suspects. Note that unruly suspects can endanger the lives of the people around including the apprehending police officers. If the police officers are not allowed to use taser guns on suspects, the suspects may turn against the officers and hurt them on the process. Moreover, if police officers do not use taser guns, they will need to use other forms of deterring force to subdue the suspects. Without the taser gun, the apprehending police officers will need to have direct body contact with the suspect. Using deterring force such as manhandling the suspect who resists arrest can also cause harm on the suspect and may even result to lawsuits against the police force. Note that cases involving â€Å"police brutality† are very common and often brings headaches to the police department. We have to understand that when a police officer comes near the suspect and have direct bodily contact with him or her, any c an happen. A twist in the arm can have different effect on different people and because we cannot be sure what kind of damage a simple bodily contact can have and what will be the reaction of the person arrested, it is still better for the police officer to maintain distance from the suspect and use taser guns. Also in cases of pursuits when the suspect is running away from the arresting officer, the use of taser gun can be very handy. Come to think of it, if the police officer does not use a taser gun in apprehending an escaping suspect, the suspect may get away and may commit another crime. When the police officer fails to apprehend a known suspect who has committed a series of crimes, he/she gives permission to that suspect to commit yet another crime. Yes, the whole idea that an escaped suspect can cause more harm to innocent people is disturbing so it is very important for police officers to have the right tools to do their jobs. Also if the suspect gets away, the police depart ment will need to use more resources to hunt down and capture the suspect. The cost of hunting down and apprehending a suspect can be enormous and given the limited budget of the police force, the department does not have the luxury of letting a suspect escape. While allowing the police officers to use taser guns to apprehend suspects have many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. Using taser guns involve risk and it may cause harm on people. According to Grant et al. (March 2009),

Google Organizational Structure and Culture Essay

Google Organizational Structure and Culture - Essay Example The organizational design of Google is flatter with wide span of control, which signifies there are a few managers to whom all the subordinates report. Wide span of control is efficient because it is perceived to be both time and cost effective, as it involves a decentralized flow of information and requires comparatively few managers. They are associated with decentralization, which signifies that the decision-making authority is bestowed upon not only the top management but also it is provided to other members of the organization. As a result the supervisory power is somewhat minimal in the organization. The organization has 20,000 employees and has four hierarchical levels. CEO is in the top level; followed by CEO, there is Vice President of the company to whom every member of the individual departments of the organization reports. These departments include engineering, product, sales, human resource, and finance, legal and business strategy. The engineering heads maintain the dev elopment of all the products; product managers are involved in maintenance of products and handling the marketing staffs; sales department handles the entire sales of different region which is ultimately looked after by the regional head of the sales department. Human Resource department maintains all the manpower related records in the organization. The finance section involves in handling the financial works and maintaining the financial records of the company. Legal department is also involved in different legal procedures of the company and business strategy department takes the various strategies which may be required by the company in due course of time. The lower level workers of the organization are allotted in teams on the basis of the assigned works or assignments. In certain cases, teams are arranged from each and every functional areas based on the markets and products. The organizational culture is flexible and organic and is not much formal. The communication and inter action among the employees is carried out regularly on various issues and good interrelationship is prevalent among them (Griffin & Ebert, 2005). With reference to the above description of the organizational structure adhered in Google, a flow chart is presented below: 1.2. Google’s Organization Chart Figure 1: Organizational Chart of Google 1.3. Is The Organization Design Shown In Your Chart Appropriate For Google? Why or Why Not? The organizational design which is mentioned in the chart is suitable for Google as organizational hierarchy is clearly designed keeping in mind the flat structure of Google. There are various departments in the organization. All the departments of the organization are highlighted by a hierarchical design. Each departmental manager handles and maintains every functions of that department. In this chart, flat hierarchical structure is designed with CEO in the first level and under him the Vice President, who analyses all the departments such as engi neering, production, sales, human resource, finance, and legal and business strategy of the organization. But these departments have top managers to handle the subordinates (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009). Therefore, it can be established that the organizational structure is appropriate for Google. 2. What Type Of Global Organization Structure Is Google Using? In Your

Effect of Force Majeure or Act of God Essay Example for Free

Effect of Force Majeure or Act of God Essay If upon the happening of a fortuitous event or an act of God, there concurs a corresponding fraud, negligence, delay or violation or contravention in any manner of the tenor of the obligation as provided for in Article 1170 of the Civil Code, which results in loss or damage, the obligor cannot escape liability. It has been held that when the negligence of a person concurs with an act of God in producing a loss, such person is not exempt from liability by showing that the immediate cause of the damage was the act of God. To be exempt from liability for loss because of an act of God, he must be free from any previous negligence or misconduct by which that loss or damage may have been occasioned. Fortuitous Event an event which could not be foreseen, or which, though foreseen is inevitable. Essential Characteristics of a Fortuitous Event 1. Cause is independent on the will of the debtor;  2. Impossibility of foreseeing or impossibility of avoiding it to be foreseen even if foreseen; 3. Occurrence renders it impossible for debtor to fulfill his obligation in a normal manner; and 4. Debtor is free from any participation in the aggravation of the injury to the creditor. General Rule: No liability in case of fortuitous event Exceptions: 1. By contrary stipulation in the contract;  2. Declared by law e.g. Art 552(2), 1268, 1942, 2147, 2148, 2159 of the New Civil Code; 3. Nature of the obligation requires assumption of risk when expressly declared by law; 4. When the obligor is in default or has promised to deliver the same thing to 2 or more persons who do not have the same interests (Art. 1165 (3)) Art. 1174. Except in cases expressly specified by the law, or when it is otherwise declared by stipulation, or when the nature of the obligation requires the assumption of risk, no person shall be responsible for those events which could not be foreseen, or which, though foreseen, were inevitable. If the performance of this Agreement, or any obligations hereunder is prevented, restricted, or interfered with by reason of: fire, flood, earthquake, explosion or other casualty or accident or act of God; strikes or labor disputes; war or other violence; any law,  order proclamation, regulation, ordinance, demand or requirement of any governmental authority; or any other act or condition whatsoever beyond the reasonable control of the affected party, the party so affected, upon giving prompt notice to the other party, shall be excused from such performance to the extent of such prevention, restriction or interference; provided, however, that the party so affected shall take all reasonable steps to avoid or remove such cause of non performance and shall resume performance hereunder with dispatch whenever such causes are removed.

Educational psychology Essay Example for Free

Educational psychology Essay I am a big proponent of social cognition, and I am going to use it in my classroom. I believe that is a student puts their mind to something, and they really try to accomplish that goal it can be done. In order to elicit this response one must often use the operant condition when it comes to learning. People thrive on the words of others and their praise. â€Å"In operant conditioning the organism learns that a particular behavior produces a particular consequence. If the consequence is useful or pleasurable, the organism will tend to repeat the behavior to produce the consequence again. If the consequence is unpleasant, the organism will tend not to repeat the behavior. Pleasant consequences are sometimes called ‘rewards’, and unpleasant consequences are sometimes called ‘punishments’ (Berger p 42. )† This theory came about by the studies of B. F. Skinner. This is where I tend to move towards metacognition and self-efficacy. I believe that when a student does well on something it is quite satisfying, and they would like to see this result again. They noticed that when they studied hard the reward was the good grade. They receive their grade and self-gratification sets in. If they did not study they may fail the test and they are then negatively reinforced because they do not want to see this result again. I want to use this conditioning and encourage my students to do well. I know they can do it; they just have to have the right attitude and behavior about it. An example of this reinforcement is if I tell my student, â€Å"good job, I really enjoyed that†, when referring to a project they did; the student will most likely work harder and come up with and even more impressive project. My student wants the affirmation that he did a good job. The student want the positive reinforcement as it brings about a rewarding stimulus. This not only gets the student to do their work it also gets him thinking metacognitivly, which he will benefit from later on in life. He is looking at what he did to get my praise and analyzing what he did, and looking at how he can do better. This is exactly what I want from my students I want them to take an active role in their education. He does not know it, but my student through operant conditioning has arrived at a deep thought process. It is brilliant. As teachers I believe we use operant conditioning every day. We will prompt our students with cues helping them arrive at the answer. In giving the students positive reinforcement they do get a true yearning to learn. It may start out as just for the reward, but it is my hope that eventually they realize learning is the reward. Classical conditioning is useful, and thanks to Pavlov; we see that it works. I do want to condition somethings so that there is an automatic response. For example, when I ask my students quite down they will automatically respond to my voice, I know optimistic. In general though I prefer operate conditioning as it goes deeper into thinking. I again go with the cognitive approach when it comes to motivation. When someone internally processes something it becomes more real. It means more to them. When a student reflects on his work and looks at how he can improve upon it. This very closely reflects extrinsic motivation. Here someone does something to obtain something else. This could relate to the student who studies to obtain a good grade. I like this theory and will apply it to my classroom, because I really want to get my students gears turning. â€Å"They emphasize the importance of creating learning environments that encourage students to become cognitively engaged and take responsibility for their learning. This goal is to get students to become motivated to expend the effort to persist and mat ideas rather than simply doing good enough work to just get my and make passing grades (Perry, Turner, Meyer, 2006, p 467. )† If my students can come to the point of realization that studying equals doing well in the class I am in a good spot. Many students know this but they do not fully believe it because they have never tried (Wigfield, 2006, p 463.) Even stronger than this is intrinsic motivation. This motivation becomes so real to the student when they realize they can self-determine their outcomes. I love this method so much. The student is growing and understanding how to truly learn, they are learning that what they learn truly effects them. â€Å"In this view, students want to believe that they are doing something because of their own will, not because of external success or rewards (Deci, Koestner, Ryan, 2001, p 464. )† They have learned to stop relying on others; they have learned to push themselves through life. â€Å"Researchers have found that student’s internal motivation an intrinsic interest in school tasks increase when students have some choice and some opportunities to make personal responsibility for their learning (Grolnick, 2002, p 464. )† I want to motivate them by allowing them some freedom in my class. I will give my students choices because they then be more motivated to do the work with all their effort. The thing is, whatever choice they make they are still learning! Also they are processing it all through information processing to make sure that how they are acting now will be duplicated. They know their actions constituted a response from me, which was giving them more freedom. They enjoyed this stimulus and will want it to continue, so they will work really hard. This loops them all the way back to operant conditioning and positive reinforcement! It is all connected. Another big thing with this idea is interest. â€Å"Interest is especially linked to measure of deep learning, such as recall of main ideas and responses to more difficult comprehension questions, than to surface learning, such as responses to simple questions and verbatim recall of text (Wigfield, 2006, p 466. )† This is where I hope my passion for history comes in. I want to get my students excited about history. If I do get my students excited they will show interest and if they show interest they will understand the history at a deeper level than they normally would. My management plan also fits in with these ideas. I am going to run my classroom according to the authoritative perspective. I will be the teacher and the students will follow my rules, but they will be integrated into the classroom. My students will have a say as to what goes on in my classroom, in our classroom (Baumrind, 1971, p 513.I will manage my classroom with effect rules that can be up for change depending if the students do not agree with the rules. â€Å"To function smoothly, classrooms need clearly defined rules and procedures. Students need to know specifically how you want them to behave. Without clearly defined classroom rules and procedures, the inevitable misunderstandings can breed chaos (Evertson Emmer, 2009, p 515. )† I will have my procedures laid out at the beginning of the year so that the kids will have excuse when they do not follow the rules. I will be integrating William Glassers management plan. He suggested that there be a classroom meeting every once and while. This is just a chance for the students to say yes or no regarding structures of the classroom. I will also manage my classroom by listening to what my students have to say. I want them to know that I do care. I want them to trust me. If there is mutual peace between us, there will be far less conflicts that arise. â€Å"When most of us think of your favorite teacher, we think of someone who cared about whether or not we learned. Showing that you genuinely care about student as individuals apart from their academic work helps gain their cooperation (Pianata, 2006. )† Students feel safe and secure when the teacher shows that he cares. The classroom atmosphere if much more relaxed. It is not up tight and tense. If I teach like this a lot of anxiety and stress will be avoided. Target Group I am getting my teacher degree in secondary education. I will be teaching at the high school level. I would like to, at least some point in my career, teach in the Christian school system. I grew up in it, and I love what their mission is. I also would not mind teaching in a public school. It would be good experience for me and help me grow as a teacher. I would like to teach in traditional public schools and in Christian schools. I would like the experience of both. Public schools would allow me to reach out to those who are really in need and to those who thirst for knowledge and cannot get it anywhere except through free public education. This would be especially true if I were in an inner city situations. I would not mind this at all as I volunteer now helping with inner city children. I have a heart for them and would love to serve as a teacher there someday. I want to offer them knowledge and help them meet their full potential. I also would like to teach at a charter school. I observed a classroom at a charter school and I really liked. It is a good system and is run well and I would like to be a part of it, at least for a time. So, I am happy at any school; I will go where God sends me. The ages that I will be teaching will be ranging from the age of thirteen to nineteen. It is my hope that I will be teaching history. There is a scarcity of history teaching jobs right now, and I hope that will be able to find one. I absolutely love history and I really want to teach it. The other subjects I would be teaching would be biology or just a general science class, and depending on where I teach, bible class. I would also like to teach at a smaller high school, about six-hundred to seven-hundred students. A big high school with two thousand people, I believe, is too impersonal. A smaller high school, like my own, is just the right size and encourages kids to get to know one another. Also, in a big school I could not be as relational to the students as I would want to because there would be so many in all my classes. Environment and Routines If things are not explained clearly, or if things are not put in a well thought out manner; a teacher may run into behavior problems. In order to create good student behavior I plan to take the three-step approach that the Wongs developed. I need to teach my students how to follow procedures, or else I will run into problems. I must first explain the classroom procedure as clearly as I possibly can, and if there are questions I will answer them. Also it is a good idea to distribute my procedures at the beginning of the semester or at the beginning of a certain activity so the students know what is expected. After I explain what is going on I should practice or rehearse the procedure until it becomes routine. â€Å"Behaviors must be taught, modeled, practiced, and retaught (Wong p 175. )† In going over the procedures repeatedly the students then understand what is expected of them. Finally I must reinforce this procedure and I also must reinforce what is the wrong procedure. After going about this my students will know exactly how to act and what is expected of them, and there should be very few behavioral problems. A positive classroom environment involves both the teacher and the student. The students must respect the teacher and his authority. They must listen to what the teacher has to say, and they must be disciplined when they do not. The teacher also must respect the students. He must listen to what the students have to say, and he must not make it a dictatorship where the classroom is harsh and rigid in structure. The kids are only human. â€Å"A positive classroom environment encourages participation and risk-taking because students know they will not be harassed or belittled by the teacher. Students do not have to shrink within themselves to survive the forty-five minutes, ninety minutes, or full day with teacher who yells, throws things, or makes hurtful comments. In a positive classroom environment students can make jokes, engage in their learning, banter with the teacher, and feel comfortable with the tasks given. † (Kendrick) In a classroom a teacher should be encouraging to his students. He should let the students know that he believes in them. Students do not do well in class when their teacher does not believe in them. They stop trying, viewing themselves as failures, and it carries on later into life. I want to have a positive classroom environment. In order to achieve this I am going to teach from an authoritative classroom management style. I will encourage my students to think for themselves, if I think for them no real learning is accomplished. I will engage my students and show that I do care about them. I will listen to what they have to say and if things need to be changed I will. I will allow them freedom within their education and learning in my classroom; but I will still clarify the rules and establish the standards with some student input. I am not there to be their friend, but I do want them to understand that I care about them and to have some say in their education. I care whether or not I learn, and if I am doing something wrong I want them to feel comfortable telling me. To achieve a connection with the students I must be a good oral communicator. I must clearly communicate the information I am presenting. I will use words and ideas that meet the level of understanding of my class. I do not want them getting lost in my rhetoric. They will automatically tune me out if they think I am teaching above them; I have even done this myself without realizing it. Also many teachers speak way too fast and the students cannot keep up, or the teacher talks way too slow and the students are lost to boredom. I must teach at an appropriate pace so that my students learn and remain interested. When I teach, especially in history, I must be precise. I am going to avoid being vague. My students will fail or do below their academic level if I am vague. I also will not just teach the facts; facts are what lose classes when it comes to history. History is so much more than just dates and it is still relevant today, even though they are just a bunch of, â€Å"old dead guys. † Also I will have what I am going to do for class planned out. I do not want to be disorganized, and I am not going to wing it through my teaching. I will have my lesson ready for each class so that I am ready to teach. The students will then have confidence in me as their teacher and I will not lose time to senseless things. (Florez, 1999) Each class period I am going to start with a couple of facts of history that happened on that day. This would just be a fun way to start off the class period. It is always to cool to see what happened in the past. I will begin each class with the objectives for the day so that the students know what we will be covering. I will not always give out note sheets for my lesson, but sometimes I will hand out fill in the blank notes so that they can keep up and still learn. I will have them ready before hand each period. Also I do plan to have some group projects. At the beginning of the year I will number them off as to create groups of four; I believe more than this can be counter-productive. As the year goes on I will let them choose their own groups; this being because I now know the dynamics of my classroom much better, and I can switch people if I know work will not be done. Every week I will allow the students to choose from a list of events in history relating to the period we are covering in class. I will have them explain what happened and how it relates to us today, and what we can learn from it. This project will consist of a one to two page paper and a one to two minute presentation. All history is relevant history and I want my students to understand that. As a history teacher, I would like major historical events to be represented on my walls. I am going to be going to be teaching secondary education. I will not have the cute and cuddly decorations, but I will still have things that will bring the classroom to life. One thing I must have in my classroom no matter what, is a copy of the Declaration of Independence. I will also have the students add to the classroom with their projects and other things they do so that they feel a part of the classroom. I want to have a classroom where the students are excited to be there, in good measure of course, so that it is not so distracting that they do not learn. Twice a week I am going to hold a classroom meeting. This is a meeting to make sure that my students are understanding the material, and that I am teaching to their needs. This is where the students really get to give their input on the class and what is going on. This idea was set forth by William Glasser. It follows my method of teaching, authoritative, and fits how I would like to relate to my students. This would take up to ten or fifteen minutes, but I do not believe it is wasted time. I will start off the meeting to see if anyone has any questions about the subject/time period we are on. I will establish if they are understanding it enough or not. Then I will ask for suggestions on things I can improve upon, and also ask for things that they like. I will then change some things and keeps some things according to how I think the classroom would best fit the current needs of the students. I will make sure to always hand my students test within a week of the test date. I also appreciated it when the teacher had a set time that they would get my test and assignments back to me. I believe it is important for them to see how they did and then gage how they can improve for the next time. At the beginning of the year I will establish things like this with them. They will then know what to expect from the class. I will set up my rules and regulations and procedures so that they will know how to act in my class. Also, every class period at the end I will have them write a few sentences on how what we learned in class effects us today. I want them to understand how the history we are learning relates to their own live and their interactions with others. Motivational Strategies Motivation focuses on mainly two categories, behavioral and cognitive. One of the big pushes in motivation is rewards or incentives. These are positive or negative stimuli that drive the student to succeed. This can be allowing the student to do something special, such as playing computer games or going on a field trip. The other big approach is internal motivation. The student’s thoughts are what guide their motivation. Motivation is what pushes students forward towards their objective. The cognitive perspective encourages giving students should be given more chances to do things of their own desire and to give them more responsibility. They are then taking their education into their own hands. They will have much more incentive to do well and strive for perfection; they are of course still monitored and rules still do apply. This strategy focuses on â€Å"goal setting, planning, and monitoring progress toward a goal (Shunk, 2008, p 462. † If a student has a goal before them they will want to achieve it. This strategy has the student look at how their actions determine the outcome of their school work. They take responsibility and gain more incentive to do well. There are another two main types of motivation associated with behavioral and cognitive motivation : internal and external motivation. Internal motivation is formed by our own wants, needs, and what we like to do. â€Å" It is determined by your personal values and goals. The drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing is essential for high levels of creativity. Enjoyment based internal motivation is the strongest and most pervasive driver as is a belief that it is a good or right thing to do. Often it is something we pursue even without a tangible result. † (Weisner) External motivation is the second kind of motivation. External motivation focuses much more on rewards than on one’s likes or goals. â€Å"Your motivation to attain your goal comes from a source outside yourself. It reflects the desire to do something because of external rewards such as awards, money, and praise. † (Weisner) This motivation tool is much less satisfactory than internal. In my classroom I will use this motivation, but I will try to use internal motivation when I can. If a student is doing something because he is motivated by rewards it is not near as gratifying if done for self interest. I will use both in my classroom as, unfortunately; sometimes rewards and external motivators are the only ones to get them to do their work. Some kids need incentives to be motivated to achieve their best, or to even try. They add interest or excitement to a classroom and in turn motivate them to do well. This is especially true of those who seem to not even care about the class (Emmer Evertson, 2009, p 460. ) If I see that there is somewhat of a lack of interest in what I am teaching I could implement a game. The more they know the better they will be at the game. Most people are competitive by nature, especially those who do not care it seems. So , a game in my class would motivate them to pay attention and learn the material. We could play history hot potato. A ball would be thrown around as history questions would be asked, if they took too long the student would have to sit down. The winner would then get maybe some extra credit points, or if I feel generous maybe some candy. In reaching the kids who do not care, I believe this is the best method. If they get something for learning they will start paying attention. This is not the most desirable, but this is sometimes the route that must be taken. (Skinner, p 236) There are also those who are just plain hard to reach; most of the time this stems from no confidence in themselves. I will most often use the cognitive approach when it comes to this. I will encourage them to set goals. I will encourage them and I will make sure they understand that they as a student can effectively control their environment. (Shunk) I will constantly encourage them and remind them that they are smart and that they can do it. I will also use Skinner’s operant conditioning in this situation. I will use positive reinforcement. I will reinforce their work with a smile, or a â€Å"good job†. Students feed off the praise of their teachers; we as humans naturally want to please others. Problem Behaviors The behaviors of students are not always conducive to the classroom and can cause disruptions. I will implement some rules so that they know exactly what is expected and I will have less problems. One rule that I think should be followed in my classroom is that the kids must be in their desks when the bell rings. This is a really good rule, because so much time can be lost on a class period just by making people sit down at the beginning. Another rule I would have for my classroom would be my students would have to bring all their books and materials to class. This rule is good as it is a distraction to people when someone leaves the room. A third rule I would have in my room would be ‘hands to yourself. ’ This rule prevents not only distraction between a couple people, but it also helps prevent distraction for others in the class. Another big rule I will have is no swearing, cursing, profanity, coarse jokes, or vulgar of any kind will be allowed in my classroom. They are not called for and should not be used, let alone in my classroom. A fifth and final rule I would implement would be that my kids would have to raise their hands to answer a question. If the kids just blurt out answers it will be chaos and I will not be able hear what people are trying to say. These five rules will help run my class smoothly. Rules however are not a safety net against behavioral problems. When dealing with behavioral problems I am not going to send my student to the principal’s office right away. The most desirable action when dealing with behavior problems is to work it out with the student first; after trying hard to work it out if the student still refuses to listen then more drastic measures must be taken. I would at first use minor interventions. (Evertson and Emmer, 2009, p 528. ) Nonverbal communication can be very useful when dealing with disruptions. One thing I could do is when a student is acting up is take make eye contact with them. I could give them the look, and convey with my eyes that what they are doing is not appropriate or I could make signs such as shaking my head, hand signal, or put my finger to my lips. This simple action lets the student know that they must get back on task. Another thing I could do is to keep the activity going. When there is not time in between things a student no longer has time to be disruptive. This way one does not even have to address the behavior issue; it is eliminated by procedure. Placement can even change the behavior. I can move the spot where I am teaching from. If a student is acting up I can move over by them and usually they will quite down and get back to work. Sometimes the student just needs to be reminded what they are supposed to be doing, I could address the class reminding them what they are supposed to be doing; in doing so the distracted student gets back on task. Also, a student may just need to be told no. I would need to keep eye contact and keep my voice down. I would address them with assertiveness and tell them that their actions are not accepted. I could also give the student a choice. He can either behave or accept the consequences. This makes him think and he will most likely choose to be good as to avoid a negative consequence. These strategies most often work as the student just gets off task and needs a little nudge in the right direction. The strategies above stem from positive and negative reinforcement and correlate with Skinner’s operant conditioning. The student, however, will not always respond to these strategies and more drastic measures. The students will not always cooperate and sometimes more moderate action must take place. Some students will abuse privileges, be disruptive, or interfere with my work with individual students. There are always the students who completely abuse the privileges they have been given, when this happen the teacher can take it away. This takes away an activity that the students use to enjoy and the next time they will think about their actions twice. They will not want to lose their freedom again. Also if a student acts up I could remove the student from positive reinforcement. If the student is removed from his element the gratification of his actions is taken away. I could take the student into the hall and talk to him one on one. This is never a pleasant experience and should stop the student from repeating the action; no one likes to hear, â€Å"can I see you in the hallway please. † Also I could impose a penalty such as extra homework; this needs to be done with care so as to not stem more annoyance with the class. (Evertson, Emmet, Worsham, 2009, p 528. ) Also I could have my student attend detention for their inappropriate behavior. This enforces that their actions will not be tolerated. â€Å"The teacher is given command over the student, who is expected to be respectful, submissive, and willingly obedient. When the pupil does not readily conform to the request made on him, discipline becomes necessary. By this is meant the use of coercive measures to bring about the desired behavior. †(Phenix p 41) If these actions still do not work a trip to the principal’s office or a phone call may be in order. Assessment Assessment is a big part of education, and helps a teacher gage how their students are doing. There are two main types of assessment in education, informal and formal. â€Å" ‘Informal’ is used here to indicate techniques that can easily be incorporated into classroom routines and learning activities. Informal assessment techniques can be used at anytime without interfering with instructional time. Their results are indicative of the students performance on the skill or subject of interest. Unlike standardized tests, they are not intended to provide a comparison to a broader group beyond the students in the local project (Navarete. )† I will use a variety of informal assessment to tools to gage how my students are doing. One tool I will be using is regular homework. This will tell me if they can grasp the subject enough that when asked to dive into the book and the content that they can give back to me a fair understanding of what is presented. Another tool I could use would be journaling. I would have my students journal about something they find interesting in what we are studying and then check how good their understanding of it is. When my class plays a game I can also check to see how well they know the material; if they are struggling for the answers something must done. Also general observation of my students is informal assessment. I would look for participation and understanding in class, and also as I would walk around I would observe their work. (Navarete. ) â€Å"Formative assessment is utilized to immediately determine whether students have learned what the instructor intended. This type of assessment is intended to help instructors identify material which needs to be clarified or re-taught and should not be used to evaluate or grade students. Results of formative assessment can assist instructors to ascertain whether curriculum or learning activities need to be modified during a class session or before the next class meets (Formative. )† I would quizzes mainly to judge this assessment. This is a quick way of assessing how much they know. It gages their current progress, not their progress as a whole. Other things would be reading quizzes to see if they get the material I have asked them to go over. It could also be something like a minute write where I have them write down something that tells me they understood what I thought during class that day. These tools give me a fast analysis or where they are at. Another assessment like this is the summative assessment. This assessment documents the students performance. This assessment uses a lot of standardized tests and things related to that format. This allows the tester to understand where the students are at as a whole. In the classroom I would use this when administering unit end tests. I can see how they have progressed and I can assess what to do better for the next unit. A Measure I would measure my students how they are doing on my tests and assignments, if they are failing I am doing something wrong. This, however, is not the only way that I would measure if my management plan was working. I would, as stated above, have classroom meetings. This would give me an opportunity to discuss with my students how the class is going. This would be my chance to get input on them on what I am doing right and what needs to be changed. I would hope that they would be mostly satisfied with the way things are going, but if they are not I will change my plan so they can learn better. This of course goes back to William Glasser and it also goes back to the authoritative management style. Glasser is very keen on having students involved in the classroom and the teaching process. I very much agree with him. The opinion of my students is very important to me. The authoritative plan also focuses in on the student’s role. They need to have a hand in their education. If their voice is not heard, the students will just continue to fail and the teacher will not know why. So, if my plan is working well my students will do well on their tests, quizzes, and assignments and they will have positive things to say at our classroom meetings. Our relationship will be a cordial one and not one of animosity. Completed Rubric 1. I believe that I have a very compelling argument for my planned proposal. It fits to the rest of my paper and sets a precedent for how I will go about running my classroom. I have many cited supports and they were all knowledgeable on the subjects I discussed. 2. I described all five of the target groups at a satisfactory level. I let the reader know exactly what my future looks like for teaching. The reader can look at any one of the components and know what I want to achieve in my vocation. 3. I believe that I very effectively communicated my rules policies and management ideas in such a way that is very understandable to students and teachers. This letter home is in a very nice format with great colors, and it is pleasing to the eye. It is attractive and professional.

Margaret Thatcher’s New Right and New Labour

Margaret Thatcher’s New Right and New Labour The welfare state can be defined as the process in which the Government takes the responsibility in paying for, and in some instances such as public healthcare, directly providing services for the people. Through measures such as unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, and other social-security processes, it further provides the social and economic security of its population (Jones et al, 2007, p.680). In addition, the responsibility of the state is to help families, who need support in bringing up their children, through providing a choice of services which promotes the welfare of children and family members (VSS, 2003, p.2). The welfare state existed as far back as medieval times when the monasteries in particular looked after and supported the frail and elderly and educated the children. In the 16th century, parishes became legally responsible for looking after the poor and the people of the parish were expected to pay the cost (Bartholomew, 2004, p.29). The Poor Laws (traced back to 1536) were passed by the UK government to provide housing to the poor, homeless or disabled and in the 1800s many workhouses were built to provide shelter, work, food and clothing to the destitute. In 1914 a new code was established which encouraged more generous relief to be given to widows but only to those of good habits who would bring up their families correctly and that workhouses should be used as a threat to weaker women as it was already being argued that the welfare system was changing the morals of society (Walsh et al, 2000, p. 35;36). The birth of the modern welfare state began in 1911 when Lloyd George and Churchill introduced the first compulsary national insurance scheme against unemployment (Bartholomew, 2004, p.51). In 1941 an enquiry was launched which put forward proposals on how to tidy up the state welfare and the Bevridge report was published in 1942. William Bevridge was disappointed in what the welfare state had become and his report focused on full employment continuing within a stable economy where both Conservative and Labour worked within similar ideologies at this time to keep this stability and growth (Harris, 2004, p. 289, Alcock et al, 2004, p. 246). He was a believer of the Keynes theory that suggested there was a need for Government intervention to manage the economy which would solve the problems of unemployment and this approach was adopted by the Labour party (Page, 1999, p.24). His report further outlined defeating the five giants: want, ignorance, disease, squalor and idleness and his ma in proposal was that a national security should be universal and be compulsary everyone would pay a flat-rate contributions to a national insurance scheme. Those who fell ill, became unemployable or reached retirement age would, in return, receive flat-rate payments (Bartholomew, 2004, p.57). His report made no special provision for lone parents at all, arguing that the reponsibility of supporting the unmarried mother would be her familys although the typical family (which was that of a working man, his wife and children) lived almost in an income tax free state. At the time there was a married-couples allowance and tax allowances paid for each child which made the two parent family more likely to succeed (Bartholomew, 2004, p.255). Feminists saw his report as advocating that the womens place should be in the home serving her husband and children (VSS, 2003, p.19) as Beveridge stated that married womens duties was the vital unpaid service which would ensure the adequate continuance of the British race and of the British ideals in the world (cited in Lewis et al, 2000, p.32). The years following the Second World War radically influenced British society the NHS was formed and various Acts such as the Education Act; Family Allowance Act and the National Assistance Act were introduced and National Insurance for the unemployed was developed (Walsh et al, 2000, p.46). The Labour government helped to create a more state orientated Britain which took place with the purchase of industries by the state however this focus changed when the Conservative government came into power in 1979 and the concentration shifted to privatisation (Burton, 1987, p.26). The Conservatives, led by Margaret Thatcher, faced the burdening situation of the governments finances, rise in unemployment and NHS budget, and an increase in welfare bills. She proposed major changes in the thinking about social welfare and how it should be administered. In order to considerably reduce the increasing demand on the welfare state, which she believed to be expensive and morally weakening, she shifte d the responsibility of welfare from the state to personal, private and voluntary organisations which would be more efficient and effective (Walsh et al, 2000, p.52). During her period in office, Thatcher was influenced by her belief that the traditional nuclear family was the central force of modern life that contributed to decency, manners, respect for property and law and self-reliance, and was the best atmosphere for raising children (Jones et al, 2007, p.156). The norms and values of society began to break down in the 60s and 70s when a more tolerant society began to emerge. Changes to social policies such as divorce legislation (Divorce Reform Act, 1969) and generous welfare benefits were blamed for society and values deteriorating and this had caused an increase in irregular families and household types (Douglas, 1990, p.412). Thatcher and the New Right believed that the only way social problems would end would be if the golden age returned in which people lived in conventional family units, women stayed at home, divorce was not considered, benefits for lone parents were low and tax allowance for children were paid out (Douglas, 1999, p.414 ). They further argued that the traditional values of womens roles and the tradition of marriage was important to hold society together (Jones, 2007, p.156). New Right thinking, although influential in the 80s during the Thatcher Government is not new and has been around since the 17th and 18th century. The belief was that the government should not intercede in peoples lives and freedom, and that any intervention would cause social problems to become worse rather than improving them. The New Right also differentiated between people who were thought to be deserving of help and welfare services (poor through no fault of their own) and those who were unemployed, lazy and wasted money who should not receive welfare and support (Page et al, 1999, p.23; 78). Although Thatcher was keen to encourage and maintain the roles and responsibilities of the traditional family unit for personal security, emotional satisfaction and care for family members, it became difficult due to changes in society and law, which allowed women more freedom. Abortions were legalised and the contraceptive pill became available for free. In addition several Acts were introduced which gave women the opportunity to be more equal to men such as the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Equal Opportunities Act (1995). Furthermore the marketization of the economy; deregulation and privatisation of labour markets and spreading owner occupation in an unstable housing market all played their part in the family breakdown and womens access to, and need for, jobs (Chadwick et al, 2003, p.8). As womens lives began to change, they moved away from their natural role of housewife and mother as divorce rates climbed and more lone-parent families became the nor m. The idea of family responsibility and informal care by the existing family was formally made public but in reality, it became more difficult for family members to support each other. The belief was that the normal nuclear family should be a family of two heterosexual adults, who were married and in a sexual relationship, producing children and instilling traditional moral values in them. Therefore the breakdown of the family and specifically the increase in lone parent families and illegitimacy were recognized as the cause of the increase in crime, unemployment, delinquency, educational underachievement and child poverty (Douglas, 1999, p.412; 413). Charles Murray whose New Right ideas greatly influenced Thatcher and Conservative thinking believed that society in the 1960s had done nothing to improve the life of the poor but instead had caused it to be worse by creating an underclass. Despite any evidence, he further argued that the welfare programmes had produced a rise in unemp loyment, crime and illegitimacy in the American underclass and defiantly stated that people were not owed a decent standard of living, it was something they had to work for (Page et al, 1999, p.79). Murray particularly blamed the children of lone parent families for social problems as he argued that the lack of both role models would increase their chance of living in poverty, becoming dependent on drugs, alcohol and benefits and therefore would increase the chance of them resorting to crime. He further stated that the welfare state encouraged dependency and a break from traditional values and argued that large benefits led to families not working, but remaining dependant on state benefits (Page et al, 1999, p.304; 78). Thatcher therefore believed that the only way to reduce poverty was by ending the benefit culture, removing this dependency and encouraging self-reliance. She would have preferred mothers not to work, as their responsibility was to be at home to care for and protect their children. More over it would have been desirable if there were no single mothers claiming income support. Dunn Toroosian (2009, p.74) argues that the terms legitimate and illegitimate referring to children born in or out of wedlock are old fashioned, value laden terms that reflect societies attitude to marriage and childbearing which reinforce the New Right view and the Conservative pro-family movement, derived from Christian morality. Thatcher addressed the increase in welfare costs by cutting social expenditure, withdrawing services and introducing a new form of means tested support, which she believed targeted those in real need. She reduced the level of benefits and replaced certain benefits with others, which meant some people lost all or some of their benefits. Furthermore child benefit was not increased in line with inflation. Discretionary payments for people in deprivation were completely removed and the Social Fund introduced to help struggling people was mostly given out in the form of loans and not grants. The effect of these changes left many people and families who were receiving benefits a lot poorer. It is however argued (Pascall, 2002) that these changes to social policy left women in a stronger position by the end of the Conservative era due to improved access to work and enabled lone mothers to do paid work which made women less dependant within families. Although many of the changes happened more because of the womens movement than to Thatcherism, Thatcherite policies played a part in the process. However regardless of the womans new position, the New Rights ideology of the nuclear family is not all it is made out to be. Functionalist in particular ignored the potential harmful effects of family life and inequalities of domestic life. Nuclear families are very stereotypical and discriminatory (other family types are not families and therefore inadequate), patriarchal (there is an unequal distribution of power and status as it is male dominant and women are exploited) and not inclusive (gay relationships, reconstituted families, unmarried parents and especially lone parents ar e all ignored). There was no discussion or argument about whether the nuclear family was the only one that could carry out the vital functions of the family or whether the role of nurturing children could possibly be carried out by other family types such as lone parents or two women/ men. In addition nuclear families, as with all other types of families, can be equally unfavourable especially if there is domestic abuse and violence or child and drug abuse. Women may have gained more rights to be considered equal to men but in most circumstances the man has remained the breadwinner and women were still considered to undertake the emotional role of the domestics, housewife, mother and carer. Women often work part time or flexible hours in order to allow them to continue to fulfil their childcare and household responsibilities (Dunn-Toroosin, 2009, p.63). In addition, because of the changes in the economic, demographic, political and cultural trends in the industrialised world, people s work and home lives had changed. Although great change had taken place, it seemed that other areas of society such as government, religion and business had not yet caught up with the new reality. The Labour Party led by Tony Blair came into power after a landslide victory in 1997 and one of his main agendas was welfare reform. Although he continued with many of the Conservatives themes and stated that the welfare state must offer a hand-up rather than a hand-out'(Page, 1999, p.306), he wanted people on benefits to pull their weight with his rights and responsibilities approach. However, in his attempt to break away from Thatherism, the new government adopted the Third Way which was about promoting opportunity instead of dependance, with a welfare state providing for the mass of the people, but in new ways to fit the modern world (DSS, 1998b, p.19). Although New Labour accepted that the government had a duty to provide appropriate training and education, Blair wanted certain people receiving benefits (including single parents) to be encouraged into work and training rather than continuing to receive benefits (Page, 1999, p.309). Blair stressed the importance of individuals bei ng socially independent, however he also emphasised the importance and morals of families arguing that the breakup of community in turn is consequent on the breakdown in family life (Lavalette et al, 1999, online). Blair promised that his policies would modernise and renew Britain however the ideas that they were based upon were hardly new. He frequently discussed his Christian beliefs and values and how they influenced his policies New Labour very much wanted to return to family values (Lavalette et al, 1999, online). Frank Field (Labour minister for welfare reform, 1998) adopted many of the views of Charles Murray and he again highlighted the role of divorce, family breakdown and illegitimacy as the main contributors of the underclass and that welfare should openly reward good behaviour and enhance those roles which the country values (cited in Lavalette, 1999, online). Labour used social welfare policy to assert a new moral agenda and similarly to the policies of the New Right f ocused on the problem of teenage pregnancy, single mothers and the one parent family which resulted in benefits being cut (Page, 1999, p.129). The New Deal (introduced in 1998) was concerned with moving people off benefits into work through better access to training and subsidies being offered to employers who employ young people who had been out of work for six months. Furthermore the New Deal for Lone Parents did not apply to lone parents with younger children and it did not consider how difficult it was for them in actually taking up paid work (Hills, 1998, p.26). The poor working class families were told that they would be held responsible for any crimes their children committed as New Labour focussed on strengthening families and communities and also shaping the institution in which children are brought up, on the basis of enduring values justice for all, responsibilty from all (Chadwick, 2003, p.32). Benefit recipients were told that work is their salvation, even if it meant working for benefits, and being unemployed was not an option. Another strategy on his agenda was to tackle social exclusion groups of the poor who lacked the income and the opportunities to access social establishments which again included young single mothers. New Labour saw paid work as the best way to improve the position of the socially excluded rather than creating dependancy on welfare payments and services (Page, 1999, p.307). Ironically his agenda led to increasing levels of unemployment and a greater divide between rich and poor. It is a continuation of a number of themes that have been central to British Government policy for the last 30 years and is based on a deeply conservative moral agenda where the poor working class is increasingly identified as a problem that must be forced to accept the values of modern capitalism. Both New Right and New Labour attitudes and personal belief in how the family does work and should work has significantly impacted and influenced the Governments decision on social policy. However Page (1999, p.15) argues that social policy has always been shaped and influenced by social factors such as gender, class and age. This has in turn had consequences for women in family and public life. The effect of encouraging traditional family structures and the labelling of single parents has had both psychological and physical effects on families and such stigma often shapes and overshadows life. There was no evidence that proved the nuclear family was better than other family units or that lone parents were unsuitable yet this influenced policies. Furthermore, it was seen as a life style choice for single parents to be on benefits but benefits offer little chance for lone parents (and/or their children) to get out of the poverty cycle and it needs to be recognised that poverty strips dignity and makes a person powerless. Although the solution was to blame individuals and therefore change and introduce new policies and benefits, it would have been better to deal with the inequality and the lack of choices faced by some women. Providing more jobs and opportunities with better pay would have enabled women and their families to claw their way out of poverty and their reliance on welfare. Although the increase in capitalism meant progress for women as it enabled them to enter the workforce, they still remained unequal as they continued to bear the burden of the family role. Childcare facilities which could have allowed women to go back to work were scarce due to the lack of Thatchers commitment to spend public money on expanding childcare facilities (Douglas, 1999, p.413). Whilst much has been achieved, women are still at a definite disadvantage compared to men and therefore remain economically dependant. The aim of state welfare was to remove divisions in society, political and class inequality however b ecause of the attitudes of the changing political powers which influenced the welfare state, the effect has been to make those divisions more visible: lone parents and the underclass who have little choice than to live in impoverished environments where there is overcrowding and crime WORD COUNT: 3051