My Government Expectations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Government Expectations - Essay Example Chinese communist government’s functions that I seek to introspect on what I expect from my government on a day-to-day basis as well as in posterity. Essentially, one of the most basic services is health care and insurance, in China there is a government health insurance system that is similar to America’s Medicare . As a citizen, I expect to access government funded health insurance, in China there are two systems the labor insurance schemes (LIS) and government employee insurance scheme1. Depending on where I am working, I can be assured of cover and access to public medical facilities at a highly subsidized cost. However, I must concede that it is not as straightforward on the ground as it is on paper. There is a huge disparity between the level of care provided in public and private hospitals. In some cases, I am well aware that people shun government hospitals because the care is more efficient in the private clinics. Nevertheless, that is to be expected and is oft en the case in many countries but at the very least, I can be assured that I will have access to effective even if not the best medical care should I need it. As far as education is concerned, every Chinese child is guaranteed nine years of compulsory education that is sponsored by the government. In the 80’s, due to the high population pressure, the government abolished the tax-funded higher education2, today for anyone to get these scholarships they have to compete for them on the basis of merit.

Dicussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Dicussion - Assignment Example In that case, then the law and the government in general may put limits to bringing out such issues when it enforces laws against expression of religious controversies. On the contrary, some religious behaviors and practices may become a threat to the society and general relationships of people holding different religious views in the same society. For example, people from different religions may hold too much from their religious beliefs to an extent that they do not try to understand the essence of other people’s religions (Washingtonpost, 2007). This may result in conflicts based on religious aspect and views among people in the society. Therefore, cases like clashes and other religious wrangles may erupt which poses a threat to the well being of the society. For example, cases like terrorism may be due to extreme religious behaviors among certain individuals in a society. The government therefore, needs to consider other people’s opinions and expressions when they have anything to say concerning religious matters. This will then avoid religious conflicts that may pose threat to the society. Washingtonpost. On Faith: A Conversation on Religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn question for April 19, 2007. Accessed on 31st October, 2014 from

Service Quality for Retail Banking in the UK - Barclays, PLC Dissertation

Service Quality for Retail Banking in the UK - Barclays, PLC - Dissertation Example Responsiveness is a measure of the willingness to help customers and provide them with prompt service. Assurance measures the competence, courtesy, credibility and security of the service provided, while the empathy is about the caring and individualised service that the bank provides to its customers. This would help the bank in realising whether its customers are satisfied on all grounds and whether there are any gaps in their satisfaction level. We would follow the same standard set by the previously referred authors. A questionnaire survey method will be adopted to measure the service quality of the bank. The study is based on primary data from customers of Barclays and secondary data based on previous studies and shows the different dimensions of retail banking and issues related to service quality and customer satisfaction in case of UK banks. Although Barclays retail bank is considered as an example here, the thesis is to draw a general conclusion on retail banking and the service quality that would be appropriate for customer satisfaction. Several studies and published papers on banking and customer satisfaction and the associated service quality attributes are discussed here. Any research study should not only trace the existing parameters for the variables involved but also provide some future perspective of reference. Within this context, the levels of customer satisfaction could be found out from primary data in which customers are directly required to complete surveys and provide responses on what changes they expect in the future and what kind of services they have encountered in the banks. Their suggestions and recommendations from questionnaires form the basis for... This study is an assessment of how much this change has been implemented or is successful within the branches. The corporate strategy of Barclays has also been analyzed and showed how the bank strategy could or should change from an emphasis on sales to an emphasis on customer service. The attitudes and behaviors of customer service officials have also changed towards customers suggesting that changing of corporate strategy tend to have a direct impact on employee behavior and company functions and performance as well. In conclusion, there are several issues that have been highlighted through this study and shows that after an appraisal and interview and survey of customer attitudes and expectations. Some individuals, however, expressed their problems as seen in the qualitative dimension or analysis of the study and suggested that the bank should be more concerned with individualized attention and improve its services by being prompt and efficient. Improving certain online banking features and international banking features were also considered important for overall improvement of the bank’s functions. This study has shown that although Barclays has been largely known for poor customer services and focuses more on sales rather than customer services, it’s recent change of approach with greater emphasis on improving customer services than improving sales figures seem to have worked for positive results as customers seem to be more satisfied with the services offered by the banks.

Japanese Distribution System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Japanese Distribution System - Essay Example Wholesalers - Intermediaries or middlemen who buy products from manufacturers and resell them to retailers. They take the same type of financial risk as retailers, since they purchase the products, keep them in inventory until they are resold to retailers, and may arrange for shipment to those retailers. Agents and/or brokers - Intermediaries who work between suppliers and retailers. They do not take ownership of the products they sell and are independent sales representatives who typically work on commission based on sales volume. They can sell to wholesalers as well as retailers. The Japanese distribution system accommodates the cultural and economic concerns of business establishments in Japan. This is such as business relationships are heralded as more important than implementing immediate and profitable business decisions that might trigger a strain in fulfilling social obligations to the participants in the distribution channels. Both Japanese and foreign observers, above all the United States, claimed that such intimate business relationships between an (in comparison to the United States) unusually high number of small players (both retail and wholesale establishments) not only formed a non-tariff barrier to foreign suppliers, but that such business relationships were protected... Agent or Broker Channel - This type of arrangement can include producers selling to agents, agents selling to wholesalers, who sell to retailers, who then sell to consumers. The Japanese distribution system accommodates the cultural and economic concerns of business establishments in Japan. This is such as business relationships are heralded as more important than implementing immediate and profitable business decisions that might trigger a strain in fulfilling social obligations to the participants in the distribution channels. Both Japanese and foreign observers, above all the United States, claimed that such intimate business relationships between an (in comparison to the United States) unusually high number of small players (both retail and wholesale establishments) not only formed a non-tariff barrier to foreign suppliers, but that such business relationships were protected by a legislation (the Large-Scale Retail Stores Law) that was in favor of small-scale establishments. The revision of the statute as demanded by the United States was therefore seen as hopeful solution to "modernize" the Japanese distribution system (less small-scale operations) and also pave the way for Japanese and foreign suppliers to enter the Japanese market. 1.1 The Japanese distribution system as barrier to trade When Japan surrendered to the American supremacy on August 15, 1945, the Japanese economy was in almost near collapse1 and Japan had to finally accept foreign occupation to their economy for the first time in its history. The occupation by the Allied Powers2 lasted over six years, obliviously more than double the originally envisaged three years.3 The Allied Powers had originally planned to contain Japan into a

Explore the idea of historical embeddedness in The Brief Wondrous Life Research Paper

Explore the idea of historical embeddedness in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Research Paper Example The narrator therefore wonders if writing this novel is his own way of saying zafa. Every body seems to be cursed! The first chapter, which happens in 1974 to1987 in Paterson, details Oscar’s childhood and early adolescence. For one week when he is seven, Oscar dates two girls, Olga and Maritza, at the same period. However, the threesome momentarily falls apart and the life of Oscar goes downhill from then onwards. In adolescence, he was fat, dorky, and unattractive. His interest in Genre creates him even more unattractive, and his only true friends are Miggs and Al. Oscar’s sister Lola try to encourage him to lose weight to be more masculine for him to land a girlfriend, but Oscar does not regard their advice. When Miggs and Al find girlfriends and purposely dessert him out, Oscar realizes that they even contemplate that he is a failure. Oscar goes to Santo Domingo to visit Nena Inca, and starts writing science fiction as a channel. When Oscar returns he finds a girl c alled Ana Obregon at SAT prep class, instantly falling in love with her. Oscar and Ana become good friends, but never physically intimately attached. Eventually Ana’s boyfriend named Manny returns from an army mission and Ana stops having time with Oscar. Afterward, Oscar goes to Rutgers for college. He hopes life in college may be different, but in there, he realizes that still he is a loser. Oscar, the character who collects the novel together, justly perceives himself as a doubly marginalized figure. A Dominican-American boy growing up in Paterson during the 80s, he is hampered by counter-stereotypical nerdiness in addition to problems of racism and social class. Bashful, precocious, and overweight, Oscar is well versed in Marvel comics and "Japanimation" lore. His ambition is to write a space fictional. A Dominican accent manipulates "Wilde" into "Wao" wile in college. Yunior (Solis 49), his college roommate and best friend, does not quite apprehend Oscar, however loves h im and sees that there something is within Oscar that needs to be known. As the key narrator of the story, Yunior provides a loving portrayal of a tortured person within a tortured family. Redemption of Oscar â€Å"brief wondrous life† manifests at a momentous, but justified, price. Told from the viewpoint of Oscar’s sister Lola with his best friend Yunior, the story of the search for revitalization leads the reader through some of the darkest junctions of a country under severe dictatorial control. Lola pursues her own redemption, far away from her family, particularly her mother and her heritage. She only loves her younger brother Oscar and seeks protecting him from the curse which is tragically affecting their family. Saying that Hapatia Belicia was born to hard era would be an understatement. Beli’s mother died when she was only two months old, never met her father, held by her sisters a few times before they disappeared too, and spent no time in Casa Hatuey . Beli had multiple things sailing against her from the beginning of her pathetic life. She was born sick and underweight, at a time and environment where it would be difficult for any newborn to survive with her accompanied situation. She was also dark skinned, a reason that made her father’s family to absolutely dislike anything to do with her. At this juncture, her life is saved uniquely by a single woman’

Multi- Professional and Multi- agency working Essay Example for Free

Multi- Professional and Multi- agency working Essay â€Å"Multi-agency working brings together practitioners from different sectors and professions to provide an integrated way of working to support children, young people and families. † (DfES, 2001) In this essay my aim is to demonstrate an understanding of the collaborative skills required for effective multi professional practice. I will include feedback following a group presentation that I took part in and give my personal reflections of the process. I will then identify the issues and barriers in effecting multi professional practice linking to theory and legislation in Special Educational Needs (SEN) The Every Child Matters, (2004) agenda promotes effective multi- agency working and sharing of information between agencies, and Lord Laming stated that â€Å"effective support for children and families cannot be achieved by a single agency acting alone. It depends on a number of agencies working well together. † Multi- agency working is the involvement of more than one agency, and a team may consist of practitioners from several professional backgrounds who have different areas of expertise. Some of the practitioners may include health, education and social services. Some of these practitioners and professionals are involved in a child’s life are usually at least the child’s parents and the class teacher. This could then expand out to involve a speech therapist, a doctor, a social worker, a nurse and/or a psychologist. All of these people have an interest in helping to support the child and therefore all need to collaborate together for the benefit of the individual children. Speech and language therapists (SLT) are usually provided by the health services and provide formal assessment for pupils experiencing language and communication difficulties. They implement language and communication programmes with individuals and groups. They offer advice and support and assist with target setting and strategies According to Tassoni, (2003, p79) â€Å"the type of support that a child receives will depend on his or her need, but usually exercises and strategies are shared with everyone involved in the child’s care and education, especially parents† In my current role as a Speech and language therapy Assistant, (SLTA) I regularly liaise with the SLT and help to set some of the ndividual targets and provide appropriate resources to help the children to achieve their targets as well as implement programs set. As part of my role of a SLTA I work as part of a communication and learning team and have worked alongside many multi professionals, class teachers, learning support assistants, (LSA) in the school and a social worker. In the office in which I am based, each team member has their own individual skills and expertise that create a multi-skilled approach to support other team members, members of staff, students, parents and other professionals. The team consists of Teachers and Specialist Support Staff skilled in specific areas, SLT, an Occupational Therapists (OT) Early Years support worker and a Parent Support Advisor. As highlighted by the College of Occupational Therapists, (2011) Collaborative working within a multi-professional team can be the â€Å"most effective and efficient way to combine the skills of many professionals for the benefit of service users. †

Falconry Essay Example for Free

Falconry Essay Falconry, also known as hawking, is a form of hunting which involves the use of trained hawks and falcons to prey on other animals. Falconry may be considered one of the oldest sports, dating back over 4,000 years ago in Egypt and China that is still practiced today. Falconry was considered a status symbol, restricted to noble classes, in medieval Europe and a way of obtaining food. Falconry still exists today with more than 3,800 licensed falconers in the United States. Historically, falconry was not only a popular sport but was considered a status symbol among the aristocracy of medieval Europe. Legend has it that a Persian King watched a falcon kill another bird and ordered his men to capture the falcon. The king kept the falcon with him at all times, learned many lessons from it and was considered the first falconer. The origin of falconry can be traced back to 2000 BC through ancient writings, drawings and artifacts. There is debate as to when and where falconry originated, however, some historians place its origin in Asia around the second century A. D. and then spread west, while other historians place the origin in Arabia or the Middle East based on records dated 8,000 BC, found of a king who used birds of prey. It is known that by the fourth century, falconry had spread through Western Europe and Britain. Most of the information about falconry comes from its popularity in medieval Europe and the Middle East during the middle ages. The sport of falconry began to decline in popularity during the 1700 and 1 +-*. 800s because of the decline of nobility and the increased use of firearms to kill animals for food and for sport. However, by the 1900s, its popularity was renewed and the largest falconry association, the Peregrine Blub was established in the United States. Falconry is now legal in the United States in all states except Hawaii and the District of Columbia. State and federal licenses are required to practice this sport. Falconry not only exists today in the United States but also is practiced throughout the world. Originally, the purpose of falconry was to obtain food to eat, however, nobility (Kings of Britain, Russian Czars and the Holy roman Emperors) shifted this purpose to one of social entertainment. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Sicily and Jerusalem was considered to be the greatest falconer of the medieval age. Falconry became so popular that it became regulated with a strict set of customs called the Laws of Ownership. These laws dictated what type of birds could be owned by various social ranks. The table shown below gives a partial listing of social rank and appropriate bird. There were also severe punishments including time in jail to anyone who harmed a falcon’s bird nest, eggs, and young or took a falcon from the wild that did not belong to you. One of the most severe punishments was given to a person who flew a bird above what your rank permitted. This punishment was having your hand cut off. Social rank and appropriate bird (adapted from original table) King| Gyr Falcon| Prince| Peregrine Falcon| Knight| Saker| Squire| Lanner| Lady| Female Merlin| Priest| Female Sparrowhawk| Knaves, servants, children| Kestrel| Adapted from The Ancient Art of Falconry The players in this sport are the falconer and his or her raptor. The falconer is the person that handles or trains the raptor. Their principle responsibilities were to ensure that his master’s birds of prey, raptors, were fully trained, well-fed and ready to hunt when called upon. The raptor is a bird of prey with a hooked beak for tearing meat, and powerful, hooked talons for grasping and holding prey. Not all raptors are suitable for falconry. Suitable raptors can be grouped by the way they are flown at the prey and are divided into three categories: broad-winged hawks, short-wing hawks and long-wing hawks. The broad-wing hawks (Buteos) include the Golden Eagles, Buzzards and Harris hawk that hunt rabbits and other ground game. They are also known as the â€Å"bombers†. The short-wing hawks (Accipiters) are used to hunt other birds in wooded or bushy terrain and include goshawks. They are called the â€Å"attack helicopters. † The long-winged hawks, considered the â€Å"true† falcons, are considered the â€Å"fighter jets. † They hunt other birds, such as waterfowl in open country. The Peregrine Falcons, Gyrfalcon, Lanner Falcon and the American Kestrel are included in this group. The different physical characteristics of these raptors allow the hunter to vary his or her hunting method. Each of the various physical characteristics allows adaptation to their hunting environment. The buteos will usually perch in high trees and then dive on the prey out in the open, hence the name â€Å"bomber†. Because the Accipiters have short wings, they can easily maneuver and can chase their prey through the various terrains, similar to â€Å"attack helicopters. † The long-winged hawks, â€Å"fighter jets†, circle hundreds of feet in the air and then stoop at very high speeds (averaging 25-34 mph and reaching up to 200 mph) to knock their prey out of the sky using their feet as fists. Broad-winged-buzzardShort-winged-Goshawk Long-winged-Peregrine Falconmonacoeye. com goshawk dove4. jpg mysideofthemountain. wikispaces. com The relationship between the falconer and raptor is very important and training a falcon is not easy. Although the raptor is not a pet, it is trained to accept the presence of their trainer in their natural pursuit of prey. Great skill and patience is involved when training falcons. A falcon responds to its trainer not out of affection or fear but out of the association of a trainer to its only source of food. The first stage of training is called manning. In this stage, the tethered raptor becomes accustomed to being handled and eating food from a gloved hand. During the next stage, a tethered raptor is rewarded with food for flying short distances and returning. The use of a hood on the bird kept the bird calm and prevents distractions while it is preparing to fly. Once a tethered raptor has learned to fly to his trainer consistently, the raptor can be brought out to an open meadow where they are taught to rise from the owner’s wrist on command and gain the experience of hunting. The introduction to the swing-lure is part of this next phase of training. A string is attached to one of the bird’s claws and the bird had circled around it would be reeled in at the falconer’s command. When the raptor makes a kill, the reward is only a small piece of the kill because only hungry raptors hunt. If the raptor is not hungry, it is possible that it will not return to the falconer. One of the misconceptions is that the raptor will bring back its kills to the falconer. The falconer must find his raptor; some use a dog as part of the team, and exchanges a fresh piece of meat for the catch. irportjournals. com Falconry became popular again in America in 1920 after an issue in the National Geographic Magazine published an article â€Å"Falconry, the sport of Kings†. Unfortunately, just as interest in falconry was peaking, the raptors were beginning to die due to synthetic chemical poisons such as DDT. This poison caused reproductive failure in many of the raptor birds including the peregrine falcon. The United States banned the use of DDT and enacted the Endangered Species Act that gave protection to some bird species including the Peregrine Falcon. Two U. S. falconers, Tom Cade and Heinz Meng, began a captive-breeding program to lead repopulation efforts of these endangered species. Their program has been very successful by breeding and releasing thousands of peregrines. The practice of modern day falconry is very similar to traditional falconry with some minor modifications. These modifications include: use of transmitters, type of birds used and the ability to use captive-breed birds. Often transmitters are now placed on the falcon in order to help a falconer locate his bird from several miles away. The type of birds used in modern falconry has increased. Birds such as the Red-Tail and Harris’ Hawk are two new additions that have been successfully used. Finally, ancient falconry required that a falconer trap his own bird from the wild. Today, falconers have the ability to selectively breed and hybridize their own birds. This came about during the time of repopulation efforts of the endangered Peregrine Falcon. Modern day falconry is currently being practiced in many countries around the world including the United States and is legal in all states except Hawaii and in the District of Columbia. The biggest change from traditional falconry is the restraints and legalities under which falconers must practice their sport. A falconer must possess both a state and federal license in addition to serving as an apprentice for 2 years under a licensed falconer. Only at this time, can the falconer possess either an American kestrel or a red-tailed hawk legally. Presently, there are over 10,000 licensed falconers in the United States. Falconry seems like a very interesting sport that I would definitely be interested in learning more about. If I had enough money and time, I might consider becoming a falconer as one of my hobbies.