Individualism versus Collectivism Essay

The concepts of individualism and collectivism apply to the description of societies and individuals within the society. Cultures vary in their levels of individualism/ collectivism while individuals within these specific cultures vary on the same dimension. Idiocentric and allocentric are constructs that are very important in differentiating consistent variations of an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, self-definition, normative behavior and self-definition. Individualism is termed as the person’s level of idiocentric while collectivism is the person’s level of allocentric (Udehn, 2001). Idiocentric individuals emphasize more on their own goals and needs over those of the group to which they belong. They are much independent and self-reliant. On the other hand, allocentric individuals tend to be more cooperative, interdependent and they also have a stronger desire to partner with others. In addition allocentric and idiocentric individuals differ in their source of intimacy and companionship to satisfy their several needs and to strengthen their self-esteem. For instance, idiocentric obtains their social support from peers and best friends while allocentrics obtain their social support from their parents. Individuals with allocentric tendencies have fewer daily but more in-depth discussions than individuals with idiocentric tendencies. People who express more allocentric or idiocentric tendencies vary in various ways. For instance, the people who tend to be more allocentric have good reliability and inter-correlation thus showing convergent validity. They are characterized with three main aspects which include individual to group goals, in-group as extension of the self and in-group identity. Individuals who are more idiocentric mainly use equity and need in distributing rewards. Individuals who are more allocentric mainly emphasize on the values of cooperation, fairness and honesty while individuals who are more idiocentric put much emphasis on values of comfortable life, competition, pleasure and social recognition. Persons who are allocentric receive much and better quality social support while those who are more idiocentric are usually higher in achievement motivation, alienation and greater loneliness. The difference between collective and individualist cultures is mainly based on self. In collectivist cultures, the self is more linked to in-group memberships while in individualist cultures; self-concept is obtained from independently groups which are based on the varying characteristics and contributions of the individual. In collectivists’ cultures, there is high adherence to the goals of the in-group and to in-group values and also the maintaining of in-group harmony (Lee & Kelly 1996). In individualistic societies, the aims and the goals of a particular individual are more important and less significance is attached to in-group harmony. Nevertheless, individualism is mainly based on Western cultures while collectivism is related with Eastern cultures. Collectivistic cultures have lower rates of suicide, psychopathology and relatively higher marital satisfaction than individualistic cultures. I consider myself to be idiocentric. This is because I always concentrate on my own goals and achievement over those of the other people and I carry out my tasks independently. I normally display a different tendency towards the allocentric. For instance, in making purchase of luxury brands, I purchase goods for my own sake pleasures ad interests while the allocentric purchase the luxury brands only with an aim of seeking social recognition (McCarthy, 2005). As a result of these differences, conflict and misunderstanding emerges. This is because as a personally motivated consumer, I will purchase the luxury brands for self-interests while on the other hand an allocentric individual who is socially motivated will make the purchase of luxury brands with an aim of seeking social recognition.

Marketing Research – Short Outline

MARKETING RESEARCH General information Definition: â€Å" Systematic and objective collection and analysis of information for the purpose of decision making in marketing â€Å" Key functions: Studies consumer behaviour Helps identify marketing opportunities & problems Helps evaluate company’s marketing performance Helps select/ improve marketing strategy Marketing Research ? Market Research Provides data on Provides data on company's environment company’s own roducts/services/current customers The Marketing Research Process 1. Problem definition 1. 1 Formulating decision problem (e. g. how to price new product) 1. 2 Determining purpose ; scope of research 2. Research Design Exploratory research: understanding the nature of a problem Conclusive research: answering research questions 2. 1 Choosing Types of data – Facts – Opinions – Motivations 2. 2 Locating Sources of data – Secondary data (previously published) Primary data (obtained directl y from the consumer) 2. 3 Methods of Collecting Data from primary sources Observation: Analysing customer? s behaviour Self-reporting Focus group: take part in a discussion to analyse people`s reaction to special topics Projective technique: respondents are asked to say the first word that comes into their minds upon a specific topic Questionnaire: – Mail – Online – Telephone -Personal 2. 3 Selecting the SampleSample: Group of elements (persons, stores, financial reports) chosen from among a total population Probability sample: Each unit has a known chance of being selected Nonprobability Sample: Sampling units are selected arbitrarily 2. 4 Anticipating the Results = Making a plan about how the marketing research and the final report will be designed 3. Research Conduction = Implementing the research plan 4. Data Processing = Transforming the information obtained into a report for management

How does the relationship between salt concentration

How does the relationship between salt concentration effect osmosis in the aquatic plant Elodea? Quantitative data From observing the cells under a microscope, we see that they are continuously moving and therefore are alive. We have observed that when the cells are in the 10% sodium chloride, the chloroplasts are positioned to the sides of the cell wall and the cytoplasm is more expanded. Cells in the distilled water are slightly smaller than the cells in the sodium chloride solution and the chloroplasts have begun moving to the same.Finally, cells in the isotonic water are very small and equally spread out through out the cells. Conclusion From observing the Elodea in different concentration of water, we can see that the more concentrated the solution is, the more osmosis occurs. This can be seen from the change from observing the plant in isotonic water, distilled water and a 10% sodium chloride solution. As the concentration of the solution increases, the cytoplasm and chloroplas t was pushed to the edges of the cell membrane instead of being spread out like in the isotonic water.This observation is especially visible for he 10% sodium chloride solution; where all of its chloroplast was on the boundary and pressure of the cytoplasm is more. This occurs because of osmosis where water molecules move in the sodium chloride solution as osmosis works from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration across a partially permeable membrane. The sodium chloride molecules moves across the membrane so the net is in equilibrium, due to this the elodea contain more water and therefore becomes larger.At some cells, we can see that they look very weak and ull, these are the cells which are reaching the maximum capacity of water they can obtain. If we were to leave the elodea in higher concentration solution they may burst due too much water flowing and pressure inside the cells. There was only a gradual change between the cell in the is otonic water and distilled water since the salt concentration to the distilled water was not very strong. Also, because the solution is less solute is due to less molecules held up so they move more freely across the membrane. Thus, a smaller net movement of water is evident.However, we can still ee some small changes such as the some of the chloroplasts have been moved the side, as while as the cell has expanded slightly, especially the cytoplasm. When place in isotonic solution, the cell does not experience any changes since there is an equal exchange of water. The reason for this is the solution and cell has the same concentration, therefore water moves in the same direction so osmosis does not occur. There is no pressure inside the cell so the cytoplasm is not pressed against happens better in concentrated solutions where the cytoplasm and chloroplast are ainly affected.Although I only did the experiment once, my results may not be completely accurate; however, because of our kn owledge of osmosis, we can infer that the results are to a large extend reliable and can be use to Justify our conclusion. Evaluation Limitation How it affected the results How to improve it The slide where the cell was put on to be observed under the microscope may have contained traces of previous concentration of solutions. Because the solutions were mixed (for instance, some traces of isotonic water on slide when the cell was put in istilled water) it could weaken the concentration of the solution.The weaker solution may create a barrier to how much of the stronger solution could enter the cell. Therefore, the cell could contain more of the weaker solution than the stronger. Due to more of the weaker solution, osmosis may not occur as effectively as it would with a pure solution. After observing the elodea, cleanse it thoroughly so excess water comes off. When wanting to observe the next elodea in a different concentration take a new slide each time so there is the cell is on a completely clean surface. The harsh ight of the microscope created heat, which was aimed towards the cell.The heat would have made the cell drier by drying the water that the cell contained. This would have made the cell flaccid as the cell loses water and has lack of firmness. Therefore the cells' structure would be altered, giving false results. Decrease the amount of light shined on the cell. Also, only switch off the microscope when not using to observe to ensure that extra light will not shine. The time the leaf is left in the solution is not consistent. – Sometimes the leaf was left for 5 minutes sometimes onger. The time needs to be consistent since the effects of osmosis may be more visible if there is longer time.The cell in a particular concentration may be less â€Å"developed† compared to the cell in another concentration, which was in the solution for a longer period of time. Have a fix time for the elodea cell to be in each of the solutions. (10 minutes w ould be a good time) The experiment was only done once This may not have given very accurate results as the one trial we did may have been flawed. Therefore it is not very reliable to assume that our results will always give the ame conclusions that concentration effect osmosis.Do the experiment at least fives times to compare the results to make sure they are all similar. This way you can ensure that your results are more accurate and have no anomalies. Different leaves were used for each of the three solutions. and how everything is placed. Because of this, we do not know if the changes we see are due to osmosis or if the leaves are different from each other. It makes comparison between the concentration of solutions harder as we need to be more cautious in what we assume are the effects of osmosis.Use the same leaf whenever changing into a different solution. However make sure to fully cleanse the leaf after putting in each concentration to ensure there is no traces of old concen tration. Limitation by use of sketching to collecting information There might be human error when sketching since we cannot locate the same part of the plant and also there is different amount of cells within each part. Humans may also produce error when drawing the shapes, so when comparing, it is difficult to know whether the shapes produce are caused by human error or osmosis.

GM Research 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GM Research 2 - Essay Example Gene flow and outcrosssing does not necessarily signify environmental damage however potential risks of the transgenes escaping and establishing themselves in the natural agro ecosystems (Eastham & sweet, 2002, p10). This inbreeding between the gm cambogia plants and novel species can give rise to new genetic traits which may or may not be beneficial. Till date no proper sourced have indicated that usage of genetically modified Garcinia has had detrimental effects on the human health. However, the fact remains that there is existence of a certain percentage of risks in form of possible allergic reaction and immune responses. Another major risk is that since first generation GM crops such as Garcinia use a antibiotic-resistant marker gene for easier cell selection, when ingested these marker genes from GMO may get incorporated into the human gut fauna and make them resistant to antibiotics thereby rendering the person immune to antibiotic therapeutic treatments in the future (Pretty,2001, p254). Eastham,  K., & Sweet,  J. (2002).  enetically modified organisms (GMOs): The significance of gene flow through pollen transfer  (28). Retrieved from European Environment Agency website: http://www.e-library.lt/resursai/ES/Leidiniai/EEA_issue_reports/GMOsforwww.pdf Pretty,  J. (2001). The rapid emergence of genetic modiï ¬ cation in world agriculture: contested risks and beneï ¬ ts.  Environmental Conservation,  28(3), 248-262. Retrieved from http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/teach/agbio/2004%20materials/1B-STATUS/Environ_Conserv_emergence%20of%20GE%20in%20world%20ag.pdf Wolfenbarger,  L.  L., & Phifer,  P.  R. (2000). e Ecological Risks and BeneÞts of Genetically Engineered Plants.  science,  290, 2088-2092. Retrieved from

Lesson 2 Student 2 DF Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lesson 2 Student 2 DF - Essay Example The JHNEBP model is a combination of research and non-research encompassing nursing practice, education and the research fields. In utilizing PET, the practice question is designed so as to provide an answer from results. In evidence, research finds the answers by analyzing specific proof (data). The translation of the findings provides the method of implementing the infrastructure into a pilot application for further testing and refining (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). As you would know, there are seven tools utilized during the PET18 steps, applied within the process. and they are: Question Development, Evidence Rating Scale, Research Evidence Appraisal, Non-research Evidence Appraisal, Individual Evidence Summary, Overall Evidence Summation and Project Management (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011, p.270). In the 18 step PET process, the first five steps occur in the Practice Question development phase, whereby a question is identified, the practice scope is defined, leadership and responsibility is assigned, a team is developed and the project conference scheduled. In the Evidence phase, internal and external research occurs, critical appraisal is made on findings, evidence is summarized including a rate of strength, and recommendations are made. In the third phase, Translation, recommendations are set into a plan of action, the changes are implemented, outcomes are evaluated, preliminary reports are made to the decision makers, support is obtained for implementation by a step-by-step process and, finally, the findings are communicated (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011; Dearholt & Dang, 2012). In some situations, when research is limited in regards to a particular issue, nurses will need to review and evaluate other resources such as trade journals, peer expertise recommendations, professional organizations, regulations and guidelines

The Mozart Effect Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Mozart Effect Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example The video also employed the talents of a researcher and annotator who did live recreations of versions of the tests, where subjects chosen at random in a public place were subjected to Mozart music and to music from Blur and then made to undergo the battery of cognitive tests that included solving puzzles, testing reaction times to falling rulers, and tests of memory, among others The findings in the public tests were in congruence with the findings in other studies that state that there is nothing in Mozart music that is special, even though Mozart music did indeed boost subject performance in cognitive tests. This is the conclusion because music by Blur also had the same effect. The baseline was silence. In both cases where subjects were first subjected to silence and then to either Mozart or Blur music, there were observed improvements in the performance of the subjects to the tests. The final caveat is that the performance boosts occurred after listening to the music, and that th e performance boosts were short-lived. The video in all is a good general overview of the nature of the Mozart effect tests and the kinds of challenges that have been made to it over the years (Applasamy, 2012). Bangerter, A. and Heath, C. 2004. The Mozart Effect: Tracking the evolution of a scientific legend. British Journal of Social Psychology (2004). [Online]. Available at: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/documents/BJSP,%20Mozart%20Effect.pdf [Accessed 26 November 2013] Demorest, S. and Morrison, S. 2000. Does Music Make You Smarter? Music Educators Journal 87 (2). Green, C.S and Bavelier, D. 2008. Exercising Your Brain: A Review of Human Brain Plasticity and Training-Induced Learning. Psychology and Aging 23 (4). [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896818/ [Accessed 26 November 2013] Husain, G., Thompson, W. and Schellenberg, E. 2002. Effects of Musical Tempo and Mode on Arousal, Mood and Spatial Abilities. Music Perception 20 ( 2). [Online]. Available at: http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/ghusain/Publications_files/GH2002Mozart%20effect.pdf [Accessed 26 November 2013] Jausovec, N., Jausovec, K. and Gerlic, I. 2006. The influence of Mozart’s music on brain activity in the process of learning. Clinical Neuropsychology 117. Jenkins, J.S. 2001. The Mozart Effect. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 94 (4). [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/ [Accessed 26 November 2013] Lubetzky, R. 2010. Effect of Music by Mozart on Energy Expenditure in Growing Preterm Infants. Pediatrics 125 (1). [Online]. Available at: http://www.pediatricsdigest.mobi/content/125/1/e24.full [Accessed 26 November 2013] Makielo, L. 2012. The Mozart Effect. The Epoch Times. [Online]. Available at: http://epoch-archive.com/a1/en/sg/nnn/2012/01%20January_2012/Issue%20395_17_January_2012/395_B4.pdf [Accessed 26 November 2013] Nantais, K.

What is the effect of oil prices change on stock market of GCC Assignment

What is the effect of oil prices change on stock market of GCC countries - Assignment Example Of the seven countries, Qatar is the most sensitive to changes in oil prices and often responds in a quicker manner as compared to the others. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the effects of oil price changes on the Stock market of GCC countries. Over the last three decades, the drop in oil prices in the second half of 2014 qualifies as a noteworthy occurrence as compared to other episodes within that time. Between 1984 and 2013, there were five major declines in oil prices (Arouri, 2010). Notably, there were 30 percent or more price decreases within a period of six months. These declines in oil prices coincided with significant changes in oil markets and the global economy including; the increase in oil supplies and change in the OPEC policy, U.S recession, Asian crisis and the worldwide financial crisis of 1986, 1990, 1997 and 2007 respectively (Arouri, 2010). Interestingly, the latest episode of collapse in oil prices bears remarkable parallels with the1985-86 collapse. Saudi Arabia amended its policy in December 1985 leading to a 61 percent decline in the oil prices. Between January and July 1986, oil prices dropped from $24.68 to $9.62 per barrel and prevailed for more than a decade (Arouri, 2010). A repeat of this phenomenon was observed after the steep decline in oil prices intensified in the second half of 2014 following a policy alteration by Saudi Arabia in November 2013. Cumulatively, the decline in oil prices, from the peak that was experienced in 2011, became larger than that experienced in non-oil commodity prices. With this regard, oil prices affect the major economic variables of Oil producing countries, as well as, the stock returns of these involved countries (Arouri, 2010). The GCC is comprised of six countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. In 2007, these countries possessed about 47 % of oil reserves, produced 20% of oil in the

COMPUTER RESEARCH PAPER (YOU PICK TOPIC) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

COMPUTER (YOU PICK TOPIC) - Research Paper Example Our way of life, due to the technology provided by this advancement, will never be the same. It is fascinating that although a majority of people are familiar with computers, the concepts behind how they actually work have not been duly given emphasis, especially on how computer memory works. According to Hamacher, et.al. (1990), â€Å"memory is the part of the computer that holds data and instructions for processing. Although closely associated with the central processing unit, memory is separate from it. Memory stores program instructions or data for only as long as the program they pertain to is in operation.† Most people have interchangeably used memory with other terms such as primary storage, primary memory, main storage, internal storage, main memory, and RAM (Random Access Memory) (Pfleeger 2000). However, it is important to note that memory has many classifications or types, of which RAM, falls under it. Hard disks provide large quantities of inexpensive, permanent storage. Because storage space on a hard disk is so cheap and plentiful, it forms the final stage of a CPUs memory hierarchy, called virtual memory. The next level of the hierarchy is RAM. Accordingly, Tyson emphasized that â€Å"a computers system RAM alone is not fast enough to match the speed of the CPU that is why you need a cache. Caches are designed to alleviate this bottleneck by making the data used most often by the CPU instantly available. This is accomplished by building a small amount of memory, known as primary or level 1 cache, right into the CPU.† CPUs with diverse features differ in speed and accessibility of containing a specific amount of data or information. Those CPUs which are faster and more powerful need quick and easy access to large amounts of data in order to maximize their performance. Frenzel (2004) averred that â€Å"if the CPU cannot get to

Internal Capabilities of a Company - Strategic Management Essay

Internal Capabilities of a Company - Strategic Management - Essay Example Introduction Marks & Spencer is a globally reputed retailer based in UK. It is one of the many well established retailers in the UK area with over 21 million people visiting the regional stores of Marks and Spencer on a weekly basis. The unique selling proposition or the USP of Marks & Spencer stores are that they offer products which are high on style and also have a high quality. The chain, in an effort to maintain quality, sources the products, mainly foods from a global pool of huge number of suppliers, approximately 2000 in number. As of today’s status, Marks and Spencer has presence all over the globe with an impressive store count of 700. In the UK market, Marks & Spencer is the leading player for women clothing and accessories. The clothing segment sales generally accounts for around 49% of the business handled by Marks and Spencer, while the remaining 51% is generated from the food segment, which comprises of a wide range of products ranging from farm fresh organic pr oduce to partly and fully prepared and packed meals (Marks & Spencer 2012). In an effort to play a leading role in the worldwide green initiative, the chain is focusing on reducing wastage that is generated from handling and packaging of food items (Marks & Spencer-a 2012). Analysis and Findings The analysis and findings would hint on analyzing the internal environment of the business based on two specific models-the SWOT Matrix and the Value Chain Analysis study. Internal Environment Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Brand Identity: The most important strength of the retail chain Marks & Spencer is its brand identity. It is the single most supreme asset that the retail chain possesses in the current times. As an effort, to develop the brand further in the UK market, and as an effort to build customer recall for the brand, the brand invested heavily in a branding program in the late 2010. Named as ‘Only At Your M&S’, the branding program highlighted the highly innovative and quality products offered by Marks & Spencer to its customers all the time, by keeping pace with the changing patterns of the retail industry and its related products. As an upshot to this marketing response, the consumers gave a massive positive response, leading to boosting of sales in the year 2011 (Marks & Spencer 2011). Clothing Segment: Marks & Spencer is leading the UK market in the clothing sector and has also successfully increased their market share as compared to the previous year. The increase in market share was attributed to the offering of quality products with respect to the current trend and customer choice. Clothing Segment: In an effort to serve the consumers better, the clothing segment is reorganizing itself by segmenting the stores, with regards to the local demographics. In future, this strategy will generate a positive response among the consumers, as the retail chain is focusing on providing the optimal and exact product mix as desired by consumers of va rious locations, and thereby increasing customer convenience and customer satisfaction. Food Segment: Better waste management in the food division, has helped the retail chain to reduce the cost of its products, while at the same time providing better margins on its food products (Marks & Spencer

Planning Strategic Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Planning Strategic Change - Essay Example This paper illustrates that in every organization there is a need for change to be made to ensure continuous quality leadership. According to Kotter, change model can be created in steps; the first step is creating urgency. A change will only help when it is required with the organization as a whole. Creating urgency can help ignite motivation for things to move. Secondly, an organization needs to create a powerful coalition. In this step, the company has to show the necessity of change through leading by an example. The company needs to bring together a team or coalition of persons whose powers are derived from status, job title political importance and expertise. This will ensure a mix of personnel from different levels and departments in your organization. Another step for change model is creating changes in your vision. The company needs to create a vision that people can remember and understand easily. Hence, the company needs to ensure that the central values to change are dete rmined, the visual speech is practiced often and a brief summary is developed to capture the organizations future. The fourth step is frequent communication of the vision; the organization should talk about the vision every moment available. The vision should be used daily to solve problems and make decisions in order to refresh it in people’s minds. In addition, the organization needs to apply the vision in its operations in also to lead by example. In step five, the organization needs to remove the obstacles; removing obstacles empowers the individuals required to execute the vision and propel the change forward. The organization should, therefore, identify individuals resistant to change and brief them on what is required, check on the job description, performance, compensation system and organizational structure to ensure they tally with the vision. Lastly, an organization also needs to identify and reward those that are championing for change. Creation of short-term wins is another step that organizations need to look into.

Deluxe Financial Services Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deluxe Financial Services - Assignment Example The firm’s slogan, printing paper checks faster and better, and more economically than anyone else, has attracted many customers to the firm. The firm’s policies regarding its proceedings and its customers have made it reach the level where it is (Clancy & Hartley, 2011). Deluxe decided to change its policy from a check printing firm to a sophisticated check retailing company. The firm maintained this approach to transformation, opting to try out new services and new customers (Clancy & Hartley, 2011). The firm presented a breakthrough known as DeluxeSelect. The invention was powered by richly detailed consumer segments profiles, which comprised of information regarding what type of check a consumer wanted. The DeluxeSelect invention also catered for the way consumers needed their checks, how they wanted the firm to communicate with them and the price they were willing to pay (Clancy & Hartley, 2011). This was the ultimate invention in the check business, and this attracted a lot of customers to the firm. The firm, therefore, went ahead to erect policies, which would maintain their customers. Deluxe rule is to put employees and customers first. Everything else, according to the firm, comes second. As expected, this has attracted many clients to the fi rm and maintained them. Deluxe is capable of handling many customers with fewer hurdles, and this has enabled the firm to grow (Clancy & Hartley, 2011). The economy, today, is turning against the people who use it. Peoples’ income, today, cannot cater to everything they need, and this has made them cut some expenses from their budget (Lowry, 2012). However, as this happens, global firms such as Coca-Cola still seem to be making the large profits, which they used to make before the economic crises. In fact, it is like the firm is getting more funds at this crucial time. It is all a matter of how Coca-Cola advertises itself (Lang, 2012).

Immigration Legislation Essay Example for Free

Immigration Legislation Essay In general, there has been much debate about the first settlers in the United States; one theory is that the original settlers were from Northeast Asia who eventually were the ancestors of the Native Americans (Rapid Immigration web site, n. d. ). The second theory is that settlers were from â€Å"Polynesia, South Asia or even Europe† (Rapid Immigration web site, n. d. ). The first recorded discovery was of Florida by Spain through Ponce de Leon in 1513 (Danilov, 2003). Spain discovered and explored other parts such as â€Å"Texas, New Mexico and Arizona† and Colorado and Mississippi Rivers through de Vaca, Coronado, and De Soto, respectively (Danilov, 2003). The Spaniards settled in Florida, California and the south-west area of America. The Spaniards engaged primarily in mining of precious metals. The 16th century marked the arrival of English explorers for the purpose of establishing government in overseas colonies and for economic purposes as well (Danilov, 2003). They settled in Virginia in 1607. The Dutch established trading posts and were the ascendants of three Presidents of the U. S. The English people arrived steadily and established settlement in different areas (Danilov, 2003). The French arrived in 1700. There was a war that ensued between the English and French and the former won until the French was defeated at Quebec. The term ‘immigrant’ came about in 1787 with an issue as to the distinction between those who merely colonized and settled in America vis-a-vis those who arrived when laws, customs and language have been established and set (Danilov, 2003). There was agriculture depression in Europe, thus, 15,000 people sailed to North America in 1830. A large number of Irish and Italians engaged in agriculture while in Massachusetts, mill towns were established. Germans also immigrated to America due to the failed German revolution. Most of the German Jews were engaged in business. Russians moved to America in the last part of the 19th century (Danilov, 2003). Italians on the other hand, settled in America in the early 20th century. In fine, the immigrants from Europe and Asia settled in America â€Å"to seek their fortune† because they thought that the country had unlimited resources and opportunities. The Africans on the other hand, did not settle in America voluntarily, they were brought to serve as slaves (Rapid Immigration web site, n. d. ). Historical Perspective of Immigration of Latinos Many believed that the Latinos or Hispanics arrived in America between the years 1496-1542 when Hernando de Soto who led the Spanish expedition to the southeastern region of the U. S. (Leidermann, 2007). Latinos settled in other areas like Arkansas in early 1890s. They lacked â€Å"education, skills and knowledge of the English language† (Leidermann, 2007). Most of them were employed in the agricultural businesses. When there was construction boom in the early part of 1980, demand for labor increased and they were the ones who filled the job need. The unskilled Latino workers filled also the jobs related to the poultry industry (Leidermann, 2007). The Cubans passed through the port of Mariel such that the refugees were named ‘Marielitos. ’ Some established residence in Florida, Fort Chafee near the Sebastian County (Leidermann, 2007). In bigger cities, â€Å", Latinos are moving up the economic scale and hold better jobs, own homes, and are business entrepreneurs and managers† (Leidermann, 2007). According to Suarez-Orozco Sommer, the Latin Americans comprise the largest percentage of immigrant group category (Suarez-Orozco Sommer, 2000). The total figure of people from Europe who emigrated in the U. S. is equivalent to the figure of those from Latin America. Based on the U. S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 31 million Latinos which comprise 11. 2% of the total population (Suarez-Orozco Sommer, 2000). In 2003, they are the largest number of minority in the U. S. (Saenz, 2005). â€Å"Of the top ten sender countries in the last decade, four are Latin American and Caribbean: Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica; in the next ten are Haiti, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru† (Suarez-Orozco Sommer, 2000). Border Fence Act The Border Security Act (H. R. 6061) was just recently passed in 2006 and sponsored by Representative King (Thomas Library of Congress web site, n. d. ). The law was signed by President Bush on October 26, 2006 (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). According to him, illegal immigration is on the rise and it is necessary to enforce the laws and provide for a comprehensive immigration system (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). This law provides the establishment of a 700-mile fence â€Å"between San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico† (Robbins, 2008). The law seeks to achieve reform in the immigration system and policies of the country and its enforcement through apprehension of those who may illegally cross the fence (Robbins, 2008). The law directs the Homeland Security to â€Å"achieve operational control over U. S. international and maritime borders† which includes border patrol and surveillance and the use of equipment and technology to achieve this end as well as physical infrastructure to discourage illegal entry (Thomas Library of Congress web site, n. d. ). The fence is described as a â€Å"double-and-triple fence. † The first layer is made of airplane landing mates while the second is a steel mesh developed by Sandia National Laboratories. The â€Å"third chain link fence† is â€Å"topped with barbed wire† (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). There is a 150 foot of open space between the first and second fences used to station vehicles and surveillance cameras (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). In addition, there are air and ground border patrol agents deployed. Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) was signed into law in 1996 as a product of different and diverse efforts to address a variety of issues (University of Michigan web site, n. d. ). The two tragic incidents that led to the drafting and passage of this were the Oklahoma and World Trade Center incidents (Doyle, 1996). Among the other provisions, most salient to immigration is Title IV which refers to terrorists and criminal alien removal and exclusion. The Immigration and Nationality Act, specifically section 241(a)(4)(D) terrorist aliens may be deported, however, these aliens exploit and use â€Å"procedural and substantive provisions† to delay expulsion (Doyle, 1996). Thus, the need for a better crafted procedure is imperative. This law has in fact addressed such problem. In a nutshell, the Federal Rules on Evidence does not apply in these proceedings; evidence in a camera can be admitted by the court; evidence gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act can be presented as evidence; the Attorney General is authorized to detain alien at the start of the proceedings (Doyle, 1996). The law also authorizes the Attorney General to grant asylum only in cases where persons are not threats to national security. Asylum procedures and criminal alien proceeding have been improved (Doyle, 1996). Right of Police to Question Immigration Status Fears and protestations arouse due to the impression that the police are authorized to inquire into the immigration status of immigrants, i. e. Latinos. However, Los Angeles police clarified that Special Order 40 does not authorize police to inquire into the immigrant status of aliens (Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, 2001). The concern and inquiry shall only be when there is present, a larger criminal investigation involving the alien suspect (Day, 2006). The pertinent Special Order was already adopted in 1979 and it had negative effect on immigrants considering that it led to abuse both of those who are documented as well as those, undocumented. The Latinos felt that the very police who were supposed to protect them were the very ones who abused them (Day, 2006). In Phoenix on the other hand, a different policy was devised as authored by Governor Phil Gordon (Archibold, 2008). Under this new policy, all those involved in criminal charges will be questioned about the status of their stay in the United States. Moreover, the police are empowered to coordinate and report to the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Archibold, 2008). Conclusion With the enactment of Border Fence Act, it has singled out Hispanics with an apparent bias. The border fence which oppositionist calls as the ‘Berlin Wall’ segregates Mexico where majority Hispanic immigrants come from. This decision was largely due to the fact that number of Hispanic immigrants is the largest compared to other groups of immigrants. The Border Fence has not been effective because reports reveal that the number of illegal immigrants who entered have in fact, increased. Moreover, the success rate of the Government is based on a measure which is not reflective of its effectiveness. Apprehensions are counted to determine success but a person may be apprehended ten times and get through the 11th time. It is also opined that the fence disrupts the movement of migration because people from Mexico travel to the U. S. for a seasonal work. The AEDPA is also criticized as not being effective. The expulsion proceedings take so much time and can easily be delayed. The most criticized move is the right of the police to question immigration status. To many it violates their right of privacy and which may lead to racial and ethnic profiling because the Latinos are being singled out from the other illegal immigrants. The U. S. is known to be a democratic country with full opportunities for everyone. In enacting and enforcing its immigration laws it should be guided also by that policy with the end in view of treating immigrants in equal footing rather than singling out a particular race or ethnicity simply because it comprised the largest number of illegal immigrants. It should equally and uniformly enforce and implement its laws and policies regardless of ethinic or racial considerations. References Archibold, R. Phoenix police to check arrestees’ immigrant status. New York Times web site. February 16, 2008. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/02/16/us/16phoenix. html? _r=1oref=slogin Danilov, D. Immigrating in the U. S. A. Self-Counsel Press, 2003. Day, D. Brief: special order 40 spells out LAPD policy regarding immigration status. Immigration Outpost web site, March 7, 2006. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://immigrationoutpost. com/brief-special-order-40-spells-out-lapd-policy-regarding-immigration-status/ Doyle, C. Antiterrorism and effective death penalty act of 1996. Federation of American Scientists web site. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. fas. org/irp/crs/96-499. htm Fletcher, M. Weisman, J. Bush signs bill authorizing 700-mile fence for border. Washington Post, October 27, 2006. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/26/AR2006102600120. html Immigration web site. U. S. Immigration History. Retrieved on April 13, 2008, from http://www. rapidimmigration. com/usa/1_eng_immigration_history. html Leidermann, M. Latino immigration. Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. encyclopediaofarkansas. net/encyclopedia/entry-detail. aspx? entryID=2733 Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. A report concerning special order 40. February 1, 2001. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. lacity. org/oig/Special_Order_40_708061_v1. pdf Robbins, T. Bush signs border fence Act; funds not found. National Public Radio web site. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=6388548 Saenz, R. The demography of Latino immigration: trends and trajectories. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. mexnor. org/programs/TRP/April%20cumbre%20saenz%2004-22-05. pdf Suarez-Orozco, M. Sommer, D. Becoming Latinos. DRCLAS Newsletter, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University. Spring, 2000: 3-5 Thomas Library of Congress web site. H. R 6061. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://thomas. loc. gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z? d109:HR06061:@@@Dsumm2=m University of Michigan web site. Antiterrorism and effective death penalty act of 1996. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. lib. umich. edu/govdocs/pdf/pl104132. pdf

Implications of Single Parent Families

Implications of Single Parent Families The issue of single parenthood has been of much discussion if many societies in the recent past mainly to the increment of these families and the perceived inability of the failure of societies to stop this (Booth, Crouter 2002). In many societies, the nature of life with relations to jobs, interaction, life expectations and extended families may give rise to or create an environment that is deemed to be conducive for the existence single parents (Antecol, Bedard 2005, Ray 2010). In the view of this essay, single parent families pose different implications to different societies in the world which can again be defined by income levels, religious affiliations, geographical disposition and even technological development levels (Cheal 2003), this is to say that, there are certain implications that may be prevalently negative due in technologically advanced societies and not necessarily with the same intensity in economically deprived societies or deeply religious societies. The view held by this essay is that, generally, single parent families pose various negative implications to the societies as a whole. This essay will therefore describe what single parent families are, also, the essay will briefly discuss the rise of single parent families and provide an elaborate evaluation about the implications and lastly provide an evaluation about what could be done to deal with these implications. Single parent families Single parent families may be described as those families that have only one member of the parents being represented and not both the parent and conventionally, this may imply that either the father or the mother is absent and the children are brought up by the other parent (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006). According to Deleire, Kalil (2010), a single parent family is a family that appears normal in representation but with the absence of a resident member of the parents being either the mother or the father. It is however important to develop an understanding about what parentage means, as this will facilitate the creation of a more holistic view of the concept. This is because, while (Furlong, Cartmel 2007), viewed parents as both the man and the woman who live together and hence both take an active part in raising the children and keeping the family together, (Hantrais, Flipov, Billari 2006), notes that that is a view that is conventionally confined to straight families that leaves the homosexual parents out of its definition and is hence limited. According to Campbell et al (2008), the rise of homosexuality, especially in developed economies is increasingly ruling out the conventional definition that includes man and woman. Another view that has been taken by (Hayslip, Kaminski 2008), notes that by stating that the man and woman must be living together, the subjective problem is that these must be under one roof for most of their day or week, which is increasingly becoming impossible when the need to provide for the family increasingly leading to parents living apart as they seem to fend for their families. Could this arrangement be termed as single parentage? Probably the definition given by (Paterson 2001), is more acceptable as it brings about the psychological and physical aspect of this family composition, because, this definition views single parents as those who are physically and emotionally detached from each other and hence one or each of the parents look after all or some of the children, as the outcome of separation for the other partner. The causes The view held by Bradshaw (2003), and Deleire, Kalil (2010), is that it is not possible to understand the implications of single parent families without identifying the cause of existence of such families. The following are the causes of the rise in single parent families; First, death of the is the primary cause of these families since death of the parent deprives the family of one of the parents. Therefore in societies where terminal illnesses are prevalent or where death rates are higher, the probability of having many single parents and hence such families is also very high (Edwards 2009). But at this point it is important to note that the existence of single parent families as a result of death may only be temporary if the widow or widower remarries after a period of mourning, which may extend to a few years, therefore, single parentage only arises when there is no re-marriage. In many a society, depending on the ages of the widow (er), re-marriage may be an option, also, and this is to imply that if the marriage takes place when the children are already old and have left the house, the case of single parentage may not arise since in the view of Egeland, Carlson, Sroufe (2009), single parentage exist where children are still in the care of the par ents. Secondly, according to Hayslip, Kaminski (2008), divorce, which may be caused by a multitude of reasons, is another case for single parentage. This is because, divorce leads to estrangement of the partners and this leaves one of the partners with the duty of taking care of the children. The increased rise in divorce cases, which is caused by disagreements or as is in the recent past, mutual agreements, leads to the aforesaid single parentage. Divorce cases are on the increase in all societies both the Western and Orient, the rich and poor across the globe (Hill, Hill 2003). Third, economic reasons (Heckman 2008, Melchior et al. 2009) which come about by the need to stay apart, sometimes for weeks or months or even years hence leading one of the partners to have sole responsibility for upbringing, but this may be disputed since the other partner, mainly the man, still parents the children indirectly by sending money and issuing instructions (Hutchings et al 2007). But as noted earlier, single parentage has much to do with psychological imbalance than just the presence of one of the partners and the continued absence of one of the parents may mean that the each of the parents and even the children experience the psychological imbalance that exists (Ray 2010). Fourth, decayed moral fabric of many societies have lead to early or unwanted pregnancies which in turn leads to single mothers having to take full responsibilities of their children as the supposed fathers are either not known or are simple not ready to take responsibilities for parentage (Rimm, Rimm 2008). In this case, according to (Cheal 2003) societal vices like wartime rape cases are also immoral and when they lead to pregnancies, then single parentage arises. Fifth, religious beliefs, according to (Furlong, Cartmel 2007), some religious beliefs may lead to women having to give birth as the options of abortion is not considered and as such when this happens then they may be left to deal with child raising on their own. According to (Rimm, Rimm 2008), this belief is predominant in the Catholic denomination of the Christian faith where, even family planning methods are not entertained. Sixth, adoption cases are also on the rise and these also causing the non-biological existence of single parentage when the children are adopted by one person (Bradshaw 2003). Since most laws on adoption do not curtail this practice to the existence of both the parents (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006) and (Ray 2010), it is increasingly becoming easy to adopt by individual. Seventh, the sense of independence that is now sought after by many women who may not wish to have their own children but not under the control of anyone else has also contributed to the rise of such families (Egeland, Carlson, Sroufe (2009) and (Furlong, Cartmel 2007). The view held by this essay is that, for this to happen, the mother must be assured of their ability to take care of their children especially to provide for their material needs (Hayslip, Kaminski 2008). This is therefore a major cause for the rise in relatively developed economies where jobs can be created then in developing economies. The factors given above denote that there are many reason causing rise of single parent families and most of which are beyond the control of the parent or even the state, but, the state can, to some extent have effective measures of dealing with this situation although this may take time, for instance change the tax benefit system for single families may not be an easy process as it is political, but (Cheal 2003), notes that this can only go to a certain extent but will not hold families which are in marital problems together. The Implications As seen in the discussion above, there are various cause of single parentage and these hence mean that the implications are also many as given below; First, single parent families deprive the children of the benefits of having the other parent (McBride 2006). This according to Hall and Hall (2007), Osberg (2003), may lead to serious behavioural problems cased by the sense of deficiency, which the child realises through his/her peers. For instance, according to the research by (McLanahan 2000), lack of father figure may often lead to behavioural problems by the children, which may make them to start having problems with the law at a very early age. However, (Peele 2004), made an attempt to state that behavioural problems might be caused by any factor and not necessarily lack of the father figure, but this view has been contested by (Pounds 2007), who noted that the father figure may be found in the mother and hence, the view held here is that the child grows to note a difference between him/her with other children and it is this psychological knowledge of abnormality that makes the child to have tendencies of negative reaction and begin to be on the wrong side of the law. Secondly, as a result of having problems with the law, the government may be forced to spend a lot of money on rehabilitation and this may hence mean that in serious case scenario, the government will have to allocate more money to the social welfare department and activities at the expense of other development allocations (Tanner 2003). According to (McLanahan 2000) and (Cheal 2003), this is a major problem since the allocations to this department are not productive either in the short or the long term. According to Yarber, Sharp (2010), when children are taken into custody for correction, they may not necessarily respond positively to this custodial correction and on the contrary, they may become rebellion and the purpose will have been defeated. However, (Deleire, Kalil 2010), noted that this is a problem with less scientific ways of rehabilitation that leave children to feel like criminals than potentially productive members of the society. Thirdly, single parentage may result in unnecessary allocations of benefits to the single parents in a welfare state (Telegraph 2009, BBC News 2007 and Thisismoney 2009). This is a terrible outcome on many fronts. In the view of this essay, tax benefits on single parents bring about single families that encourage child vices as held in the first and second part above, and at the same time takes away money from the exchequer in an unproductive ways leading to serious deficit problems which the UK is facing currently (BBC News 2007). This is seen as the social problems that extend to political problems in the society and this to many a normal families becomes an unfortunate situation since it appears that single parentage is rewarded and normal parentage is punished ((Booth, Crouter 2002). According to (Rimm, Rimm 2008), the reason the benefits which lead to budgetary imbalances are unfair when given to most of the single parents is that the system will most certainly stand to be abuse d by those who know how to do so. Also it is generally impossible for the governments to know for certainty who of the single parents are in their situations in a genuine way and lastly, there will be no way of having in place a more effective control measures to compromise the parents or even to ensure that the society is trained on the importance of a normal family when there is seemingly more advantages of staying single than in a family (Wang, Benard 2004 ). Fourth, single parent families exposes the parent or the children or both to abuses especially if the parent is the mother and not the father (Deleire, Kalil 2010), this is the view that is also held by (Yarber, Sharp 2010, Rimm, Rimm 2008), who stated that when the children are left with the mother alone, chance are that the society will note the vulnerability of this entire family and those who wish to exploit them will do so in various ways (Furlong, Cartmel 2007) for instance a supposedly caring boyfriend or partner may abuse the children due to lack of real parentage attachment to them. The mothers may also be under severe abuse as a result of this and while this is not to suggest that the abuse is often physical, but they may be taken advantage of either due to their money or property after which they will be left in a sorry state (McLanahan 2000). According to (Deleire, Kalil 2010), the probability of suffering by single mothers is higher than the women in a normal relationshi p, since these single mothers and even their children are viewed to have no where to go to (Wu 2009). However, Deleire, Kalil (2010), noted that such abuses, as much as they exist in many a society, they are more prevalent in the developing than developed societies, because, in developed societies certain infrastructure exist that may discourage such instances for instance, quick police responses and CCTVs which when coupled with increased profiling, may deter violent abuses, this is not the case in the developing economies. Fifth, according to McLanahan (2000) and Swick, Williams (2010) single parent families are bound to have increased stress than a normal family due to the lack of shared responsibilities. This is a crucial problem in that, in single parent families, the lone father or mother bears all the burden of parentage, including fending for the family and looking after the children interest (Wu 2009). According to Swick, Williams (2010), this causes the parent to provide less than sufficient attention to the children and to snap at minor provocation which may affect the childs psychology due to abuses, beatings and even serious sufferings that might be inflicted on to the children who may suffer in silence (Wang, Benard 2004). While this view has also been supported by (Furlong, Cartmel 2007) and (Deleire, Kalil 2010) who noted that such parents cause problems to themselves and to their children, (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006) and (Jackson, Preston, Franke, 2010), have not supported it and they state that stress can exist more in a normal family than in a single parent family and it all depends on what the parent is doing and not the state of the parent. This is because; most single parents are resilient and can bear stress in a far better way than normal parents. Sixth as their parents are stressed, children may hence be stressed too which may affect their ability to perform well in school. This is because; children may not be able to handle the psychological pressures that come with stress, which may be translated to mean deprivation and withdrawal (Wang, Benard 2004), these children are more likely to experience serious dysfactionalities and absent-mindedness which are also psychological in nature and hence loss concentration in the classroom (Anderson A., et al 2008), however, (Wu 2009), seriously disputes this notion by stating that children in abusive but normal families are the ones who may show such tendencies as they live in the terror of abusive parents. This seem to be a more credible point of view as the children in such families are left with little option if they view, for instance, their mother to be helpless and their fathers to be monsters (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006), this may not exist in single parent families. According to (Ri mm, Rimm 2008), the main implication in this case is that the children who may wish to compare themselves to their mates, may find themselves lacking especially if they also come across teachers who talk about the parent that is not in the childs life (Jackson, Preston, Franke, 2010). According to the research conducted by (Zastrow, Karen 2009), in Denmark, on an average, the children from single parent backgrounds were found to be performing poorly in the classroom than those in the normal families, however, this research produced an interesting finding by stating that, on average, the performance was worst soon after the parents have split and as the child recovers from the shock, they, mentally accept the reality if it is explained clearly to them and their performance may improve (Wang, Benard 2004). (McLanahan 2000), took a very different point of view by stating that childs performance has nothing to do with their family set-ups but everything to do with the schools that they are studying in, because, good schools which are sought after produced an average of better results with higher grades for every child (Melchior et al. 2009) as opposed to the average schools. Seventh, according to (Furlong, Cartmel 2007), single parents families may cause a spiral effect on the future generations by having children who develop greater tendencies to being single parents themselves as they grow to learn to be the mother and father of their families at the same time. This, according to (Cavanaugh, Fields 2006), is a positive implication in creating a resilient society, but, according to Yarber, Sharp (2010), the resilience is to the extent of the child being able to handle pressure in the future at work but not positive in encouraging a normal family existence (Melchior et al. 2009 ). According to (Rimm, Rimm 2008, Yarber, Sharp 2010), the ability to act as a mother and father at the same time has nothing whatsoever to do with positive societal framework and resilience does not replace the discipline and order that can exist with the existence of both the parents, therefore, this notion of resilience is self defeating. Eighth, according to the research conducted by (Zastrow, Karen 2009) and (McLanahan 2000), single parent families face serious economic deprivation, poverty and even exposure to vices like prostitution, theft and greater likelihood of suicide. The study here was related to material problems that the single parents face and it was found that when there is shared responsibilities, the family may sustain unlike if such is not present (Rimm, Rimm 2008). This is because, in a single parent family, the source of income may be one especially in cases where one partner died or where there was unwanted pregnancy, this may lead to deprivation where children lack what they need and when this prevails, and stress comes in, the tendency to resort to extreme measures (Melchior et al. 2009). Prostitution is one of the common ways of fighting poverty when other measures seem to have failed (Jackson, Preston, Franke, 2010), also, in worse cases, suicides may be the way out of misery by both the paren t and the child(ren), and these are practices that do not only wreck the single parent family but also the normal families (Jackson, Choi, Bentler 2009). Discussion and Conclusion This essay has managed to highlight various issues that relate to single parenthood as they affect various societies. Single parenthood is a major problem that confronts all societies alike. It is the view of this essay that the implications can only be dealt with if the causes are identified. As seen in this essay, the main causes of this situation range from family disagreements to natural causes to political factors of the welfare state, these are far reaching and hence with much more greater implications and it may not be possible to adopt a single method of tackling these as the approach has to be multi faceted. The best way to tackle the problem of single parenthood is to ensure that the social and moral fabric is addressed (Rimm, Rimm 2008, Yarber, Sharp 2010), and the view of this discussion is that for this to be done, the schools must be encouraged to adopt curricula that educates and instils on the children the importance of family without seeking to find out how their families are composed, this will cause sanity to the moral thinking of the society and as the generation ages, the importance of family will be glorified (Melchior et al. 2009). Also, religious based organisations must be consulted and asked to help by having their teachings geared towards family cohesion and not family breakages, this however requires the society to be more responsive to religious calls which may not be a major issue sin many societies. Also, the rules that make divorce easy and benefiting especially to the other partner who goes to share half the wealth must be re-discussed and changes adopted (Yarber, Sharp 2010), in the UK, the mother is generally given the duty to look after the children while in the USA (Rimm, Rimm 2008), this duty is shared with the father also taking part, this is in the case of divorces, the shared responsibility may reduce the vices that children may show since they still enjoy the company and teachings of the parents. However, in the cases of death, it is obvious that there cannot be any arrangement of custodial rights for the other party as they are not there, but this calls for strengthening the community spirit, so that the whole society can be charged with the duty of taking care of the children (Booth, Crouter 2002, Yarber, Sharp 2010), of course schools can only play a limited role and the extended family needs to take an active role, yet, it must be realised that this cannot be forc ed either, however, the government can to some extent facilitate this by reducing the benefits given to the single parents who choose to do so simply to benefit from the tax benefits, this will lead to more reliance on family and lastly, foster caring should be vetted and allowed for normal families alone as a way of placing the child in a normal family and avoiding future problems (Melchior et al. 2009). Lastly, as seen from this discussion, there are more negative implications of single parent families than are positive ones, which denote that this is a societal problem that needs to be dealt with and it calls for society-wide participation to deal with it. While single parents must be cared for, care must be taken to ensure that this care is not misinterpreted and abused by others who may have other options.

Causes And Minimization Of Soybean Flavour Via Enzymes

Causes And Minimization Of Soybean Flavour Via Enzymes Lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals are main food ingredients that are responsible for flavour in vegetables. These compounds may give rise to volatile and non volatile compounds that give vegetable its characteristic odour and taste (Sessa, 1979). Soybean is very popular and unique in its ability to be cholesterol free and lactose free, and also because it provides good source of nutrients at low-cost such as proteins, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals (biological active components derived from plants) and also is a source of oil and therefore it is classified as an oilseed and has a reputation of being natural and good for health (Martin et al, 2010). Soybean originated from Asia, was first cultivated in china and is most common in Asian countries and is grown by farmers since centuries. Soybean is a good source for providing useful protein especially in countries where people are protein deficient, or lack of proteins from animal source, or for th ose people that are lactose tolerant and cannot consume cows milk for them soymilk is available, which is made from soybean and is healthy and rich in protein. Soybean is used to produce many food products such as soymilk powders, flour, oil, soybean curd, chocolate, ice-cream, etc (Martin et al, 2010; Stephan et al, 2000). Although in many western countries acceptance of soybean has not been much successful due to its strong grassy/beany flavour which is unpleasant in taste and is unfavourable according to most consumers. Therefore, much research has been done to improve soybean flavour. According to many studies done on soybean flavour, lipid oxidation (lipoxygenase) an iron containing enzyme which is common in plants and animals, which undergoes Fe2+ to Fe 3+ transitions during per oxidation of fat catalyses the peroxidation of unsaturated fats to hydroperoxides is said to be responsible for the off flavour which breaks down during hydration, which will be further discussed in th is review. Causes of beany Flavour During cultivating soybean, it is found that it is beneficial to environment in terms of nitrogen and other minerals that benefit the soil by increasing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous contents in soil. Unpleasant flavour such as beany /grassy flavour of soybean are generated from the lipids through lipoxygenase during the process of roasting, fermentation and germination, the lipoxygenase breaks down the oil into a number of chemicals including hexanal, and methanethiol and these chemicals result in off-flavours which are described as beany and grassy primarily in soybeans ( Suratman et al,2004; Wszelaki et al, 2005). Lipoxygenase in soybean seeds is present in the form of three isozymes ( Lox-I, Lox-II and Lox-III) (Kumar, et al, 2003). Soybean is an iron containg enzymes which catalyzes the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids with cis,cis-1,4-pentadiene units to produce conjugated unsaturated fatty acid peroxides which are rensposible for the off flavour in soybeans as well as bitter taste (Li et al, 2008; Wang et al, 2008). It comprises of enzymes that are commonly found in soybean, can arise by either hydrolysis of fatty esters or oxidative fat corrosion. Naturally occurring enzymes such as lipid acyl-hydrolases, directly hydrolyze the fatty ester bonds of triglyceride s and phospholipids, producing free fatty acids. Lei and Boatright, 2005, revealed the importance of methanethiol to the characteristic odour of soybean which could give rise to a volatile sulphur compound; dimethul trisulfide is responsible for the off odour. Although the means for the effect of lipoxygenase on the formation of methanethiol is not well known, but is thought to be due to release of the free radicals formed during oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Methionine residues in soy protein products are aggregated by such free radicals, resulting in the formation of methionine sulfoxide which generates methanethiol as a final product as proposed by Lei et al 2005.Therefore, the data from current studies suggest that lipoxygenase not only catalyzes the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in the formation of volatile aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols, but also promotes formation of methanethiol (Lozano et al, 2007). Flavours developed depend on the composition of the fat with short chain fatty acids to C 10 having particularly disagreeable odours flavours and those above C1O possessing waxy or, at alkaline pH, soapy flavours. Hydrolytic fat corrosion is not much important in terms of flavour formation when compared with flavours from oxidative deterioration of free fatty acids. Strong soybean-like flavours have been found in model systems consisting of hydroperoxides generated by the oxidative action of soy lipoxygenase on pure linoleic and linolenic acid. Volatile Compounds produced contribute to the grassy and beany flavours, while non volatile compounds cause bitter and astringency. In addition, scientists have found that lipid hydroperoxides produced by Oxidation readily form in soybean seeds when compared with other vegetables. Once formed, hydroperoxides undergo decomposition to both volatile and non volatile compounds. Many volatile Compounds generated either by the action of enzymes or by autoxidation of polyunsaturated lipid. A volatile synthetic compound, 2(l-pentenyl) furan also was found to contribute to the beany and grassy notes of soybean oil. It was hypothesized to arise from autoxidation of linolenic acid. According to Zhou et al, 2000, 2-pentyl pyridine (2-pp) has the largest flavour value of any other flavour volatiles found in soybean products. While volatile compound contribute to beany flavour, non-volatile oxygenated fatty acids impart a bitter taste to soybeans and dried peas. For example, trihydroxy fatty acids generated by the action of soy lipoxygenases on linoleic acid is responsible for the bitter tastes but due to its low concentration it is unlikely to be the main cause off odour (Stephan et al 2000) . According to many studies peroxides, lipoxygenase, and phospholipids are the main cause of off odour in soybean and many studies show that pH and temperature may also have influence on the flavour impact causing undesirable taste. According to Iassonova, removing lipoxygenase (LOX) isozymes can reduces the amounts of volatile off-flavor compounds in soybeans and soy products drastically, but are not completely eliminated. The present work presents evidence that lipoxygenase-null (LOX-null) soybeans contain a LOX-like enzyme that is responsible for the offflavors in LOX-null soybeans. Volatiles production in triple LOX-null soybeans was terminated by heat treatment, which suggests an enzymatic cause to the off-flavors. The source is LOX-like in that the volatile compounds produced are similar to LOX-generated products of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oxygen was consumed when a LOX-null protein solution was incubated with crude soybean oil suggesting that the enzyme catalyzed oxygen con suming reactions. The generation of flavour compounds was inhibited by the typical LOX inhibitors propyl gallate and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). The enzyme appears to be more active with phosphatidylcholine than with other lipid substrates. The cause of the off-flavors in LOX-null beans appears to have enzyme-like characteristics (Iassonova et al, 2009). Strategies adapted to reduce beany flavour Although soy is rich in its nutritional value, it has not been much popular due to its beany unpleasant flavour; therefore many methods have been considered in order to get rid of this lipid derived beany off flavour in soybean which is due to lipoxygenase activity. Soybean proteins can be readily be modified by chemical, physical and enzymatic treatments changes the functional properties of the protein such as leading to flavour change. Methods such as heat treatment, pH adjustment, hydrolysis, enzyme treatment, ingredients addition, thermal modification, and breeding of soybean with low beany flavours have been used to eliminate/ reduce unpleasant beany flavour of soybean (Heywood et al, 2002; Suratman et al, 2004). According to Heywood et al, 2002, value enhanced soybeans (genetic modified/breed) have transformed fatty acid/ protein composition which means volatile compounds are removed that cause unpleasant beany flavour. According to Iassonova et al, 2009; removing lipoxygenase (LOX) isozymes can reduces the amounts of volatile off-flavor compounds in soybeans and soy products drastically, but are not completely eliminated. Temperature also has significant effect on soybean protein where significant decrease in unpleasant flavour compound was observed at lower temperature around 5.5 C (lower than room temperature). In many studies it was investigated that at higher temperatures the methanethiol increased and vice versa (Heywood et al, 2002). Also heating increases the digestibility of soy protein. Similar results were reported by Rehman et al, 2007, according to him soymilk prepared by heating soybean grains at least 15min at 100 C soaking in water at pH 8, (soybean water extract) improved the flavour and taste to some extent but did not completely eliminate the unfavourable flavour, it only had less beany flavour and more protein solubility and also improved colour consistency. Similarly Machado et al, 2008 reported that the anti-nutrients in soybean such as Kunitz (protease inhibitor that reduces the nutrient level of soybean) can be inactivated by heat treatments (wet) or biochemical treatments or ei ther by selecting soybean varieties (could be modified/ genetically grown) that lack these protease inhibitors along with heat treatment such as wet heat rather than dry heat. Soybean was heat treated for 15 minutes ( as excess heat could completely denature the protein i.e. decrease the solubility and nutrition value) and as a result the trypsin inhibitors (which was seen to be dependent on moisture level) were inactivated without affecting the quality of soy protein the in terms of nutrition value. Thermal treatment the most common old method used to modify soy bean flavour without affecting the nutritional value. This treatment is used to eliminate lipoxygenase activity in soybean which produces volatile compounds responsible for off odour. Enzyme modification are conducted to eliminate undesired flavours (beany) caused by hexanal. Alpha-tocopherol and isoflavones, both naturally occur in soybeans. Are antioxidants which inhibit enzymic oxidation of linoleate with lipoxygenases . Methods are developed to free naturally occurring antioxidants of enzyme inhibitors. Cysteins under aerobic conditions interacts with the catalytic site of lipoxygenase and induces irreversible inactivation of the enzyme. Cysteine reacting with linoleic acid prevents formation of volatile flavour compounds. In line with Li et al, 2008, and Wang et al, 2008, although the thermal treatment inactivates effectively soybean lipoxygenase (LOX), it denatures soybean proteins, results in amino acid degradatio n and other deteriorative reactions. Although there are concerns over the affects of flavours, texture, colours, vitamins and nutrients by thermal treatment, therefore, inactivation of soybean LOX by non-thermal treatment is aimed in order to avoid quality loss of soymilk by thermal processing and new techniques are introduced such as high pressure techniques for better quality and taste. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) a non-thermal food preservation method and become increasingly a promising option to thermal pasteurization. In comparison with traditional thermal pasteurization, PEF dramatically lead to inactivation of LOX activity and denature of enzymes in soymilk PEF not only can kill microorganisms and inactivate enzymes, but maintains taste, colour, texture, vitamins, and nutrients, of foods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the content of methanethiol in soybean which occurred in every sample of soybean tested (Lei et al, 2005) which gives out unpleasant odour. It also was observed that if pH levels were increased the amount of methanehtiol also increased due to breakdown of methionine. Cyclodextrin, which masks beany flavour molecules by reducing or changes the food flavour overall have been used to eliminate the molecules responsible for the off flavours in soybean. Hexanal is reported to be the main sources of beany flavour have been used to inactivate soybean lipoxygenase activity but it is found that it lowers the protein solubility. Another method is soaking soybean in ethyl alcohol and PH adjustment. Off-flavour is only observed when the soybean cells are borkendown/ or during cooking where many chemicals (e.g. linoleic acid; ketones, aldehydes, and alcohol) are released which give off odour (Rehman et al, 2007). According to Stephan et a l, 2000 saturated free fatty acids (FFAs) did not produce any bitterness in the concentrations investigated, and were able to influence the bitter taste of emulsions essentially even if they are present in concentrations that are only slightly above their thresholds. Fig.1.Improved soybean products (Bay, 2006) Various methods have been employed to inhibit lipoxygenase. Enzyme inactivation by blanching whole soybeans before grinding of soaked soybeans prevents formation of oxidized flavour in the production of bland-flavoured soy milk. Heat inactivation of lipoxygenase by extrusion cooking yields full-fat flour with improved odour, flavour, and stability. Further low pH inhibits lipoxygenase in soybeans and other legumes. Thereby minimizing the formation of volatile compounds for example flavourless tasting slurries free of lipoxygenase- induced off-flavours and odours were produced by grinding and fractionating raw soybeans under pH 3.8 for enzyme inactivation with saturated monohydric alcohols. Flavour of soy flour should be improved with alcohol or heat treatments. Alteration of flavour causing aldehydes to alcohols by means of an enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase could reduce flavour because alcohols generally have higher flavour thresholds than corresponding aldehydes. .Alcohols produced by this reaction can act as enzyme inhibitors in the meals, or they can be more readily extracted from meals unlike aldehydes because alcohols do not bind to proteins .Present processes for preparing soyflour, concentrate, and isolates generally involve solvent extraction, aqueous extraction, drying, and toasting. Products with improved flavours through these procedures are commercially available. One current method is used to achieve soybean with acceptable flavour, better quality, and reducing any undesirable characteristics. (fig.1.).In this method soybean is mixed in an heated aqueous salt solution to form a mixture, heating leads to deactivation of enzymes that are responsible for beany flavour. This improved misture is further processed (drying, roasting, powdering, and flavouring) so can be used in a variety of food products. Conclusion Although soybean milk is recognized as a nutritious beverage, it contains much lower calcium than cows milk. To eradicate the off flavour, scientists throughout the world have been in an attempt to find soybeans that lacked lipoxygenase enzymes thought processes such as mutation, hybridization and selection they were able to find few that few of the enzymes. These soybeans are now being used in soymilk production and other food products and no longer have the off flavour (beany flavour). Therefore, according to Rehman et al, 2007 soybean in water at pH8 showed to have less beany flavour and more protein solubility, similarly according to Wang et al 2008 high pressure was found be effective in slightly reducing off flavour by deactivating lipoxygenase in soy products such as milk and gave improved taste and flavour , these results were also in line with the finding with Li et al, 2008 who studied the inactivation of soybean lipoxygenase due to thermal treatment but is shown to affect the quality of food and similarly results reported by Wang et al, 2008. Although there are concerns about reduction in protein content or health affect when soybean is modified in order to eliminate the unacceptable odour, since consumers concern has always been on quality, appearance, taste, smell, and texture. According to Lei and Boatright, 2005 little is known about factors that influence occurrence of methanethiol in soy products.

Affirmative Action: A Means to End Inequality Essay -- Equality Rights

Affirmative Action: A Means to End Inequality Throughout the United States, many types of inequality can be identified. What exactly does this statement mean? First, defining inequality would help one best approach this matter. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines inequality as â€Å"the quality of being unequal or uneven† through† a lack of evenness b: social disparity c: disparity of distribution or opportunity d: the condition of being variable† (Merriam Webster). Now the question is clearer, as identifying types of inequality is equivalent to recognizing the different groups that exist within the boundaries of the U.S. For instance, people can be grouped based on income, the level of education, or their position in their workplace. Inequality shown as such is easy to identify and falls nicely into categories. However, understanding such inequalities in the context of race and gender is not so simple. The median income of a white male full time worker in 2002 was near 41,000 dollars, a black male full time worker under 32,000, and a Hispanic male full time worker around 25,000 (Race: Fact File). These numbers also drop significantly for women in each category (Race: Fact File). Unemployment rates, home ownership rates, high school and college graduation rates, and even health care coverage all show inequality in America, especially in the context of race and gender (Race: Fact File). The government has taken steps to try to eliminate these inequalities through the implementation of affirmative action programs. This leads to an important issue, namely, is affirmative action a fair and an effective method of eradicating inequality? To understand and answer this question, the origins of affirmative action... ...ted States, and South Africa (in SICA Silver Jubilee).† Public Administration Review, Vol. 59, No. 6. (Nov. - Dec., 1999), pp. 495-508. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0033-3352%28199911%2F12%2959%3A6%3C495%3APOPLFI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P {scholarly primary source, print via the internet, authoritative } Wilcher, Shirley J. â€Å"The History of Affirmative Action.† Americans for a Fair Chance, Motion Magazine. Washington DC, October 12, 2003. {popular news, print via internet, apparently credible} Winter, Greg. â€Å"After Ruling Three Universities MainTain Diversity in Admissions.† The New York Times: April 13, 2004. Section A; Page 22; Column 3 {distinguished news, print via the internet, authoritative } Yetman, Norman R. â€Å"Race and Ethnicity†. Sociology: Social Foundations of Public Issues. McGraw Hill 2003. p. 348 {secondary scholarly; print; authoritative}

Witness :: essays research papers

Communication is more than just words   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one sense is diminished, another is magnified, but can it ever truly be compensated? In some instances, yes however, when addressing the ability to communicate, there are two senses, that when absent hinders the communication process: sight and touch. Communication is more than just words. In an effort to explore this idea further, we will look at the movie â€Å"Witness†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie, starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, takes place in New England. After losing her husband, Rachel Lapp (McGillis) and her son, Samuel, travel via railway to Baltimore, Maryland to celebrate the birth of Samuel’s cousin. When Samuel goes to the restroom during a delay in Philadelphia, he witnesses the murder of a Narcotics Officer. During the investigation, Detective John Book (Ford), discovers that the murderers are two fellow officers in conspiracy with the Chief of Police. In an effort to protect Samuel Lapp, John finds himself living in the Amish community with Rachel, Samuel, and Eli Lapp, Rachel’s father-in-law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When two worlds such as an Amish community and a 20th century metropolis collide, they give textbook examples of different aspects of communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the first half of the movie, when Rachel and Samuel enter into this unknown society, their reactions are mirrored by society’s reactions to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Rachel and Samuels board the train, we see Eli Lapp, and friend of the family, Daniel; express their discontentment of Rachel’s decision to venture out into a world filled with â€Å"evil†. While Eli’s expressions are of concern and care, we notice, as Daniel gives Samuel a small wooden toy, his countenance pouring with an alterative motive as he smiles flirtatiously at Rachel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, lets discuss Rachel’s insinuations towards the foreign society. When we see Rachel on Eli’s farm, she seems to be a very devoted Amish woman. This implication remains unchanged, as we see her at the train station in Philadelphia. She is very introverted, as she sits alone on a bench, sewing. She is stiff and apathetic to the world revolving around her and in making no attempt to commune with it, only speaks German to Samuel while in public, succeeding in isolating themselves. She demonstrates great lethargy towards any issue that exists outside her â€Å"realm†. She demonstrates this several times when, while someone talks to her, she stares out the window, making no eye contact and sending a loud and clear message that she does not want to hear what he or she are saying.

Banned Books

According to Dosomething. org, more than 60% of teens are doing or have done drugs at one time. Go Ask Alice should be banned from middle school and elementary libraries and only permitted at the high school level because of the use of vulgar language, the use of illegal substances, and the explicit descriptions of the activities being done throughout the book. One reason this book should be banned is the use of vulgar language. The foul language used in this book is not appropriate for middle school nor elementary ibraries, but acceptable to more mature audiences like high school.An example of this occurs toward the middle of the book when, the main character, Alice and her friend are at a party that gets out of hand and she's talking about it the next day, â€Å"Last night was the worst night of my shitty, rotten, stinky, dreary, f*cked up life. † (Sparks, 58) Another example toward the beginning of the book when she's expressing her feelings about that day, â€Å"l feel aw fully bitched and pissed off at everybody†¦ I Just want to puke all over the shitty world. † (Sparks, 82, 83) Next, nother reason Go Ask Alice should be banned is the excessive use of illegal substances.The drug use written throughout the book is not appropriate for middle school or elementary, but should be permitted for high school level. In Go Ask Alice there are many illegal substance references throughout the entire book. An example happens toward the beginning when she's at a small hang out and is unknowingly consuming a spiked drink. â€Å"Then I noticed the strange shifting patterns on the ceiling†¦ I watched the pattern change to swirling colors, great fields of reds, blues, ellows. (Sparks 25) Another example toward the middle is when she and her friend are roped into selling drugs to young kids, â€Å"†¦ so Chris and I have both had to push pot†¦ I convinced Richie that it would be easier to push acid than pot†¦ † (Sparks, 45) This u sage continues throughout the book. A third, and final, reason why this book should be banned is because of the explicit descriptions. The explicit descriptions used are not acceptable for middle school or elementary libraries, but can be deemed appropriate for high school.This whole book is very detailed and explicit in its descriptions. One of the many examples is when she is waking up after a wild party, â€Å"Well last night it happened. I am no longer a virgin! † (Keep in mind she is only 14) (Sparks, 27) Then she talks about her boyfriend, â€Å"Richie is so good, good, good to me and sex with him is like lightning and rainbows and springtime! † (Sparks, 44) Still talking about her boyfriend, â€Å"He teases me and says I am oversexed because I have been bugging him to let me try sex without being stoned first. Sparks, 46) A final example is toward the ending of the book discussing the death of her grandmother, â€Å"Gran died in her sleep last night. I tried t o tell myself that she's gone to Gramps, but I am so depressed all I can think about is worms eating her body. † (Sparks, 115) This book has sparked controversy in whether or not it should be banned to middle school and elementary. Go Ask Alice should be banned to middle school and elementary because it is not appropriate to expose them to the contents in the book.But reasons it shouldn't be banned for high school libraries is because they are a more mature most worldly things that this book shouldn't corrupt them too much. So this book should be banned for middle school and elementary but permitted to high school because of the usage of vulgar language, the use of illegal substances, and the explicit descriptions written throughout the book. Just think, would you want your young child exposed to this type of literature and have it possibly have an influence in their behaviors?

France and the United States Essay

This paper seeks to provide comparative analysis of early childhood education policy between France and the United States. The discussion will focus on the programs origin and what the programs were intended to achieve. The study will look at the focus, of the programs, the beneficiaries and the cost. In analyzing the early childhood policy outcome in the two countries, the paper assesses the successes as well as the shortcomings of the policy programs. The federal government has not developed a policy on early childhood education that is applicable in the nation. As opposed to the comprehensive early child education policy in France. The U. S. government has only been supporting specific preschool programs for those children from poor neighborhoods and low income families. This trend is also evident in the various states which have not been able to come up with early childhood policy that can be used uniformly by education stakeholders throughout the state. Earl childhood education program is largely left in the hands of private education providers through kindergartens. (Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , & Chanana, N. , 1998, p. 24). The Early childhood education policy by the government is defined in its actions which in regulating the demand and supply of early childhood education services. In implementing early childhood policy, the government provides direct and indirect financial subsidies to private providers of these services in the form of grants, contracts and tax incentives. Provision of direct and indirect financial support to parents of children in early childhood program. This support may be in the form of cash benefits, tax benefits to offset the cost of this service and vouchers to pay for the service. The government also participates by regulating players in the field of early childhood education through legislation. Early childhood education program in the U. S are run on a full day of part time basis and they include pre-kindergartens, kindergartens, compensatory education programs and nursery schools. The other programs that support early childhood education include childcare centres, family support programs, before and after school programs, family type day care homes. Because there is no clear line between the government and private support in this sector. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 5) There is no clear data concerning the cost of early childhood education in United States. However, the federal spending on the program has been very minimal compared to grade k-12. Studies in the year 2002 reveals that the states spent 2. 5 billion dollars on early childhood education while the federal government spent 6. 5billion on early childhood program. This is in exclusion of funds spent on pre-primary education for special students. This is the contrary of the case in France where the government full funds its early childhood education program. Then enrolment in early childhood program for the year 2002 was estimated at 750,000 with 85% enrolled in private institutions. In the United States, the government has a policy that ensures quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families. The Child Care Bureau administers federal funds to states, territories, and tribes to assist eligible families including low-income families. The childcare bureaus provide childcare for children when the parents work or participate in allowable education or training activities. Through the Child Care Bureau funds various Technical Assistance projects that promote quality, strengthen program administration are supported. The funds are also used to finance Good Start which is the president’s initiative towards early childhood education as well as carry out research to help policy makers. The child care programs in the United States involved the administrators, parents and other stakeholders than in the case of France that is more regulated from above. According to OECD report (2000, p. 21). Most children are enrolled in private institutions compared to those in public institutions with most parents taking their children for part time programs. This is illustrated in the table below showing enrolment in early childhood education programs in thousands. The only early childhood policy that received direct support by the federal government is the introduction of Head start program to take care of those children from low income families. This program is funded by the federal government of the U. S since it caters for the children of the financially deprived parents from poor neighbourhood. According to OECD report (2000, p. 18) The cost of funding this program has increased steadily, reaching almost $4. 7 billion in fiscal year 1999 and $5. 27 billion in fiscal year 2000. This program was started as a strategy to deal with problems associated with children from poor neighbourhood. Dealing with their emotional, cognitive, social and cognitive deficits ensured a well rounded individual who was prepared to adopt a life style that made them productive individuals from poor homes. The major aim is however to academically prepare students for their primary school studies. According to Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , & Chanana, N. (1998, p. 34-50). Research shows that those students who had undergone early childhood programs like Head Start had fewer referrals for remedial classes or special education. These students were also more likely to remain in regular classes throughout their public school years. Fewer retentions rate as preschool graduates were less likely to repeat grades. The students maintained excellent scores very few of them had failing grades in their school years. The students were acknowledged by their teachers as having greater social and emotional maturity and had a high probability of completing their high school studies without dropping out. Due development of positive attitude about school at an early age, these students had greater academic motivation, on-task behavior, capacity for independent work, and time spent on homework. Lower incidence of absenteeism/detentions. Graduates had lower incidences of absenteeism and detentions. Preschool graduates had much higher scores on measures of attitude toward school and toward particular subject areas those who attended early childhood education are found to have better self-esteem, greater internal locus of control compared to those who never attend the program. Preschool education is believed to help in preventing unwanted pregnancies among young school girls. The program is also believed to reduce incidences of indiscipline like drug abuse and delinquent acts among students, this some researchers believe is due to the introduction of rules and regulations to students at an early age hence contributing to positive upbringing. Due to improved self esteem developed from an early age, preschool graduates are more likely to participate in social activities like sports and community work. As opposed to those who did not attend early education, the beneficiaries have a better meaning for education and develop high future aspirations. This also contributes to the likelihood of them enrolling and completing their secondary education. These benefits of early childhood education are extending to the society as beneficiaries have a higher possibility of securing better paying jobs hence reducing dependency in the society. There is high unlikelihood that these people will engage in antisocial behavior in the society. (Morgan, G. , Azer, S. , Costley, J. , Genser, A. , Goodman, I. , Lombardi, J. , and McGimsey, B. , 1993, p. 45, 78). The Head Start program is however accused of contributing to inequality in the education arena as those who are considered financially stable have been ignored. This is no longer a shortfall in France as their early childhood policy caters for all children despite their family backgrounds. The increasing number of mothers securing jobs is however increasing government participation in provision of early childhood programs especially in those kindergartens which are integrated in public primary schools. For instance, District of Columbia is made kindergarten attendance a legal requirement for children. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 14) The diagram below illustrate the increasing number of working mothers with children under age six due U. S policy on Early childhood education and care between 1960 and 1999. Despite lack of comprehensive policy regarding early childhood education, a lot of expenditure has been incurred in supporting efforts towards achieving the same. The figures reported by OECD report( 2000, p. 23) is an illustration of cost of efforts employed by U. S to achieve ECEC as compared between 1992 and 1999 constant dollar reported in millions of dollars. As opposed to the United States, France has a clear government policy regarding earl childhood education. The program is publicly funded and caters for those children between the ages of 2-6 year olds known as Ecole Maternelle. The system has specific programs for those children under age three and it is administered under the Ministry of Education delivered under education auspices of the ministere de la Jeunesse, de l’Education nationale et de la Recherche. (Oberhuemer, P. , & Ulich, M. , 1997, p. 27). These programs are freely provided by the government for eight hours during the day including breaks like lunchtime. Extension beyond these hours is optional and those parents who work for longer hours can pay for additional hours that their children are taken care of at early childhood education centres. Since these programs are meant to benefit children and their parents who earn poorly, the additional charges levied on parents take into consideration the parent’s income. Any child starting school has to go through ecole maternelle which is the preparatory level in the education system. (OECD Country report, 2004, p. 4-7). Early preschool education is divided into three sections namely: the little section, middle section and large section. The little section is meant for three year olds, the middle section is for four-year-olds and large section is for five-year-olds. Two year olds belong to very little section. France is also committed to empowering the low income parents just like Head Start in the United States hence the government organizes bridging activities for those who are about to start schooling in poor neighborhoods. Such a program is supposed to familiarize the learners with the academic in readiness for school system. The table below shows the trends in the percentage of children in the ecole maternelle by age as from the year 1960-2002 according to French background report in 2003.