Analysis of Claude Monet's Stacks of Wheat Term Paper

Analysis of Claude Monet's Stacks of Wheat - Term Paper Example Monet asserted the cyclical essence of the seasons and of his own creative activity. Notably, he was unbelievably responsive to the nuances of nature (Art Institute of Chicago, 2000). The melting of the snow was a representation of the earth and the features of the background with the sun glowing gently as opposed to glowing angrily. In this series, the stack seems to loom larger than those in Sunset, Snow Effect, but their actual sizes are roughly equal. His main intention was to see the Stacks of the wheat paintings function both independently and as part of the series (Art Institute of Chicago, 2000). The monumental stacks depicted in the paintings arose 15 to 20 feet and stood just outside the artist’s farmhouse at Giverny. The stack-according to Monet-was a resonant symbol of sustenance and survival (Art Institute of Chicago, 2000). The Stack’s association of abundance and of man’s ability to sustain himself and his animals on the richness of the harvest are obvious and compelling. His subsequent series after the 1891 depicted poplars, the facade of Rouen Cathedral, and later his own garden at Giverny. In Monet’s painting, the sun casts a golden orange over the wheat stack. This shadow was a representation of a contemporary color blue-lavender (Art Institute of Chicago, 2000). Although the mundane subject was dominant throughout the series, the outstanding theme of the series was the transience of light. This concept enabled Monet to use repetition to show nuance of perception as series, weather changes and time of the day (Richard, 1987). The dominant subject provided the foundation from which comparisons could be made in changes of light across this series (Art Institute of Chicago, 2000). Traditionally, it has been thought that the motifs in the Monet's Stacks of Wheat Series paintings were just objects utilized to explore how light, color and form changed during the day and in regard to different weather conditions (Richard, 1987).  

Adult Aging and Development Project Description Essay - 9

Adult Aging and Development Project Description - Essay Example Lastly, there is retrieval that is the getting back the memory from storage for use. Researchers in human development and aging have gone deep scrutinizing the speed of processing information and working memory capacity to understand the effect of the age difference on the memory. In the memory process, the older adults have a myriad of issues like retrieval and encoding problems. The strategies of encoding are not readily used by the older adults as it happens to the young adults. There is decreased the flow of blood to the brain while encoding hence less brain activity. The older adults are more affected by false memories. False memories are made of the remembering and giving an account to events that never took place. For the fact that the old are affected more than the young ones, then they are not used in the court of law to testify as eyewitnesses in most cases. The older adults have a problem with having selective attention. The distracters affect the old more than it does to the young adults. Therefore, there is difficulty in the performance of complex tasks for their nature of divided attention. At the same time when talking to the adults, there is a need to be relevant and provide with an environment that is less distracted for better performance. As one age, their attention deficit keeps increasing up to the point they cannot work on any work constructively. From the studies, there is a substantial decline in intellectual abilities. There is a steady increase in intelligence up to the age of sixty where the fluid intelligence starts to decrease hence becoming less intelligent than the younger counterparts. The exceptional creativity that is extraordinary and helpful to the society is at its peak in the thirties and the decline as time goes. The older people lose that compelling desire to be creative hence the decreased creativity in the adults.  

Ford Motor Company Essay Example for Free

Ford Motor Company Essay Ford Motor Company is the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world based on automobiles sold. Ford manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents (Datamonitor 4). Fords brands include Ford, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Mazda. Fords key products include passenger cars, trucks, busses and vans, sport utility vehicles, vehicle accessories, after-sales vehicle parts and products and extended repair service products. According to Fortune Magazine in 2007 Ford was the seventh ranked American-based company listed on the fortune 500 list, which was based on Fords global revenues in 2006 of 160. 1 billion. The companys success comes from its ability to focus on customer satisfaction and loyalty, anticipating and meeting changing customer needs, and delivering innovative products that exceed quality standards and are price friendly and also environmentally friendly. The financial stability of Ford and the long-term stability of our world are met by Fords strategy to lead with its products. Several key strategies are used by Ford that help to develop products that are of high quality, affordable to consumers and that are in high demand. These strategies include; continuous improvement of quality standards and customer satisfaction, adjusting to consumer demands by developing state-of-the-art technology that is cleaner and more fuel efficient, and delivering customer-focused innovations faster. If these strategies are implemented correctly Ford can overcome many or the driving forces that control competition in the automobile industry. Driving Forces Driving forces in an industry are the major causes that change the industry and the competitive condition of that industry. The main driving forces that significantly alter the automobile industry include; competition and globalization, new technology and innovations, changes in cost and efficiency, regulatory influences and government policy changes, and changes in societal concerns, attitudes, and lifestyles. Globalization is when automobile manufacturers offer their products internationally. One reason manufacturers do this is to increase sales in faster growing markets. Also production costs can be cut due to lower labor costs in markets around the world. Ford Motor Company is a strong believer in globalization; it manufactures vehicles in six continents across the world. Ford focuses on three primary types of emerging markets. The first market is developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil. The economies of these markets are growing and so is the need for products like automobiles. Ford realizes the amount of money consumers make in these developing countries and adjusts products to make them accessible to these consumers. In 2006, production capacity in China increased to 200,000 units (For a More Sustainable Future 7.) Also in 2006 Ford ranked second for customer satisfaction in India by J.D. Power Asia Pacific. The second emerging market Ford is focusing on is revitalizing economies such as Russia that are experiencing periods of growth after long periods of economic stagnation. The third emerging market Ford focuses on is high-growth niche market across the U.S. and Europe. Ford has developed and will continue to develop hybrid vehicles, advanced clean technology, and smaller more fuel-efficient vehicles that suit customers in a certain region or customers with different driving conditions. New technology and innovations is also a major driving force in the automobile industry. The ongoing change in technology alters the pattern of competition by attracting more buyers. Innovations in production techniques allow manufacturers to produce products faster, more efficiently and cleaner. Ford focuses its innovation on design, technology, safety, and the environment. Fords innovations are based on customer demands. Today more customers want environmentally friendly automobiles and better fuel-efficient cars. Ford has and is also developing more advanced technologies that are environmentally friendly. Examples include biofueled vehicles, hydrogen internal-combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cell  vehicles. Ford also has an innovative manufacturing process, which is cleaner for the environment and also saves money for the company. Ford uses fluids blended from vegetable oil during engine production rather than using mineral oil. The associated waste in engine building is the most environmentally damaging part of the process. Ford also has improved its efficiency by enforcing strict energy intensive operations, such as the generation of compressed air for handheld tools on the production line. Changes in cost and efficiency also drive change in the automobile industry. In the past few years material costs, labor costs, employee benefit costs and oil prices have all been increasing. One way that Ford is combating high oil prices is its use of a soy-derived foam. The average vehicle made today contains 30 pounds of foam made from petroleum products. Ford is making an effort to replace 40% of the petroleum-based foam with a soy-based foam. To fight against decreasing profit, rising labor costs and employee benefit costs Ford has been implementing elements of its Way Forward Plan. This plan was developed in 2006. The plan calls for reducing the number of Fords North American manufacturing employees by 25,000-30,000 and also plans to idle 16 North American manufacturing facilities (For a More Sustainable Future 34.) Also in 2006 health care expenses for U.S. Ford employees, retirees and their dependents were $3.1 billion (For a More Sustainable Future 35.) Even though Ford values its past and present employees, the company cannot keep up with the rising prices of health care. In 2006 Ford had required retired employees to support a higher portion of their health care benefits, and active employees were asked to increase their health care contributions. Also in 2006 Ford employees were offered to leave the company. To make it appealing to employees Ford offered eight different incentive packages. A couple of these packages included early retirement and an educational opportunity package where employees with at least one year of service were eligible for up to $15,000 in tuition reimbursement per year up to four years (For a More Sustainable Future 34.) Another driving force that alters the competitiveness in the automobile industry is regulatory influences and government policy changes. One example of a regulatory influence would be the governments Corporate Average Fuel  Economy (CAFÉ) requirement, which measures carbon dioxide emissions. Ford has met the requirement every year since the program was first introduced. Altering societal concerns, attitude, and lifestyles are major instigators of industry change. Growing consumer concerns towards environmental safety is a major driver of change in the automobile industry. Ford recognizes that manufacturing and operating automobiles have a significant impact on the environment. Ford has several initiatives to protect the environment. The first initiative includes developing advanced environmentally friendly vehicles. Ford was the first U.S. automaker to offer a full hybrid vehicle, which was also the first hybrid from any automaker in the SUV segment. The second initiative for Ford is to meet and exceed new clean air standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. Reducing the environmental impact of our environment is Fords third initiative to protect the environment. Ford also aims to recycle and reuse materials by contracting with suppliers to attain environmental friendly parts and components. An example is Fords Fumes-to-Fuel technology. A plants painting operations are its largest source of air emissions. Ford has developed a process that uses paint fumes to generate electricity for its plant. The last initiative for Ford is conserving natural resources by taking part in global environmental programs to conserver energy and water. Fords developed a software program called WET that creates a facility-wide water balance to quantify individual uses of water and identify areas of opportunity. Safety is another concern that drives changes in automobile designs. Not only does Ford develop innovative safety technology the company also educates drivers. In 2003 Ford teamed up with the Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts to create a program called Driving Skills for Life. This program teaches teenagers develop the skills necessary for safe driving, beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs (For a More Sustainable Future 30.) Five Force Analysis Intensity of Rivalry Among Competitors The automobile industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world. The top competitors globally and domestically account for most of the industrys market share. In the United States there are three top competitors known as the Detroit Three, formerly known as the Big Three. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., and the Chrysler Group are the three companies that makeup the Detroit Three. According to Wards Automotive Reports in 2006 the Detroit Three brands accounted for 41.5% of passenger car sales in the United States; of this 41.5% market share, General Motors controlled 20.8%, Ford 14.1% and the Chrysler Group 6.6%. The Detroit Three market share is slowly dwindling due to globalization, which is another reason that leads to stronger rivalry among competitors (Autos Auto Parts Industry Survey 9.) In the United States, according to Wards Automotive Reports, the top three foreign competitors that are trying to take over the U.S. market include; Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. Ltd., and the Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. In 2006 Toyota, Honda, and Nissan accounted for 36.6% market share in the U.S. Individually Toyota controlled 18.7%, Honda 10.8% and Nissan 7.1% of the U.S. market share; in the truck category the Detroit Three brands account for 67% of Truck Sales in the U.S. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are the foreign companies trying to compete with the Detroit Three (Autos Auto Parts Industry Survey 9.) Lack of product differentiation is another factor that adds to the intense rivalry between competitors. Automobile manufactures products include cars, trucks and SUVs. Even though there is a lack of product differentiation within the automobile industry there are many things that a manufacturer can do to alter design and production that make a product standout from its competitors. The innovation of technology and production causes intense rivalry between competitors because if automakers want to sell make the most profit they need to develop innovative technology that is a step ahead of its competitors and meets the needs of consumers or they need to develop innovative production techniques that are more  efficient and cheaper compared to its competitors. Ford is known for its innovation throughout the years; one example would be the moving assembly line. This manufacturing technique allowed individual workers to stay stationary and perform the same task repeatedly on multiple vehicles that passed them, this technique allowed Ford to be more efficient by producing many more vehicles than its competitors. Threat of New Entrants Although the automobile industry has very strong rivalries among competitors the industry will not see many new entrants in the future. There are several reasons why there is a low threat of new entrants in the automobile industry. The automobile industry has reached economies of scale and to be successful in the industry new entrants must reach economies of scale. Manufacturers must mass-produce automobiles so that they are affordable to consumers. Another reason why there are very few new entrants in the automobile industry is the very high capital requirement. Manufacturing costs, research and development costs, start-up costs, and advertising and promotion costs are a few costs that require huge amounts of costs in order to be successful in the automobile industry. With rising oil prices, increase in employee benefit costs, higher healthcare costs and also rising steel prices the threat of new entrants will remain to stay very low in the automobile industry. The current situation of the Automobile industry and the U.S economy is another factor that will keep the threat of new entrants low. Rising gas prices, low consumer confidence and shrinking home values are all factors that are causing decreases in automobile sales. Strong brand preferences and high degrees of customer loyalty is another reason there are few new entrants in the automobile industry. It is hard for a new manufacturer to attract customers that have brand preferences and are loyal customers, unless the manufacturer has a huge advertising and sales promotion budget or offer price discounts, these two things decrease profit margin. Threat of Substitute Products The threat of substitute products is very weak in the automobile industry. Automobile transportation for people makes it easy and fast to get from place to place depending on the length of their trip. Walking, biking, and riding trains, planes or subways are all substitutes to automobiles. These substitutes depend on the location of the person. People that live and work in the city will probably either walk, bike, or take a subway to work in order to avoid traffic or to protect the environment. The threat of these substitutes will always be low because it is convenient to have a car and new innovations toward environmentally friendly automobiles. Bargaining Power of Suppliers and Buyers In the automobile industry the bargaining power of the supplier is weak. There are so many part manufactures in the industry to choose from it is easy for a company to switch from one to another giving supplier no leverage. The automobile part sector is so big that it is divided into four business units: original equipment manufacturers, replacement parts manufacturing, replacement parts distribution, and rubber fabricating. According to a press release by Ford, the company spends around $90 billion on parts from more than 2,500 suppliers. Compare to the bargaining power of suppliers the bargaining power of buyers is a lot higher. Automobile manufacturers make profit from the sales of its automobiles. This means that manufactures have to produce automobiles that meet consumer needs and standout from its competitors. This is why consumers have such a high bargaining power because if they do not like a certain automobile they can choose another automobile from a different manufacturer at a relatively low switching cost. Analyzing the bargaining power of supplier and buyers, identifying the threat of new entrants and substitute products, and also analyzing the intensity of rivalry among competitors will allow a company to assess the competitiveness of a certain industry. SWOT Analysis Ford is the worlds third largest automobile manufacturer, and their brands are sold domestically and internationally, which include Ford, Land Rover,  Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, and Volvo. In 2006 Ford received 30th place in the BusinessWeek-Interbrand ranking of the top 100 global brands in 2006. Another one of Fords biggest strengths is its industry leading innovative technology which is shown through product design, safety and production. Fords large network base is a strength to the company. Ford manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. Ford is also a very ethical company. For years, Ford has supported families in need. Ford encourages its employees to take two workdays per year to volunteer at an approved nonprofit organization. Although Ford is very successful it does have weaknesses. One weakness would be the decline in its market share. According to DataMonitor, Fords overall market share in the US has declined from 21.1 % in 2002 to 17.1% in 2006. Competition, globalization, low consumer confidence, and high gas prices are all factors that contribute to Fords declining market share. Another weakness of Fords is its declining profitability. At the end of 2006 Ford recorded revenues of $160,123,000 million which was a 9.5 % decrease from 2005. The operating loss of the company during 2006 was $16,950,000 million compared to a operating loss of $1,550,000 million in 2005. This means Ford had a net loss of $12,613,000 million in 2006, compared to a net profit of $1,440,000 million in 2005 (Datamonitor 4.) The automobile industry is full of opportunities. High gas prices and environmental issues have caused manufacturers to develop innovative technology. Ford is developing several technologies that are environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient. These vehicles include; biofueled vehicles, hydrogen internal-combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Global demand is also an opportunity for Ford. Ford has developed strategies to bring its product to emerging markets like India, China and Brazil. The economies of these markets are continuing to grow along with its demand for automobiles. A major threat to Ford is its competition, which includes General Motors, the Chrysler group, Toyota, and Honda. Rising costs are also a major threat to Ford. Rising labor and employee benefit costs have forced Ford to reduce its  workforce and to close some of its vehicle assembly plants. The U.S. economy is also a threat to Ford. Consumer confidence is down due to rising oil prices and declining home values. The future of Ford and the automobile industry will continue to be worse in the near future if these threats continue. With rising costs and increased competition the U.S automobile industry does not look good. Industry sales are expected to decline in the future due to low consumer confidence, rising interest rates, and high gas prices. SUV and truck sales will decline the most due to the rising gas prices. There will be a higher demand for smaller cars that are fuel-efficient. The Detroit Three along with other U.S. manufacturers will increasingly focus its operations internationally to markets in Eastern-Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific where production costs are cheaper. Environmental friendly technology and manufacturing will also continue to rise because of the growing consumer interest in protecting our world. Works Cited Autos Auto Parts Industry Survey. Standard Poors June 2007: 28 18 April. 2008. For a More Sustainable Future. Ford Motor Company June 2007. 19 April. 2008 Ford Motor Company. Datamonitor Business Information Center Nov 2007. Campbell University Electronic Library., Buies Creek, NC. 18 April. 2008 Ford Motor Company. 2008. Ford Motor Company. 18 April 2008 Ford.com/. Gamble, John E., Strickland, A.J. III and Thompson, Arthur A. Jr. Crafting and Executing Strategy. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007. The North America Automotive Sectors. Mergent Oct 2007. Campbell University Electronic Library., Buies Creek, NC. 18 April. 2008

Dislike of mathematics amongst secondary students

Dislike of mathematics amongst secondary students DISLIKE OF MATHEMATICS AMONGST SECONDARY STUDENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Why do kids, students and adults seem dislike mathematics? It is quite common for small children to say â€Å"I love numbers†. Do they really know exactly what mathematics is? We always see small children counting numbers from 1 to 10, even sing a song make up from the numbers. But what happen to these children as they grow up? What make them to change their mind to dislike mathematics? Some will roll their eyes or let out a sigh. They give so many reasons, such as â€Å"Its too hard,† â€Å"Im not good at math,† or â€Å"why do I even need Mathematics?† Where does this attitude come from? After being a Mathematics teacher for about 3 years, I have discovered that almost all students in Brunei Darussalam claimed to â€Å"hate mathematics†. This can be seen from their attitude in the class, interaction with the teacher and also the students progress report. The very much sad thing is that students just want to pass the examination without understanding why they have to study mathematics. Still mathematics has the highest failure rate of any subject at school-leaving level. Why does mathematics seem to inspire fear and intimidation in students in secondary schools and even when they are in the higher level. In my childhood, I still remember is that I was not taught how to study mathematics. Like any subject the study of mathematics becomes a pile of information. But if you are taught how to study mathematics then you will never find this problematic. Mathematics cannot be taught one way. Students always stick to the method being taught without seeking the alternative way of the working. These kinds of attitude make mathematics become â€Å"strict to the rule method†. One funny culture about students in Brunei, it is an â€Å"honor† for them to admit they are not good in mathematics, but who would ever admit to NOT being able to Read? This has been passing from generations. Math is an essential subject to maintain our modern way of life. Without mathematics, not much would be possible. So why is it acceptable to become a failure at mathematics? They believe that mathematics only belongs to gifted or genius who wants to become a mathematics teacher, doctor, professor, engineer and lots more. 2. Real Scenario in Brunei From my previous experience as a Mathematics teacher, students in Brunei especially weak classes, tend to show their unwillingness at the start of the lesson. Students still keep wandering around during teacher presence in front .Students are expected to be ready for lesson the moment the teacher steps into the classroom. Textbooks, exercise books and any materials as required by the teacher are to be placed on their desks. Action is usually taken on persistent students who always forget to bring their learning materials, the purpose, which is to teach and instill self-responsibility in the students. However, there are also some students who do not care about the warning given by the class teacher. First task when teaching a class is to correctly understand the students background, their expectations from the course and their willingness to do the required efforts. May be this can be done by conducting a survey or simply just ask them personally. At the beginning of the lesson, for upper secondary level, students will find the topics quite new for them. It is quite a common scene to see students lost their direction at the beginning of the lesson. It is the job of the teacher to interact with them and try to relate the topics to everyday life. What I can say here, the level of ignorance of the students very high towards the subject Mathematics. Students who show interest in studying Mathematics at the beginning of the lesson may also somehow lost their direction as the teacher goes deeper into the subject matter. Students are also required to submit their homework on time. Usually, I begin the lesson by reviewing the homework that has been set during the previous class. Some students do not submit due to difficulties that the students have. Generally teachers are very strict with deadlines for the submission of homework. Overall, there is always a sentiment of anti-mathematics in every class that I taught which can be seen from all aspects of the students. In the next pages, I will explain more on the factors that rise up this critical issue of mathematics. 3. Sign of having problems in Mathematics amongst the students A student with problems in mathematics may shows one or more of the following below: unable to recall basic mathematics rules, or formulas even the teachers have explain repeatedly having difficulties in understanding mathematical work and spend long time in learning simple topics Very low esteem which can seen from their handwriting which is hard to read. Have difficulties in remembering previously encountered questions which have been attempted many times before. Have problem in recall what have been taught in previous class Not confident, hesitate and forget what he or she is doing in the middle of a math problem Have difficulty with the language of mathematics and easily being confused. The students do not know when/how to use the correct theorem/formula for mathematical problems. Easily lost direction or concentration whiles the teachers teaching in front. Have difficulty explaining and communicating about mathematics, including asking and answering questions. Escape or absent from class, late submitting homework and fail in mathematics are one of the most common behavior of problematic students towards mathematics. 4. The factors that make students dislike Mathematics A. Sequential in nature. Mathematics is sequential in nature. That means that when we learn one concept , knowledge or skill, it will be needed in another topics. This is basically true when students who have not mastered a preceding skill have difficulty in learning new work. Students might feel discourage by this continuous learning and exhausted throughout the process. Obviously, students who have strong basic knowledge will be able to do mathematics problem much faster compare to students who are not. Students find math to be hard is because it is usually not taught correctly, and it is usually not studied correctly. Mathematics needs to be learned step by step, topic by topic. If a student does not completely understand a particular topic, there is no point in moving on to a harder topic that requires knowledge of the first topic. It is typical in Brunei, there is very little time to review back the old materials in school. It is up to the student to recognize if the students do not fully understand a particular topic, and to go for tutoring. In most cases, this doesnt happen, and the student gradually becomes more and more confused and discouraged. Another problem is that students are promoted from one grade to the next, even if they are not at all close to being ready for the next grades work. There are a variety of reasons why this happens, none of which are the focus of this editorial, but Ill just say that until we stop pushing kids into classes that they arent ready for, the education crisis in this country will continue and get worse. Mathematics is a subject that requires a tremendous amount of thought and patience. Weak students typically rush through their mathematics homework, and declare it to be done, The students not even check the working properly and not even thought of the answer. The following day in school, the teacher will review the homework very quickly, and then just move on to a new topic. B. One answer concept Mathematics is an exact subject. Normally, students in Brunei will take 8 subjects during their secondary level and Mathematics is the only subject that requires long working but yet only one acceptable answer. Many students have trouble with the exactness of mathematics. For them, what is wrong is always wrong and vice versa. Students always thought that â€Å"Doing mathematics means getting one right answer,† â€Å"Mathematics is a collection of rules, theorems, and procedures to be memorized,† and â€Å"Teaching math involves working through the textbook page by page and assigning drill exercises from the workbooks or worksheets for practice.† As a result of belief in these myths, many students are convinced that they cannot do math. Students are very fragile at this stage, they rather concentrate on the subjects that not required drilling like mathematics and give up mathematics. But the students do not know that mathematics can become more interesting as they go further, mathematics is not just getting the right answer. C. Math Phobia â€Å"Im not good at math†, â€Å"I hate math† or â€Å"math is too hard† are common phrases heard by teachers and parents. One of the symptom is s/he does not want to do any class work. When the task is easy, s/he tries to do the work but never completes the assignment. Sometimes, s/he gets frustrated and says that s/he is stupid because she just doesnt understand math. Anxious individuals may avoid mathematics classes, may be more likely to have negative attitudes toward mathematic related activities. This type of students seems to suffer from math phobia also known as math anxiety. Mathematics anxiety means the students fear that one wont be able to do the math or the fear that its too hard or the fear of failure. The students had very negative experiences in her mathematics class that the students failed before. May be the previous teachers might have had ignored this type of students that lead to lack self-efficacy. D. Difficulty Transferring Knowledge(connection with reality) One very common difficulty experienced by students with mathematics problems is the inability to connect mathematics concept to the real world. In school, this can obviously be seen when we give questions which involve loss and profit gain of purchasing products to the students. Only few of them can deeply understand what is meant by loss and gain. The fear of mathematics makes them uneasy to relate mathematics problems to their everyday life. In ‘O level Mathematics Examination, it is about 20 percent in paper 1 dealing with everyday life mathematics and the students always fall into these tricky questions. They spend long time in solving this and sometime to a halt. Students do not believe that directly proportion rules can be used in our life when buying goods. What I try to say here is that, the students do not trust the power of mathematics and how mathematics can benefit us. Students usually are not aware that mathematics is everywhere in this world and it is unavoidable for them to meet Math problems in the real world. Whenever they go to the shop, students normally do not bring the knowledge they have gain in school with them. They thought that mathematics exist only in school just for the sake of the examination. E. Less motivation The last but not least, students have less motivation when come to studying mathematics. The word â€Å"lazy† is very common given to the students who do not submit their homework. Lengthy working and long formula become a burden for them. Not all students who are weak in mathematics because they have problems with the subject but due to lack of motivation from the teachers and also the parent. It is quite common to encounter students who do badly in mathematics but excel in other subjects. In some case, the students do give up in studying mathematics and even choose not to involve in the fields that required Mathematics. There are also students who just escape the mathematics class just to avoid this important subject. Less motivation will lead the students to less confident in doing mathematics problem and as the days goes by, they see mathematics as a subject that make the feel down. F. Incomplete Understanding of the Language of Math For some students, dislike of mathematics is driven by problems with language. These students may also experience difficulty with reading, writing, and speaking. In mathematics, however, their language problem is due to the topics itself example matrices, simultaneous equation, vector and some of which they hear nowhere outside of the math classroom. These students have difficulty understanding written or verbal directions or explanations. 5. How to overcome students who dislike mathematics a) Teach basic concepts using concrete objects. Let students learn mathematics in which they can feel and experience themselves. Learning probability will become more interesting by allowing them using marbles, cards and colored balls. Students will tend to remember more which help them to understand the concept easily. b) Provide specialized materials. As a teacher it is important to use correct materials for the students. For example, using graph paper will help the students in drawing the axes and plotting the points. Scrap paper can also be used to encourage the students to do working for every mathematics problems. Teachers should aware the students to be more organize in doing there working and emphasize the important of discipline in mathematics. c) Practice student-centered. Ask the students the procedures they would like to use when solving a problem, and guide each procedure for them. The interaction between students and teacher will somehow help in the learning process. By doing this also, the teachers will know the weakness, the strength of each of the students and the confusion they leading to. d) Use cooperative math-problem-solving activities. To overcome dislike of mathematics, teachers should give opportunities for students to work in groups when solving math problems. The students will gradually gain their confidence by sharing their thinking aloud as they solve problems. e) Provide time for reviewingtheir work. Teachers must emphasize that completing math assignments is a process. Encourage students to become comfortable reviewing their work, making changes, or asking questions when they are unsure of their answers. f) Connect mathematics concept to the real-world. Teacher must understand that mathematics is always a problem for students. By connecting mathematics problems to the everyday used will be very helpful to the students. Students can easily digest the mathematics concept and even apply to themselves. For example in studying statistics, we can ask the students to make a case study of population in Brunei or how to use percentages to understand the price of a jacket on sale at the mall or the amount of their allowance spent on snacks. 6. My conclusion From my own understanding, with the widespread dislike of mathematics, it is not the job of educator only but also the society on changing these negative attitudes. I suggest that teachers should focus on improving the classroom affective environment and mentally motivate the students to foster positive attitudes in mathematics. As a parent, they must understand that gaining knowledge is not only at school but also need to be cultivated at home.

George Washington Carver Essay -- essays research papers

George Washington Carver was a African American scientist who showed many intriguing thoughts of nature throughout his life span of being one of the most dedicated scientist. George was born in Diamond Missouri, but his exact date of birth is not known by people. Never the less, one of the most remarkable inventors was born. Many people speculate that he was born sometime in January in 1964, while others believe he was born in June. George was born as a small and weak baby, and he had his first challenge of overcoming various obstacles as a baby. Possibly one of his biggest goals that he had to overcome was growing up without having any parents. His father was killed in an accident while he was just a baby. George lived in a small cabin with his mother and brother James. Everything was going fine for George until one night when a raiding group of people came breaking into there home. They kidnapped George, along with his mother, while James went in the woods for a place to hide so h e won’t be captured. James would be leaded by his owner’s Moses and Susan Carver. Eventually George would escape from the people who capture him, and join his brother again as they would be guided by there owners. As being a black slave, they never adopted the last name from there parents. Only after the end of the Civil War, both James and George picked Carver to be their last name. George would stay with his owner’s that took care of him, and he would help out with the chores to show his appreciation. He became very fond of plants and at a early age George would plant and maintain the garden on the farm. He became so good at planting and gardening, his owner’s would give him the name â€Å"The Plant Doctor.† The Carver’s taught George many of the basic things that every child should know at the ealy age. George learned how to read and write with no problems. Many people thought and knew that George had an excellent future ahead of himself due to the fact that he has a quick ability to pick up on new traits that he learns. At first things didn’t look to bright for Carver’s future, he tried to enlist into the school in Diamond Grove, but was turned down because of racism. They told Carver that African American’s were not permitted to attend the school. With the news of this, George left home on his own, to attend a color school in the community of Neosho. He had to find someone who ... ...d inventions. When asked why Carver said â€Å"God gave them to me, how can I sell them to someone else?† Carver was never a married man, and in 1940 he gave his life savings of $33,000 to the Tuskegee Institute. As an appreciation to his donation and effort that he brought forth, the money was used to establish the George Washington Carver Research Foundation for agriculture research. Carver received many awards for his accomplishments, in 1916 he was named a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London. In 1923, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People awarded him the Spingarn Medal for distinguished service in agricultural chemistry. In 1939, Carver received the Theodore Roosevelt Medal for his contributions to the world of science, and in 1951 the George Washington Carver National Monument was established in Missouri on the farm where Carver was born at. Carver died at Tuskegee, on January 5, 1943 and is buried on the grounds of Tuskegee Institute. To show the prosperity and gratitude that George Washington Carver brought to the world of science, Congress declared every January 5th a day to honor Carver, and all of his wonderful achievements that he gave us.

A fence should not be built on the U.S. – Mexican Border

The U.S. should build a wall between itself and Mexico, topped with razor wire. This is about toughening immigration laws and the strict enforcement of laws already widely discussed.The building is a two thousand-mile-long fence would cost about 680 (m) million dollars, and it would slow border crossings. It is for the idea of candidates running for president to have clear and aggressive plans for dealing with immigration.It also gives the idea of doing something that might actually work to stop illegal aliens from flooding into the United States is actually drawing great interest. It won't go away. Illegal immigration is not just impacting the Border States. Illegal aliens are showing up everywhere. Constitutionally it is a Federal responsibility to protect the 50 states from invasion and as a practical matter it is impacting all of us.Background:â€Å"For those people who do not live in the U.S. of America or have not heard about it, U.S.A. government has decided to construct a wa ll along the border of Mexico to attempt to keep out illegal and MS13 clan members. The MS13 is a dangerous clan that specializes in smuggling drugs and people across borders and has made their way from Columbia to Northern Mexico and intend to get into The U.S. of America.Also, there have been reports of the AL Qaida attempting to get the MS13 to smuggle THEMSELVES into the U.S. of A. so they can continue their reign of terror. The Mexican government feels that it is unnecessary that there is building a wall and have started comparing President Bush to Hitler because of the Berlin wall.Personally think that the wall should be built to protect American from the MS13 and to control the amount of illegally migrating to the U.S. of America (â€Å"All to Protect the Innocent†.Tue January 24 2006 20:02. http://forums.ubi.com)†.Immigrant or a refugee rights groups across the country are now moving in the direction of putting immigration in the context of a global economy, glo balization, and people on the move escaping poverty, hunger, civil war, and persecution. NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) kicked off that trend.When it was testified at the NAFTA hearings that Mexican and Aliens complained of why they weren’t including immigration in the context of a financial free trade agreement. Why were they focusing on the free movement of merchandise but not on the free movement of people? Basically it's a labor issue.California has always been impacted tremendously by immigration, not just by people from Mexico. It’s now estimated even by the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) that there are at least five million immigrants in the U.S. who are undocumented. California usually comes in with at least half of those immigrants, not only because of its juxtaposition to Baja California, but also it's a place where people can blend into cities like L.A. and San Francisco. There's about nine million in these cities and about a t hird are immigrants and refugees.It is important that it begins addressing immigration within the context of a global economy. Globalization affects the United States because investments in other countries have impacts such as people leaving that country, the displacement of jobs, jobs moving in and out of a country.Primarily focuses on human rights and nowhere is human rights more impacted than on the U.S.-Mexico border. These have really been a hateful time for Americans especially with the shooting incident by the military.Right after that, other military operations were exposed, including here inCalifornia where National Guard troops have been out in camouflage, hiding in the brush on the pretext of looking for drugs and immigrants. In addition, there has been introduced legislation in the House to send 10,000 military troops in to California.This is in addition to 5,000 Border Patrol agents approved by Congress. That's going to interrupt a lot of movement. It could eventually i nterfere with free trade because how long will Mexico put up with this confrontation by the military on the border.Going back to history, the U.S. contracted with Mexicans to come to work here in the '30s and '40s and '50s. Then the xenophobia started, the scapegoat, and you had massive raids and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Mexicans. U.S. citizens and legal residents as well as undocumented were all sent to Mexico in the '30s and '40s and '50s.During '50s, operation wetback, and even though I'm a fifth generation U.S. citizen, right on these streets around here I used to be stopped on the way home from school, or visiting my girlfriend, or going downtown. The police used to smack me up against the wall and call the Border Patrol. They get used to do in at least every other week. They used to take out of jobs, after school jobs, in restaurants, hotels by among Mexicans

Public Administration and Management Essay

Introduction Public administration in Britain takes place through a variety of state agencies with varying histories, functions, as well as patterns of political control and accountability. These comprise the civil service; a large number of local bureaucracies serving an elective system of local government; another massive organization administering the National Health Service (NHS) and, under the acronym ‘quango’, a diverse range of organizations responsible for a assortment of administrative, consultative, advisory in addition to regulatory roles. In addition there is a compound of tribunals, inquiries, an ombudsman system and the judiciary, which together dispense administrative justice. The architecture of the modern state was drawn mainly in the nineteenth century, when the rising industrial bourgeoisie required a means of supporting the emerging capitalist economy. A number of major reports and Acts of Parliament offered blueprints for a competent and meritocratic modern civil service and the system of carefully managed municipalities. Reconstruction following the Second World War added a new layer to the modern state with the making of a inclusive welfare state, including the NHS, and the nationalization of a number of chief industries in the form of public corporations. From the 1980s an additional chapter was opened, as the post-war Keynesian beliefs were challenged in the rise of neo-liberalism under the government of Margaret Thatcher. The bureaucratic terrain was re-landscaped, part of a procedure distinguished as a ‘hollowing out’ of the state (Rhodes 1994; 1997). Even though talk of reform had long featured on the political program, the public bureaucracies had established a renowned capacity to resist change. However, this time the thoughts were backed by resolute political will. A significant intellectual dynamic came from interpretation based on rational individuality under the name of public choice theory (Niskanen 1973). This was usually suspicious of public bureaucracies, which were seen as principally self serving. Much of the practical reform in structure and management was stirred by the model of the private sector, where it was reasoned that the restraint of the profit motive secured greater efficiency, effectiveness as well as economy. The oratory spoke of ‘reinventing government’ (Osborne and Gaebler 1992); though to critics it emerged as abandoning government in an anti-statist crusade. A program of privatization cut sheathe through the state industrial sector while giving rise to a new generation of regulatory agencies. Much of the civil service was recast into a compound of agencies with a greater level of autonomy from the centre, and the collection of quangos began to grow as responsibilities for a variety of functions were transferred from the realm of elected local government. Indeed, processes of market testing as well as compulsory competitive tendering saw the stipulation of certain services passing from the state altogether and into the hands of the private sector. The arrival of a Labour Government in 1997 did little to stem the tide of change. Furthermore, this new government occasioned further seismic shifts through devolution to Scotland and Wales. Great Britain includes the nations of England, Wales and Scotland, while the United Kingdom extends the embrace to Northern Ireland. These cultural forms were recognized in an outline of administrative regionalism. For long this motivated little political feeling; only in Northern Ireland were separatist tensions felt. Nonetheless, during the 1980s, nationalist movements gathered speed in both Wales and Scotland; this sequentially generated some pressure towards English regionalism. Thus the state has been forced to concern itself with issues of territorial management and make some chief allowances to diversity (Thompson, 1997). Rooted in a history dating from the take-over of Ireland by the Tudors and re-conquest first by Cromwell and later by the Protestant William of Orange, Northern Ireland dwarfs all other territorial problems of UK Government. Coming to office in the year 1997, Tony Blair’s first official journey was to Ulster and Sinn Fein was invited into new peace talks. After indirect negotiations, which included some mediation from US President Bill Clinton, an agreement was reached which included: A Northern Ireland assembly of 108 elected by PR with legislative powers under an all-party executive A North-South Ministerial Council to reflect on issues for instance cross-border co-operation The Irish Government to give up constitutional claims to Northern Ireland and Westminster to reinstate the Government of Ireland Act A Council of the Isles comprising members from the north and south of Ireland and the Scottish and Welsh assemblies There were also to be releases of prisoners in addition to a decommissioning of arms. The agreement was effectively put to referendums in Northern Ireland and the Republic in May 1998. Elections were held, but advancement began to slow down. Scotland and Wales In the UK mainland, Wales and Scotland had been governed as provinces from London, with Secretaries of State in the Cabinet and Grand Committees in Parliament. Public administration in the provinces came under Whitehall outposts, the Welsh and Scottish Offices. Nonetheless, from 1979 an extremely centralizing government heightened a mood of separatism, placing strains on the veracity of the state which were to go off in tectonic constitutional shifts in 1998. The configuration of the two new assemblies was intended to release a safety valve on the separatist pressure. On the other hand, opinion polls began to show rising support for the SNP and its objective of complete Scottish independence in the background of the EU. Comparable murmurings were heard in Wales, a country that had done very fine from its European involvement (Jones 1997). Labor’s central machine showed an enthusiastic concern to have its chosen men as the leaders of the provincial parties (and hence first ministers in the assemblies) representing a keen aspiration to keep the provinces under the Westminster wing. Nonetheless, when the elections by the additional member system (d’Hondt version) to the new assemblies were held on 6 May 1999, the Labour Party, with 28 of the 60 seats in the Welsh Senedd, and 59 of Scotland’s 129-seat assembly, failed to win unconditional majorities in either province. A future of alliance government loomed. furthermore, with 17 seats in Wales and 35 in Scotland, the nationalists were second placed in both cases, possibly presaging further separatist pressure (Drewry, & Butcher, 1991). England Devolution debate reverberated into England with requirements for regional independence. A political split was opening as from the early 1980s voting patterns gradually more revealed the Conservatives as a party of the southeast. past the ballot box an economic split yawned as huge deindustrialization and the collapse of mining confounded communities in the north. The economic forecasting organization, the Henley Centre, found per capita income in the south-east to be 20 per cent higher than in the rest of Britain (Wagstyl 1996). A European Commission report of November 1996 established that, while post-war economic revival had closed the poverty gaps between Western Europe’s states, wide dissimilarities remained between regions, the greatest being within the UK.   The British public sector, with numerous of its customs cast in the nineteenth century, has for long been criticized as managerially incompetent. The post-war era saw repeated efforts at reform all through the public sector, though few made any lasting notion before the 1980s. Ever since this time there has been something of a revolution as what was phrased a ‘new public management’ movement became a familiar international influence (Hood 1991; Lowndes 1997). It was to send shivers to the very foundations of the state, reforming structures as well as practices. The nineteenth-century reforms recognized a custom of elitist generalism and social superiority in which Oxbridge graduates schooled in the classics were to lead the upper reaches of the state bureaucracy. This was to stimulate substantial post-war debate. The onset in office of a Labour Government in 1964 pledged revolution and the 1968 Fulton Committee set up by Harold Wilson criticized the ‘cult of the amateur’. It resulted in the formation of a Civil Service Department (CSD) in Whitehall to supervise managerial reforms all through the service, and the establishment of a Civil Service College to offer continuing operating training. One proposal which failed to stimulate was that entrants should hold relevant degrees: the place of the ‘generalist’ administrator remained unassailed. In the 1990s, Richards (1996) initiated the generalists’ promotion prospects still significantly brighter than those of the specialist. In the interim, the Civil Service College had fallen well short of the determined position envisaged for it and the CSD had been ignominiously wipe out from the bureaucratic map. Not until Thatcher took the bit between her teeth did a grave breakthrough come. In her first year of office an Efficiency Unit was set up headed by Sir Derek Rayner of the retail giant Marks & Spencer. He initiated a system of ‘scrutinies’ in which competence teams studied recognized practices and suggested reforms, an initiative which achieved more than anything before (Hennessy 1990:619). Even so, the reforms did not go far enough for those of a fundamental bent. An even greater culture shock was to come when Robin Ibbs took over the Efficiency Unit and produced the 1988 report, ‘Improving Management in Government: The Next Steps’. This was the report which led to the recasting of the Civil Service as executive agencies. Despite its structural impact the intent in this initiative was essentially managerial (Elcock 1991:236-42). Once established, the new chief executives were given a free rein to introduce a wide range of management practices such as performance-related pay and short-term contracts in the quest for efficiency. A special unit was created in the Cabinet Office to maintain the reforming impetus. The government also assisted developments by abolishing the Northcote-Trevelyan model of centralized recruitment through the independent Civil Service Commission for some 95 per cent of appointments. Responsibility was to lie with the various departments and agencies themselves. A Recruitment and Assessment Service was created to offer central assistance if required although, amidst heated controversy, this itself was privatized in 1991. The result was a variety of terms and conditions of employment throughout the service. There were limits to the revolution. Government radicals had wanted the reforms to reach the senior mandarins, subjecting them to short-term contracts, market-testing and large-scale appointments from the private sector on the ‘revolving-door’ principle. For most civil servants, anticipating a life insulated from the chill winds of the market economy, much of the managerial reform process was demoralizing. While academics in the right-wing think tanks applauded the changes, many other academic critics saw in the quest for efficiency serious threats to the fundamental public service ethos (Elcock 1991:188; Chapman and O’Toole 1995). There was some feeling that the reforms reflected governmental antagonism towards civil servants as much as a quest for improved management; the term ‘deprivileging’ was sometimes heard. The Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee noted that in 1992/3,  £768 million worth of activities out of the  £1.119 billion subjected to market testing were contracted out without civil servants even being allowed to make in-house bids. The traditional management structure in local government entailed separate departments responsible for the provision of various services, each headed by a chief officer and responsible to a particular council committee. A legion of post-war critics saw this as slow, cumbersome and diffuse. A major debate in the 1960s concerned a corporate management model in which a powerful chief executive would displace the traditional town clerk to give strong leadership at the centre. Councilors, faced with a palpable loss of power, proved resistant and traditional practices persisted, although often under the camouflage of some changed nomenclature. New impetus came with the Thatcher regime and was elaborated under John Major (Kingdom 1999). Looking as always to the private sector, much was made of the concept of the ‘enabling authority’; the emphasis was not on the direct provision services but on contracting them out to the private and voluntary sectors. Such a practice was by no means new but, from the late 1980s, it became central to government policy, with compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) introduced for an ever-widening range of functions, from refuse collection to professional, legal and accounting responsibilities. A policy of care in the community, coming into force in April 1993, added impetus by requiring local authorities to make use of private and voluntary-sector residential homes for their widening community care responsibilities. In opposition Labour had poured scorn on the policy; in government it maintained the contracting out principle under the term ‘Best Value’. The managerial implications in CCT were profound. Although local responses varied with political complexion, few authorities could remain untouched by the culture shift. Even where there was no stomach for contracting out, teams of officials had to endure considerable stress in producing competitive in-house bids in order to keep their jobs. Colleagues found themselves in competitive relationships with each other, some becoming contractors and others providers (Audit Commission 1993). Moreover, the drawing up and monitoring of contracts required the skills of lawyers and accountants rather than elected councilors. Major’s Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine produced a consultation document, The Internal Management of Local Authorities, stressing that the control and co-ordination of large workforces would no longer be the central management task. The paper looked for speedy decision-making and strong leadership, advocating local cabinets, appointed council managers or, most radically, directly elected US-style mayors with high public profiles. The latter had held little appeal to Heseltine’s party but, in a February 1998 consultation paper, Modernizing Local Government: Local Democracy and Community Leadership, the new Labour Government declared itself ‘very attracted’ to the model of a strong directly elected mayor (para 5.14). The promised Greater London Authority was seen as a suitable flagship for innovation. Here the mayor, served by three or four deputies and a small bureaucracy of around 250, would set policy objectives and an annual budget (of some  £3.3 billion). The role of the councilors in the assembly would be approving rather than determining the budget. Responsibilities of the new mayor would include public transport, the fire brigade, strategic planning, trunk roads, traffic management, the ambulance service and possibly the arts. In addition, responsibility for the Metropolitan Police Force would be taken over from the Home Secretary. The potential power of the new office would be considerable, and both main parties showed alarm as the names of some of their more maverick members were canvassed. For Labour leader Tony Blair, the nightmare candidate appeared to be the left-wing Ken Livingstone, ex-leader of the old GLC and extremely popular with Londoners. The nightmare became reality in May 2000. There was an expectation that this model would be extended to other major cities. All 494 councils were asked to submit plans to central government showing how they would separate the decision-making role from that of representing constituents. Three options were offered: †¢ a leader elected by the council who would appoint a cabinet from the council A directly elected executive mayor who would appoint a cabinet from the council A directly elected mayor working with a full-time manager appointed by the council Conclusion The general election of May 1997 saw the end of an 18-year period of Conservative rule during which the administrative landscape of the state had been radically recast. Few corners of the public sector could be said to have escaped some aspect of the winds of change which included privatization, agencification, CCT, market-testing, public-private partnership ventures, the emergence by stealth of the ‘new magistracy’ and the general spread of a private-sector managerial ethos. In opposition, the Labour Party had maintained a prolonged crusade against most of the reforms, and many supporters had looked forward to the advance of the political bulldozers to level the ground. In power the party kicked off with a number of significant constitutional moves over devolution, the electoral system, the ECHR, the House of Lords, the Bank of England and the reform of local government. However, the party in power termed itself New Labour and preservation orders appeared over the recently privatized sector; indeed further privatizations were soon mooted in the cases of the Royal Mint and Air Traffic Control, and the remodeled Civil Service and NHS. In local government grant-maintained schools remained under the term ‘foundation schools’, and the replacement of CCT with ‘Best Value’ was, in the eyes of critics, little more than cosmetic (Theakston, & Fry, 1998). Moreover, there remained something very much like a capping regime over local government expenditure. In managerial terms, the three Es of effectiveness, economy and efficiency continued as the holy trinity. As the millennium closed it was safe to say that, while the British public sector would remain in the state of flux allowed by its vague and unwritten constitution, the substructure had seen some tectonic shifts from which there would be little reversal.   Reference: Audit Commission (1993) Realising the Benefits of Competition: The Client Role forContracted Services, London: HMSO. Birkinshaw, P. (1997) ‘Freedom of information’, Parliamentary Affairs, 50, 1:164-81. Chapman, R.A. and Toole, B.J. (1995) ‘The role of the civil service: a traditional view in a period of change’, Public Policy and Administration, 10, 2:3-20. Elcock, H. (1991) Change and Decay: Public Administration in the 1990s, Harlow: Longman. Hennessy, P. (1990) Whitehall, London: Fontana.   Hood, C. (1991) ‘A public management for all seasons’, Public Administration, 69, 1: 3-19. Jones, B. (1997) ‘Wales: a developing political economy’, in M. Keating and J. Loughlin (eds), The Political Economy of Regionalism, London: Frank Cass. Kingdom, J. (1999) ‘Centralisation and fragmentation: John Major and the reform of Local Government’, in P. Dorey (ed.), The Major Premiership, Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp 45-7. Klug, F., Starmer, K. and Weir, S. (1996) ‘Civil liberties and the parliamentary watchdog: the passage of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994’, Parliamentary Affairs, 49, 4:536-49.   Lowndes, V. (1997) ‘Change in public service management: new institutions and new managerial regimes’, Local Government Studies, 23, 2:42-66.   Mandelson, P. and Liddle, R. (1996) The Blair Phenomenon: Can New Labour Deliver? London: Faber.    Nicholson, E. (1996) Secret Society, London: Indigo. Osborne, D. and Gaebler, T. (1992) Reinventing Government, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Rhodes, R.A.W. (1994) ‘The hollowing out of the state: the changing nature of the public service in Britain’, Political Quarterly, 65:138-51. Rhodes, R.A.W. (1997) Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance,Reflexivity and Accountability, Buckingham: Open University Press.   Richards, D. (1996) ‘Recruitment to the highest grades in the civil service-drawing the curtains Open’, Public Administration, 74, 4:657-77. Wagstyl, S. (1996) ‘Nice work if you can get it’, The. Financial Times, 18 December, 23. Theakston, K. and Fry, G.K. (1998) ‘Britain’s administrative elite: permanent secretaries 1900-1986’, Public Administration, 67, 2:129-48.   Ã‚   Thompson, B. (1997) ‘Conclusion: judges as trouble-shooters’, Parliamentary Affairs, 50, 1:182-9.   Drewry, G. and Butcher, T. (1991) The Civil Service Today (2nd edn), Oxford: Blackwell.