Evolution of Computer Technology

Several centuries have been taken toward the development of inventions made by different people into modern forms. Single inventors rarely bring out modern invention. What we have now as electronic devices (the computers) are inventions of several scientists, mathematicians and engineers from different centuries. For the purpose of this mini research key terms like evolution, technology and computer shall be considered, not forgetting to take a careful look at the evolution of these inventions from different centuries/years to our present generation starting from the earliest known device.The characteristics of these devices from generation to generation and their classification according to sizes, functions and uses shall also be discussed. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Evolution: Evolution is a gradual development that occurs in a particular place or thing. Technology: This is the use of mechanical arts and applied science. Technology here refers to systems, methods of organization and t echniques. Computer:A computer is a programmable mechanical device that accepts information or inputs, stores and manipulates data and brings out the result or output in numerical format.COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM A general purpose computer has four major components namely: arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), control unit, memory and input/output devices. These parts are interconnected by buses often made of groups of wires. ARITHMETIC AND LOGIC UNIT (ALU) This unit carries out arithmetic and logic operations. According to Stokes (2007), the set of arithmetic operations that a particular arithmetic and logic unit supports may be limited to adding and subtracting or might include multiplying or dividing functions ( sine, cosine, etc) and square roots.While others represent real numbers with the use of floating point, some can only operate on whole numbers (integers) albeit, with limited precision. Arithmetic operation could be carried out by any programmed computer. Logic operation can be useful both for creating complicated conditional statements and processing Boolean logic. THE CONTROL UNIT The control unit which is often called a control system or central controller, manages the computer’s various components. It reads and interprets (decodes) the program instructions, transforming them into a series of control signals which activate other parts of the computer.In order to improve performance, the control system in advanced computer may change the order of some instructions. FUNCTION OF THE CONTROL SYSTEM It reads the codes for the next instruction from the cell indicated by the program counters. It decodes the numerical code for the instruction into a set of commands or signals for each of the other systems. Whatever data the instruction requires from cells in memory are read by the control system. Necessary data to an arithmetic and logic unit or register is also provided by the control system.If the instruction requires an ALU or specialized hard ware to complete, it instructs the hardware to perform the requested operation. It writes the results from the ALU back to a memory location or to a register or perhaps an output device. It could be observed that the sequence of operations gone through by the control unit to process an instruction is in itself like a short computer program. MEMORY The memory of a computer is seen as a list of cells into which numbers can be placed or read. Each cell has a numbered address and can store a single number.Anything such as numbers, letters can be represented by the information stored into the memory with equal ease. Software gives significance to what the memory sees as series of numbers. In almost all modern computers, each memory cell is set up to store binary numbers in gaps of 8bits or bytes. Each byte representing 256 different numbers (Stokes 2007). Several consecutive numbers may be used to store larger numbers. Computer memory is of two types or principal varieties: The Random Ac cess Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM).Random Access Memory according to Inyang and Umoh (2003), is a part of primary memory that holds the programs being executed and the data to be worked upon. RAM also stores the result of a processed data, waiting to be transferred to output device or secondary storage device. It is a temporary memory and the content of RAM is erased when a computer is turned off and data stored in it can instantly be accessed. The storage of RAM is expressed in megabytes and its capacity or size limited. An area of RAM set aside for storage of most frequently accessed information is the CACHE memory.It is a temporary high speed data holding area between the memory and the central processing unit. RAM has four parts: the conventional memory which consist of the first 640KB of RAM, used by operating system and device drivers; Upper Memory Bound (UMB) located between 640KB and 1MB of RAM, used by device drivers: extended memory (XMS) which include direct acc ess memory above 1MB; and Expended memory: a special part of ram that is up to 32MB and exists outside the conventional memory. Read only memory (ROM) is preloaded with data and software that never changes, so the central processing unit (CPU) can only read it.ROM is typically used to store the computer’s initial start up instructions. It retains its data indefinitely. In a personal computer (PC), ROM contains a specialized program called the BIOS that orchestrates loading the computer’s operating system from the hard disc drive into RAM whenever the computer is turn on or reset. All of the required software may be stored in ROM in embedded computers which frequently do not have disc drives. Software stored in ROM is referred to as firmware because it is more like hardware than software. INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICEMeans by which information between the computer and outside world is exchanged is known as input/output. Peripheral includes input devices like keyboard and mouse, a nd output devices such as the display and printer. Hard disc drives, floppy disc drives and optical disc drives serve as both input and output devices. HISTORY OF COMPUTER Computer technology has changed today world to a global village. Since the field of computer is a vast sea, there are many options and benefits one can get from it. Internet is constant and rapidly growing source of information.People can get information or piece of required knowledge from any part of the world by just a few clicks on the websites. There is a rise in the need of more websites and knowledgeable sources as information is much easier to access. The early men counted by means of matching one set of object with another set. The history of modern computer begins with two separate technologies: automated calculation and programmability. The earliest known computing device was called ABACUS. It is the first counting device that was developed about 500BC (Umoh and Inyang, 2003).It is made up of wood and be ads. It has a role of any number of parallel wires, rods or grooves on or in slide of small beads or blocks. Strung beads which have different values were manually used to operate abacus. Bars were used in dividing the Abacus into two parts perpendicular to the rods. Bits moved in active position towards the bars and the ones towards the frame are ignored. Each bar signifies digits and least significant digits were on the right. Abacus was used in calculating (i. e. adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing) numbers by moving the bit complex.In the 9th century, the Persian Mathematician Abu, Abdullah Muhammad Bin Musa Al-Khwarizni developed the concept of a written process followed to achieve some goals, and published a book on the subject that gave us its modern name Algorithm. In 1623, Wilhelm Schikard, a German Scientist invented a machine that used eleven complete and six incomplete sprocketed wheels that could add and with the aid of logarithm tables, multiply and divide. M any inventions have taken several centuries to develop into the modern forms and modern inventions are rarely the product of a single inventor’s effort.Many people each added a small contribution towards the development of the bits and pieces of a computer (including the software). Each person in this work contributed a part towards the development of computers. In 1642, a 19year old French boy, a philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal invented a mechanical adding machine called a Mechanical Calculator. It is like a modern desk calculator and contains numbers of wheel and uses gear system to perform arithmetic operations. Computations are carried out by a process of integer counting.In 1801, Punch cards were invented by a French Weaver called Joseph Marie Jacquard. These Punch Cards allowed his loom to automatically weave intricate patterns. Different parts were used in storing different patterns of holes that produced different designs. Punch Cards are used in processin g information in computers. The fusion of automatic calculation with programmability produced the first recognized computers. Charles Babbage, British Mathematician and inventor, invented mechanical computing machine – Babbage’s Analytical Engine.In 1820, it carried out complex arithmetic operations and made decisions based on its own computations. It was self-controlled and had two important parts which are the storage unit with memory device and arithmetic unit known as the Mill. It was the world’s first digital computer. Babbage’s contributed the idea of conditional transfer which gave way to comparison of quantities and modification of programs. The idea of a sequence of punch cards to produce a more flexible design was borrowed from the Jacquard’s pattern weaving loom. It performed functions like additions, subtraction, division and multiplication.

Cultural Diversity

Race defines me as Mexican, German, and Irish. My religion defines me as Catholic. My country of birth defines me as American. However, I believe these terms describing me, merely list historical facts and statistics. The fact remains; I belong to these various groups by birth, not choice. I believe I am fortunate that my family instilled the understanding of diversity as far back as I can remember. Each of the people who raised me contributed to my value set in different ways. In addition, and most important, my personal experiences helped me to discover and appreciate diversity. I hail from Santa Ana, California where Hispanics make up 76. 1% of the city’s population, according to the U. S. Census Bureau (2009). In addition, my Mexican American grandparents primarily raised me. The neighborhood I where I lived consisted of fellow Hispanics and distant relatives. The Hispanic influence shaped my strong family values and racial identification. My grandparents truly believe that regardless of circumstance, family is first and above all else. The fact they raised me and still enjoy my company today is a testament to this teaching. Growing up with my grandparents meant, in addition to lifelong allegiance to family, a strong religious set of values. I was sent to Catholic school along with my cousins, taken to mass every Sunday, and prayed the rosary in hopes of keeping me safe from sin. I do appreciate the cost relating to my education; however, I am afraid it only served to strengthen my current beliefs. Specifically, that religious intolerance is unacceptable. Religious beliefs are individual. No religion is correct or incorrect. My grandparents grew up and survived an era of intolerance and prejudice. In spite of their experiences, they instilled in me values of tolerance and acceptance. My father, former â€Å"hippy,† is also responsible for my belief that, a person’s place of birth or color of skin is of no consequence. In my opinion, this teaching is the most valuable and relevant today. My second husband and I am an interracial couple. We share the same values, beliefs, and morals. The only differences we have relate to color and religious background. Thankfully, I was taught to value the person, all else is irrelevant. Through my husband, I learned that familial tradition influences religious and social beliefs. After several debates, I recognized that I was not as open-minded and tolerant as I believed. He helped me to accept myself given both, the negative and positive experiences in my life. Through him, I learned that to accept others, I had to accept myself. For me, this realization was monumental. Whereas I hold close the family values and acceptance taught to me, I realize that my diversity is due to my personal perspective. My grandparents could never teach to me the understanding of addiction. However, my father, through his own addiction taught me sympathy for those suffering from their own conflicts. I wore my father’s addiction as if the addiction were my own until I realized my siblings wore the same shame. I never understood loss of faith until I met a colleague who lost hers. Her experience helped me to understand how people are broken to the point of non-belief. I first married a person most resembling myself in terms of race and religion. However, I learned quickly that these commonalities do equal a match made in heaven. I went to school with people who came from wealth while I suffered poverty. Through these classmates, I learned that money does not magically equal happiness. My experiences do not necessarily relate to a specific culture, but do relate to understanding. I cannot make determinations upon anyone until I have experienced his or her same set of circumstances. I make no distinction between people based on religion, race, nationality, or sexual preference. I believe that each person has a purpose, even those who disturb me. By that, I mean, each person serves to strengthen beliefs or change our minds. Each experience with someone different is an opportunity to learn a new perspective. In my family, we married into various races, befriend people of various beliefs and religions, and enjoy the company of others regardless of association. Cultural diversity, in my opinion, is a two- word phrase describing understanding. I believe that I am not a product of pluralism, for I do not believe that cultural or ethnic values bind us (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2003). Assimilation does not fit my values or beliefs, because I do not believe that a single culture describes my upbringing. I believe that, based on my statistics, I am multicultural. However, based on my beliefs, experiences, and perspectives, I am simply diverse. References U.S. Census Bureau. (2009). State & County QuickFacts. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0669000.html Kottak, C.P., & Kozaitis, K.A. (2003). On Being Different: Diversity and Multiculturalism in the North American Mainstream (2nd ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies Cultural Diversity Race defines me as Mexican, German, and Irish. My religion defines me as Catholic. My country of birth defines me as American. However, I believe these terms describing me, merely list historical facts and statistics. The fact remains; I belong to these various groups by birth, not choice. I believe I am fortunate that my family instilled the understanding of diversity as far back as I can remember. Each of the people who raised me contributed to my value set in different ways. In addition, and most important, my personal experiences helped me to discover and appreciate diversity. I hail from Santa Ana, California where Hispanics make up 76. 1% of the city’s population, according to the U. S. Census Bureau (2009). In addition, my Mexican American grandparents primarily raised me. The neighborhood I where I lived consisted of fellow Hispanics and distant relatives. The Hispanic influence shaped my strong family values and racial identification. My grandparents truly believe that regardless of circumstance, family is first and above all else. The fact they raised me and still enjoy my company today is a testament to this teaching. Growing up with my grandparents meant, in addition to lifelong allegiance to family, a strong religious set of values. I was sent to Catholic school along with my cousins, taken to mass every Sunday, and prayed the rosary in hopes of keeping me safe from sin. I do appreciate the cost relating to my education; however, I am afraid it only served to strengthen my current beliefs. Specifically, that religious intolerance is unacceptable. Religious beliefs are individual. No religion is correct or incorrect. My grandparents grew up and survived an era of intolerance and prejudice. In spite of their experiences, they instilled in me values of tolerance and acceptance. My father, former â€Å"hippy,† is also responsible for my belief that, a person’s place of birth or color of skin is of no consequence. In my opinion, this teaching is the most valuable and relevant today. My second husband and I am an interracial couple. We share the same values, beliefs, and morals. The only differences we have relate to color and religious background. Thankfully, I was taught to value the person, all else is irrelevant. Through my husband, I learned that familial tradition influences religious and social beliefs. After several debates, I recognized that I was not as open-minded and tolerant as I believed. He helped me to accept myself given both, the negative and positive experiences in my life. Through him, I learned that to accept others, I had to accept myself. For me, this realization was monumental. Whereas I hold close the family values and acceptance taught to me, I realize that my diversity is due to my personal perspective. My grandparents could never teach to me the understanding of addiction. However, my father, through his own addiction taught me sympathy for those suffering from their own conflicts. I wore my father’s addiction as if the addiction were my own until I realized my siblings wore the same shame. I never understood loss of faith until I met a colleague who lost hers. Her experience helped me to understand how people are broken to the point of non-belief. I first married a person most resembling myself in terms of race and religion. However, I learned quickly that these commonalities do equal a match made in heaven. I went to school with people who came from wealth while I suffered poverty. Through these classmates, I learned that money does not magically equal happiness. My experiences do not necessarily relate to a specific culture, but do relate to understanding. I cannot make determinations upon anyone until I have experienced his or her same set of circumstances. I make no distinction between people based on religion, race, nationality, or sexual preference. I believe that each person has a purpose, even those who disturb me. By that, I mean, each person serves to strengthen beliefs or change our minds. Each experience with someone different is an opportunity to learn a new perspective. In my family, we married into various races, befriend people of various beliefs and religions, and enjoy the company of others regardless of association. Cultural diversity, in my opinion, is a two- word phrase describing understanding. I believe that I am not a product of pluralism, for I do not believe that cultural or ethnic values bind us (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2003). Assimilation does not fit my values or beliefs, because I do not believe that a single culture describes my upbringing. I believe that, based on my statistics, I am multicultural. However, based on my beliefs, experiences, and perspectives, I am simply diverse. References U.S. Census Bureau. (2009). State & County QuickFacts. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0669000.html Kottak, C.P., & Kozaitis, K.A. (2003). On Being Different: Diversity and Multiculturalism in the North American Mainstream (2nd ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies Cultural Diversity Understanding and Celebrating Cultural Diversity in America ` Many people mistakenly use phrases such as â€Å"American culture,† â€Å"white culture,† or Western culture,† as if such large, common, and homogenous cultures exist in the United States today. These people fail to acknowledge the presence of (1)cultural diversity, or the presence of multiple cultures and cultural differences within a society. In reality, many different cultural groups comprise the United States.The United States of America thrives on (2)diversity. A synthesis of the world’s plentiful and varied (3) races, religions, and cultures, America is a home to all, such that no one group can call itself more â€Å"American† than another. The fusion of cultures here is so unique and so exceptional that citizens can be just as proud of their original (4)cultural heritage as they are to be an American. However, many people remain opposed to the idea of cultural diversity, or multicul turalism.Cultural diversity is important because our country, our workplaces and our schools includes persons of various ethnic groups and interests. We can learn from one another, but first we must have a level of understanding about one another. What is cultural diversity? (5)Diversity is nothing more than a difference from the majority. Cultural diversity helps people to dispel negative stereotypes about one another. In any culture there is a majority and many (6)minorities. (7)Culture is a set of norms that set standards for a (8)society of what is acceptable behavior.Cultural diversity was characteristic of this continent prior to the coming of European colonists and African slaves. Throughout history, humans have expressed an interest in cultural diversity. People have recognized differences in values, (9)norms, beliefs and practices everywhere. Cultural diversity allows for a better understanding of other cultures and ideas. Whenever different groups have come into contact wi th one another, people have compared and contrasted their respective cultural (10)traditions.Societies often differentiated themselves from one another based on these variant cultural patterns. The many separate societies that emerged around the globe differed markedly from each other, and many of these differences persist to this day. As well as the more obvious cultural differences that exist between people, such as language, dress and traditions, there are also significant variations in the way they interact with their environment. Cultural diversity can be seen as analogous to (11)biodiversity.Writings on the diversity of cultures have often been based on (12)ethnocentric attitudes. (13)Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another society by the values and standards of one’s own society. It appears that ethnocentrism is a universal phenomenon. In America, many of us have a peculiar habit of assuming that those who differ from our norms are wrong. We tend to view the w orld from a rather (14)myopic view leading to those outside this country calling us â€Å"ugly Americans†.As humans learn the basic values, (23)beliefs and norms of their own society, they tend to think of their own group and culture as preferable, ranking other cultures as less desirable. In fact, members of a society become so committed to particular cultural traditions that they cannot conceive of any other way of life. Unlike (15)assimilation, where everyone’s differences are lost in a giant melting pot, (16) multiculturalism advocates the idea that maintaining our different cultural identities can enrich us and our communities.Multiculturalism does not promote ethnocentrism or seek to elevate one (24)cultural identity above another. Instead, it celebrates diversity by allowing us to value our individual (17) heritages and beliefs, while respecting those of others. To combat the problem of ethnocentrism, (25)sociologists embrace the concept of (18)cultural relativi sm. Cultural relativism is the view that (26)cultural traditions must be understood within the context of a particular society’s responses to problems and opportunities.Cultural relativism is a method or procedure for explaining and interpreting other people’s cultures. Because cultural traditions represent unique adaptations and symbolic symbols for different societies, these traditions must be understood by sociologists as objectively as possible. Cultural relativism offers sociologists a means of investigating other societies without imposing ethnocentric assumptions. Cultural diversity makes our country richer by making it a more interesting place in which to live.Just think how boring a meal would be without Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, German, French or Indian food. Cultural diversity also makes our country stronger and better able to compete in the new (19)global economy. People from diverse cultures bring language skills, new ways of thinking, and creat ive solutions to difficult problems and negotiating skills. In the past, ethnographers in the United States used to refer to our country as a (20)melting pot where new (21) immigrants would eventually be fully integrated into the American culture.This has obviously not happened so modern researchers have begun to talk about America as a garden salad where different cultural diversity mixes with the European American culture to form a meal where all of the various ingredients are still readily identifiable. As we build our cultural awareness, we also build bridges to trust, respect, and understanding across cultures and within a multicultural world. Every culture and race has made a substantial contribution to American history. Respect for each others’ (27)cultural values and belief systems is an intrinsic part of cultural diversity.Look around and you will see that our society is very diverse. Diversity enriches our lives. People may fear diversity simply because they are acc ustomed to the way things used to be and change makes them uncomfortable. They often view other cultural traditions as strange, alien, inferior, crazy or immoral. But the bottom line is that when we fully recognize that America is great because of the contributions of the many, then we as a people will be even more united in our common goals, and even more proud to be American citizens.Without its rich mixture of religions, races, and cultures, America would not be the nation that it is today. Founded upon the basis of equality and freedom for all, America acts as a stage where intensely different cultures not only coexist peacefully, but also thrive symbiotically and create a nation. Cultural diversity makes the United States a much more interesting place in which to live for all of its (22)inhabitants. If we all thought alike, looked alike and acted alike, imagine how boring and dull the world would be. Each culture provides its own special and irreplaceable contribution to our un derstanding of America today.No one likes being ignored. People long to be celebrated, not tolerated. They always have and they always will. References Naylor, Larry L. (1997). Cultural Diversity in the United States. Westpoint, CT: Bergin and Garvey. Page 1-10. http://www. diversity-books. com. html Macionis, J. J. (2009). Society: The basics. (12th ed. ). Boston, Ma: Pearson Education Inc. Scupin, Raymond and DeCorse, Christopher. (2012). Anthropology: A Global Perspective. (7th Edition). Boston, Ma: Pearson Education, Inc. Pages 218-220. Cultural Diversity Understanding and Celebrating Cultural Diversity in America ` Many people mistakenly use phrases such as â€Å"American culture,† â€Å"white culture,† or Western culture,† as if such large, common, and homogenous cultures exist in the United States today. These people fail to acknowledge the presence of (1)cultural diversity, or the presence of multiple cultures and cultural differences within a society. In reality, many different cultural groups comprise the United States.The United States of America thrives on (2)diversity. A synthesis of the world’s plentiful and varied (3) races, religions, and cultures, America is a home to all, such that no one group can call itself more â€Å"American† than another. The fusion of cultures here is so unique and so exceptional that citizens can be just as proud of their original (4)cultural heritage as they are to be an American. However, many people remain opposed to the idea of cultural diversity, or multicul turalism.Cultural diversity is important because our country, our workplaces and our schools includes persons of various ethnic groups and interests. We can learn from one another, but first we must have a level of understanding about one another. What is cultural diversity? (5)Diversity is nothing more than a difference from the majority. Cultural diversity helps people to dispel negative stereotypes about one another. In any culture there is a majority and many (6)minorities. (7)Culture is a set of norms that set standards for a (8)society of what is acceptable behavior.Cultural diversity was characteristic of this continent prior to the coming of European colonists and African slaves. Throughout history, humans have expressed an interest in cultural diversity. People have recognized differences in values, (9)norms, beliefs and practices everywhere. Cultural diversity allows for a better understanding of other cultures and ideas. Whenever different groups have come into contact wi th one another, people have compared and contrasted their respective cultural (10)traditions.Societies often differentiated themselves from one another based on these variant cultural patterns. The many separate societies that emerged around the globe differed markedly from each other, and many of these differences persist to this day. As well as the more obvious cultural differences that exist between people, such as language, dress and traditions, there are also significant variations in the way they interact with their environment. Cultural diversity can be seen as analogous to (11)biodiversity.Writings on the diversity of cultures have often been based on (12)ethnocentric attitudes. (13)Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another society by the values and standards of one’s own society. It appears that ethnocentrism is a universal phenomenon. In America, many of us have a peculiar habit of assuming that those who differ from our norms are wrong. We tend to view the w orld from a rather (14)myopic view leading to those outside this country calling us â€Å"ugly Americans†.As humans learn the basic values, (23)beliefs and norms of their own society, they tend to think of their own group and culture as preferable, ranking other cultures as less desirable. In fact, members of a society become so committed to particular cultural traditions that they cannot conceive of any other way of life. Unlike (15)assimilation, where everyone’s differences are lost in a giant melting pot, (16) multiculturalism advocates the idea that maintaining our different cultural identities can enrich us and our communities.Multiculturalism does not promote ethnocentrism or seek to elevate one (24)cultural identity above another. Instead, it celebrates diversity by allowing us to value our individual (17) heritages and beliefs, while respecting those of others. To combat the problem of ethnocentrism, (25)sociologists embrace the concept of (18)cultural relativi sm. Cultural relativism is the view that (26)cultural traditions must be understood within the context of a particular society’s responses to problems and opportunities.Cultural relativism is a method or procedure for explaining and interpreting other people’s cultures. Because cultural traditions represent unique adaptations and symbolic symbols for different societies, these traditions must be understood by sociologists as objectively as possible. Cultural relativism offers sociologists a means of investigating other societies without imposing ethnocentric assumptions. Cultural diversity makes our country richer by making it a more interesting place in which to live.Just think how boring a meal would be without Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, German, French or Indian food. Cultural diversity also makes our country stronger and better able to compete in the new (19)global economy. People from diverse cultures bring language skills, new ways of thinking, and creat ive solutions to difficult problems and negotiating skills. In the past, ethnographers in the United States used to refer to our country as a (20)melting pot where new (21) immigrants would eventually be fully integrated into the American culture.This has obviously not happened so modern researchers have begun to talk about America as a garden salad where different cultural diversity mixes with the European American culture to form a meal where all of the various ingredients are still readily identifiable. As we build our cultural awareness, we also build bridges to trust, respect, and understanding across cultures and within a multicultural world. Every culture and race has made a substantial contribution to American history. Respect for each others’ (27)cultural values and belief systems is an intrinsic part of cultural diversity.Look around and you will see that our society is very diverse. Diversity enriches our lives. People may fear diversity simply because they are acc ustomed to the way things used to be and change makes them uncomfortable. They often view other cultural traditions as strange, alien, inferior, crazy or immoral. But the bottom line is that when we fully recognize that America is great because of the contributions of the many, then we as a people will be even more united in our common goals, and even more proud to be American citizens.Without its rich mixture of religions, races, and cultures, America would not be the nation that it is today. Founded upon the basis of equality and freedom for all, America acts as a stage where intensely different cultures not only coexist peacefully, but also thrive symbiotically and create a nation. Cultural diversity makes the United States a much more interesting place in which to live for all of its (22)inhabitants. If we all thought alike, looked alike and acted alike, imagine how boring and dull the world would be. Each culture provides its own special and irreplaceable contribution to our un derstanding of America today.No one likes being ignored. People long to be celebrated, not tolerated. They always have and they always will. References Naylor, Larry L. (1997). Cultural Diversity in the United States. Westpoint, CT: Bergin and Garvey. Page 1-10. http://www. diversity-books. com. html Macionis, J. J. (2009). Society: The basics. (12th ed. ). Boston, Ma: Pearson Education Inc. Scupin, Raymond and DeCorse, Christopher. (2012). Anthropology: A Global Perspective. (7th Edition). Boston, Ma: Pearson Education, Inc. Pages 218-220.

Police Encounters with Suspects and Evidence Essay

Analysis and application: police encounters with suspects and evidence| CJ227-08 Criminal procedure| Unit 2: analysis and application: police encounters with suspects and evidence| 1. DidofficerSmithhavereasonablesuspiciontomaketheinitialstopofthisvehicle? OfficerSmithhadreasonablesuspicionwhichisbasedonthetotalityofthecircumstancesasunderstoodbythoseversedinthefieldoflawenforcement;itiscommonlydescribedassomethingmorethanahunchbutlessthanprobablecause. (quiz law)Theanswerisyes,OfficerSmithdidhavereasonablesuspiciontomaketheinitialstopofthevehicle. Because thetaillightappearedtobebrokenwhichisatrafficlawviolation. AlsoofficerSmithrememberedavehiclethatmatchedthegeneraldescriptionofthecarthathestopped. Thiscarfitthedescriptionofthevehiclethatwassuspectedinarecentroadsidekillingofanotherpoliceofficer. 2. Was the â€Å"pat-down† of the driver legal? Anofficermayorderamotoristoutofacartoensuretheofficer’ssafety. (quiz law)Thepoliceofficermayconductapat-downsearchtoensuretherearenoweapons. quiz law)Theâ€Å"pat-down†isaquicksearchofaperson’sbeinginordertodetermineifanyweaponsarepresent. Officer Smith’spat-downwaslegalbecauseitwasnecessarytoensurehissafety. Insteadofprovidingherlicenseandregistration,thedriverspeedsawaywhichresultedinahighspeedchase. Thisisacircumstancethatwouldcauseareasonablepersontobelievethatentry(orotherrelevantpromptaction)wasnecessarytopreventphysicalharmtotheofficersorotherpersons. (Thelectriclawlibrary,1995-2011)Thissituationdoesfallunderexigentcircumstancebecausethereisimminentdanger,destruction,andthesuspectistryingtoescape. (quiz law) 4. Was the gun in â€Å"plain view† and legally obtained? Plain-viewdoctrinetherulepermittingapoliceofficer’swarrantlessseizureanduseasevidenceofanitemobservedinplainviewfromalawfulpositionorduringalegalsearchwhentheitemisevidenceofacrime. Todetermineiftheplainviewdoctrineapplies,policemustconsideranumberofvalidationsoneisduetoexigentcircumstances,whichOfficerSmith’sfindingthegunfallsunder. (quiz law)PlainviewdidapplytoOfficerSmithfindingthegunintheopenglovecompartmentandislawful. Thegunwasdiscoveredinadvertently,OfficerSmithhadlawfulaccesstotheplacefromwhichtheguncouldbeplainlyseen. Inadvertentdiscoveryalaw-enforcementofficer’sunexpectedfindingofincriminatingevidenceinplainview. 5. Will the marijuana baggie be admissible evidence? Whenapersonisunabletogiveconsentduetounconsciousness, theofficercansearchthepurseorwalletofthesuspecttogettheirI. D. ,it’scalledimpliedconsent. ThewomangaveOfficer SmithprobablecausetoconductafullsearchwhenshefledfromOfficerSmithwhenhepulledheroverforthetaillight. OfficerSmithwillbeabletousethemarijuanabaggieasevidence. Whilelookingfortheunconsciouswoman’sI. D. ,OfficerSmithfoundabaggieofmarijuanainherpurse. SincethewomanfledandwreckedthecarOfficerSmithhasprobablecauseandthemarijuanabaggiecanusedasevidence.

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Marketing Management - Essay Example Therefore, more and more companies today resort to differentiated marketing through highly focused segmentation and targeting strategies. Product categories ranging from Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG’s) to Luxury vehicles or Holiday packages to Hospital services are all using differentiation tactics to market their products and services to the desired market segments. Various levels of market segmentation can be observed from Mass marketing to Segment marketing, Niche marketing and Micro marketing. Mass marketing represents no segmentation in one end of the spectrum while micro marketing involves complete segmentation. For segmentation to be effective, the market segments should be Measurable, Accessible, Substantial, Differentiable and Actionable (Armstrong & Kotler 2000). Segmenting can be done on the basis of geographic, demographic, psychographic or behavioral factors. The effectiveness of the product’s marketing mix depends upon whether it conveys the desired message to the consumer and whether it finally prompts the potential consumer to become a customer. When the marketing mix is combined in a such as way to project the correct image in the mind of the consumer and offer a right price as well as be accessible to customer depending upon his lifestyle, the effectiveness will increase. For example, being a collage student, the income levels are low and thus price factor should be average.

Report on EGG bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report on EGG bank - Essay Example According to this reform, banks are required increase their amount of capital in order to support their activities. Banks are still unsure how strong the reforms will be and what will be its affects. The credit crunch has also had its affect on the UK banking sector. Bank of England is slightly changing its monetary policy as a means of quantitative easing hoping that the economic conditions would become better. UK is also working in close collaborations with China in order to develop the financial and capital markets. Many jobs have been lost due to economic slowdown that has had a huge impact on the thinking and the demand of the population. People are now looking away from the banks as they have no means of re-payments of loans from the banks. Also many people are indifferent to the products that are offered by the banks and are looking for some better options in which they could invest. Technological breakthroughs are occurring all over the world and not just in UK. The banks that were operating offline are now establishing themselves over the internet offering more products for different segments than they were doing in their offices. The rapid progression of banks on the internet has introduced a new banking industry called e-banking. Banks are now fighting to capture more target markets than their competition by means of heavy online and offline marketing. The legal issues concerning the banking industry is where they would invest people’s money as the customers demand details and guarantee on their returns. The paper work and documents on the customers’ information as well as the banks’ information is now of vital importance before entering into any type of transaction due to increased fraudulent activities. Banks are deriving their campaigns toward green and friendly environment as a means of attracting new potential

Informative speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informative speech - Essay Example rney of mankind thereafter, paper became a most handy tool for the scholars and writers to record their knowledge so that future generations could take advantage of it. All ancient manuscripts of those days were written and preserved on the pieces of paper. It was obvious that single copy of manuscript could not spread the knowledge far and wide. Knowing this fully, Chinese invented the ways and means of printing. To preserve the knowledge, paper came to be known as the most basic necessity; however, printing too occupied equally an important place without which perhaps, spread of knowledge across the world was just not possible. Block printing was developed during Tang Dynasty. To prove the point, a Buddhist book called The Diamond Sutra, is still stored in the British Library that was block printed during 868 AD of the Tang Dynasty. When sea becomes stormy and the days are cloudy, the sailor of the ship wants to sail in the right direction and then do you know what is that that he needs most urgently? You are absolutely right – it is the compass that comes to the rescue of sea sailors then. This compass is a Chinese invention and the different Chinese craftsmen were involved in making of these devices during the Three Kingdom and Southern Song Dynasty. Worlds most refreshing ancient drink is tea and do you know where it was invented? The Chinese Emperor Shan Nong in 2737 BC just accidently discovered that tea consumption provides relaxation to the mind; the drink infuses vigor and energy though at that time its use was limited for medicinal purpose rather than as a routine drink. It was only during a Song Dynasty that it got prominence as a national drink of China. Thus, it can be said that the most revolutionary inventions such as paper, printing, compass and tea were given to us by the ancient Chinese people that later occupied the most prominent roles in everyone’s

The Fair Tax should be Implemented in the United States Essay

The Fair Tax should be Implemented in the United States - Essay Example NSBA was the first small business organization to give a pass to fair tax to apply to all consumers’ goods and services at the consumption final point at 23 percent which is single rate and a retail sales tax that is national. The fair tax enhances the fact that there is the same rate of tax without exemptions and exclusion on every taxpayer. There will be a total tax exemption to those who share on the cost of the government. The tax rate is determined and affected by the rate of purchase. To promote reutilization, the used items will not be subject to tax. In goods and services production, the purchase from business to another business will not be taxable. This fair tax will thus act as a replacement on the federal income tax on individuals, tax on capital gains, tax on self employment, and taxation on gifts and the estates. (Kotlikoff and Laurence, 2005). According to congressional report p 20190, the fair tax of 2003 was introduced to promote fairness, freedom, and economi c opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolish the revenue services that are interest, and enacting a sales tax nationally. In another term, the fair tax can commonly be called national sales tax. It is an essential tax reform item and that was unjust to replace it with a tax system that is simple and fairness. 2.0 Explanation of Fair Tax Act The fair tax Act of 2003 would repeal taxation on individual income, taxation on corporations, taxes on capital gains, payroll taxes, taxation on self employment, gifts and Estate taxes in lieu of 23 percent tax on all goods and services final sales. These taxes eradication will bring about simplicity and equality within the US system of taxation. The bill also provides transactions on business to business tax relief. The transactions are not subject t tax on sales including transactions on products and this helps in abrogating double taxation that may arise. Under the bill of fair tax, Medicare benefits and social security would not be touched. To either one of the vital programs, there would be no financial reduction. The trust fund revenue source for the two programs would be replaced by sales tax revenue instead of payroll tax revenue. (United State Congress et al, 2007 p 225) According to Tomlinson Shelly-Ann, (2007), the fair tax act proposed that American would receive a check on money rebate that is equal to spending up to the federal poverty level according to the Department of health and Human guidelines. After the purchase of necessity, the rebate would ensure no American pays taxes. The fair tax act will create fairness and a simpler taxation system and allows all Americans the freedom to determine their own priories and opportunities. The amounts of rebate calculations are adjusted to the inflation account. In order for household to become eligible for the rebate, they would register only once in every year with the authority that administers sales tax. The name together with the social se curity number is submitted by the member of the household. The funds are either a submitted by check via US Email, Electronic fund transfer, or a smartcard which is used like a credit card of a bank by administration of the social securit

Threshold Concepts for Nanotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Threshold Concepts for Nanotechnology - Essay Example The amount that U.S has expended on the research and development of the nanotechnology is about $3.7 billion; while European Union has spent about 1.2 billion. Nanotechnology is considered to be the one of its own kind as the technology utilizes the conventional materials as emphasize on the production of new materials and enhance the productivity and efficiency of the nanotechnology (Highfield, 2012). Nearly every field like the medicine, energy, electronics, etc are considered to be greatly influenced by the nanotechnology in future. The more interactive designs are seen in the water purification and energy sector. On the other hand, the future advancement and implementation of the nanotechnology is much debated and scientists believe that the technology may solve the typical problems. On the other hand, the issues regarding the nanotechnology are the same as that of the other emerging technologies. The issues may have a deep relation with the environment and the pollutions, impact s on the economics and the impact on the society and culture (Crnano.org, 2008). Nanotechnology is considered as the future technology and is considered as the manufacturing and handling of the systems and devices at the nanostructure or molecular level. ... ter of about 2 nm and the spicing between the typical carbon- carbon bonds is about 0.12nm -0.15 nm, while the smallest microorganism has a length of about 200 nm, which is Mycoplasma. The nanotechnology is modeled to be in the length ranging from 1- 100 nm. The smallest particle in nature is considered to be hydrogen atom that has an atomic width of about ? nm. Nanotechnology and Micro technology and Nanotechnology approaches There is distinct difference between the nanotechnology and micro technology. The micro scale is larger than that of the nano scale. The nanotechnologies are considered to have the ranges more than the given nanotechnology range. The nanotechnology adopts two main approaches; the â€Å"bottom-up† approach and the â€Å"top-down† approach. During the bottom up approach the devices and products are considered to manufacture themselves at the molecular level. Chemical reactions or physical combination are adopted at the bottom up approach. The proces s of combination of the products during the bottom up approach is known as the molecular recognition (Nano.gov, 2008). On the other hand, in the top down approach the atomic control is not required and the larger entities are utilized to manufacture the nano products. The major researches in the areas of nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, etc have made it easy to adopt both the approached according to the requirement. Nanotechnology and Electronics Industry and related benefits Some processes are recognized due to the smaller size of the system. The processes include the quantum mechanical effects. The electronic properties of the materials are assumed to be impacted by changing the particle size of the material. The quantum effect is considered to affect the system when the size of the particle reduces to

How has the spread of commuinication technology affected cultures Essay

How has the spread of commuinication technology affected cultures around the world - Essay Example This has meant that communication technology has been the winner at spoiling the very basis of varied cultures across the board. The communication technology regimes have come about with an emphasis on internet and related means of inter-connection. Culturally speaking, the spread of the communication technology regimes has happened with the advent of time. There is more westernization in the society now than was present in the yesteryears. The internet and the mass media ranks have brought in adoption of the western culture in different ways and that too in a quick manner. The kids have started to get acquainted with the modern day aspects of living and hanging out with their friends which are more closely associated with the western norms (Underwood). They have started to get alienated from their own customs and rituals, which is an element of worry in the long run. The emphasis is therefore placed on the people who have forgotten their roots for all the wrong reasons, and are now trying to concentrate elsewhere, more specifically the western culture and its related spheres of influence. The parents are generally more concerned about their kids getting away from their roots and focusing more on the western practices (Barnes 2004). This has meant that they have fondness for cultural manifestations like food, music and dance which have close associations with the west rather than their own peculiar customs (Kiesler 199 7). The homogenization of the society has therefore marred it and the negativities have come about in an apparent manner. This is one issue that the western brands are trying their best to cash upon and thus earn the mileage that they so require for their respective brands and products. Looking at the same from an ethical standpoint, this is a worrisome factor because it brings to light the shortcomings of the other cultures and their dependence on the western schemes and

Dear Board of Directors Essay Example for Free

Dear Board of Directors Essay Upon implementing a Broad Differentiation strategy, Andrews Company desired to have highly demanded products in each of the market segments, hold the majority market share compared to our competitors and increase the value of our firm by the year 2021. We believed that this strategy could get us to that point and we have successfully done so. The start up of Andrews Company proved to be more difficult than anticipated due to high costs in marketing and RD, investing in automation of sensors and due to our decision to take out most of our loans in the early stages of our product, leading to negative profits for the first two years. However, Broad Differentiation lucratively brought Andrews market share up to 30.93% outweighing the competition (Exhibit 1). Andrews Company will continue to implement this strategy with the goal to hold high demand, continue cutting costs with total quality management initiatives and by reevaluating our capacity and production issues, which will be discussed throughout the course of our analysis. Research and Development Proper allocation of funds towards research and development proved to be of high importance, allowing customers to have access to better-quality products. Andrews Company effectively adjusted each product to their proper ideal spot on the perceptual map by using the segment centers and ideal spot offsets annually. This allowed Andrews to gain optimal market demand, leading to us being able to charge a higher price than competitors later on, thus obtain higher profit among other initiatives. Our high demand was essential in offsetting the costs associated with investing in marketing and promotional budgets, buy/sell capacity and automation of products. Marketing By investing insistently in promo and sales in all the market segments, we were able to increase accessibility and market demand. It was Andrews’s goal to have our products be in the minds of customers of all types and charge a premium for our excellent designs. Another advantage Andrews had over our competitors was that we forecasted at our potential market share, rather than our actual, based on the presumption our customers will be loyal to our brand and we would continue to invest in marketing expenditures. Once we feel comfortable that we hold enough market share, we can then start to cut costs in this department. Finances Monitoring spending and Andrews finances was perhaps the most vital part of our success. In the earlier years of our company we took out large quantities of long-term debt to help finance investment in automation and lowering the cost of producing sensors. Each year Andrews experienced a steep increase in sales, while variable costs gradually increased (Exhibit 2). The extra debt we took out early on we believe to have assisted with the dramatic increase in profits each year (Exhibit 3). One thing Andrews could have done to also assist with the increase in profits was to issue stock, which would have helped raise more capital to invest in capacity capabilities. However, we felt that issuing stock would have diluted the price. We successfully raised our stock price to $281.95 by the end of 2021 (Exhibit 4). A 723% increase from the start of 2014. Production A barrier for further success of Andrews Company was production versus capacity. While production was upwards of 18,000+, capacity only resulted in roughly 11,000. Each year we gradually invested more and more in automation and capacity due to our rising profits, which allowed us to improve our margins (Exhibit 5). We should have properly invested in capacity in the earlier rounds to help bridge the gap between capacity and production. However, Andrews’s strategy was to focus on correctly adjusting our products on the perceptual map to their ideal spots and we planned to never invest so much so that this could not happen. TQM and Human Resources In 2017, Andrews met labor demands and we paid our employees a higher rate than competitors. This tactic was able to put some of the other employees in competitive firms to go on strike for several days, resulting in a higher market share and a better reputation among customers and potential employees. Andrews also spent money each year on training employees for a maximum of 80 hour and recruiting spend of about $4.5 million each year, increasing our productivity index to 129.9% by the end of 2021. At the beginning of 2016, Andrews made an executive decision to invest in total quality management. Of a budget of $4 million, we allotted $1.5 million in 2016 and 2017, then another $600 thousand in 2018. After this amount was spent, we would have seen diminishing returns and opted to cap out at $3.6 million. The substantial investment allowed us to reduce labor and material costs, while increasing demand, thus allowing us to steadily increase profits each year, especially during this three-year span when competitors did not spend enough in TQM. The Future of Andrews Andrews Company will continue to use its method of broad differentiation in the upcoming years and plans to issue stock in order to help with investing in capacity issues that we’ve had in the past. We will continue to spend on marketing, research and development and compensating our employees adequately in order to keep our high market share. Distinguishing our products will continue to be of the utmost importance, offering clientele a superior design. Appendix

Social Work Personal Values Essay

Social Work Personal Values Essay Values are part of my upbringing and play a big part in my life, as they underpin my thoughts and actions. As a social work student I need to question my personal values, beliefs and ethics as these will have a big impact on my behaviour as a professional. My personal values are congruent to the values of social work, which is the reason why I have chosen a career in a social care. This values are self determination to promote social justice, being caring and helpful toward others, truthfulness (honesty) and respect. Working in Residential and Care Homes further developed my interest in promoting social justice and social change on behalf of the service users. I understand, that as a social work student I need to act in accordance with the values, and ethics of the profession, recognizing how personal and professional values may conflict with the needs of diverse clients. VALUING DIVERSITY To value diversity means acknowledging my own prejudices, allowing people to be different and respecting these differences. Being raised in Poland, where 96, 7% of population is polish my upbringing was white and influenced my prejudice about people from other cultures. Due to lack of contact and knowledge I have made a preconceived judgment about other races. My social environment such as religion and culture has influenced me to behave in certain ways towards other people. My religion created a stereotype and prejudice about homosexuality. My beliefs would not accept homosexuality due to influence of the church on my attitude towards sexual orientation. Moving to England and changing my social environment made me realize how wrong those perceptions were. Living in multicultural environment made me aware of different cultures, religions, races, which helped me to change my attitude towards people from diverse backgrounds. I have made friends from different parts of the world what he lped me to enhance my understanding of different cultures and religions. I have learned how to accept and respect the differences. I understand and recognise that we living in a diverse society and that there is much to be gained by having a variety of people, with a variety of backgrounds, approaches, talents and contributions. DISCRIMINATION My experience with discrimination started when I moved to England in 2004. I was often subject to insulting racial jokes. The stereotypes about my culture and people along with labelling were very offensive and painful. The people with whom I have been working held hostile attitudes toward Polish people and culture. I was working in Bed and Breakfast where the majority of employees were English. My employer treated me differently than other employees. When allocating the tasks, she would often give me the most of them living the rest of the staff doing almost nothing. On one occasion one of the employees did not complete the given task and she said Let the Polish get on with this. She would not have dared to treat other employees the way she treated me. Probably she thought that she could get away with it because I did not know my rights and my English language was very poor. I found that experience very painful and could not understand why I was treated this way. Later on I have dis covered that it was a direct discrimination and it is against the law to be treated this way. There are a number of policies and legislations that could apply to my situation such as: The 1976 Race Relations Act, which makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against you on racial grounds. Race includes: colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins. ( www.direct.gov.uk) The Equality Act 2010 provides a new cross-cutting legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all; to update, simplify and strengthen the previous legislation; and to deliver a simple, modern and accessible framework of discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society.( www.equalities.gov.uk) I could also use agencies such as Citizen Advice Bureau, which provides free advice to foreigners, and often offer a translator to provide information and advice on employment rights, including discrimination. ACAS is another organisation, which provides general information on employment rights and responsibilities. Being discriminated in the past made me realise how damaging the effects of discrimination can be. I have started to wonder why people discriminate against each other. On many occasions I have witness discrimination but due to lack of knowledge I was not able to challenge it and simply accept or ignore it. Last year on the Access Course I have developed a knowledge which helped me to understand why discrimination happens in society. I have learned different theories behind discrimination which helped me to understand its roots. Since then I have become more observant and started to reflect on my own actions and actions of others. Schon (1983) identifies two types of reflection. Reflection in action, which is thinking back on what we have done in order to discover how our knowing in action may have contributed to an unexpected outcome. We may do so after the fact, in tranquillity or we may pause in the midst of action (stop and think) (Schon,1987:26). Reflection -in -action is about challenging my assumptions, thinking again, in a new way about the problem that I have encountered. Reflection In Action is happening where we may reflect in the midst of action without interrupting it. Our thinking serves to reshape what we are doing while doing it (Schon, 1987:26). By observing others in my current work place I have identified negative experiences present in a Care Home based on feelings of discrimination and unfair treatment which was against my own values and believes. One of the examples of discrimination that I have witness was discrimination through the language. Working in a Residential Home as a carer I have noticed a member of staff using patronising and insulting language towards residents. I found that language very disrespecting and decided to challenge my colleague. I have realized that he held a negative attitude towards older people, as he regards to residents as dirty old woman, and call them as useless . I have explained to him that one day he also will be old and is that the way he would like to be seen. At this point my Manager came in and after explaining what has happen, the member of staff was asked to leave the premises. In reflection on this experience I have realized that people have different attitudes to aged population, which are different to my own attitude. Another observation involves a resident having negative attitudes towards black people. The resident would not allow a black member of staff to provide any kind of help or personal care. She would shout and swear using insulting language as soon as they entered the room. Because the majority of carers are black it is hard to allocate a white member of staff to help her. When asking her why she does not want a black member of staff she answered that she does not want blacks to help or touch her because they are dirty and useless. On one occasion when attending this resident I decided to challenge her perceptions about black people and called a new black member of staff to help me when giving personal care. I have explained to the resident that she is a new member of staff and she will only observe me. She accepted it but was not very happy about it. While working with resident I started to ask the girl questions, such as why she wants to work here and does she like her job. She respon ds that she was looking after her grandmother who passed away recently and has a lot of experience and that she enjoys helping other people. The resident was listening but did not say anything. I was hoping that she will change her negative attitude after spending some time with the black member of staff, after watching me having a positive interaction with her. Not being aware of the resident attitude the girl asked her if she would like her to do her hair because she used to do it very nice to her grandmother. The resident did not answer just sat on the chair and gave the girl a hair brush. On that stage I have left the room hoping that this experience will change her attitude and prejudice against black people. The resident now is being attended by black staff without any problems, and communicating in a respectful way. REFLECTION ON THE POLICIES OF CHALLENGING DISCRIMINATION IN MY WORK PLACE (JEWISH RESIDENTIAL HOME) The use of Anti Discriminatory practice at my work place is fundamental to the ethical basis of care provision, and equality legislation is crucial to the protection of service users dignity. It imposes particular responsibilities on public and service providers to avoid stereotyping and to respect service users diverse needs and cultural diversity. To challenge discrimination Jewish Care has put into place a written policies and procedures to deal with discriminatory behaviour and practice. CHALLENGING DISCRIMINATION AND OPPRESSION A starting point in challenging discrimination and oppression is having awareness of the different types and ways that discrimination and oppression can occur. Thompson PCS Analysis provides a clear and understandable method of consideration discrimination and oppression in the context of personal, cultural and societal levels. The process of empowerment is also crucial in challenging oppression. On a personal level we could empower individuals to take control over their lives, for example through enhancement of self-esteem and confidence. On a cultural level empowerment is concerned with becoming aware of ideologies premised on inequality. Discriminatory assumptions and stereotypes should be challenged in order to break down an oppressive culture. On a structural level empowerment involve abolition of structural inequalities from the structure of society. Education plays important role in challenging discrimination. By educating people to understand the causes and effects of discrim ination we can challenge traditional beliefs and practices concerning particular groups and promote equality, diversity, inclusion and tolerance. ANTI DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE Anti discriminatory practice is an approach which seeks to combat discrimination and oppression, in terms of challenging all forms of discrimination and oppression from our own practice and practice of others (Thompson, 2006). As a social work student I need to develop further my anti discriminatory practice. To do so I have to recognise the significance of discrimination in peoples lives, especially in the lives of disadvantaged people. I also need to develop self-awareness and make sure, that my own action does not reinforce discrimination.