Graffiti and Popular Culture Essay

The treatment of popular culture is usually dichotomized by the contrast of its being popular because it is patronized by the greatest number of a society’s population and by its being popular because of its proliferation for the benefit of the upper class of the society which greatly utilizes it as a powerful mechanism of subjugation. Sociologists are divided between opposite views. Nevertheless, popular culture does not always reside on the opposites. It can be also perceived as something that is between the asserted ownership of the masses and the powerful mechanism of few powerful persons. Accordingly, popular culture is a dialectical process brought about by the enforcement of it from above of the societal structure to the acquisition of it from underneath the societal structure. This claim is highly supported by Hall in pointing out that popular culture is actually a twofold advancement of restraint and opposition. While forces from above of the society are using popular culture as an instrument of suppression, it is also an instrument of struggle for the lower forces of the society. In the task of discovering popular culture as a dialectical process, it is a convenient endeavor to first define the popular and cultural aspect of popular culture. The usual definition must be first discussed. After will be the elaboration of Hall’s perception regarding the popular culture. Finally, an example on the practical application of Hall’s view regarding popular culture must be supplied. As Raymond Williams stated, the word popular is actually derived from the word â€Å"popularis†, a Latin word which means â€Å"belonging to the people†. In the early introduction of the word popular, it is often used to attribute to the connotation of things regarding the â€Å"most known† and â€Å"the most common†. Also it refers to the â€Å"most favored†. At some point of the introductory use of the word, it has rested on referring to neutrality. However, the most common definition of the word popular up to the present time is still referring to the â€Å"most familiar†. This definition has leaded the way to the attribution of the word popular to greatest number of people in most societies, which basically composes the lower stratum of societies. It is because people in the lowest stratum of the society are generally the greatest constituent of societies. Thus, the term popular is attributed to the largest part of the population of a society, which is mainly the masses. In characterizing the meaning of the word â€Å"culture†, it is an inevitable task to delve into the schemes and symbols of societal structures which include traditions, customs, common convictions, and remnants that represents the history of constituents of a society. The transfer of these schemes and symbols of societal structure from generation to generation is also an important feature of the meaning of the word â€Å"culture† Anthropologists are similar with the abovementioned definition of culture. This definition is actually considered as the most usual definition of culture: So, what do we mean by culture? A fairly typical view, both in common language and in the way anthropologists have approached their work, sees culture as a shared body of custom, reproduced through time that makes societies distinctive. It seems that there is a certainty in the definition of culture. However, the definition of culture is not always perceived as something that is unchanging and immobile. Its definition is also viewed as something that is changing depending on the context and reference. Deducing from the generally acknowledged definition of popular culture, the popular aspect and cultural aspect of the definition of popular culture can be generated. Popular culture is then quoted because it denotes the popularity of a culture which represents symbols, customs, traditions and beliefs in a society. Consequently, popular culture also embodies the characteristics, qualities, and features of a particular or a general popular belief, custom, tradition, object, or idea. Popular culture is popular because it is owned by the populace. It is the most accessible and pervasive type of culture. This is so because it transcends barriers. At some times even the economic aspect of life is crossed by popularity of popular culture. The popularity of popular culture goes beyond race, ethnicity, and generation, location of residence, country, sexuality and gender. Popular culture caters to the largest number of people that it can cater. As much as possible the availability of a form of popular culture is extended to myriad arrays of cultural categories. To achieve the extension of popular culture, products of it is manufactured and created in such a way that it is culturally neutral. This only means that products of popular culture are not inclined in any side of the spectrum of cultural categories. Anyone who consumes or support any form of popular culture is expected to closely relate the product of popular culture in his or her personality. This relation greatly concerns the cultural inclination of the person. Therefore, products of popular culture are expected to be owned by everyone irrespective of gender, sexuality, age, nationality, and ethnicity. Even though, popularity transcends the barrier of cultural preference and partiality, popularity also paves the way for the correspondence of a popular culture to a specific cultural leaning. Every cultural category such as gender, sexuality, age, ethnicity, or nationality create and device a unique and peculiar fashion of giving meaning to the experience of popular culture. Each cultural category glace at different angles in considering and experiencing popular culture. In example, gender creates a distinguishing manner of the experience of popular culture. It concerns the interplay of the masculinity, femininity and bisexuality of the experience of a certain product of popular culture. In the occurrence of encountering popular culture, the masculinity, femininity or bisexuality of a person can be demonstrated. This is evident in the myriad choices of products that are sold. The product catering to masculine male is different from a product catering to a feminine male or masculine female or a bisexual. The notion of popular culture in the view of Hall is generally concerned on the interpretation of the whole experience of a product or a medium of popular culture. The meaning of the experience does not reside solely on the intention of the producer of a certain product or of the encoder of the meaning. It also does not depend on the creation of meaning of the consumer of the product or of the encoder of the meaning. The origin of Hall’s views can be traced back to his belief that the employment of language concerns context of power and institutions. In the utility of language, persons become active agents as well as beneficiary of meaning. Therefore persons are perceived as generators and at the same time consumers of culture simultaneously. For Hall, it is erroneous to assume that persons as consumer and generator only absorb the experience of popular culture without criticizing it. Usual persons performing the twofold role of being a generator and consumer possess the power of generating meaning and experiencing meaning. Persons are active and at same time passive. They are active, because they generate meaning of the popular culture experience from their constitution of meaning. They are passive because they are the receiver of the experience. Institutions and companies producing popular culture have no total control of the reactions and responses of persons that receive the experience. It is sure that they can impose and really impose there expected reaction of persons to a certain experience of popular culture. However, they cannot totally rely on their expectation. This is evident on the modifications that are made by these institutions on the improvement of their products and services. They need to create modifications so that their products and services somehow cater to the general public. And these modifications are based on the reactions and feedbacks of the consumers. In some essence, institutions and companies of popular culture production are also receiver of the meaning imposed by consumers on experiencing the product and service of companies and institutions. The theory of reception and textual analysis of Hall explicated the role of the consumer as an audience of a text encoded by institutions and firms of popular culture production. The idea of textual analysis explains that the audience or the consumer is always on the agreement and disagreement with the intentions of the producers of popular culture. In example, the meaning of a text of an experience varies from the point of view of the consumer and the producer. While the producer imposes the meaning by the limitation of the modes of expression of a text through packaging, the consumer does not always concur to the imposed meaning of the producer. The consumer creates a distinguished meaning about his or her experience. In creating this meaning, the element of cultural categories enters the picture. The meaning is created dependent on which cultural category does the consumer belongs. Sexuality, age, race, and economic power are the factors in the creation of meaning. Consequently, this creation of meaning results into either the dismissal or acceptance of the consumer regarding the imposed meaning of the producer of specific popular culture product or experience. Therefore the meaning of the experience rests at some point between the producer and the consumer. It is the interpretation that really matters and neither the interpreter which is in this case the consumer nor the interpreted which is the product or the service as a form of popular culture. Thus popular culture is constructed in dual movement of concurrence and opposition. And this dual movement of concurrence and opposition is the dialectical process of the experience and creation of meaning. In applying the notions and ideas of Hall regarding popular culture, the material must obviously display the elements of opposition and concurrence. Also it is note worthy if the chosen material is an interesting one. In the enterprise of applying the analysis of Hall, it is an appealing move to consider the production of graffiti as a cultural practice. The word graffiti came from the Italian word graffito which denotes an antique writing on a surface of a rock. In the recent time graffiti refers to sketches or illustrations usually of words and phrases on walls of public areas. The manner of sketching can be done through painting and spraying or scratching. Graffiti art has acquired its peak in the United States during the years 1970’s-1980’s. Based from the general definition of graffiti, it is inevitable to perceive this form of art as a deviant kind of activity. This is because graffiti is seen as a negative reaction to the forms and conventions of the usual accepted cannons of arts: As The graffiti subculture is a culture of opposition because it is perceived as deviant, and because the dominant culture limits and denies access to the kinds of specialized space suitable to the expression of graffiti subculture. The manner of making graffiti involves the painting of wall of a usually abandoned building or public area. Because of this, graffiti art is perceived as something that resists the prevailing standards of the society. It is viewed as a transgressing subculture. However for the graffiti artists, the activity is a different experience. Artists view their piece as something that is really note worthy and deserves public attention. Myriad of writers narrate their experience in coherence with each other. Graffiti writers said that they feel a poignant compensation every time that they are alone in the middle of the night and finding a specific public area to write or sketch their art . Many graffiti writers speak of their experiences of writing graffiti in similar terms. References to cities that have quieted in the night, and walls that the artist ‘owns’ for a short period of time are comparable to the soulful atonement that Walt Whitman often described when referring to being alone in nature. The same with their reputation, their art are viewed as something that is deviant and null and void of artistic values. They are ostracized in the whole realm of art. Worst is even their isolation is oblivious to the eyes of the society conforming to the standard of an artistic cultural activity. With this obliviousness, graffiti is still recognized. However, this recognition is accompanied by disgust and awfulness. It is perplexing that they are usually charged with cases of vandalism and destruction of private and public property because of utilizing walls of establishments they don’t own. This is because those walls they use are usually of buildings empty and have long been vacated and abandoned by the owners. Therefore, graffiti writers are often viewed as lawbreakers. Usually, graffiti artists do not really give emphasis on showing their art to the general public because their concern is limited in just the expression of themselves. Nevertheless, they also somehow want the appreciation of their masterpiece. This is the reason why graffiti art are often found on walls of buildings frequented by the public. Physical characteristics of graffiti yards include a degree of visibility that enables a piece to be seen from a passing car on a nearby street or freeway. Although pieces are not aimed directly at the general public, the artists do like their work to be seen and recognized. Even though graffiti art are disgusting to the general public, manufacturers of apparels and accessories have used the concept of graffiti to make their products sell like hot cakes. In this situation, the recognition of graffiti as a cultural activity took its place. As what Hall asserted, popular culture is dialectical process of resistance and agreement. In the case of the graffiti art, it is worth noting that the producers of the culture are denoted as deviant elements of the society. However it is ironic that the consumers of the graffiti art are the big institutions and companies that sell mass produced commodities. The graffiti art as a cultural activity is a clear example of a popular culture being received yet decided to be rejected or accepted. In the multinational companies’ attempt to use graffiti as a potential source of great profit, the disgusting art has been transformed into an acceptable enterprise. However the consumption of the products promoting graffiti art still depends on the cultural background and the power of person to dissent or agree on the attractiveness of it. References: 1. William, R. 1976, ‘Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society,’ Fontana, London. 2. Dressler, W. 2002, ‘A Working Definition of Culture’, Europhamil, [Online] Available at: http://www. europhamili. org/protect/media/96. pdf. 3. Esposito, R. 2005, ‘The Artistic Construction of a Counter Culture’ Graffiti [Online] Available at: http://www. graffiti. org/faq/esposito. html. 4. Bolivar, S. 1997, ‘†Bombing† L. A. : Graffiti Culture and the Contest for Visual Space’, McNair [Online] Available at: http://www-mcnair. berkeley. edu/97journal/Bolivar. html 5. Wittenberg, D. 2004,’Introduction: Extreme Mainstream’ Iowa [Online] Available at: http://www. uiowa. edu/~englgrad/ijcs/mainstream/mainintro. htm 6. Beazley, H. 2006, ‘The Temple of Hip Hop: Graffiti as form of Peaceful Conflict Resolution among Urban Youth in Brisbane’ University of Queensland [Online] Available at: http://www. uq. edu. au/acpacs/index. html? page=49559&pid=49559&ntemplate=645 7. Noble, C. 2004, ‘A Semiotic and Visual Exploration of Graffiti and Public Space in Vancouver’ Graffiti [Online] Available at: http://www. graffiti. org/faq/noble_semiotic_warfare2004. html 8. Christen, R. 2001, ‘Hi Hop Learning: Graffiti as an Educator of Urban Teenagers’ Sunsite [Online] Available at: http://sunsite. icm. edu. pl/graffiti//faq/graffiti_edu_christen. html 9. Hall, S. 1981,’Notes on Deconstructing the Popular† in People’s History and Socialist Theory’ Routledge, London. 10. Hall, S. 1973, ‘Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse’.

A Discussion About Animals

There are lots of zoos all over the world. A zoo can be described as the collection of various animal species found in nature. People can know about animals by visiting zoos. Whether animals should be kept in zoos or not,different people have different ideas. Some people are in favor of keeping animals in zoos. However,others argue that keeping animals in zoos ignores animal rights. This essay will discuss the pros and cons of keeping animals in zoos. The main advantage of keeping animals in zoos is that they get saved from dangers of predators. By keeping animals in zoos ensures their safety.At the same time,animals would be kept away from disease if they were in zoos. Moreover,animals in zoos are provided with proper diet. In jungle life,sometimes many animals have difficulty finding foods. In zoos,zoo keepers supply animals with food at a certain time. The animals would have an increased life span because there are no predators and they will never starve for food. In addition,ther e are many interesting facilities in the zoo. Animals can use them for fun. Furthermore,keeping animals in zoos is convenient for entertainment of human beings.Zoos provide a way for people to take a closer look at animals and see how they behave. People visit zoos not only for entertainment but also for educational purposes. Many schools visit zoos to know more about endangered species and the way to conserve them. However,there are also some disadvantages of keeping animals in the zoo. Firstly,it can't be denied that some zoos misuse and violate the animal rights. The workers in some zoos treat animals in a cruel manner. Secondly,animals are kept in zoos for a long time ,they may lose their instinct ability to survive in the natural environment.Animals are equal to human beings. Nobody can suffer from depriving of liberty. In conclusion,we have no right to keep animals in zoos. In my opinion,it is wrong to keep animals in zoos. We should respect animal rights. Animals can survive in the natural environment by themselves. If human beings want to know more about animals,they can read books and search information on the Internet or watch TV instead of visiting zoos. Keeping animals in zoos is not the only way to conserve endangered species. We humans can do much more things to protect animals.

The Covenant Between God And The Isrealites

Covenant is a word that seems complicated to analyze and discuss by so many people and this is the reason why many people fail to keep covenant among them, even back in the old testament of the bible written 2000BC, the Israelites often fail in the covenant between them and God and only God who is perfect never fails.â€Å"The distance between God and the creature is so great,† says the Westminster Confession (VII. I), â€Å"that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant. † Exactly!So biblical doctrine, first to last, has to do with covenantal relationships between God and man; biblical ethics has to do with expressing God's covenantal relationship to us in covenantal relationships between ourselves and others; and Christian religion has the nature of cov enant life, in which God is the direct object of our faith, hope, love, worship, and service, all animated by gratitude for grace.Our theme is the life-embracing bedrock reality of the covenant relationship between the Creator and Christians, and it is high time we defined exactly what we are talking about. A covenant relationship is a voluntary mutual commitment that binds each party to the other. Whether it is negotiated, like a modern business deal or a marriage contract, or unilaterally imposed, as all God's covenants are, is irrelevant to the commitment itself; the reality of the relationship depends simply on the fact that mutual obligations have been accepted and pledged on both sides.Luther is held to have said that Christianity is a matter of personal pronouns, in the sense that everything depends on knowing that Jesus died for me, to be my Savior, and that his Father is my God and Father, personally committed to love, nurture, uphold, and glorify me. This already is covena nt thinking, for this is the essential substance of the covenant relationship: God's covenant is precisely a matter of these personal pronouns, used in this way, as a basis for a life with God of friendship, peace and communicated love.Going back to the Old Testament of the Bible, when God tells Abraham, â€Å"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you . . . to be your God . . . I will be their God† (Gen. 17:6-8), the personal pronouns are the key words: God is committing himself to Abraham and Abraham's seed in a way in which he does not commit himself to others. God's covenant commitment expresses eternal election; his covenant love to individuals sinners flows from his choice of them to be his for ever in the peace of justification and the joy of glorification.The verbal commitment in which electing sovereignty thus shows itself has the nature of a promise, the fulfillment of which is guaranteed by God's absolu te fidelity and trustworthiness — the quality that David Livingstone the explorer celebrated by describing God as â€Å"an honorable gentleman who never breaks his word. † The covenant promise itself, â€Å"I will be your God,† is an unconditional undertaking on God's part to be â€Å"for us† (Rom. 8:31), â€Å"on our side† (Ps. 124:1-5), using all his resources for the furthering of the ultimate good of those (â€Å"us†) to whom he thus pledges himself.â€Å"I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God† (Ex. 6:7), the covenant promise constantly repeated throughout both testaments (Gen. 17:6-8; Ex. 20:2, 29:45 Ezek. 11:20, 34:30 f. , 36:28; 2 Cor. 6:16-18; Rev. 21:2 f. ; etc. ), may fairly be called the pantechnicon promise, inasmuch as every particular promise that God makes is packed into it — fellowship and communion first (â€Å"I will be with you,† â€Å"I will dwell among them,† â€Å"I will li ve among you,† etc.), and then the supply of every real need, here and hereafter. Sovereignty and salvation, love and largesse, election and enjoyment, affirmation and assurance, fidelity and fullness thus appear as the spectrum of themes (the second of each pair being the fruit of the first as its root) that combine to form the white light, glowing and glorious, of the gracious self-giving of God to sinners that covenant theology proclaims.The God-given covenant carries, of course, obligations. The life of faith and repentance, and the obedience to which faith leads, constitute the covenant-keeping through which God's people receive the fullness of God's covenant blessing. â€Å"I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession† (Ex. 19:4 f. ).Covenant faithfulness is the condition and means of receiving covenant benefits, and there is nothing arbitrary in that; for the blessings flow from the relationship, and human rebelliousness and unfaithfulness stop the flow by disrupting the relationship. Israel's infidelity was constantly doing this throughout the Old Testament story, and the New Testament makes it plain that churches and Christians will lose blessings that would otherwise be theirs, should covenant fidelity be lacking in their lives.The very first covenant that could be read in the bible is that of our first father and mother who destroyed the covenant just because of a fruit given to them by a camouflaged Satan. This original covenantal arrangement, usually called the Covenant of Works, was one whereby God undertook to prolong and augment for all subsequent humanity the happy state in which he had made the first human pair — provided that the man observed, as part of the humble obedience that was then natural to him, one prohibition, specified in the narrative as not eating a forbidden fruit.The devil, presented as a serpent, seduced Adam and Eve into disobeying, so that they fell under the penal sanctions of the Covenant of Works (loss of good, and corruption of nature). But God at once revealed to them in embryo a redemptive economy that had in it both the covering of sin, and a prospective victory for the woman's seed (a human Savior) over the serpent and his malice.The redemptive purpose of this new arrangement became clearer as God called Abraham, made a nation from his descendants, saved them from slavery, named himself not only their God but also their King and Father, taught them his law (the family code), drilled them in sacrificial liturgies, disciplined their disobedience, and sent messengers to hold up before them his holiness and his promise of a Savior King and a saving kingdom; which in due course became reality.The Westminster Confession summarizes what was going on in and through all this. â€Å"Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by (the first) covenant, t he Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace: wherein he freely offered unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe. . .â€Å"This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel; under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore signifying Christ to come, which were, for that time, sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation; and is called the old Testament.â€Å"Under the gospel, when Christ, the substance, was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper . . . in them, it is held forth in more fullness, evidence and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the new Testament. There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations† (VII. iii. v. vi).So the unifying strands that bind together the books of the Bible are, first, the one covenant promise, sloganized as â€Å"I will be your God, and you shall be my people,† which God was fulfilling to his elect all through his successive orderings of covenant faith and life; second, the one messenger and mediator of the covenant, Jesus Christ the God-man, prophet and king, priest and sacrifice, the Messiah of Old Testament prophecy and New Testament proclamation; third, the one people of God, the covenant community, the company of the elect, whom God brings to faith and keeps in faith, from Abel, Noah and Abraham through the remnant of Israel to the worldwide New Testament church of believing Jews and Gentiles; and fourth, the one pattern of covenant piety, consisting of faith, repentance, love, joy, praise, hope, hatred of sin, desire for sanctity, a spirit of prayer, and readiness to battle the world, the flesh, and the devil in order to glorify God . . . a pattern displayed most fully, perhaps, in Luther's â€Å"little Bible,† the Psalter, but seen also in the lives of God's servants in both Testaments and reflected more or less fully in each single one of the Old and New Testament books.Covenant theologians insist that every book of the Bible in effect asks to be read in terms of these unities, and as contributing to the exposition of them, and is actually misunderstood if it is not so read. Some of the major covenant between God and man in the old testament would be discussed to show the importance and effec t of a covenant as an agreement. THE COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND THE ISREALITES According to the Bible the history of Israel began when Abraham was called by God to leave his family and his home and settle in Canaan. His son Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob, lived there until Jacob was forced by famine to flee to Egypt with his remaining sons, where one of them, Joseph, already held a position of prominence after a grass to grace encounter. The descendants of Jacob were enslaved in Egypt.God charged Moses with the deliverance of his people from bondage. This he did with the aid of God, who dried up the ‘Red Sea' so that the Israelites could cross in safety, while the pursuing Egyptian army drowned. Moses and his people continued to Mount Sinai, where a covenant was concluded establishing God as the Lord of his chosen people, Israel. The conditions of the covenant were laid down in a law including the Ten Commandments. However, because of the people's disobedience their march toward the Promised Land turned into forty years of wanderings in the wilderness. Finally, after the death of Moses, the people of Israel entered Canaan from the east, crossing the River Jordan.Under the leadership of Joshua they sacked Jericho; after the city walls came tumbling down rather miraculously, and then went on to conquer the rest of Canaan. THE COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND THE ABRAHAM † Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, and Sarai said to Abram, â€Å"You see that the LORD has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. â€Å"And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bor e him Ishmael. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, â€Å"I am God Almighty;† walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous. † Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, â€Å"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God. â €  God said to Abraham, â€Å"As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. Both the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. † God said to Abraham, â€Å"As for Sarah your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.† Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, â€Å"Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? † And Abraham said to God, â€Å"O that Ishmael might live in your sight! † God said, â€Å"No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year. † And when he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.Then Abraham took h is son Ishmael and all the slaves born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised; and all the men of his house, slaves born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. . The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised.Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now S arah said, â€Å"God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me. † And she said, â€Å"Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age. † The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.So she said to Abraham, â€Å"Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac. † The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, â€Å"Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring. † So Abraham ros e early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, â€Å"Do not let me look on the death of the child. † And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, â€Å"What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand for I will make a great nation of him. † Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt. † THE COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND THE NOAH Centuries before the time of Abraham, God made a covenant with Noah, assuring Noah that He would never again destroy the world by flood (Gen. 9). Noah lived at a time when the whole earth was filled with violence and corruption — yet Noah did not allow the evil standards of his day to rob him of fellowship with God. He stood out as the only one who â€Å"walked with God† (Gen. 6:9), as was also true of his great-grandfather Enoch (Gen. 5:22). â€Å"Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations† (Gen. 6:9).The Lord singled out Noah from among all his contemporaries and chose him as the man to accomplish a great work. When God saw the wickedness that prevailed in the world (Gen. 6:5), He told Noah of His intention to destroy the ancient world by a universal flood. God instructed Noah to build an ark (a large barge) in which he and his family would survive the universal deluge. Noah believed God and â€Å"according to all that God commanded him, so he did† (Gen. 6:22). Noah is listed among the heroes of faith. â€Å"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith† (Heb. 11:7).With steadfast confidence in God, Noah started building the ark. During this time, Noah continued to preach God's judgment and mercy, warning the ungodly of their approaching doom. Peter reminds us of how God â€Å"did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly† (2 Pet. 2:5). Noah preached for 120 years, apparently without any converts. At the end of that time, â€Å"whe n †¦ the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah †¦ eight souls were saved through water† (1 Pet. 3:20). People continued in their evil ways and ignored his pleadings and warnings until the flood overtook them.When the ark was ready, Noah entered in with all kinds of animals â€Å"and the Lord shut him in† (Gen. 7:16), cut off completely from the rest of mankind. Noah was grateful to the Lord who had delivered him from the flood. After the flood, he built an altar to God (Gen. 8:20) and made a sacrifice, which was accepted graciously, for in it â€Å"the Lord smelled a soothing aroma† (Gen. 8:21). The Lord promised Noah and his descendants that He would never destroy the world again with a universal flood (Gen. 9:15). The Lord made an everlasting covenant with Noah and his descendants, establishing the rainbow as the sign of His promise (Gen. 9:1-17). Another part of the covenant involved the sanctity of human life, i. e., that â€Å"whoever sh eds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man† (Gen. 9:6). Every time we see a rainbow today we are reminded of that agreement — this covenant has not been done away with. As long as God still sends rainbows after a storm, capital punishment will still be a part of God's law for the human race. THE MOSAIC COVENANT The Israelites moved to Egypt during the time of Joseph. A new Pharaoh came upon the scene and turned the Israelites into common slaves. The people cried out to the God of their forefathers. â€Å"So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob† (Exo. 2:24).After a series of ten plagues upon the land of Egypt, God brought the Israelites out â€Å"of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand† (Exo. 32:11). Three months after leaving the land of Egypt, the children of Israel camped at the base of Mount Sinai (Exo. 19:1). God promised to make a covenant with the Israelites (Exo. 19:3-6). Before they even knew the conditions of the contract, the people agreed to abide by whatever God said (Exo. 19:8). This covenant was between God and the people of Israel — you and I are not a party in this contract (and never have been). The Ten Commandments are the foundation of the covenant, but they are not the entirety of it.After giving the first ten commands, the people asked the Lord to speak no more (Exo. 20:18-20). Moses then drew near to the presence of God to hear the rest of the covenant (Exo. 20:21). After receiving the Law, Moses spoke the words of the covenant to all of the people, and the people agreed to obey (Exo. 24:4). Moses then wrote the conditions of the covenant down, offered sacrifices to God, and then sprinkled both the book and the people with blood to seal the covenant (Exo. 24:8). This covenant between God and the people of Israel was temporary — God promised a day when He would make a new covenant, not on ly with Israel but also with all mankind.â€Å"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people† (Jer. 31:31-34). The old testament of the Bible, from Genesis to Malachi, are, as was said earlier, God's own record of the progressive unfolding of his purpose to have a people in covenant with himself here on earth. The covenantal character of God's relationships with human beings, first to last, has already been underlined, and is in fact reflected one way and anot her on just about every page of the Bible.The transition in Eden from the covenant of works to the covenant of grace, and the further transition from all that was involved in the preliminary (old) form of that covenant to its final (new) form, brought in through the death of Jesus Christ and now administered by him from his throne, are the key events in the covenant story. The significance of the fact that God caused his book of instruction to mankind to be put together with the history of his covenant as its backbone can hardly be overestimated. Covenant relationships between God and men, established by God's initiative, bringing temporal and eternal blessings to individuals and creating community among them, so that they have a corporate identity as God's people, are in fact the pervasive themes of the whole Bible; and it compels thoughtful readers to take note of the covenant as being central to God's concern.Finally, with all these examples and explanations on the covenant in th e old testament of the bible, it would be seen that covenant is not just a thing to be handled slightly, if you know you have no capacity to involve in a covenant is better you refrain so that you will not spend years in the wilderness for disobedience. SOURCES Old Testament of the King James Version of the Holy bible. The Five Great Bible Covenant by David Padfield God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology by Michael Horton Truman G. Madsen and Seth Ward (2001). Covenant and Chosenness in Judaism and Mormonism. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. People of the Covenant : an Introduction To the Hebrew Bible (4TH 96 Edition) by Henry J. Flanders and Robert W. Crapps and David A. Smith

Discussion Board reply Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Discussion Board reply - Assignment Example By focusing on multiple intelligence skills, the writer can address emotional requirements and motivators associated with flexibility and transformation that are paramount factors of coaching dynamics. It is justified that managers usually have several resources at their disposal and would not hesitate to engage in the coaching process. The explanation given for this reason is explicit. An addition would be that managers mostly like involving themselves with profitable activities. As a result, unless the coaching process is profitable to the well-being of the business, few would find it necessary to undertake coaching. Although feedback given to employees may determine whether a manager will carry out coaching or not, the key justification would be the level of a manager in understanding group dynamics. Employees vary in their levels of motivation and therefore, managers may feel inadequate to coach employees with varied perceptions. This is the rationale behind managers failing to point out other people’s mistakes. The discussion board paper is good and answers all parts of the question to the latter. Any successful and operational organization requires that managers embra ce the spirit of leadership and should not shy off from correcting their junior

Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

3 - Assignment Example The guide provides resourceful details on the manner in which fires relating from terrorist attacks could be handled in the most appropriate ways that would minimize the impact of the damage on the general population. The value and relevance of the guide is based on the fact that it was developed following the lessons learnt from the challenges and accidents that accompanied the botched attempts by fire fighters to contain the fires that resulted from the September 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center (Westermann). For instance, some of the issues that are covered under the fire include the assessment of the fire departments capabilities, support needed to prevent the occurrence attacks, preparation of the fire department for the purpose of increasing the efficiency in responding to terrorist attacks (Westermann). Another important feature of the guide is the methods and strategies of responding to terrorist attacks. As such, it becomes important to consider the fact that some of the issues that connect to the control and management of fires are dependent on the agent’s abilities to apply the appropriate methods and strategies for the purpose of controlling terrorist attacks. It might be necessary to consider the fact that some of the issues that attend to the response to disasters are determined by the availability of resources and the capacity of the organizations to develop efficient response systems that are necessary to contain fire accidents while protecting the lives of the fire fighters. The information on safety is based on the reality of the dangers that are associated with terror attacks and the limited resources for engaging the challenges. . In essence, the fire departments are structured in ways that provide them with the means and methods of combating fires that occur in industrial areas and other zones that are generally believed to be susceptible to fires.

Sustainablility practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainablility practice - Essay Example nd, that the recent growth in tourist related number is adversely impacting not only the local culture endemic to the land, but is also causing irreparable harm to the environment. As such, sustainable tourism activities, such as the one describe herein, are essential to the future of the country, in addition to the necessity of meeting the current needs of the people and land. The objective of this report is to highlight sustainable tourism operations in Thailand and to illustrate the critical need to further develop this endeavour in order to protect both the land and the environment of this Southeast Asian nation. This objective was primarily accomplished by researching currently literature related to sustainable tourism in Thailand, as well as conducting an in-depth analysis of the Thailand Tourism Authority of Thailand’s website. It was discovered that, while sustainable tourism is on the rise throughout the nation, there is still far too much reliance on international projects, which are creating harm to the land, the people, and the culture. In the future, more focus is needed in terms of developing tourist operations that are directly impacting the people of Thailand, while doing little to no harm to the environment in which they live. Throughout time, tourism has been in a constant state of change, and along with it has come a consistent need to look towards the future. For tourism to be sustainable, and for it to have a positive environmental effect for future generations, companies must look for ways to protect the lands in which they operate. The average tourist today has different expectations that have been evolving over the years. While the tourist industry has struggled at time to keep up with global demand, it has largely performed brilliantly across various sectors (Hamzah & Hampton, 2011). The flip side of this, however, has bough about grave environmental concerns that, left unaddressed, will completely alter the tourist landscape of

How Could Leader Be Ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How Could Leader Be Ethical - Essay Example The best leaders are the ones who have a well understanding of ethical behavior and values, and exhibit them fully, day to day, in their words and actions during their leadership. Therefore, ethical leadership is important as this is what differentiates between a capable leader and an incompetent one. But what exactly is ethical leadership? Most of us simple define it as ‘being led by a leader with good character’. But in reality, there is more to it than just that. The respect for values, a strong character, ability to listen, understand, mentor and navigate along with integrity and courage are just some of the basic qualities a leader should possess (Ciulla, 2007). Only then can he set an example for others to follow and seek guidance from. The most essential job for a good leader is to develop the atmosphere of trust and understanding among his people. Workplaces lacking trust face huge difficulties in working in a peaceful and coordinated environment. Trust can only be created if the leaders stick to the promises they make with their people. Dr. Duane C. Tway calls trust a ‘construct’, because it can take years, possible ages, to build but a minute to shatter (Ciulla, 1998). Therefore, even a minor conflict, element of hypocrisy or breaking of promises will result in the development of mistrust among the people and thus, cause productivity to suffer. Leaders can narrate morally rich, success stories to their followers but true ethical leaders live by their words and lead by self examples. This indeed is no ordinary job in today’s cruel world of business tycoons and political turmoil. So often, we have heard sky banging claims of leaders making promises to their electorates in the election campaign. However, their balloons get flat when they get to the throne – non ethical behavior. Likewise, CEOs in any organization are public figures, under close supervision of their subordinates (Ciulla, 2007). Every word uttered mu st be fulfilled, failing which their trust worthy model and front leading role will be destroyed forever. To judge the ethics of leaders, it is important that we analyze the circumstances in which they have to work. Leaders, strictly speaking, are part and parcel of their organization management taken as decision and policy makers. Thus, they must have a broad vision, sense of purpose and the ability to judge things beforehand. This allows them to navigate and guide their people through the hurdles and emerge at the end, successful and prosperous. But, it is to be noted here that guiding does not mean regarding them as followers, and are to be dictated. Rather, a good leader must understand that they and their people all have a mutual vision and purpose, and therefore, must aspire to develop a feeling of consensus among the workplace (Ciulla, 1998). Concurrently, a successful leader must keep both ends of communication channel open and available round the clock. Sharing different vi ews, opinions and values with colleagues and subordinates does enhance the understanding of common goals set for all. This way, a leader raises the ethical standards far above the individual’s level to higher organization level. Everyone feels loyal to the company, an unfathomable trust that is not deterred by change of faces. Our history is full of successful leaders who are known as the icons of ethical values for their followers. Roger Enrico,

Kingdom of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kingdom of God - Essay Example One of the major messages that were sent by Christianity focuses on the afterlife of the believers. That is why it is important to explore the concept of Kingdom of God. First of all, one should note that it is not observable (Luke 17:20). In other words, it is not same particular part of the physical world. Another point that should be mentioned is that the Kingdom of God marks a new age in the development of the world. For example, in Luke 16:16 it is suggested that preaching of the new Gospel reflected the transition from old Jewish centered faith to new, international one. So, the actual appearance of the Kingdom will be a major event in the history of humanity. In Mark 10:15 it is stated that if people want to enter the Kingdom of God they should have a child like faith. This is particularly important since it suggests that many people should work on themselves to develop this kind of faith. It is quite obvious that one of the major characteristics of Kingdom of God is love which is the concept that is promoted by Jesus Christ (Mark 12:32). All this results in the understanding that the Kingdom will be based on Christian ideas. Finally, Kingdom of God will come to the Earth unexpectedly, as it was depicted in the parable of Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13). This means that people should be aware that every minute might be the last and act accordingly: refrain from sinning in order to get into the Kingdom of God.

Date Rape and Date Rape Drugs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Date Rape and Date Rape Drugs - Assignment Example The UCR was introducedin 1929. This Part I or Crime Index offenses include vicious murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Included in the index crime offenses are property crimes, which include burglary, arson and motor theft. Part II offences include sexual offenses (excluding rape), vandalism and offenses against the family. The UCR statistic on rape collects information on the number of female victims involved in forcible rape incidences ((Doerner & Lab, 2012). The NCVS, an abbreviation for National Crime Victimization Survey, is a surveywhich interviews victims of crime about their experiences. The NCVS was introduced in the 1960s to complement the UCR. NVCS surveys gather crime specific information such as when and where the crime happened, the weapon used and victim-offender relationship. NVCS covers 7 counts of crime in two categories namely personal crimes and household crimes. Personal crimes include rape, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault.The NVCS statistics on rape covers both male and female victims (Doerner & Lab, 2012). The UCR greatest strength is that it is easily available as it is a primary source of crime estimates. The UCR statistics report is a summary of all reported cases of crimeto law enforcement agencies. The UCR captures a lot of information on index crimes, both in terms of arrest and reports. Secondly, the UCR introduces a common metric for measuring crime in the US states. The FBI division of crime as personal and property offenses does not apply to states statutes and codes. The UCR offers a uniform measure for the 50 US states. Lastly, the UCR is continuous as new crimes are collected all the time through law enforcement offices, unlike the NVCS which requires support systems. However, the UCR has serious shortcomings. First of all, it only accounts for police reported crimes. This is a major setback as there

The writing life of edgar allan poe Research Paper

The writing life of edgar allan poe - Research Paper Example While Poe was studying at the University of Virginia (1826-1827), he wrote some tales but little is known of these works. At age 18, he published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems. In 1829, Poe’s second book, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems was published in Baltimore. In 1831, Poe’s Poems was published in New York. In 1833, he won $50 for his work â€Å"MS Found in a Bottle†. It was also during this time that he started his career as a staff member of various magazines. Poe became editor of the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond in 1835. It was in this magazine that he wrote several critical book reviews which gave him a reputation of being a fearless critic (Poe Museum, par.9). In 1837, Poe left Southern Literary but he became editor of other magazines namely, the Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia and the Broadway Journal in New York City. It was in Graham’s Magazine that Poe wrote â€Å"Murders in the Rue Morgues† which is considered the first modern detective story. In 1843, Poe won a $100 prize from the Dollar Newspaper of Philadelphia for his tale of pirate treasure in â€Å"The Gold Bug†. This award earned national attention for Poe. The next ten years saw Poe building a name as a poet, short story writer and an editor. It was during these times when he published some of his well-acclaimed works such as â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and his most famous poem, â€Å"The Raven† (The Academy of American Poets, par.3). Poe died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore. The tragedies that have befallen Poe have a great impact on his style of writing and the topics that he wrote about. His being an orphan at an early age, the death of his siblings and foster parents, poverty, a broken love affair, problems with gambling, and alleged drug use and alcoholism, all contributed to the literary genius that he was. Most of h is works reflected the darkness that enveloped his life. Poe’s is considered as part of the dark romanticism genre. He often used symbolisms in his work. In â€Å"The Raven†, he used the raven as a symbol of death, something which is bizarre. Poe’s writing is observed as always having a fascination with death. This may be attributed to several of his experiences involving the untimely loss of loved ones. The theme that surrounds his works was mostly of darkness and lost loves. Poe’s interest in psychology played an important part in his work’s visual imagery and emotions. He explored topics such as self-destruction, madness and imagination. There was however, a romantic side in his works, especially in his poetry. In his poem â€Å"Eulalie†, Poe’s inspiration was his wife, Virginia Clemm with whom he had a joyous married life. Poe also wrote humorous short stories such as â€Å"The Devil in the Belfry†, â€Å"The Duc de l'Omel ette†, â€Å"Bon-Bon† and â€Å"Never Bet the Devil Your Head†. These stories depict the devil as an ironic figure of fun (Liukkonen, par. 13) Poe is acknowledged as the originator of both horror and detective fiction. He is also credited as the â€Å"architect† of modern short story. Poe is known as the forerunner of the â€Å"art for art’s sake† movement because of his focus on the effect of the style and structure on the literary work (The Academy of American Poets, par. 4). To this day, Poe’s reputation is that of a writer of mystery and terror tales and

No need Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

No need - Essay Example There was a correlation between the roles of the people, especially how the media shape attitudes, the manner in which public opinion operates in American society, and how the political parties court voters and seek office. Those students who have attained the voting age need to go and register so as to be able to determine the future political leadership in the nation Since the American civil war, two political parties have dominated the American politics. They include the Republican Party and the Democratic Party whose flag bearers are chosen in the party’s primaries. However, there have been other smaller parties such as the Green Party, Libertarian Party and the Constitution. President Obama run for presidency on a Democratic party ticket, while Mitch Romney run on a Republican Party ticket. When Obama won, the reelection of President Obama was documented to the third consecutive reelection of head of state, following Presidents Bush and Clinton-during the periods of terrorist attacks, war, sharp political divisions, and great financial turmoil. This has not occurred since the White House Tenures of Thomas Jefferson, James Munroe, and James Madison between 1801 and 1825. Since the US is recognized as the world’s superpower, voters recognized that it would face challenges regardless of who is in power. They also understand that pr esidents can not prevent bad things from happening, but are mainly held accountable on how they handle their tests and trials. In relation to my previous understanding to the American politics, most of the American elections have been determined by several intertwining factors. The reading has enabled me to establish that the American electorate has evolved as the election results are more than the gender, race, religion and personal background. There are major differences between the political system in America and that of most other developed democracies is that it involves greater power in

Control cycles-a general model Essay Example for Free

Control cycles-a general model Essay A general model of organizational control includes four components that can operate in a continuous cycle and can be represented as a wheel. These elements are: 1. Setting a goal. Project goal setting goes beyond overall scope development to include setting the project baseline plan. The project baseline is predicated on an accurate. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) process. Remember that WBS establishes all the deliverables and work packages associated with the project, assigns the personnel responsible for them, and creates a visual chart of the project from highest level down through the basic task and subtask levels. The project baseline is created as each task is laid out on a network diagram and resources and time durations are assigned to it. 2. Measuring progress. Effective control systems require accurate project measurement mechanisms. Project managers must have a system in place that will allow them to measure the ongoing status of various project activities in real time. We need a measurement system that can provide information as quickly as possible. What to measure also needs to be clearly defined. Any number of devices allow us to measure one aspect of the project or another; however, the larger question is whether or not we are getting the type of information we can really use. 3. Comparing actual with planned performance. When we have some sense of the original baseline (plan) and a method for accurately measuring progress, the next step is to compare the two pieces of information. A gap analysis can be used as a basis for testing the project’s status. Gap analysis refers to any measurement process that first determines the goals and then the degree to which the actual performance lives up to those goals. The smaller the gaps between planned and actual performance, the better the outcome. In cases whe re we see obvious differences between what was planned an what was realized, we have a clear-cut warning signal. 4. Taking action. Once we detect significant deviations from the project plan, it becomes necessary to engage in some form of corrective action to minimize or remove the deviation. The process of taking corrective action is generally straightforward. Corrective action can either be relatively minor or may involve significant remedial steps. At its most extreme, corrective action may even involve scuttling a nonperforming project. After corrective action, the monitoring and control cycle begins again. The control cycle is continuous. As we create a plan, we begin measurement efforts to chart progress and compare stages against the baseline plan. Any indications of significant deviations from the plan should immediately trigger an appropriate response, leading to a reconfiguration of the plan, reassessment of progress, and so on. Project monitoring is continuous, full-time cycle of target setting, measuring, correcting, improving, and remeasuring. MONITORING PROJECT PERFORMANCE As we discovered in the chapters on project budgeting and resource management, once we have established a project baseline budget, one of the most important methods for indicating the ongoing status of the project is to evaluate it against the original budget projections. For project monitoring and control, both individual task budgets and the cumulative project budget are relevant. The cumulative budget can be broken down by time over the project’s projected duration. The Project S-Curve: A Basic Tool As a basis for evaluating project control techniques, let us consider a simple example. Assume a project (Project Sierra) with four work packages (Design, Engineering, Installation, and Testing), a budget to complete of $80,000, and an anticipated duration of 45 weeks. To determine project performance and status, a straightforward time/cost analysis is often our first choice. Here the project’s status is evaluated as a function of the accumulated costs and labor hours or quantities plotted against time for both budgeted and actual amounts. We can see that time (shown on the x, or horizontal, axis) is compared with money expended (shown on the y, or vertical, axis). The classic project S-curve represents the typical form of such a relationship. Budget expenditures are initially low and ramp up rapidly during the major project execution stage, before starting to level off again as the project gets nearer to its completion. Cumulative budget projections for Project Sierra have been plotted against the project’s schedule. The S-curve figure represents the project budget baseline against which budget expenditures are evaluated. Monitoring the status of a project using S-curves becomes a simple tracking problem. At the conclusion of each given time period (week, month, or quarter), we simply total the cumulative project budget expenditures to date and compare them with the anticipated spending patterns. Any significant deviations between actual and planned budget spent reveal a potential problem area. Simplicity is the key benefit of S-curve analysis. Because the projected project baseline is established in advance, the only additional data shown are the actual project budget expenditures. The S-curve also provides real-time tracking information in that budget expenditures can be constantly updated and the new values plotted on the graph. Project information can be visualized immediately and updated continuously, so S-curves offer an easy-to-read evaluation of the project’s status in a timely manner. (The information is not necessarily easily interpreted, however, as we shall see later.) Our Project Sierra example can also be used to illustrate how S-curve analysis is employed. Suppose that by week 21 in the project, the original budget projected expenditures of $50,000. However, our actual project expenditures totaled only $40,000. In effect, there is a $10,000 budget shortfall, or negative variance between the cumulative budgeted cost of the project and its cumulative actual cost. In the table it shows the track of budgeted expenditures with actual project costs, including identifying the negative variance shown at week 21. In this illustration, we see the value of S-curve analysis as a good visual method for linking project costs (both budgeted and actual) over the project’s schedule. S-CURVE DRAWBACKS When project teams consider using S-curves, they need to take the curve’s significant drawbacks into consideration as well as their strengths. S-curves can identify positive and negative variance (budget expenditures above or below projections), but they do not allow us to make reasonable interpretations as to the cause of variance. Consider the S-curve shown. The actual budget expenditures have been plotted to suggest that the project team has not spent the total planned budget money to date (there is negative   variance). However, the question is how to interpret this finding. The link between accumulated project costs and time is not always easily resolved. Is the project team behind schedule (given that they have not spent sufficient budget to date) or might there be alternative reasons for the negative variance? Assume that your organization tracks project costs employing an S-curve approach and uses that information to assess the status of an ongoing project. Also assume that the project is to be completed in 12 months and has a budget of $150,000. At the six-month checkup, you discover that the project S-curve shows significant shortfall; you have spent far less on the project to date than was originally budgeted. Is this good or bad news? On the surface, we might suppose that this is a sign of poor performance; we are lagging far behind in bringing the project along and the smaller the amount we have spent to date is evidence that our project is behind schedule. On the other hand, there are any number of reasons why this circumstance actually might be positive. For example, suppose that in running the project, you found a cost-effective method for doing some component of the work or came across a new technology that significantly cut down on expenses. In that case, the time/cost metric may not only be misused, but might lead to dramatically inaccurate conclusions. Likewise, positive variance is not always a sign of project progress. In fact, a team may have a serious problem with overexpenditures that could be interpreted as strong progress on the project when in reality it signals nothing more than their inefficient use of project capital resources. The bottom line is this: Simply evaluating a project’s status according to its performance on time versus budget expenditures may easily lead us into making inaccurate assumptions about project performance. Milestone Analysis Another method for monitoring project progress is milestone analysis. A milestone is an event or stage of the project that represents a significant accomplishment on the road to the project’s completion. Completion of a deliverable (a combination of multiple project tasks), an important activity on the project’s critical path, or even a calendar date can all be milestones. In effect, milestones are road markers that we observe on our travels along the project’s life cycle. There are several benefits to using milestones as a form of project control. 1. Milestones signal the completion of important project steps. A project’s milestones are an important indicator of the current status of the project under development. They give the project team a common language to use in discussing the ongoing status of the project. 2. Milestones can motivate the project team. In large projects lasting several years, motivation can flag as team members begin to have difficul ty seeing how the project is proceeding overall, what their specific contribution has been and continues to be, and how much longer the project is likely to take. Focusing attention on milestones helps team members become more aware of the project’s successes as well as its status, and they can begin to develop greater task identity regarding their work on the project. 3. Milestones offer points at which to reevaluate client needs and any potential change requests. A common problem with many types of projects is the nature of repetitive and constant change requests from clients. Using project review milestones as formal â€Å"stop points,† both the project team and the clients are clear on when they will take midcourse reviews of the project and how change requests will be handled. When clients are aware of these formal project review points, they are better able to present reasonable and well-considered feedback (and specification change requests) to the team. 4. Milestones help coordinate schedules with vendors and suppliers. Creating delivery dates that do not delay project activities is a common challenge in scheduling delivery of key project components. From a resource perspective, the project team needs to receive supplies before they are needed but not so far in advance that space limitations, holding and inventory costs, and in some cases spoilage are problems. Hence, to balance delays of late shipments against the costs associated with holding early deliveries, a well-considered system of milestones creates a scheduling and coordinating mechanism that identifies the key dates when supplies will be needed. 5. Milestones identify key project review gates. For many complex projects, a series of midterm project reviews are mandatory. For example, many proj ects that are developed for the U.S. government require periodic evaluation as a precondition to the project firm receiving some percentage of the contract award. Milestones allow for appropriate points for these review. Sometimes the logic behind when to hold such reviews is based on nothing more than the passage of time (â€Å"It is time for July 1 review†). For other projects, the review gates are determined based on completion of a series of key project steps (such as the evaluation of software results from the beta sites). 6. Milestones signal other team members when their participation is expected to begin. Many times projects require contributions from personnel who are not part of the project team. For example, a quality assurance individual may be needed to conduct systems tests or quality inspection and evaluations of work done to date. The quality supervisor needs to know when to assign a person to our project, or we may find when we reach that milestone that no on e’s available to help us. Because the QA person is not part of the project team, we need to coordinate his or her involvement in order to minimize disruption to the project schedule. 7. Milestones can delineate the various deliverables developed in the work breakdown structure and therefore enable the project team to develop a better overall view of the project. You then are able to refocus efforts and function-specific resources toward the deliverables that show signs of trouble, rather than simply allocating resources in a general manner. For example, indications that the initial project software programming milestone has been missed allows the project manager to specifically request additional programmers downstream, in order to make up time later in the project’s development. Problems with Milestones Milestones, in one form or another, are probably the simplest and most widely used of all project control devices. Their benefits lie in their clarity; it is usually easy for all project team members to relate to the idea of milestones as a project performance metric. The problem with them is that they are a reactive control system. You must first engage in project activities and then evaluate them relative to your goal. If you significantly underperform your work to that point, you are faced with having to correct what has already transpired. Imagine, for example, that a project team misses a milestone by a large margin. Not having received any progress reports up until the point that the bad news becomes public, the project manager is probably not in a position to craft an immediate remedy for the shortfall. Now, the problems compound. Due to delays in receiving the bad news, remedial steps are themselves delayed, pushing the project farther behind. EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT An increasingly popular method used in project monitoring and control consists of a mechanism that has become known as Earned Value Management (EVM). The origins of EVM date to the late 1960s when U.S. government contracting agencies began to question the ability of contractors to accurately track their costs across the like of various projects. As a result, after 1967, the Department of Defense imposed 35 Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria that suggested, in effect, that any future projects procured by the U.S. government in which the risk of cost growth was to be retained by the government must satisfy these 35 criteria. In the more than 30 years since its origin, EVM has been practiced in multiple settings, by agencies from governments as diverse as Australia, Canada, and Sweden, as well as a host of project-based firms in numerous industries. Unlike previous project tracking approaches, EVM recognize that it is necessary to jointly consider the impact of time, cost, and project performance on any analysis of current project status. Put another way: Any monitoring system that only compares actual against budgeted cost numbers ignores the fact that the client is spending that money to accomplish something-create a project. Therefore, EVM reintroduces and stresses the importance of analyzing the time element in project status updates. Time is important because it becomes the basis for determining how much work should be accomplished at certain milestone points. EVM also allows the project team to make future projections of project status based on its current state. At any point in the project’s development we are able to calculate both schedule and budget efficiency factors (the efficiency with which budget is being used relative to the value that is being created) and use those values to make future projections about the estimated cost and schedule to project completion. We can illustrate the advance in the project control process that Earned Value represents by comparing it to the other project tracking mechanisms. If we consider the key metrics of project performance as those success criteria discussed in Chapter 1 (scheduling, budget, and performance), most project evaluation approaches tend to isolate some subset of the overall success measure. For example, project S-curve analysis directly links budget expenditures with the project schedule. Again, the obvious disadvantage to this approach is that it ignores the project performance linkage. Project control charts such as tracking Gantt charts link project performance with schedule but may give budget expenditures short shrift. The essence of a tracking approach to project status us to emphasize project performance over time. While the argument could be made that budget is implicitly assumed to be spent in some preconceived fashion, this metric does not directly apply a link between the use of time and performance factors with project cost. Earned value, on the other hand, directly links all three primary project success metrics (cost, schedule, and performance). This methodology is extremely valuable because it allows for regular updating of a time-phased budget to determine schedule and cost variances, as identified by the regular measurement of project performance. Terminology for Earned Value Following are some key concepts that allow us to calculate Earned Value and use its figures to make future project performance projections. PVPlanned value. A cost estimate of the budgeted resources scheduled across the project’s life cycle (cumulative baseline). EVEarned value. This is the real budgeted cost, or â€Å"value,† of the work that has actually been performed to date. ACActual cost of work performed. The cumulative total costs incurred in accomplishing the various project work packages. SPISchedule Performance Index. The earned value to date divided by the planned value of work scheduled to be performed (EV/PV). This value allows us to calculate the projected schedule of the project to completion. CPICost Performance Index. The earned value divided by the actual, cumulative cost of the work performed to date (EV/AC). This value allows us to calculate the projected budget to completion. BACBudgeted cost at completion. This represents the total budget for a project. Creating Project Baselines The first step in developing an accurate control process is to create the project baselines against which progress can be measured. Baseline information is critical regardless of the control process we employ, but baselines are elemental when performing EVM. The first piece of information necessary for performing earned value is the planned value; that is, the project baseline. The PV should comprise all relevant project costs, the most important of which are personnel costs, equipment and materials, and project overhead, sometimes referred to as level of effort. Overhead costs (level of effort) can include a variety of fixed costs that must be included in the project budget, including administrative or technical support, computer work, and other staff expertise use (such as legal advice or marketing). The actual steps in establishing the project baseline are fairly straightforward and require two pieces of data: the Work Breakdown Structure and a time-phased project budget. 1. The W ork Breakdown Structure identified the individual work packages and tasks necessary to accomplish the project. As such, the WBS allowed us to first identify the individual tasks that would need to be performed. It also gave us some understanding of the hierarchy of tasks needed to set up work packages and identify personnel needs (human resources) in order to match the task requirements to the correct individuals capable of performing them. 2. The time-phased budget takes the WBS one step further: It allows us to identify the correct sequencing of tasks, but more importantly, it enables the project team to determine the points in the project when budget money is likely to be spent in pursuit of those tasks. Say, for example, that our project team determines that one project activity, Data Entry, will require a budget of $20,000 to be completed, and further, that the task is estimated to require 2 months to completion, with the majority of the work being done in the first month. A ti me-phased budget for this activity might resemble the following: Activity| Jan| Feb| †¦| Dec| Total| Data Entry| $14,000| $6,000| | -0-| $20,000| Once we have collected the WBS and applied a time-phased budget breakdown, we can create the project baseline. The result is an important component of earned value because it represents the standard against which we are going to compare all project performance, cost, and schedule data as we attempt to assess the viability of an ongoing project. This baseline, then, represents our best understanding of how the project should progress. How the project is actually doing, however, is, of course, another matter. Why Use Earned Value? Assume that it is now week 30 of the project and we are attempting to assess the project’s status. Also assume that there is no difference between the projected project costs and actual expenditures; that is, the project budget is being spent within the correct time frame. However, upon examination, suppose we were to discover that Installation was only half-completed and Project Testing had not yet begun. This example illustrates both a problem with S-curve analysis and the strength of EVM. Project status assessment is only relevant when some measure of performance is considered in addition to budget and elapsed schedule. Consider the revised data for Project Sierra. Note that as of week 30, work packages related to Design and Engineering have been totally completed, whereas the Installation is only 50% done, and Testing has not yet begun. These percentage values are given based on the project team or key individual’s assessment of the current status of work package completion. The question now is: What is the earned value of the project work done to date? As of week 30, what is the status of this project in terms of budget, schedule, and performance? Calculating the earned value for these work packages is a relatively straightforward process. We can modify the previous table to focus exclusively on the relevant information for determining earned value. The planned budget for each work package is multiplied by the percentage completed in order to determine the earned value to date for the work packages, as well as for the overall project. In this case, the earned value at the 30-week point is $51,000. We can compare the planned budget against the actual earned value using the original project budget baseline. This process allows us to assess a more realistic determination of the status of the project when the earned value is plotted against the budget baseline. Compare this figure with the alternative method, in which negative variance is calculated, with no supporting explanation as to the cause or any indication about whether this figure is meaningful or not. Recall that by the end of week 30, our original budget projections suggested that $68,000 should have been spent. Instead, we are projecting a shortfall of $17,000. In other words, we are not only showing a negative variance in terms of money spent on the project, but also in terms of value created (performance) of the project to date. Unlike the standard S-curve evaluation, EVM variance is meaningful because it is based not simply on budget spent, but value earned. A negative variance of $10,000 in budget expenditures may or may not signal cause for concern; however, a $17,000 shortfall in value earned on the project to date represents a variance of serious consequences. Steps in Earned Value Management There are five steps in Earned Value Management (EVM): 1. Clearly define each activity or task that will be performed on the project, including its resource needs as well as a detailed budget.As we demonstrated earlier, the Work Breakdown Structure allows project teams to identify all necessary project tasks. It further allows for each task to be assigned its own project resources, including equipment and materials costs, as well as personnel assignments. Finally, coupled with the task breakdown and resource assignments, it is possible to create the budget figure or cost estimate for each project task. 2. Create the activity and resource usage schedules. These will identify the proportion of the total budget allocated to each task across a project calendar. Determine how much of an activity’s budget is to be spent each month (or other appropriate time period) across the project’s projected development cycle. Coupled with the development of a project budget should be its direct linkage to the project schedule. The determination of how much budget money is to be allocated to project tasks is important. Equally important is the understanding of when the resources are to be employed across the project’s development cycle. 3. Develop a â€Å"time-phased† budget that shows expenditures across the projects life.The total (cumulative) amount of the budget becomes the project baseline and is referred to as the planned value (PV). In real terms, PV just means that we can identify the cumulative budget expenditures planned at any stage in the project’s life. The PV, as a cumulative value, is derived from addin g the planned budget expenditures for each preceding time period. 4. Total the actual costs of doing each task to arrive at the actual cost of work performed (AC).We can also compute the budgeted values for the tasks on which work is being performed. This is referred to as the earned value (EV) and is the origin of the term for this control process. 5. Calculate both a project’s budget variance and schedule variance while it is still in process.Once we have collected the three key pieces of data (PV, EV, and AC), it is possible to make these calculations. The schedule variance is calculated by the simple equation: SV = EV – PV, or the difference between the earned value to date minus the planned value of the work scheduled to be performed to date. The budget, or cost, variance is calculated as: CV = EV – AC, or the earned value minus the actual cost of work performed. USING EARNED VALUE TO MANAGE A PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS Earned Value Management can work at the portfolio level as well as with individual projects. The process simply involves the aggregation of all earned value measures across the firm’s entire project portfolio in order to give an indication as to the efficiency with which a company is managing its projects. Other useful information contained in the Portfolio Earned Value Management table includes the total positive variances for both budget and schedule, as well as determination of the relative schedule and cost variances as a percentage of the total project portfolio. The use of Earned Value Management for portfolio tracking and control offers top management an excellent window into the firm’s ability to efficiently run projects, allows for comparisons across all projects currently in development, and isolates both the positive and negative variances as they occur. All of this is useful information for top-level management of multiple projects.

Irish Free State And The Irish Civil War

Irish Free State And The Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War lasted from the 28 June 1922 to the 24 May 1923. It was a conflict based between two opposing Irish nationalists. One of which was the Provisional government in which supported the idea of Ireland as a free state, the other side being the Republicans which opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and wanted Ireland to still be part of the United Kingdom. In the end the war was won by the Free State forces, following under the Provisional government. The results of the civil war left Ireland divided for many decades afterwards and claimed many casualties. One factor which is believed to have been the biggest impact on the uprising of the Irish civil war is the Anglo-Irish Treaty which established Ireland as a Free State. The idea of the treaty arose after the Irish War of Independence, between Irish separatists and the British government, ended after 2 years in 1921. A truce was declared and a treaty was being negotiated. The idea of independence from the UK was after a massacre occurred in Ireland as retaliation to the fall of the British Secret Service in Ireland. Attacks like this turned the Irish against the English and therefore independence was asked for. However instead of creating an independent republic, Ireland had to sign an oath which would only give it the opportunity of freedom to be a self-governing authority within the British Empire with the British monarch as head of state. However at the same time, the treaty that was offered to the Irish also gave opportunity to countries in Ireland to give back its control to the UK within the following month after the treaty was agreed upon. In the end the treaty provided a self-directed Irish state, only in 26 of the 32 countries part of Ireland. Even though, originally, the treaty was greatly appreciated throughout Ireland, it created a split in opinion of government. The countries in the northern region of Ireland didnt agree to the Partition of Ireland from the UK and so with this the Home Rule and the Government of Ireland Act of 1920 were passed. These gave Ireland two different parliaments, each with its own Prime Minister. One was given for the Unionists and the other for the Nationalists. The citizens of six northern countries under the leader of the unionist group voted as part of a referendum for the creation of a Northern Ireland in May 1921. The Northern Ireland was run under a Prime Minister which followed the Unionist belief. The British always expected that the northern region of Ireland would comply with the party of the treaty which gave power and authority back to the British. However the expectancy grew even more certain when Sir James Craig, the PM of Northern Ireland announced during October 1922 that we will have to make the choice either to vote out or remain within the Free State hence showing that he was not with southern Ireland. He later then said that as soon as Northern Ireland is given the opportunity to make a decision it is important that it is made instantly, so to show the world that any decision made came with no hesitation. Eventually, in a written agreement with Britain, Northern Ireland gave back any agreement which they acquired in the treaty and was under the ruling authority of the UK. Afterwards the UK was renamed to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to reflect the new ruling. Thus the separation in state due to the treaty was yet the beginning of the civ il war between Northern and Southern Ireland. As a part of the treaty, Ireland was given the right to its own army. At first when the British government was ruling Ireland, the IRA was but a rebellious guerrilla force that was dedicated to the establishment of Irish as a republic. The IRA -Irish Republican Army was the army that fought against the British in the war of independence. However afterwards, the war split the army into two; those that continued their support for the treaty, who then became the first official Irish army, and those that were anti-treaty, those that wanted complete freedom. Due to outrage from some citizens about the fact that the treaty was signed, which to them seemed treacherous; rebellious protest and conflicts arose. In April 1922, the anti-treaty IRA seized control of the Dublin Four-Courts and other key buildings. Gaining some control over what occurred in Ireland. However the actions and rulings that the anti-treaty IRA had produced were seen as unacceptable. At times the government tried to mediate with the IRA to make an agreement on some level rather than having unnecessary tension. However after the IRA made no budge, it then led to the government becoming impatient with dealing with the situation as the power was unbalanced. This then led to the command that the now official Irish Army Pro-treaty IRA was to then bomb the Four-Courts. This succeeding in the sense that it got what the government wanted, which was the IRA out of Dublin. The bombing led to however the aggression and battle of the Irish Civil war. Not only were there disagreements in military, but also voting and opinions of the citizens became a major impact on the governments actions. In Northern Ireland people were starting to become more and more with the treaty, as evident in votes. Yet another example of how the disagreement of the treaty impacted the occurrence of the Irish Civil war. Eventually, the disagreements and battle became a topic of religion. The Irish army on numerous counts attacked Northern Ireland when crossing the military border. They mainly attacked Protestants in the area, thinking they were main people who were against the treaty. Eventually the Protestants in Northern Ireland turned towards the Catholics thinking they were the ones to blame, as to why the IRA had started attacking them in Northern Ireland and started to abolish them from their homes and started to take over their land. As a result the Protestants began to attack the Catholics in the area. This was done so with a great rise in violence and rioting. Even though the violence from the IRA began to decrease with the dawning of the war, the revenge on the Catholics became serious. Because of disagreements about the treaty of Ireland as a free state, and military response and revenge, the Protestants began to then use military attacks on the Catholics killing 257 of them between July 1920 and July 1922. About 11,000 Catholics were forced to leave their jobs in factories due to attacks from Protestant colleagues. The government of Northern Ireland attempted to restore order by trying to set up a police force which was dedicated to making harmony between the Protestants and the Catholics, however this only yet intensified the violence rather than maintaining any form of order. Eventually the police were given the power to imprison people who they thought to be at fault without the need for a trial, due to the special powers act of 1922 and the offences against the state act of 1924. The establishment of Ireland as a free state from Britain had a great impact on the cause of the civil war. Due to dispute and unsettled disagreements, anyone that had an opinion on whether or not the situation at hand should be carried out to allow Ireland to become free or to keep it under British rule, voiced it for whatever consequence. From the beginning of the treaty, there was always a dispute as to whether the independence was one on a national agreement, since from the very start it was believed to be certain that the entire nation wouldnt agree upon the partition. It led to the separation of Ireland into two states. Two states with different opinions and directions in mind for what would happen with Ireland, and what results should be acquired from agreements with Britain and the UK. This led to radicals and desperate matters where the military and rebellious groups did what they thought was necessary to make sure that even though it would lead to other reasons of argument, it will ensure that everyone had an equal voiced opinion. Ireland desired to became a free state, however even though part of it had its own rule, and others received what they wanted as to be under British rule, the misunderstanding and unfortunate events, such as guerrilla attacks and religious attacks, turned the wish to fulfil the establishment of a free state into a battle which didnt allow much freedom within the nation. It turned into a battle between government, military forces, and religion. So the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Irish state vs. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was a great impact in influencing the cause of the Irish Civil war.

Outdoor Play and Learning | Analysis

Outdoor Play and Learning | Analysis Discuss with reference to curriculum documentation and relevant research literature the importance of effective provision and planning for outdoor play and exploration in UK early years settings. In this assignment I am going to look at why it is relevant for effective provision and planning for the outdoor environment in the early years in the UK. Outdoor play is a vital element of young childrens physical, social and emotional development. Play is a young childs activity for learning. Therefore making the most of outdoor play is essential, providing plenty of experiences in a varied manner for children, early years settings are in a unique position to offer these, fully integrated with the indoors. The four aspects of Birth to Three Matters Framework include examples of experiences that very young children should have both indoors and outdoors. Similarly, the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage includes many ideas for taking learning outside. All six areas of learning can be effectively promoted, from the earliest stepping stones through to the early learning goals at the end of foundation stage. The statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation stage: setting and standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. (DCSF 2008) states the following in relation to the outdoor environment; ‘Wherever possible, there should be access to an outdoor play area and this is the expected norm for providers. ‘The indoor and outdoor environments (should be linked) so that children can move freely between them. ‘A rich and varied environment supports childrens learning and development. It gives them the confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe yet challenging, indoor and outdoor spaces. ‘Children must have opportunities play indoors and outdoors. All early year providers must have access to an outdoor play area which can benefit the children. If the setting does not have direct access to an outdoor play area they must make arrangements for daily opportunities for outdoor play in an appropriate nearby location. ‘Being outdoors has a positive impact on childrens sense of well-being and helps all aspects of childrens development. (See EYFS Statutory Framework (p.35 and 37); EYFS Practice Guidance (p.7) and ‘Principles into Practice card 3.3: Enabling Environments- the Learning Environment). The EYFS statutory framework for the EYFS is put in place so that every child in a setting environment has the best possible experience of the outdoors, as so much learning and development goes on within the outdoors and to cover the six early learning goals. The outdoors offers a unique environment, which is very different from the indoors. It offers space and freedom to try things out, to explore and experiment without the constraints associated with an indoor environment (Tovey 2007). Some opportunities for learning can only happen outside. The experience of a change in the weather, finding insects, making a large scale construction/painting all of these motivate children into mental and physical engagement, and can only be done outside. In fact all learning goals can be achieved outside while the childrens health and well-being are also being boosted. Outside children can run fast, shout and squeal and find out what their bodies and voices can really do (Ouvry, 2008). The space is more open, less confided and the greater space; the more unrestricted the movement possibilities. Indoors is a space where adults are in control, but outdoors as fewer restrictions, where children can escape the controlling eyes of adults (Stephenson 2002). The four main thinkers of early childhood towards the curriculum, advocating outdoor provision as essential for childrens learning and development are; Friedrich Froebel , Margaret McMillan ,Susan Issacs and Maria Montessori. â€Å"These four all held the view that the young child is first and foremost a whole person, with thoughts, feelings and imagination that need to be cared for and cherished† (Curtis 1986. P.5).They all believed in a child centred approach and free-flow play. Young children are motivated and wish to learn, they dont have to be sat at a table quietly (Curtis 1986). Friedrich Froebel argued that play was a serious and significant activity for the young child. David Cohen (1987) suggests that Froebel was the first educator to use childrens play for practical purposes. In order to help children learn through play Froebel devised series of playthings and games (Bruce 1991). As Curtis (1986 p.6) points out, he used the ‘timeless playthings of childhood in his curriculum. ‘Balls, boards, sand, clay, for example, have made up childrens play throughout the ages. The role of the adult is crucial in Froebels approach to play. Cohen however doesnt agree that children should learn particular things, as that would be to advocate play as preparation for life. Froebel valued play because it helped children to make meaning, and as Janet Moyles (1989 p.168) points out the importance of adults and children being ‘equal partners in play, as in conversation (Bruce 1991). Janet Moyles (1989, p.24) points out that Froebel pioneered the theory of firsthand experience as the basis of play, but this was entirely different to that, Seguin (1812-1880), who developed learning though the senses for disabled children. This curriculum was aimed towards a particular direction. However, Froebels approach to play was targeted at all childrens needs, rather than Seguin, who concentrated on disadvantaged children (Bruce 1991). As Yvonne Conolly (1983) points out (OMEP), ‘A good Curriculum is a good curriculum for all (in Bruce, 1987, Ch.9). Margaret McMillan, pioneer of nursery education campaigned for an education centred on the garden. She was the first person to model a nursery with children flowing freely between the inside and outside environment she quoted; ‘The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed by the sky. She put so much emphasis on the outdoor environment that it has been recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in its good practice guidelines for the early learning goals, which repeatedly stress those young children, should have access to a well-planned outdoors (Ouvry 2008). McMillan expanded on the ideas of Froebel, to see children playing as the integrated activity. It was through the garden that we see her begin to develop the free-flow play side of the curriculum. It is interesting to see that for Froebel, McMillan and Issacs, it was the childs free play in the outdoors that led to their greatest contributions to the early childhood educational curriculum (Bruce 1991). Issacs valued free-flow play because it gave children freedom in their actions, thoughts and emotional expression. Issacs further stressed that play also meets the emotional needs of a child, as they express all emotional during play (Bruce 1991). Montessori, who was also a pioneer for education, she thought it was an insult to children to suggest they should play. Montessori provided children with specific sense training apparatus which she expected them to use in an exact manner within the classroom, whereas McMillan believed children gained better sensory experience by playing in the garden (Bruce, 1991). Surely if practitioners are planning and setting up the activities that a child plays outdoors it is not really the childs freedom of choice, in a way it is still like the Montessori approach. Both Sylva and Bruner argued, in the 1980s, that structure is a characteristic of materials and activities themselves. Structured activities such as construction are the most challenging and unstructured materials, such as sand and water, and open ended resources, outdoors lack any clear goal structure and, therefore, do not challenge childrens minds (Bruner 1980; Sylva et al 1980). Ouvry (2008) suggests making the most out of the outdoor area is also important, so that the children in that setting have the best opportunities possible and the changing of resources provided should be different daily. Also, it is important that the children have the opportunity to explore different resources and not stick with their favourite all the time i.e. bicycles. So Bruner and Sylvas research isnt very clear as all settings have a number of different opportunities for children to do in the outdoors environment, structured and unstructured. Children learn from them all in different ways and they are all targeting the six areas of learning. Piaget saw movement and physical development as the provision for higher levels of thinking. However Smith (p.68) argues this point and believes ‘it is stillness we have to justify, not movement. Early Years children cant be sat down all day they need freedom to express themselves and explore their environment in order to learn new things, sitting down is going to make them more likely to disengage with what is going on. If movement is such an important aspect of a childs development, access to outdoor space must be part of a daily routine in order to nurture this mind-body growth. ‘Children want space at all ages. But from the age of one to seven, space, that is ample space, almost as much wanted as food and air. To move, to run, to find things out by new movement, to feel ones life in every limb, that is the life of early childhood. So said Margaret McMillan (1930) Childrens entitlement to high quality outdoor play experiences is strongly supported throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and early years providers have a statutory duty to facilitate daily outdoor opportunities all year round for the children in their care. (See EYFS Statutory Framework (p.35 and 37); EYFS Practice Guidance (p.7) and ‘Principles into Practice card 3.3: Enabling Environments- the Learning Environment). When children are denied adequate space they often feel desperately frustrated and this can lead to uncooperative behaviour. Research has shown that in environments that enable children to move about, to collaborate with others and take frequent breaks during calm activities, the behaviour of children who have a tendency to lose their temper or get over excited is less disturbing (Berk, l. E and Winsler, A 1995). This therefore shows that the tendency for children to shout and squeal and run around and be very ‘hyperactive is taken outside there that type of behaviour is accessible (Ouvry 2008). Ouvry (2008) states that boys brains mature in a different sequence to those of girls and in some areas, at a slower rate. Boys first develop the parts of the brain for knowing about movement and space in which they have to move themselves and other things. Other areas of the curriculum then arise meaningfully out of play. Girls, stereotypically like playing imaginatively in the home corner and working with and alongside adults. Girls come to an understanding of adult world through domestic play and talk; they use reading and writing in their play because their brains are more developed for language at the three to five year old stage. The whole emphasis on activities that focus on children who are good at talking, fitting in, quick at learning and understanding other peoples intentions. Boys can tend to feel uncomfortable because they tend to feel more secure in the outdoor environment, where they can be themselves and still learn from their experiences just in a different manner. By the setting giving less attention to the outdoors environment and quality of outdoor play, they may be denying access to education to a significant number of boys (Bilton, H. 1998). The outdoor space must be viewed as an essential teaching and learning environment which is linked with the learning that goes on inside, but with even greater status because it allows for children to learn through movement. If we believe that young children learn through play and that play is thought in action- then offering children a playing space outdoors would seem the most effective means to fulfil their need to play, learning through first hand experiences and cooperate with others, that also cover the six main learning goals (Ouvry. 2008). Despite the much higher profile given to outdoor play in recent years with the introduction of the Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage (QCA 2000), there is still evidence that the ‘purpose and value of outdoor play is not well understood'(Tovey. 2007). Many practitioners have an unconscious belief that effective learning only happens when children are still, quiet and calm, with a pencil and paper at hand and with a teacher nearby to offer instruction. The idea that when children are physically active, many people believe they cant be learning anything to do with the curriculum (Ouvry 2008). But then what about forest schools, they are based outside all of the time and are still based on the curriculum and the learning intentions are still met and this is all due to planning for the six areas of learning. It is certainly true that if the outdoors is not well planned and the setting does not have clear aims for the childrens learning outside, then practitioners may find it difficult to see any worthwhile learning going on outside. This is however true when considering any environment for young children inside or outside. Without clarity of aims and learning intentions for children in play situations, it is impossible to know what to look for when observing the children or to know how to further the childrens learning. Structuring the environment and supporting childrens learning is as important outside as in (Ouvry 2008). The key person working with a four-year-old child may have observed on several occasions that the child is rather unsteady when moving around the outside area. The practitioner then plans to build an obstacle course to give the child lots of opportunities to use a wide range of physical movements. These then support the planning for enhanced provision. In many cases, this planned adjustment and enrichment of some aspect of the settings provision will also be relevant to other children in a group. Many of the other children in the group will enjoy helping to build and develop the obstacle course and will join the focus child in actively using and enjoying the challenges it offers. ‘The right of the child to rest and leisure and engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and arts. (UNICEF 1989). There are constraints and fears that limit childrens opportunities for play particularly outdoors, deprive children of essential childhood experiences and opportunities- opportunities to develop friendships and to make relationships, to experience all emotions, to take risks, have adventures and misadventures, to have contact with nature and the environment (Casey, T. 2007). Children need to climb, run, jump, an bash balls against walls (Lewis Howdle, lecture, RIHE,1980). http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/83976 http://www3.hants.gov.uk/childrens-services/childcare/providers/childcarepublications/horizons/horizons-issue-16/outdoor-learning-and-the-eyfs.htm http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/151379 http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/132681 http://www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/planning-quality-provision-early-years-5276