Analyzing The Structure Of Top Gear Media Essay

Analyzing The Structure Of Top Gear Media Essay We have passed a long way and a journey to date, while we are entertaining the luxury of the word Automobile. The History reflects the evolution which has taken place in the Automobile dream to reality. We are capable of pointing the pioneers such as the scientist Sir Isaac Newton and the painter Leonardo da Vinci. Among the many more who first dreamt and created the structure, mechanism and the so called motor vehicle to the world. Their energy, sweat and blood is taken into account with gratitude in this modern world of motor vehicle technology or very simply The Automobile. In 1885 Karl Benz, the German mechanical engineer, designed and built the worlds first practical and usable automobile. Later a car transmission system was invented by Henry Ford after initiating all the strategies in the said particular industry multi-part features, automobiles started to evolve with the first steam, gasoline-engine cars and electrical cars. The path of the communicating the news, features and information came a long way as the automobiles to the new era of Television programming. The important of the motor show or a program evolved over the years in television program production. BBC actually leads this in front in the industry for telecasting the TOP GEAR shows. BBCs motto of this particular program was To inform, educate and entertain, the audience. They are very professionally achieving their target. They do inform, educate and entertain their audience with a firm strategy. We should take the point into the consideration. What was there methodology of such a successful TV program? How did they succeed achieving their goals, such as the secret of being the number one motor show for such a long time? What were the success formula of the production and the creative output of the final product as well? The most powerful part of this product was the planning stage of season 1 in1977 and again the planning of the re-launch in 2002. What is concept development and production planning in the Television Media? We will analyze it briefly. The concept development and the script of a project is a unique practice of well trained professionals. 2.0 Start with an idea An idea to develop a video program doesnt come suddenly from the moon. There should be something which has given that idea. Sometimes it may come across certain incident that reminds us about the video. Sometimes a person in the local store would have asked to prepare a video for him. This is the way to go on with the project: we should be aware of what subject to be covered, what kind of program we should use, who are the viewers of us? Therefore we should know what the clients exact requirements is, whether it is one hour or five minutes video clip. Make sure the way by which our viewers are going to integrate with the program. If we are dealing with a series the make sure we dont repeat it unless otherwise it needs a revision. There is a high probability that the audience will not recognize the availability of the other videos in our series. 3.0 Objectives and Goals What do we think our audience? would need to know after viewing our video production? If we get the answer for this question it would help us to develop a suitable production. The objectives would give a clear picture on what kind of measures to be used in entire process of our production. Basically Goals are considered very wide concept that we want to achieve. However the objectives are calculatable goals that are developed based on SMART characteristics. For example we can use some measures to make sure whether our viewer has understood any main concepts of our program. Therefore start thinking on the point of view of our viewers on what they should know after viewing our production. After our viewers watched the program they should be able to do the following things: Should be able to recognize three kind of sponsorship Should be able to recognize position of four crews Should be able to recognize issues with respect to scheduling All above mentioned are objectives in nature since those can be measured. Basically the number of objectives to be used is decided based on the goals. Therefore at any given time it may require only one objective or many. 4.0 Audience Targeted Then we decide on whom we are targeting whether it is a video of family album or learning methods in physics. we have to make sure whom we are addressing and what is the purpose: The nature of our audience Decide if it is for the local or general publics or the group of specialist. What is the level at which we have to produce like basic or advanced Are there any unique background, qualification or experience required for our audience What are the style in which our audience require our production It is our targeted audience who decide on what type of coverage or style that they need. It is obvious that the kind of program expected by the specialist is not similar to that of younger. Then we have to make sure they have got a suitable condition for the audience to watch our production. The productions are mostly viewed as VCDs, DVDs, or they watch in home, lecture rooms, or offices. They are not produced to broadcast. A talented director would foresee these unique situations and they would influence on making the program more effectively. How are they going to see our program and where? Would they be together to watch the video? In darkened room? Will they be watching a solid video or through the internet? Or would the video be watched on iPod while driving a vehicle? Directors would have to get ride off the dark or low-key scenes if that is to be viewed in direct daylight. People watching from the distant picture monitor would be able to identify the problems in terms of displaying the images in many monitors. Long range shots will have very little impact. Further closer shots are nessacery due to its value addition in terms of drama and emotion. Small letters will have no use in the small distant screen. To improve the visibility of headings, maps, charts etc., only provide limited and necessary information. If the target audience are using the iPods or any other small screen videos equipments directors should consider these aspects in developing more close ups shots than long shots that were used to be developed usually. Following questions can help you in identifying viewers problems in detail: Is our video program relying more on our already developed knowledge and skills? To what extent it knows the real subject? Does that program have any connection with any other programs in the series? Does the program have to remind any already developed programs? Are the viewers going to watch the program grouped? Or individually? Will they be seeing the program continuously or only once? Do they have the feasibility to watch the program again and again? Will it give a beak for the audience for the discussion about already shown program? Will any supporting thing be give for the audience to refer when they require? Will there be any other aspects such as noisy or inter competing? Would developed program be out of date soon? Will it be developed for formal situations or humor? 5.0 Research To establish program content or to ensure that the content is accurate and suitable there will be researches conducted. The programs such as newss, documentaries or interviews require high research before the production. This is one by going through the library books or online browsing or by contacting some specialists in the area. Sometime it may require travelling also. Further the research is very time consuming and have a great impact on overall budget. If the specialist whom we meat for our research purposes would request high fees then it one come really true and problem come more severe. The above chart shows the number of review scoring votes per episode. 6.0 Covering the subject This examines what is the subject matter covered, who includes in the group of viewers, further the ingredients will affect the decision on what kind of camera settings should be used for the program, how long or close the shots should be, what are the variations expected. Directors need to think about the following things very seriously: What are the content of the program? What are the angles to be used in the program developing? Are any additional graphics required to transfer the idea to audience more effectively? What is the best view point of making the cameras? How he is going to transfer the exact requirement to the crews so that the production can be more effective which ensures the achievement of the goals? Will all camera operators need to create a separate shot? A shot list would explain the requirement of each shots, it will be prepared in clear order, therefore the camera operators would only require a minimum level of direction for the director since it already give the clear picture about the shots required. 6.1 The Genre of Top Gear As per the television Industrial genre The Top Gear Show listed under The Magazine/ Documentary genre mix up with the Reality formations. Variety of topics presented in a television program which based on current events contains interviews and commentary with an entertaining  features,  reports, music  spots  etc. linked by a presenter is called a Magazine Program. A film or TV program which presents facts lined up about a person or an event literally called a documentary, docudrama, infotainment movie etc. in the television or movie genre. It is said and understood that this show is a factual example for a combination of both genres as mentioned earlier, The Magazine/ Documentary. The quality of the presentation and narration plays a vital role in developing the TOP GEAR show. Actually changed the original concept of documentary and magazine genres will combine into a reality formation. It is the time to rename such program genres. It is better to understand and analyze these specific words. It is well conversed among the professionals of the television industry. People create creative interpretations of actuality. Yes we do have to agree. This concept is followed by the analytical formations of formats. We could see there are basically ten types of formats and only two sorts of programs available: Panel show: contact the presses Programs to demonstrate Conducting game shows : Thanga vettai, Kodishwaran in India Live coverage : On the day of elections, presidents addressing Sport games : Football, cricket Documentary programs : Reality programs like Derana superstar in Sri Lanka Programs are basically scored or scripted in other major categories, such as follows: News: Hourly news In India, morning and evening coverage of the stations situations. Dramas: This includes the Comedies and tragedy programs in a series. Music Programs: Youngers music competitions in India, Sirasa superstar in Sri Lanka. Performance art Some of these formats are related. They all borrow techniques and skills from one another, so its common to see music video techniques in dramas and documentary techniques in the news Shooting session of Top Gear Show 7.0 Duration of the Show In commercial television, the script must also factor in commercial breaks. These breaks include regular commercials, promos, and other material supplied by the local station affiliate. + A one-hour show actually only broadcasts about 44 to 48 minutes of programming, along with 12 to 16 minutes of breaks. The script is generally about 50 to 55 pages long. + A half-hour show runs 22 to 24 minutes with 6 to 8 minutes of commercial breaks. The traditional guideline is that one page equals one minute of action; this can vary with the genre. Top Gear  was produced under the base of motor car, and broadcast since 1977 to 2001. It was originally created in 30-minute magazine format. The show was re-launched in 2002. The format was revived into a studio based format. The origination of this concept and creation of the program was totally done by BBC. BBC America. BBC Canada, RTE Two and Setanta Ireland has also shown the program in their respective countries. Top Gear was also shown on Setanta Ireland in Ireland too. Then gone on long journey through Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Sweden, Malaysia, Australia as well as New Zealand etc. along with Latin America, and a number of other television channels around the world produced this format in their versions too. The popularity of this particular program made its path a long way around the world. Three versions have been done internationally adapting the format and the concept. The production locally done in United States. Russia and Australia. In each country they have created it with respective local talents and production teams. History Channel of US has taken the rights to the American version of top gear. On November 21, 2010, they have aired the first episode to the American television industry. Its said and estimated that the worldwide viewership was more than 350 million viewers. The show has received vast appreciation among the audience for its presentation and visual style. The original series reached its peak in the 1990s and according to the critics and enthusiasts program came to an end by the end of the particular decade. But with that producer  Andy Wilman successfully presented a new format for  Top Gear  to the BBC which has changed their intention of freezing the program in 2001. The new series began its journey in 2002.  Its on the move since then, up-to-date. Dunsfolds runways and taxiways are the place where top gear people using as their temporary racing circuit designed and maintained for the show. They use standing audience to create the production. The new series which has formatted in 2002 had some new changes to the product. Those changes were much appreciated by the audience other than the old show. The length of the program has been changed to one hour. Two new presenters were introduced to the product. A helmeted racing driver introduced as the test drive. The Stigà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ made the change worthy watching. There were new segments also, including Stars in a reasonably priced car, The Cool Wall, The News, Power laps, and off features such as races, competitions and the regular destruction of caravans  etc. 8.0 Segments The show is all about having long distanced races. Here the presenter would drive a car against the different types of vehicles. Although it is very easy to mention like that, it is great to see a person going unorthodox using other mode of transports. The main challenge here is to use different combination of vehicles such as plan, ferry or train. This part is edited in exciting way that will attract and keep the audience to the maximum gear. They make sure this remains till the program ends. It is the viewer who sees who is the winner. This kind of qualities is required in presenting the program to keep the viewers motivated till the end of the show. Then as a secondary activity they should remember to emphasis on rating to face the television industry. The variety of the program is very important on the other hand. Many small races will be held to ensure the variety. Then they would be able to know the strength and weaknesses of a specific vehicle. 9.0 Challenges In early few series they included some unique challenges and very short stunt films generally based on the broken premises like buses jumping over the motorcycle as opposed to the usual style of motorbikes jumping over the busses. This show had a great impact on viewers they really loved the series very much. These cars are still available at a museum. [Refer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtTnfFH2Hjc ] 10. Celebrity in a Reasonably Priced Car In celebrities will appear in each episode this would attract the viewers by giving a opportunity for them to see the fast track of the popular person. 11.0 Power Laps The celebrity Stig completed a fast round in the high top gear in order to evaluate the performance level of the numerous cars in the Power lap segments. If the car can meet the criterias such as road worthy, able to negotiate a bumper and commercially available then it can be considered to be qualified for the Power lap Board. 12.0 Christmas specials There were special segments created according to the time of year to give the seasons impact to the audience. 13.0 Car of the Year This was another special segment introduced at the end of each autumn series. The segment contains the favor and the choice of the hosts. They present an award. The award is given as the favorite car of the year. The criteria of the award are so simple, yet powerful. It is all three presenters choice. They have to agree unanimously to take the decision. 14.0 Presentation History BBC started this program called Top gear in 1977. The presenters were William Woollard and Noel Edmonds along with Tony Mason, Chriss Goffey and Frank Page. It said that the name actually arrived form a radio series called Top Gear. It was a magazine show that spoke about the new car models to the market and various car related problems. Further it included some special events like motor spots and classic car events. Jon Bentley appeared as one of the show maker in 1987. Other new makers were using new previous Formula one driver Tiff Needl and Jeremy Clarkson and that got a great respond from the audience. Further it became very controversial and humorous becoming more critical. According to the necessity and segments the presenters have changed over the history. Total Top Gear is based on three main Presenters. They are James May and Jeremy Clarkson Richard Hammond. Stig test has driven many of the cars who was considered to be a Non speaking presenter. Each presenter actually targeted wide variety of people based on the age of the people. For example James May targeted older demography where as Richard Hammond targeted the young female audience. Therefore Top Gear presenters are very special and unique to each other in terms of performing in the show. there are four main presenters involved in the Gadget show such as John Bentley, Jason Bradbury, Ortis Deley and Suzi Perry. The use of female presenters really surprised the entire audience since it was traditionally dominated by only male. 15.0 Worldwide Telecast Its a known factor there are magazine, documentary and other genres such as talk shows, reality shows etc are created and done allover the world to enhance the motor vehicle lovers. But first of all we can enlist the countries which broadcast the Top Gear Show and few of its own versions. Australia Australia managed to retain the rights to telecast the TOP GEAR shows locally and this is the first country to do like this. 2004 series of TOP GEAR was telecasted in 2005, it attracts the audience to the great extent. Then they came out with their own version. America This series includes high level action and excitement. Its full of action. It can be mentioned as adventures as well. This show was mainly made for car lovers. This featured super cars, challenges and stunts, reviews about cars and interviews of celebrities. United Kingdom On Sunday nights Top Gear  is first broadcast on BBC2  and repeated on the following Wednesday evening and again the following Saturday 16.0 Themes The rocknroll theme of top gear inspired the world because of the macho-ness it emphasized in the mentality of the audience. It was utter human psychology which the producers used to create the atmosphere. Women who watched the program loved it. It really created the connection of the car with human in a musical bond. 4/4 rock beat also was a heavy in sound system that has to beaded for the macho content. The drum track adds a bass and snare to have heavy sound effects. Further for masculine themes it adds a deep riff over the drums. It was amazing that when it was played audience quickly realized that it was the Top Gears soundtrack. The Allman Brothers Bands instrumental hit Jessica has been used as the theme song since 1977. The show used part of the original Allmans recording of the song until the late 1990s, later theyve changed it to cover versions According to the later requirements, and producers have searched for new themes according to the segments introduced. For an example, for the series 6, there were nominations for showing a drive sound, the final and last list of ten were voted for by write-in nominations on the  Top Gear  website, the top five has been selected, and then submitted them to the viewers to vote. The best one was selected by the audience. It actually took the Magazine format of the Production in to the Reality format. (Taking these points to the consideration and, weve noted the factor earlier. As per the television Industrial genre The Top Gear Show listed under The Magazine/ Documentary genre mixed up with the Reality formations.) Top Gear had a unique compilation of songs. Several songs have been released while the run of the particular show. These driving songs have been attracted many people. The factor should be taken into consideration. How the audience appreciated the program and the music. Its the marvel reality we find today, not the themes emerged through the era. But the artists who have received the fame because of the product.. Top gear. It was vice versa as well. This is the most amazing, wonderful gravity of this mediaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Television. 17.0 Set The Top Gear set totally looks masculine. The background made out of car body parts all attached together looks like a young boys toy. But a person could gather things from it and build up a car on his own. Such an environment to a program It is very creative, but the hidden factor is the approach of the designers. There are things or factors to be considered when creating such a set to a program. The motto of the show, the target audience, concept, the feel and the look, the subject matter of the product, etc For an example we can identify the tyres in the cool wall. What does the idea reflects. Even the seats made out of leather from car seats. The look and feel is a mans garage. Then to the target audience. Mainly males. So do the main set. It does reflect a racing track. The show is about cars, tracks, races are the firsthand feeling of the viewer. Throughout the show the viewer is bonded with the feeling of the show. This is a well planned set done by professionals. 18.0 Audience It is said and believed that the Top Gear is the most popular car enthusiasts show on the earth. According to the surveys done through variety of methods its said, the program is having minimum viewership of 350 million people around the world. Targeted Top Gear Audience is males because of the content of the product, but females are attracted to the show. Why is it? The very basic factor is women too love and like cars. Secondary factor is women too like adventure. Then comes the attraction of male presenters. 19.0 Activity of Scheduling These are the patterns of scheduling taken place in Major telecast in UK on BBC HD as well as BBC two. 20.0 Other Dominating Channels Following channels from world wide also telecasted this show such as Canada BBC, America BBC, BBC, Dave (Channel), Setanta Ireland, Nine Network, Netherland Veronica, Belgium Canvas, Sweden Kanal 9, Malaysia Media Prima, BBC Entertainment, TV Latin America, New Zealand 21.0 Comparisons between the Similar Shows Fifth Gear It is an early Motoring Television  magazine program in UK. Channel 5 showed it originally; in 2010 the 17th series was started. 22.0 Format 23 minutes was the initial running time for seven series of the program in the autumn of 2005 eighth series started with some amendments? It was in a format of 45 minutes, Then in the ninth series air time increased to one hour, the episodes consisted was thirteen. At the beginning of the seventeenth series they made another changeover by reducing the running time. It was a half hour slot canned to a twenty three minutes program. Several of  Top Gears  ex-presenters,  were hired by Channel 5 to present  Fifth Gear. Driven   Motoring Television program  launched  Ã‚  in 1998  by Channel 4, UK. The style was similar to top Gear.   But there were additional different type of components included as well. Driven 100 was such a feature. Three cars of the same class road tested in the segment. The criteria of the marks given to the cars associated with the qualities such as Practicality, Desirability and Cost of Ownership. Driven  was cancelled by Channel 4 in 2002. Vroom Vroom British entertainment program telecast in Granada media. The shows will run for one hour , and facilities a numerous mix of segments, from the  Vroom Vroom  test drive featuring (among other things)  tips for buying and selling cars and banger racing. Wheels This is a very well popular and established program in the India. This is on BBC World News India. The program was launched in 1994 and done in Delhi. The show went for a re-launch in2004.The program covers a vast area of cars and bike information and news. The product is holding an annual award ceremony as well. Its called Wheels Award. 23.0 Conclusion The conclusion of this report and findings would indicate the clear picture about the success and failure of the TOP GEAR in its history. Top Gear entered a world in which cars are not considered as mechanics anymore, but rather it is all about lifestyles. It is about going a road-trip, seeing great places in the world, fighting ever-madder challenges. Or, to put it  simply, it is about having exiting fun. Clarkson and his boys adventures have really given a great exiting experience showing a totally different world., including the very dangerous efforts like entering the North Pole in a specially-prepared Toyota Hilux.. By Branko Brkic Main photo: BBC 2 MPH Live featuring Clarkson, Hammond and May is currently on in Johannesburg

Role of Church in Ethnic Conflict

Role of Church in Ethnic Conflict Write about a recent ethnic conflict in your context showing the role of social, political and religious institutions in the conflict. Discuss what the Church has done (or should be doing) to ease ethnic hostilities. Despite the persistent contribution of governments worldwide to ensure that there is a balanced socio-economic development in all spheres in the society, social inequality is still rife and embedded in all aspects of social development. However, it is worse in developing countries and highly manifested in ethnicity. In multi- ethnic communities, ethnic identity is an additional variable in social-economic development over and above those normally present in the more homogenous communities. The role of ethnicity in development can be negative or positive and it can also be a problem or a potentially rewarding challenge. Unfortunately it is the negative aspect of ethnicity that has been publicized or researched. According to the Oxford advanced learners dictionary, the term ethnic is defined as that which is of a national, racial or tribal group that has a common cultural tradition or of a particular ethnic group. Brown (2000) defines an ethnic group as that community which claims common ancestry and sees the proof of this in the fact that its members display distinctive attributes relating to language, religion, and physiognomy or homeland origin. Young (1994) argued that ethnicity is a concept that has no significance in isolation. His thesis is that any analytical attempt should begin from the premise that ethnicity is a relational concept. According to Young and Turner (1985), we can only find relevance in they. In most cases those who define themselves as we ascribe to themselves positive attributes and give negative and disparaging ones to the they group. Positive ethnicity refers to the constructive social-cultural identification with and a sense of belonging to a particular ethic group. Negative ethnicity mostly in the form of tribalism or ethnocentrism is the pathological and destructive nature of ethnicity. It is when a particular ethnic community considers itself superior to other communities. This form of hatred or repulsion of particular communities or individuals of a particular community is referred to as ethnic bigotry. Ethnic bigotry manifests in various ways including speech, actions, and subtle or hidden repulsion of outsiders. It may also result in ethnic tensions or protracted physical or non-physical conflict between ethnic groups (TJRC, 2013). Kenya, which is a multi-ethnic society with over 42 ethnic communities, is an invention of colonialists, an invention which seemed to have been flawed from the start and hence was a crisis in the making because the invented territory brought together different ethnic communities, some of which had little or nothing in common culturally. In Kenya, the dominance of ethnic affiliations comes to the fore in almost all aspects of human life. In cases where ethnic affiliations are strong like in politics, no one would like to think freely. People always imagine that ethnic based thinking is the solution to every issue of concern but it is worth noting that such ethnic based thinking is a big challenge and threat to development. For instance in Kenya, the majority of the citizens who qualify for opportunities in government and state run organizations are never considered. Instead, politicians practice nepotism and those who wield power fill the positions in their ministries or state run org anizations with their relatives and constituents who are close associates. In Kenya, negative ethnicity has contributed to ethnic tensions which have culminated into violence. Proximate causes of violence are intrinsically related to democratization and the electoral cycle; its roots are to be found in recent times and are politically instigated, and not primordial. As the move to multi-partyism became increasingly probable, senior politicians in many political rallies issued inflammatory statements and utterances, asking for people to go back to their ancestral lands or they be forced out. The advent of the violent ethnic clashes closely followed these rallies. As new political parties emerged, a clear enduring pattern of ethno-regional interests appeared. The violence then in Kenya appeared to be ethnicized expression of political conflict. Ethnicity in this case, was the medium of political violence and not its cause. However, the system once in place, became self-perpetuating for instance it increased the likelihood of future conflict by sharpening ethn ic identity and chauvinism, as well as promoting the doctrine that specific region of the Country belonged to the groups that originally occupied them. This led to coming up of terms such us outsiders, foreigners, strangers or aliens, and this is regardless to the legal ownership of land and the constitutional right of all Kenyans to live anywhere of their choosing within their country (Ndegwa, 1997). Until late 2007, Kenya was considered one of the most stable countries in Africa. It had functioned as East Africas financial and communications hub, the headquarters of many international non-governmental organizations and a magnet for tourism. The violence that erupted in the wake of the controversial 2007 presidential election tested Kenyas political stability more than never before, almost plunging the country into full-blown civil strife. Like a festering wound, it exposed the structural rot embedded in the countrys system. A convergence of irregularities, pertaining to land allocation, an overbearing presidency, a pervasive culture of impunity, and ethnicisation of power, malfeasance and sheer mendacity among both the political elite and the rabble almost pushed Kenya over the precipice. Prior to the 2007 elections, the political elite had been conducting a lot of campaigns, but a closer look at these campaigns revealed that most of it was on ethnicity and the different ethnic identities that exist in the country. It turned out that the political elite had actually exploited the fact of Kenyan different ethnic identities to forward their political agendas. The disputed 2007 elections spurred outbreaks of violence across the country whose carnage was horrific: 1,500 dead, 3,000 innocent women raped and 300,000 people left internally displaced. Most of this atrocities happened in the first 14 days after the election. The severity of this conflict unfolded in a span of 59 days between the general election day, December 27th, 2007 to February 28th, 2008 when a political compromise was reached. The magnitude of the trauma and structural violence that took place in Kenya after the fourth multi-party general election took both Kenyans and the international community, alike, by surprise (Maupeu 2008). In retrospect, the violence that occurred could not only have been predicted, it could most likely have been prevented. Social issues which are both cultural and historical factors also played a role in causing the ethnic violence that was witnessed. Social inequality is not only the income gap between the upper and lower class but it also involves differences that exist in terms of access to education, health, employment and infrastructure development, political rights and representation. In Kenya, historical data suggests that public resources such as education facilities, health facilities and services, water, land, employment opportunities and amenities such as shelter, electricity, fuel, and physical infrastructure have tended to be distributed to the elite and those close to political power. For instance, economic growth has largely continued on the lines set by the earlier colonial structure and Kenyanization has radically changed the racial composition of the group of people in the center of power and many of its policies, but has had only limited effect. This extreme social inequality has res ulted in differences in regional or geographic wellbeing which apparently coincide with ethnic identities as ethnic groups reside in specified geographical regions in the country. Economic aspects of life are so dear to all persons. The ethnic violence experienced after the 2007 election also attributed to economic issues. Economic issues include; unequal distribution of resources and scarcity of resources. Ethnic conflicts are also an outcome of unequal economic opportunities. Another cause of the violence was cultural domination together with political suppression. Ethnic groups tend to have perceptions of another ethnic group being favored by the structures in place economically. Marginalization is also another key concept in this context. Kenya has faced a high rate of unequal distribution of resources across ethnic divides. The political ethnic game plays too along economic activities. For example, since independence in Kenya, the Kikuyu has always been granted a huge share of economic infrastructures. Land has been in question ever since. The distribution of the colonial settler land to the local communities in Kenya took and ethnic twist. For instance, in the buildup to the 2007 elections, in some parts of Rift Valley, Kikuyus were told that they will have to vacate their land before the elections, there were rumors that if Raila won, Kikuyus will have to go Jane Njoki a resident of Burnt Forest. When the election results were announced, they started burning our things and beating people because we are Kikuyus added Njoki. Economic causes also revolve around appointments into public positions in government. This applies in both age and ethnic grounds. The youth in Kenya feel left out as all key positions are given to older people. This leaves the youths to be used by interested parties in violent conflicts. They also engage in these violent conflicts to obtain identity and let out their frustrations. Job opportunities are a way to economic welfare. Ethnic based appointments are also a cause of ethnic conflicts in Kenya. The ethnic group in power favors the ethnic community from which the leading individuals hail from. This leaves the other individuals from the other ethnic groups who qualify for the same appointment deprived and feeling left out. The political factors that cause ethnic conflicts are far more considered than all the other factors in the form of economic and social. Access to political power has, by and large, determined the distribution of socio-economic and political benefits. The old Kenya constitution conferred vast powers to the president including power to allocate by nomination cabinet positions and make appointments to constitutionally protected offices. Regimes therefore entrenched their rule, assigned strategic administrative positions and directed political resources to support the then provinces or ethnic groups. Every political regime tends to allocate more of the national cake to their ethnic group or supporters at the expense of others. When one group is endowed with its interests the other groups feel marginalized and left out thus the urge to speak out by violence upon the explosion of the frustrations from within as witnessed in 2007 post-election violence. Discriminatory government policies also play a significant role in aggravating ethnic conflicts because the political class in Kenya influences all the other aspects. The politicians formulate, make, implement and amend laws. Distribution of wealth or resources follows the directives of the leaders. This is always the argument behind ethnic conflicts in Kenya whereby the politics play an integral role in driving the nation away from nationhood to negative ethnicity. Such ethnic divisive policies leads to the development of the feelings of being excluded, ignored, and discriminated against on the part of some ethnic communities. Kenyan politics are based on ethnic aspirations by political parties and also the regime power. Political alliances are made with regard to gaining ethnic support often resulting to formation of ethnically instigated opposition political parties to find ways and means to access political power as was witnessed in the build up to the 2007 presidential elections . Political inequalities also apply to the youth in Kenya and it is a factor for ethnic violence. The youth in Kenya aged between 18-35 years of age comprises about 60% of the national population. This shows how the demographic factor also plays part in the ethnic conflicts in Kenya. General elections are the highly lucratively rewarding season for the youth. This is the most volatile cohort and politically salient because of three main factors: the group is highly mobile, most educated and networked and also the most unemployed. Therefore they become most vulnerable to be politically lured or politically radicalized. For instance, the 2007/2008 post-election violence demonstrates how violently the youth engaged in the conflict. They were funded and mobilized by the non-youth to be volatile. A trend in Kenyan politics is the rise of youth militia, which have sometimes been identified to work for individual politicians. The youth involvement in violence and ethnic conflicts is purely in strumentalist and attributed to the youth claiming political space after being neglected. Political exclusion of the youth in Kenya is rampant thus the violence either on the ethnic based conflicts or other forms of demonstrations. Kenyas population is mainly Christian and comprised of Protestants and Catholics. There is also a good fraction of Muslims and Hindus and other traditional religions. While religion is domesticated by morals that are illuminated by faith, most states are guided by politics whose orientation is generally practical empirical and in most cases the church. Although the church has been focal in articulating issues that destroy morality of the nation (Anderson Lochery, 2008), chronological events show that the church has been intertwined with issues of ethnic identities. The church leadership has not taken a united approach towards promoting positive ethnicity thus mixing religion and politics. On one hand, the church has been guilty of silence when it should have spoken and on the other, it has been guilty of actively precipitating negative ethnicity. Thus many religious leaders are unable to quell negative ethnicity because some of them have contributed immensely to it. For instance, in Nakuru County, there is a strong presence of the church yet the area has witnessed ethnic tension which has always resulted to tribal violence and ethnic killings in almost all election years. This could be an indication that the society has not received the voice of the church. In the run up to the 2007 general elections in Kenya, the church was seen as being openly partisan along ethnic lines. Christian believers were clearly confused by conflicting prophesies of prominent Christian leaders who predicted victory for various candidates and prayed and anointed them as Gods choice for president. The uncertainty generated by these conflicting views fuelled the divisions in the church. Reports from the Rift Valley indicate that the church leaders used civic education, prayer meetings and other occasions to openly campaign for their preferred parties and candidates. During the post-election violence that erupted, some Christians withheld the biblical principles of love, peace and reconciliation and gave in to ethnic hatred and violence. I will never trust a Kikuyu again in my life. I cant express what has gone on in my heart. I cant live with you and fellowship in the same church for more than 10 years and instead of protecting me you are the first person to thr eaten me said Ken Okoth who lived in Naivasha prior to the 2007 elections. The church leaders also could not rise above their partisanship and give the country a clear moral direction and the church was reduced to a helpless spectator to the emerging tragic drama. The burning of over 400 churches during the violence was a sad reminder that many had come to regard churches not as sacred and neutral places of worship and sanctuary, but as part of the contested terrain of partisan politics. I recognized members of my own congregation in the mob that burnt down the church and my home says Rev. John Maina The church has a duty to speak forceful on broader issues of justice yet this has not been evident in Kenya. In March 2008, the National Council of Churches of Kenya apologized to the nation for having taken sides during the 2007 general election. This was an important step in the long road to the church recovering its credibility and playing its role of being the conscience of society. Several other churches also joined forces in an initiative that was dubbed Msafara the wheels of hope in which over 500 believers joined a caravan from Mombasa through Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret to Kisumu praying to cleanse the nation from demonic influences and taking humanitarian relief to internally displaced persons. Therefore, the church needs to do a lot more particularly in evaluating its own role in promoting positive ethnicity. Some of the things that the church needs to do or is already doing are as below; Discipling the nation There is need to ask ourselves how is it that Christians so easily turned on each other. The church needs to be at the forefront of fighting tribalism and forging an abiding spirit of nationhood. There is need to seriously address issues such as the gospel and culture, which go to the ethnic divisions that have plagued Kenya for many years. There is also need to connect spiritual warfare with rigorous socio-political analysis and engagement. The post-election violence was evidence enough that there is very little that is binding the different tribes together. Politicians have also made it very clear that if left to their own devises, they shall continue to mobilize for support along ethnic lines and therefore continue to fracture this fragile country. The church therefore needs to urgently step into the void especially as we are nearing another election period in 2017 by defining the spirituality of our nationhood. Reconciliation initiatives The church has a prominent role to play in reconciliations all over the world. As the salt of the earth, Christians have a mandate from God to make the world livable. Church leaders have a duty to promote unity in the multiethnic churches. The church must understand its mission before God, not only to promote peace and reconciliation, but to develop structures that will sustain peace and overcome any incitement to violence. Whereas certain individuals can take partisan positions, the church as an institution should not be drawn into ethnic party politics. The church should teach the vanity of negative ethnicity and the value of unity in diversity by being guided by the bible. In Kenya where ethnic conflicts recur, the church should often strategically engage the citizenry with biblical lessons on creation and Gods purpose for them to experience meaningful and selfless relationships. As the salt of the earth, the church should always use its flavor to influence others to seek value of harmony. The impact of the church is the only hope of peace and reconciliation. Every person regardless of race, religion, color, culture, class, sex, or age has an intrinsic dignity because of which he or she should be respected and served but not exploited. The church needs to reconcile people to God and, in the same manner, reconcile people to people. Embodying authentic community The church must embody authentic community, to show the world what relationships are to be. Community in African perception is alive in the sense that all people are connected to the community through spiritness of the community. It is therefore necessary for the church to provide a Christian definition of community that goes beyond ancestral connection. Community includes the wider human family. This community is generated and sustained by the grace of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine intervention, humanity is incapable of transcending the hatred and exclusion that hinder authentic community. Thus, sin has to be conquered for genuine community to be possible. Understanding the church as a family is a theological motif that conquers ethnic divisions. The term family refers not merely to the nuclear family, but to the biblical idea of those who share a common ancestor, the founder of the church, Jesus Christ. In the family of God, there are no distinctions of soci al relations. Paul argued in his letter that individual differences are merged and unified into a common life in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-17). Therefore the divisions along ethnic lines must not exist in the church. Exhibiting a counter-cultural faith The world can only be convinced that the church is a better alternative when the church constantly revisits and evaluates itself on the basis of John 13:34-35: a new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (NIV). One of the ways Jesus demonstrated his love for his followers was that he broke the walls of division and embraced all his disciples as his brothers and sisters, irrespective of their tribe, race or nationality (Matt. 12:46-50). The church community should exhibit a counter-cultural faith; a faith that rises above the tides of ethnic divisions. The Christian faith is a way of being. It is to know God and become a changed person. Being a changed person calls for a counter-cultural expression of faith. To be a changed Christian means exhibiting the inward transformational reality outwardly. It means expressing an alternative faith, an alternative prevailing culture. By being counter-cultural, the church exhibits to the world, a world characterized by divisions and violence, a different way of being human. Counter-cultural faith also means harmony, cooperation, and reconciliation. It also means representing Jesus in the world. Such representation calls for a heroic faith, the interruption of status quo including power, politics, and domination, and introducing a different way of practicing these realities. By interrupting the status quo, the church embodies how it is to live differently. It shows that it is pos sible to transcend negative practices that have for a very long time resulted in ethnic violence. References Anderson, D. Lochery E. (2008). Violence and exodus in Kenyas Rift Valley: Predictableand preventable? Journal of East African Studies, 2(2), 328-343. Brown, D. (2000). Contemporary Nationalism Civic, Etnocultural Multicultural Politics.London and New York: Routledge. Easton David (1965). A Framework for Political Analysis, Englewood Cliffs: N. J., Prentice-Hall, p4 Gachanga Timothy (April 2012). Kenya. Ethnic Agendas and Patronage Impede the formationof a Coherent Kenyan Identity. Africa File at issue Ezine Vol. 14 Laswell, D. Harold, (1936). Politics: Who Gets What, When, How. New York: Whittessey, p.3Laws of Kenya. The Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Maupeu, H. (2008). Revisiting post-election violence. Lafargue, J. (Ed.). The generalelections in Kenya, 2007. (pp. 187-223). Dar es Salaam: Mkuki na Nyota PublishersLtd. Muhula, Raymond (2009). Horizontal Inequalities and Ethnic-regional Politics in Kenya.Kenya Studies Review. I, I, 85-105 Ndegwa, Stephen. Citizenship and Ethnicity: An examination of two transition moments inKenyan politics, American Political Science Review 91, 3, 1997 Njonjo, M. (2008) Regaining Our Saltiness: The role model of the Church in Post-ElectionKenya. An address to the Reunion and Annual General Meeting of the Kenya ChurchAssociation. Ostieno Namwaya. Referendum Exposed Dominance of Tribalism The Sunday Standard,January 8th 2006 p.16 The Report of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) (2013): Volume III. Nairobi, 2013. Retrieved from www.tjrckenya.org Yieke, F. (2010). Ethnicity and Development in Kenya: Lessons from 2007 GeneralElections. Kenya Studies Review. 3, 3, 5-16. Young, C. (1994). Ethnic Diversity and Public Policy. Draft occasional paper for the UNResearch Institute for Social Development, World Summit on Social Development,Geneva, August. Interviews Jane Njoki, 42 year old mother of two who used to live in Burnt Forest area in Rift Valley before the 2007 PEV 12 October 2016 Ken Okoth a former flower farm worker in Naivasha and currently a trader in Kibera area of Nairobi. Nairobi 8 October 2016 Rev John Maina was chased out of his home in Molo, Rift Valley Province, in a wave of violence that rocked many areas of Kenya following the disputed elections in December 2007 Nakuru, 9 October 2016

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Brielle Weyandt English 10 Honors Harding 18 December 2013 Miracle at Philadelphia Many factors affect the strength of a nation’s government, but one in particular created the foundation for a country hundreds of years afterwards. The Constitutional Convention occurred in Philadelphia during the hot, humid summer of 1787, at a Philadelphian state house. Delegates from twelve of thirteen states all convened to create the Constitution that would become the supreme law of the nation, and would let power fall in the hands of the people. The author of Miracle at Philadelphia, Catherine Drinker Bowen, narrates the trials and contributions of delegates from the developing states that eventually built a bustling nation of liberty and freedom. Those four months spent in one room calmly debating how to improve the government is arguably the most important moment in American history. After claiming independence from Great Britain, America had a tremulous start with thirteen states governing themselves using the Articles of Confederation and therefore not united under one whole government that set and regulated tax and commerce. With the states usually arguing and not providing financial support to the government, Shay’s Rebellion had begun in Massachusetts, urged by farmers, in protest of the tax collections and economic chaos. Without the political unrest caused by that one event, the future of America would have turned out differently; it would likely have been that the states would have plunged into massive debt and lost the freedoms achieved after the American Revolution. Afterwards, people had urged the creation of an effective government to support them, thus creating the Constitutional Convention. At the Convention, fifty-five delega... ..., fought over the threatening of liberties and failure to protect an individual’s unalienable rights. Before the Anti-Federalists were appeased twelve states had ratified the Constitution, which allowed for the new government to take effect. The government went officially into effect March 4, 1789 with its first Congressional meeting and election and inauguration of George Washington as the President. However, states still wanted a list of rights written into the Constitution. The resulting ten of the proposed amendments gained ratification and inclusion into the Constitution, later to be enacted and provided to citizens of the United States. For many, the Constitution is the document meant too symbolize the freedom and liberty associated with America; over the course of a few years the most important aspects of a nation were created that still affect generations.

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Canterbury Christ Church University College This is a report on the Canterbury Christ Church University College. The complete address of the University is given at the end of the report. The report discusses the background of the University and then the educational and the administrative activities of the University. Specific attention has been given to the BA (Hons) American Studies program. Canterbury Christ Church University College offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate degree, diploma and professional courses such as social work, sociology, social policy, social science, psychology, criminology, social science, society and science. Number of students: Its student population numbers well over 12,000, including many mature and part-time students. Many of the College’s students are mature, with 50% aged thirty or over, partly reflecting the substantial amount of continuing professional development courses. Two thirds of students come from Canterbury and the res t of Kent. A small proportion of overseas students join the College and a number of staff participate in exchange programs with the USA or other countries.  The College is a Church of England Foundation with students of many faiths and of none amongst its members. Programs offered: Business and Science, Education, Health, Arts and Humanities. Diplomas, first and higher degrees and other postgraduate courses and research programs are offered. Some courses provide initial professional qualification such as those for teachers, nurses and social workers. Other work addresses the needs of existing practitioners for continuing professional development and advanced study. Teacher Training: The teacher training and nursing programs at Christ Church have long enjoyed a... ...ernational student. The IO also supports international students once they arrive in Canterbury, organizing an induction program and providing a focus for students during their stay at the College. The Student Support Officer is dedicated to international students' needs and arranges a social program including local excursions and visits to London and other European capitals. Staff: The College employs 1150 staff and generates an income of  £50 million for the economy of Kent.  Academic work is organized into four Faculties and an Associate Faculty:   Arts and Humanities Business and Sciences Education Health Salomons Associate Faculty, an associate faculty located at Tunbridge Wells. References Canterbury Campus Canterbury Christ Church University College North Holmes Road Canterbury Kent CT1 1QU United Kingdom http://www.cant.ac.uk/ (Accessed 13-05-03)

freeaw A Womans Fight for Independence in Kate Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

A Woman's Fight for Independence in The Awakening Right from the beginning the plot is almost conveniently evident. You find a woman, Edna Pontellier, tired of living her life as a pampered and "owned" wife and mother. She is searching for much more in her life, some sort of meaning for her whole existence. She searches for a long time but in the end, the inevitability of her life's pattern and direction wraps around her, suffocating her. She is overcome with wonder, confusion, and guilt for what she believes and what she does to express her beliefs. She finally finds a way to beat the "proper" 1890's lifestyle by committing suicide. During this story Edna struggles with three main opposing powers. First, there is the society's opinion of what a woman's "roles" in life was and how they should act, look, and feel. Second, is her independent nature. The last opposing power she comes across is her undying love for the charming Robert Lebrun. It is the unwritten rule that a woman should marry, have children, and be happy and content with that as their life. Society portrays this to be a woman's rightful job and duty. A woman should act and look "proper" at all times. This is what Edna is fighting against in this novel. She feels that, though many women agree with this "known" rule, it isn't fair. For six years Edna conforms to these ideas by being a "proper" wife and mother, holding Tuesday socials and going to operas, following the same enduring schedule. It is only after her summer spent at Grand Isle that her "mechanical" lifestyle becomes apparent to her. She sees how much she is unhappy with the expectations, held by society, of her life and she wishes to erase them and live her life as she wants. Edna has an independent, almost self centered, nature about her. Her need for an uncontrolled lifestyle is what leaves her feeling "owned" and wanting to break that label; she fights to do as she wishes. Little by little she breaks free of society's' image, letting her independence shine through. She cancels her Tuesday socials and helps out around the house doing little chores. The biggest step she made was her decision to move away from her mansion and into the "pigeon house", a little cottage around corner.

Sleep Deprivation and Teenagers

As a teenager and a first year post-secondary student, I can argue that as we get older, our amount of sleep gradually decreases. You have probably heard of the saying â€Å"The More, The Merrier,† and you might assume that according to this research paper, it means â€Å"The More Sleep, The Better,† but in reality and as a society, we believe that it means if you work more, do more, and do everything as fast as possible, you will achieve great success. The problem is that we have adapted to such a negative and wrong motto that it is affecting each and every single one of us teenagers.We need to be reminded of the consequences sleep deprivation has on important aspects of our lives, such as both mental and physical well-being, school, jobs, family, and relationships. Millions of students seek ways to keep themselves awake for a longer period of time and throughout the day. Popular culture has responded to our needs by creating material goods such as energy drinks, coffe e, electronics, and pills. It might keep individuals awake and might make them believe that they are full of energy, but at what point does the body and mind get the required nine hours of rest in order to function to its maximum capability?Students prioritize their lives but health seems to be one of the last on their mind. A recent survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that, â€Å"only 15% of teenagers regularly get the nine hours of sleep they need each night† (Foldvary-Schaefer, p. 9). This means Bhullar 2 that the other 85% are falling beneath the required amount. Lack of sleep can mean that the body is more vulnerable to diseases and virus attacks. At the same time it can interfere with memory, concentration, mood swings, mental abilities, and weight gain, just to name a few.Such things can lead to other problems like bulimia, loss of job, failure in school, and physical accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there a re as many as 100,000 car crashes every year involving a drowsy driver. Over half of the crashes involved adolescence (Thorpy, p. 6). If you give attention to the transformation between early years of elementary school and later years in secondary school, you’ll notice the change in sleeping habit and workload. The younger you are, the earlier you fall asleep; the older you are, and the later you fall asleep.As our bodies hit puberty, it experiences a shift in circadian rhythm, the body’s 24-hour clock (Behrens, p. 469). This means that younger children tend to feel tired around eight or nine at night, where as teenagers’ circadian clocks shift to a later sleep time of ten or eleven at night. The need to feel more like adults, by having an active night life seems to only add to the late night sleep. And on the other hand, movies, television programs, internet surfing, facebook-ing, and texting are added to the normalized lifestyle.Our school systems also play a big part in loss of sleep. Secondary schools and Post-Secondary schools have a stronger workload than that of elementary schools. Although you might believe that the amount of homework that students are assigned is the main reason that older students are sleep deprived or buried in books, it is not. The second reason is the scheduling. Older teenagers are expected to attend school at an earlier time, and complete all course assigned homework.At the same time they are expected to study to achieve high grades Bhullar 3 in order to start a career, to work at a job in order to learn the responsibilities as young adults, to succeed at making their parents proud, and to have a good time in order to enjoy life. As generations are introduced to the world, our culture continues to be developed. Parents believe that adolescence have an easy stress-free life and should be capable of achieving success by spending the least amount of time to achieve it.When in reality, adolescence are living a l ife almost identical to those of adults, and if anything, adults have fewer stresses. It is most likely that every house hold has at least one family issue which causes stress upon the children. Grown-ups, or people in general who are involved in these issues, seem to be blind to the affect it has upon others within the family. These kinds of situations also have an impact on sleeping habits and teenagers. The environment that we are surrounded by day-to-day is what influences the way we think.Apart from the relationship between family members, adolescence in different communities are maturing a lot faster and creating bonds between themselves and a mate a lot earlier in their lives. What is lost in this process for young teenagers is the knowledge of the negative affects that these relationships that they create have on their lives. It creates more responsibilities, therefore more stress. In a first person’s point of view, when you are in a serious and deep relationship, it can control the way you feel and act.Teenagers tend to be more stubborn, which means that if there is an issue in the relationship, they are most likely going to withstand talking to each other which, in most cases, causes problems falling asleep. Responsibilities are one of the key elements to life, and with it you may get something in return. Money being one of the outcomes requires knowledge in how to earn it, save it, and spend it. As parents, it is an important facet to life that should be taught at an early age in order Bhullar 4 to master it when you are older.Because of this, more and more young teens are forced to get a job and pay for their wants and needs on their own. There are two main points to this idea. The first being that a job alone would cause a lot of stress on an individual and if there is an issue, whether it has to do with the job or something else, it would cause problems that may lead to a loss of employment. Teenagers already struggle with stress, and work ing harder to keep a job or having to live off of what you have saved up because you may have lost your job, would only add to it.If you pay attention to the thinking process that adolescence must go through almost every day, it can or may have already resulted in stress. As I have previously stated, stress results in sleep deprivation. â€Å"We can’t learn to sleep less. While some people might adapt to sleep loss, and sleep necessity varies, sleep is biological function. There is no substitute for it† (Foldvary-Schaefer, p. 6). Although there are many consequences that are created by loss of sleep, there are ways that we are able to fix these problems. The main cure is simply sleep.But for those of us teenagers who have made it a habit to fall asleep late at night and wake up early in the morning, we are able to re-prioritize our lives. We are able to do things to release the stress that keeps us awake at night, and we are still able to enjoy life to its fullest. Wha t we need to do is sleep at least eight or nine hours of sleep a night, if we need to take a nap, take one no longer than twenty to thirty minutes long before three in the afternoon. Exercise or go for a run two to three hours before going to bed in order to release any worried thoughts or stress.Limit your caffeine intake and try to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol as much as possible. Don’t go to sleep hungry, nor go to sleep on a full stomach, and take a nice relaxing shower before getting ready for bed to calm your entire body (Foldvary-Schaefer, p. 195). Bhullar 5 Sleep may not seem as important as it is, but without sleep, we wouldn’t get anywhere in life. Teenagers need to be aware of the consequences it has on our physical and mental health, school, jobs, family, and relationships if we were to let our body suffer from loss of sleep.Our body and mind need the right amount of hours of rest in order for us to feel fresh and able to complete and deal with tasks that are given throughout the day. We should try and avoid as much stress as possible and make an effort to clear our minds before settling down at the end of the night. As of now, we should all adapt to a more positive motto: â€Å"If you work more, do more, and do everything as fast as possible, you will achieve great success, as long as you let your body recover from a long hard day’s work and give your mind a good night’s rest. †

Training and Development

Training and Development University of Phoenix HCS/341 Training and Development Training and development in today’s health care setting is an imperative process that must be engrained within an organizational structure. The organization’s Human Resource (HR) department must ensure that every employee in the organization is correctly trained to perform the job duties that are assigned. Managers must accurately measure each employee’s competencies in order to strategically plan and implement training and development programs geared towards the progression of the corporation. This paper will explain why training and development are vital in healthcare, the importance of measuring competencies, as well as describe the processes for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness. Training & Education Many people often correlate training in conjunction with development, although, these terms are to some extent analogous, both terms bear two different meanings. (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). In the book â€Å"Managing Human Resources†, the term training is defined as â€Å"The process of providing employees with specific skills or helping them correct deficiencies in their performance† (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010, p. 246). On the other hand, development is defined as â€Å"an effort to provide employees with the abilities the organization will need in the future† (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 246). In the health care setting, training and development of each health care professional is essential to improving the delivery of medical s ervices for patients and their families as well as organizational and personal growth. Medical litigation seems to be one of the biggest issues affecting healthcare today. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is an agency of the U. S. Department of health and human services, one of the most common root causes of medical error is the lack of training and education (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2010). The AHRQ states: Organizational transfer of knowledge can include deficiencies in orientation or training, and lack of, or inconsistent, education and training for those providing care. This category of cause deals with the level of knowledge needed by individuals to perform the tasks that they are assigned. Transfer of knowledge is critical in areas where new employees or temporary help is often used. The organizational transfer of knowledge addresses how things are done in a particular organization or health care unit. This information is often not communicated or transferred. Organizational transfer of knowledge is also a critical issue in academic medical centers where physicians in training often rotate through numerous centers of care. ([AHRQ], 2010, Chapter 2) In order to reduce these common issues affecting healthcare, HR departments’ responsibility is to implement proper training regimens geared toward supporting the organization’s goals and missions. Certain training techniques are geared toward focusing on the skills needed to perform job duties. Some of the types of trainings include: skills, retaining, cross-functional, team, literacy, customer service, etc. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By receiving essential required training, health care professionals would then be able to effectively deliver quality care, furthermore, improving individual and organizational performance in efforts to achieve business and personal growth (Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor [BLS, DOL], 2009). Measuring Competencies Measuring competencies is an extremely important process for HR. Accurately evaluating the validity of each employee’s goes a long way in ensuring protection for the organization as well as the individuals receiving health care. Managers must conduct a Task Analysis, which is an examination of the job or duties to be performed (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). A properly conducted job analysis should contain all the necessary information needed to understand job requirements and should be used to identify knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to execute job functions (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010) . Once the analysis is completed, the KSAs are then used to determine what kind of training is needed for the organization (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By accurately evaluating each employee’s competency level, HR is then able to develop strategic plans that will advance growth for the organization as well as the individual. Measuring competencies is also vital to make certai n all staff members have the proficiency to abide by the standards and requirements set by government agencies. If competencies are not measured correctly, liability and ethics issues may arise which can result in costly litigation battles that may impede an organization’s growth. Tracking &Evaluating Training Effectiveness The process for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness takes place in the evaluation phase of the training program (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). In this phase, evaluation of training effectiveness is assessed through a four-level framework method (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The book â€Å"Managing Human Resources† illustrates the process of the evaluation phase and the classification of the four-level framework system. The book states: Level 1 refers to the reaction of the trainees, and it may consist of ratings on a satisfaction scale that assess how happy trainees are with the training. Level 2 refers to how much the trainees learn, and it may be assessed with a skill exercise. Level 3 refers to the trainees’ behavior, and it may be measured by observers of the work operation. Level 4 refers to the results, which are generally assessed through the financial measure of return on investment (ROI). Results, the highest level of measurement, seem to be the most desirable way of assessing the success of a training program. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 264) This evaluation process in then followed by four levels of evaluation employed by Garrett Engine Division (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The Garrett Engine Division evaluation process measures performance before and after the training for both trained and untrained employees (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010). HR must also conduct performance appraisals, which is the identification, measurement, and management of human performance in the health care organization to make certain employees are receiving effective training (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Conclusion In summary, quality training, education, and development is imperative for the success of any healthcare organization. In order to achieve optimal development an d growth for the organization and the employees, HR must implement proper training and development programs within the organization’s structure. Competency assessment is vital in the process of building an employee’s career development plan, in addition to reducing organizational liability issues (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Therefore, accurately measuring competencies and training effectiveness through an evaluation phase and performance appraisals prove to be beneficial in a variety of ways, ranging from operational to strategic purposes (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2010). Efforts to Reduce Medical Errors: AHRQ’s Response to Senate Committee on Appropriations Questions. In AHRQ’s Patient Safety Initiative (Ch. 2). Retrieved from http://www. ahrq. gov/qual/pscongrpt/psini2. htm Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. In Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11 ed. ). Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Gomez-Mejia, L. R. , Balkin, D. B. , & Cardy, R. L. (2010). Managing Human Resources (6th ed. ) [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780136093527 Mays, S. , Swetnich, D. , & Gorken, L. 2002, March). Towards a Unique Patient Identifier []. Health Management Technology, 23(3), 42. doi: ISSN:10744770 United States Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Wager, K. A. , Lee, F. W. , Glaser, J. P. , & Burns, L. R. (2009). Purpose of Patient Records. In Health Care Information Systems. A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (2nd e d. , pp. 8-9). [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780470387801