Attacks on Private Hire Taxi Drivers in Oldham Essay Example

Attacks on Private Hire Taxi Drivers in Oldham Essay For three days in May 2001 the eyes of the nation, and a sizable part of the world, were on Oldham. The town whose main claim to fame was that it was once the cotton spinning capital of the world was thrust into the limelight for the less worthy reason that it was the scene of the worst racially motivated riots in fifteen years. (Ritchie, 2001) Since the riots of May 2001 there has been an increased occurrence of violent attacks on taxi drivers being reported in both local and national media, these attacks culminated in January 2003 in the murder of Izra Hussain, an Asian private hire taxi driver and father of six. The aim of this report is to try to find out whether these attacks are racially motivated. In the Dictionary of race and Ethnic Relations (1984) E. E. Cashmore defines prejudice as learned beliefs and values that lead an individual or group of individuals to be biased for or against member of particular groups. Prejudice is therefore about what people think and is not necessarily translated into actions. Discrimination, on the other hand, is about actions. Cashmore defines it as the unfavourable treatment of all persons socially assigned to a particular category. Both prejudice and discrimination are often based on stereotypes about particular groups of people. In order to research these attacks we are going to use various methods, making sure that we follow the three most prominent criteria for the evaluation of social research, which are according to Bryman (2001) are reliability, replication and validity. Reliability is concerned with the question of whether the results of a study are repeatable. Reliability according to Bryman is very close to another criterion of research- replication and more especially replicability. We will write a custom essay sample on Attacks on Private Hire Taxi Drivers in Oldham specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Attacks on Private Hire Taxi Drivers in Oldham specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Attacks on Private Hire Taxi Drivers in Oldham specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It sometimes happens that researchers choose to replicate the findings of others. The final and in many ways the most important criterion of research is validity. Validity is concerned with the integrity of the conclusions that are generated from a piece of research. With these criteria in mind, the following methods of collecting data for this report have been chosen. The main body of data has been gained from a semi-structured interview using a mixture of open and closed questions. A structured interview entails the running of an interview schedule by the interviewer. The aim is for all interviewees to be given exactly the same context of questioning. For the purpose of this research the interviews were conducted in person by visiting the interviewees in their work situation. The sample for this research was taken from private hire taxi drivers, figures from Oldham Metro Councils licensing Department (2003) state that there are approx 800 drivers working and that they are split roughly 60% Asian and 40% UK/White. Given these figures, 20 respondents, 12 Asian and 8 UK/White were chosen. This meant going to various private hire taxi offices in the Oldham area. In a personal interview, the interviewer may respond to signs, such as puzzlement or unease, by restating the question or attempting to clarify the meaning of the question. This may entail prompting, when an interviewer suggests a possible answer to a question to the respondent. Bryman (2001) states that prospective respondents have to be provided with a credible justification for the research in which they are being asked to participate and for giving up their valuable time. The results from the interview were noted by writing down the respondents replies. To back up our main body of research, a quantitative content analysis of local newspaper and taxi trade magazines. In analysis we sought to quantify the contents in terms of predetermined categories. In this case we looked for individual stories, which portrayed physical assaults on taxi drivers, by counting individual stories and then analysing the nature of assault and the types of perpetrators involved. The local newspaper archive was used and sources from the last 2 years were analysed. The analysis of the taxi trade magazine, which was carried out on-line, was used to see if these attacks took place nationally. Bryman (2002) states that content analysis is a very transparent research method; it can allow a certain amount of longitudinal analysis with relative ease. Pawson (1995) argues that formal content analysis is not without its problems. Simply counting the number of items tells you nothing about their significance, and the meanings of the text or images being studied can only be implied. Our research found that out of 20 respondents, 12 where of Asian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi descent, and 8 described themselves as of White UK descent. The age of the respondents was between 25 and 65. Of the 20 respondents 17 were married, 2 were co-habiting and one was single. It should be noted that all of the Asian respondents were married and all had children. All the drivers interviewed described themselves as self-employed private hire taxi drivers. They worked on average 60 hours a week; this was usually split between days and evenings. The evening work was mostly on Friday and Saturday. Shifts of 12 hours were not unusual at busy times. Oldham is a mixed urban and rural town on the edge of the West Pennines, most of the private hire taxi offices (22 in all) are situated in the town centre, but the drivers cover the whole borough. When asked about attacks on private hire driver 19 out of the twenty respondents reported that they had suffered some form of attack or abuse.

The Importance about The Battle of San Jacinto essays

The Importance about The Battle of San Jacinto essays In today's American scociety, students are slacking off in class. Statistics have shown decresing numbers over the years in scores pertaining to areas of studies, including history. The majority of students are growing a lack of concern for any depth of knowledge for the historical roots of America. Becoming more aware about the battles that took place in America and the reasons for these battles can enable students to gain respect of where they are from. The Battle of San Jacinto is a prime example of the necessity to learn about the values that Texas has to offer. When I sat in my history class in 1995, I did not understand about the Battle of San Jacinto because I had only been in America for two years. My History teacher was always enthusiastic when she talked about the Battle of Jacinto because her family had been living in Texas since 1834. Because I did not know about the Battle of San Jacinto, I wanted to learn about it. I believed that the Battle of San Jacinto is important to the people in Texas because the battle shows what brave men are capable of when fighting for independence, and it is important for people to know their history. However, the Battle of San Jacinto might not be important to other people living outside of Texas. Nevertheless, I think people should know the history of the land in which they live and be proud of their homeland. The Battle of San Jacinto depicts what brave men are capable of when fighting for independence. According to Kemp", Though the numbers engaged in the Battle of San Jacinto were not very large, yet the victory of the Texans was so great, that it brought the war to a close, and soon led to independence of Texas" (Par.1). After the tragedy of the Alamo and the Goliad, Sam Houston and army could have surrendered. However, they were strong in their beliefs that Many Texans died at the Battle of the Alamo and the G...

Stateless nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stateless nation - Essay Example 28). For this study, we will look into Taiwan. â€Å"The state should culturally be aware of itself as a discrete body and with a discrete civic structure† (Storm, Carsten, and Harrison, p. 8). For centuries, the people of Taiwan have lived with no freedom that is they live by the ordeal of a colonial people (Richard, p. 17). They were not given the opportunity to govern themselves. Taiwan population consisted of refugees, pirates, colonizers and colonizers who migrated to the island from different origins. Due to this, every individual or group that moved into the area have they are own believes, goals and visions. Therefore, the people who lived there had no identity that prevented them from fighting for their rights (Yasutomo, p.34). Taiwan contains many influences that are non-china. The republican government controls them. Taiwan is referred to as a ‘rebelling province’ by the government of rival People’s Republic of china. They are considered to be rebelling against the rightful government of united china. Due to the non-china influences received from the region, Taiwanese can refer as a rebelling province (Minahan, p.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Assignment - Essay Example The report by Celal and Parent is timely since it focuses on an area that did not have adequate research prior to their study. SMEs deal with the people directly as they have their management and offices in the communities they offer goods and services as opposed to multinationals that might only have offices for supply reasons and maintain decision-making functions far off in their headquarters. As such, a report that offers insights into how SMEs can survive when faced with such a recession and downturn in future is highly welcomed. The study is a revelation to those in need of a strategic plan to help their businesses stay afloat whenever they are faced with a financial crisis. Application of Celal and Parent’s report cannot be limited to a time global financial recession. The business practices that owners exercised can have wider application to business that needs to reduce their expenses for other internal financial reasons. For example, according to the study business o wners had to use methods like working longer hours, taking a salary cut, acquiring more debt, and cancellation of personal vacations (1). Such methods employed by SMEs owners during recession can still operate in rescuing businesses that need to stay afloat due to their own financial crisis. The study by Celal and Parent is important in minimizing effects of recession in future as it provides a range of changes in their review of the policy measures that business enterprises can use in face of financial crisis. One of the strengths the report has is that the researchers break down policy measures employed by SMEs into finer details. The researchers go further to analyze every aspect of the business strategy on their own before moving on to analyze the strategy as part of the whole effort of saving the SMEs from going under. The report covers all areas in which there were changes effected to ensure the SMEs survive including such area of business operation as business owner’s behavior, markets for the business, sales and marketing strategy employed, measures concerning employment, financial strategies, reactions and most requested policies, growth strategies and fiscal policies. Celal and Parent’s wide coverage of policy changes for SMEs makes it valuable due to the completeness of the analysis. Although Celal and Parent covered most of the areas that SMEs can use to fight recession in future, the analysis is not without some drawbacks, the study limits its scope to SMEs operating in Canada to arrive at its conclusions. Maximum application of the study is possible only when a business enterprise consuming this research finding operates in a business environment that is similar to the one that the SMEs that were sampled in Canada face. The study should have included business organizations in other market environments in their sample to increase the scope of application. Sampling of SMEs in other countries and market environment would also help SMEs in Canada. This would have provided insight into policy measures SMEs outside of Canada put into practice to survive the recession. The entry noted in the study by Celal and Parent as ‘other’ on the graph is not specified to indicate what they might include. There are instances when the entry goes up to 11 per cent in the analysis of changes in employment (3). Such changes

Project Management Definition And Importance Information Technology Essay

Project Management Definition And Importance Information Technology Essay This paper has the purpose to discuss about project management and its importance in the business world. It will then refer to project life management and the advantages of project management to companies. Another concept to be discussed is planning in the project life cycle and ways in which critical thinking and research is mandatory in planning. The paper will refer to project organizations, the importance of sponsorship and leadership, as well as project team building (and how to build and efficient and successful team). Work breakdown structures are also points of interest in this paper as they will be discussed at some point. Lastly, I will refer to project management software in large project and the advantages to use them. Project Management Definition and Importance According to Ohlendorf (2001), project management is a methodological approach to achieving agreed upon results within a specified time frame with defined resources. Project managers will make use of skills, knowledge, different tools and techniques to various activities to meet project requirements. So, the three constraints that project management is concerned of are: time, costs, and performance. Project management is important in businesses for various reasons, such as: compression of the product life-cycle, knowledge explosion, triple bottom line, corporate downsizing, increased customer focus, small projects represent big problems, and others. Project management is important because one of its purposes is to compress or to shorten the product life cycle. One of the projects that I have been part of was to mount a wind turbine on a field. This way a repeating project that has been implemented for more than 20 years. However, since project management concepts have become wide known we have focused on shortening the implementation of this type of project. Project management has helped in succeeding it. It is interesting that knowledge explosion represent the fact that the growth in knowledge has boosted up project complexity as projects tend to use latest advancements if their budget is appropriate. Take for example the fact that building a hotel 80 or 90 years ago was not so hard given the fact that there have not been so many regulations in this area. In the present days, it is a complex process as the builders and project managers need to take consideration of many building codes and also seismic codes to design and build a hotel. This is why the importance of project management has increased a lot. Another reason is triple bottom line which is represented by the planet, the people, and the profit. According to Larson and Gray (2011), business can no longer simply concentrate on the maximization of profits to the detriment of the environment and the society as well. Business have to be more socially and environmentally responsible in what concerns sustainability and durability because the preservation of life on earth and the preservation of earth itself has become one of the most important purposes in the past one hundred years. Project management is important because of the increased customer focus. This means that in the past years, since the competition became bigger and bigger, since more companies from the same industry join the same market, businesses tend to focus on their customers and on their wellbeing, most importantly on increasing the wellbeing for the purpose of reaching competitive advantage. Project Life-Cycle Management and Its Benefits According to Larson and Gray (2011), another way to illustrate the original nature of project work is through project life cycle, which is composed of four stages: defining stage, planning stage, executing stage, and closing stage. The first stage of the project is where the specifications are defined and the objectives are established. This is also the stage when teams are formed and responsibilities are assigned to each team member. The second stage of the project life cycle is the planning stage which is when plans are being created with the purpose of determining what the project will include, determining the schedule of the project, the ones to benefit from it, the budget, as well as the level of quality that is needed. The executing stage is where the work to complete the project takes place. This is when physical and mental work is needed. Most of the physical work is done by less intellectual prepared employees (however, they have good skills), while most of the mental work is done by knowledge base workers such as directors or managers. To make sure that everything goes according to plan, managers implement means of control and evaluation, such as: time measures, cost measures, and specification measures. The last stage of the project life cycle is represented by the closing stage, which according to Larson and Gray (2011), includes three activities: delivering the project product or service to the customers, redeploying some or all of the resources of a project, and post-project reviews. Through delivery methods we understand transfer of documents or customer training. Through redeploying resources we understand the ability of using the resources of the project in the completion of other projects. Through post-project reviews we understand assessment of performance and also capturing the lessons learned by getting the project to the completion date. There was once a project on one of my former workplaces where we had to build a house for someone. We had to create a work team for this project. I was in charge with leading the project. I remember that we used project life cycle to get this project to completion. In the defining stage of the project life cycle we assessed the specifications of the project such as the materials we would need, the time to complete each phase, the papers that we need to get from the authorities, and other specifications that were relevant to the project. We have also established the objectives for the project, we created work teams and we assigned responsibilities to everyone. I remember that the work teams created have been created in a smart way because people with qualities in the same area would be in the same team (for example people good at infrastructure would be in the same team). The planning phase was where we referred to specific details of the project and the level of quality that is desir ed while in the execution stage we did most of the work to get the house built. Several methods of control have been present and we compared the initial established standards with the results of our actions. This way we tried to keep a good level of quality. Lastly, in the closing stage we evaluate the way the project was undertaken and completed and we kept the results for future use when other similar projects will be needed. In the closing stage we have also delivered the house to the customer along with certain instructions of how to use it. Leadership and Sponsorship in Project Organizations According to Stanford University (2007), some of the roles of sponsors in projects are: accountability, strategic fit, resources, project financing, lead political change, and own the final product. Some of the specific duties related to these responsibilities are to: keep the project on track, be available when consultation is needed, to make sure that the project is in line with the strategic goals of the company, to provide or located project resources, to provide or locate project funding, to be clear and specific with the end results, and others. Project sponsors are important and they need to be treated accordingly because they are key players for the company as it tries to reach its objectives. Keeping the project sponsor informed and updated is also important because the sponsor has the power to cut or give extra resources and funds to a project. When it comes to leadership, Winston (n.d.) thinks that a leader can be one or more people to select, to train, to equip, and to influence one or more followers who have different abilities, gifts, and skills, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“focuses the follower to the organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mission and objectives causingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  them to expand energy to reach the organizational objectives. This may be a quite long definition; however, a leader is someone to inspire other people and the concept of leadership is really important in project management. Project Team Building and WBS Creating a project team may be a difficult task; nevertheless it is an important process that needs to be properly assessed if a company wants to reach positive results when it comes to different projects. According to Larson and Gray (2011) there are five stages in creating a good project team. These stages are: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. The first stage of the team creation is when members get to know each other and understand the purposes and scope of the project. This is when they need to identify rules that will be used with the team. The second stage, storming, is usually when members fight with each other as they try to find a way to get along and start working as a team. The third stage of team creation is norming and this is when the team members create closer relationships with each other and they form a cohesive team. The fourth stage is performing and it is when the team is fully operational and the team members have developed tight connections with each other. This is where the team works efficiently. Adjourning is the last stage in team creating and it is when team members prepare to separate from the team. As we can see, team creation is a process consisting of various stages that have to be browsed accordingly. Team building is important in project management because tight teams can provide more efficie nt parameters for project completion. To get the work done more efficiently, teams and project managers use work-breakdown structures. Successively subdividing project work into smaller work elements is creating a work breakdown structure which helps project managers in making sure that all work elements and products are identified in order to integrate the project with the organizations and also to determine a control basis. WBS is important in project management because it helps projects to become more understandable and it helps specific work elements to be assigned to people skilled on a certain area. By breaking down the work into smaller elements, WBS has provided clear and more comprehensive schedules and plans for managers, as well as for the people getting the work done. Project Management Software in Large Integrated Programs Along with work breakdown structures, large projects need software to assist them into getting the project to completion. This is also good for project management because it provides ways to better handle the projects and the activities related to them. Take for example software to handle work schedule for employees in a large company. These employees work in shifts and the shifts have to change now and then because some workers cannot work only at night while others during the day. Imagine how hard it is to manage this type of schedule without software to handle it, considering there are more than 1,000 workers to be included into this schedule. Also, project management software is useful in the areas of cost, time, and performance by trying to find ways to reduce the duration of certain stages in project life, reducing different costs related to these stages, as well as achieving higher level of performances through a better management of resources, a better management of quality, and a better management of human power. Conclusion This paper provided different concepts into understanding project management and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s important in the corporate world. It referred to project life cycle, to team building along with its stages, to leadership and to the importance of sponsor in projects, and to work breakdown structures and the ways in which they can help projects be more comprehensible. Lastly, I have discussed about project management software and its critical importance in large companies undertaking large projects. It has to be concluded that project management has become a mandatory discipline in corporations that want the best out of their resources.

Dante’s Inferno - The Evolving Relationship between Dante the Pilgrim a

Dante’s Inferno -   The Evolving Relationship between Dante the Pilgrim and Virgil the Guide       In Dante’s Inferno, the relationship between Dante the Pilgrim and Virgil the Guide is an ever-evolving one. By analyzing the transformation of this relationship as the two sojourn through the circles of hell, one is able to learn more about the mindset of Dante the Poet.   At the outset, Dante is clearly subservient to Virgil, whom he holds in high esteem for his literary genius. However, as the work progresses, Virgil facilitates Dante’s spiritual enlightenment, so that by the end, Dante has ascended to Virgil’s spiritual level and has in many respects surpassed him. In Dante’s journey with respect to Virgil, one can see man’s spiritual journey towards understanding God. While God loves man regardless of his faults, His greatest desire is to see man attain greater spirituality, in that man, already created in God’s image, may truly become divine, and in doing so, attain eternality. When we are first introduced to Dante the Pilgrim, we perceive in him a Renaissance intellectual, who despite his intelligence and religiosity has lost the â€Å"path that does not stray† (I.3). Having thus lost touch with the tenets of orthodox Catholicism, a higher power has chosen for him to undertake an epic journey. (The devout are able to identify this power with the one Judeo-Christian God, while pagans and sinners often attribute the impetus behind the Pilgrim’s voyage to fate.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dante’s initial reaction to meeting Virgil reveals his penchant for the worldly as opposed to the divine. He addresses Virgil humbly, his words dripping with praise. â€Å"Are you then that Virgil, you the fountain/ that freely... ...an-Islamic notion of the heavenly father and his love for mankind are striking. God loves us and wants nothing more than that we be saved from Hell. However, when man transgresses, God has no choice but to punish him accordingly; while it pains Him to do so, He must as this is a component of His divine love. Works Cited Dante Alighieri, Inferno (trans.   Allen Mandelbaum), In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. (New York: W.W. Norton, 1999) Works Consulted Bergin, Thomas Goddard. Dante. New York: Orion P, 1965. Niven, Larry and Pournelle, Jerry. Inferno. New York: Pocket Books,1976. MacAllister, Archibald T. Introduction. Inferno. By Dante. New York: Mentor, 1954. Pinsky, Robert. The Inferno of Dante. New York: Harper Collins, 1994. Spinrad, Norman. Introduction to Inferno, by Niven and Pournelle. Boston: Gregg Press, 1979.

Hunting by Kristina Kilbourne Essay

The culture being explored in the essay â€Å"Hunting† by Kristina Kilbourne is one regarding hunting and changes in its overall perception by the public throughout the past two centuries. The narrative also explores the benefits and costs to society of promoting the hunting culture in modern-day America. No explicit and concise definition of hunting and the culture is provided. However, the entire introduction does provide a clear and detailed explanation of the players involved in the hunting culture as well as where, why, and to what extent such a culture exists in the United States. The stereotypes concerning hunting presented in the passage depict it as an inhumane practice that does not consider the environment. However, the writer also points out a growing media understanding of the population and ecological benefits that hunting presents for the environment. She uses examples from published population demographics concerning the animals most hunted, and demonstrates how hunters contribute to wildlife preservation through activism and contribution of taxes. Kilbourne describes the history and values of the hunting culture by providing information concerning the historical population trends that show hunting as important in population control. She also shows hunters’ values by pointing out their dedication to preserving the populations of the animals they hunt. To substantiate this, the author uses real-life examples of hunters she knows and demonstrates their attention to hunting population trends. In providing research evidence for exploring the stereotype, Kilbourne hints at scientific evidence concerning the necessity of hunting in preventing animal populations from getting too large to be sustained within the environment. However, had this evidence been more explicitly presented and explained, the argument would have been stronger. Other evidence presented includes testimonials from the author’s husband who is a hunter. While this anecdotal information was of some value, the fact that this took up half the essay reduces its overall impact. The reason for this is that such information may be biased, since it comes from a source that is a close relative of the author. Furthermore, the overuse of this source had the effect of reducing the variability of the sources within the paper. The format of the paper is adequate as far as in-text citations go. Since the sources were taken mainly from the internet, one understands why no page numbers were provided. The author might have considered providing paragraph numbers, however, as well as providing the URL’s for the sources on the works cited page. For the first two paragraphs, Kilbourne does provide lead-in and topic sentences. However, no topic sentences are provided for the last three paragraphs. The writer does provide direct quotes as well as paraphrasing of the sources. Most of the works cited sources do match the in-text citations, though in one instance the Ohio citation would have been better replaced with the author (Myers’) last name.