Effects Of The Civil War On American Politics Essay

Despite taking place 150 years ago, the Civil War is still an event that weighs heavily on America’s conscious. The effects of the Civil War continue to alter American politics, and daily life. Many southerners still feel ill will towards the North, terming the war, â€Å"The War of Northern Aggression†, and recalling fondly their â€Å"Lost Cause†. Battles over states’ rights and the power of the Federal Government continue on, forming the ideological bases of our main political parties. A war was fought between neighbors, brothers, and former countrymen, something that our country had not endured before, or has since. The rift that was created between opposing sects in the country was not one that could be swiftly remedied. The war’s end did not preclude immediate reconciliation, as Reconstruction was a long and arduous process that was not done to perfection. Recently, there has been controversy over the use of the Confederate flag, as people are trying to reconcile honoring their heritage, while still understanding what that heritage stood for. The war provided our politicians with a model of how a President should act, giving us possibly our finest Commander in Chief. The Civil War has remained so compelling to Americans because of its unique nature, how its history should be viewed, and the historical impact of the war’s famous actors. The idea of the â€Å"Lost Cause of the Confederacy† is one that has informed many aspects of southern life in the years succeeding the Civil War.Show MoreRelatedThe Legacy Of The Civil War1556 Words   |  7 Pagesrelationships. In American history, religion has made a significant impact. When race joined in, the impact led to shaping America’s political development. Mark A. Noll’s God and Race in American Politics, reveals the profound role of religion in American political history and in American discourse on race. Noll argues that race has been among the mo st influential elements in American political history, religion has always been crucial for the workings of race in American politics, and together, raceRead MoreThe Changing Concept of Race in the South Essay580 Words   |  3 Pageschanged in the South. Slavery and the concept of â€Å"white supremacy† have largely contributed to the viewpoints of race in the southern states, as well as the rest of the country. The definition of race has changed, as well as the effects of race on a nation. Prior to the sixteenth century, race was defined as descendants of a common ancestor, or your kin. This definition was based solely on ancestry instead of the color of your skin. After the 16th century, theRead MoreThe Political Issues That Dominatedu.s Politics847 Words   |  4 PagesThe political issues that dominated U.S politics in the 1850’s was the Compromise of 1850, The Fugitive Slave Act, and popular sovereignty, dominated U.S politics. Conflicts between southern states and northern states affected U.S society because of equality, race, class, and unity between the states. In the 1850’s political issues occurred during the civil war to avoid the conflicts between slavery and the north. For instance, in the textbook, â€Å"The Americans† by Holt Dougal, states that, â€Å"To satisfyRead MoreThe Civil War Was Fought Over African American Freedom1331 Words   |  6 Pageswas the cause of the civil war. Till this day there has not been a straightforward answer, but many people still have different views and beliefs on what caused it. Many people believe that political issues or even taxation was the cause of the civil war. Ho wever, it was really over slavery. This essay will go over the civil war and explain why slavery caused the southerners and northerners to fight in the civil war. To what extent was the Civil War fought over African American freedom ? What wereRead MoreFrom The Reconstruction Era Through 1929 American Changed1441 Words   |  6 PagesFrom the Reconstruction Era through 1929 American changed drastically, economically, socially, and politically. The development of America’s society, economics, and politics is what defined America as a country. Of the three major ways that America developed from the Reconstruction era through 1929, the greatest catalyst for change was the economic developments because the rise and fall of the economy influenced both social and political developments. The development of America’s economy from theRead MoreIndustrial Revolution After The Civil War956 Words   |  4 Pages The Inusterial Revolution after the Civil War Between 18-19th centuries after the Civil War, a chain of events occurred that brought about several changes in the way that people lived and worked in the United States.This period ranges from the time when cities started growing rapidly because human hand labor was drastically changed to machine labor. These events started the American Industrial Revolution, which later affected African American socially, economically and politically. However, manyRead MoreAbraham Lincoln, Slavery and the American Civil War Essay1716 Words   |  7 Pages This investigation will analyze how Abraham Lincolns view on slavery reflected during and after the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. To analyze exactly how Lincolns position on slavery affected the war overall, this investigation looks at Lincolns moral and religious views as well as his social and political views. Two main sources were used, both dealing with events relevant to his political career and his roots in his career and other i mportant issues including slavery. Lincoln by DavidRead MoreAp Exam Essays1660 Words   |  7 Pagesreasons for the United States victory in the Revolutionary War. Confine your answer to the period 1775–1783. 3. Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. 4. Analyze the roles that women played in Progressive Era reforms from the 1880s through 1920. Focus your essay on TWO of the following. †¢ Politics †¢ Social conditions †¢ Labor and working conditionsRead MoreTime Line 21050 Words   |  5 PagesNOTE: Before starting the Timeline project please refer to the Example Timeline Matrix document. Instructions: Complete the matrix by providing the Time Period/Date(s) in column B, and the Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History in column C. See complete instructions in the Syllabus for the Module 3 assignment entitled. â€Å"Timeline Part II.† NOTE: The timeline project does not need to be submitted to turnitin. NOTE: Please write your answers in a clear and conciseRead MoreCivil War : A War Between Citizens Of The Same Country1609 Words   |  7 PagesEmma Hart Mrs. Wise History 8Y 11 December 2014 Civil War Civil War is defined as a war between citizens of the same country. Why would America have this fight? The Northern states of America decided that they would no longer tolerate the Southern states treating African Americans as slaves because of the color of their skin. When disputes were brought up over this issue between the North and South, the South was too persistent to have slaves. They worried that the North would be successful in

Global Warming Is A Real Problem Essay - 1645 Words

Climate change is something everyone in the world should work to make bigger priority. Human beings do not realize that living the way they want, instead of the way they should, is actually damaging the planet and its climate. The main thing being changed by the people that inhabit the earth is the earth’s atmosphere. Our earth is comparable to that of a giant greenhouse, in which the earth’s atmosphere is comparable to that of the glass surroundings of an actual greenhouse. Greenhouse Gases are what trap the suns heat along the surface of the earth to keep us warm at night. â€Å"Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that humans have changed the earth’s atmosphere in dramatic ways over the past two centuries, resulting in global warming†. (What is the Greenhouse Effect?) Global warming is a real problem, and it has real consequences. The slow increase in the earth’s temperature is called global warming. It is my opinion that this is beca use of the way people all over the earth go about their daily living. Global warming and climate change can be eliminated by upgrading building infrastructures over a period of time. Stopping the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas will also have a huge impact on reducing global warming and climate change. Deforestation is also aiding in the destruction of our planet by destroying millions of acres of land a year, and leaving the earth gasping for more air. Despite the bleak outlook of our children’s children future,Show MoreRelatedGlobal Warming Is A Real Problem1796 Words   |  8 PagesClimate Change is an important topic that everyone should be well versed on. Global warming was denied as being a real problem for many years, but the proof cannot be hidden anymore and countries around the world are acknowledging that global warming does exist. It is my pleasure to know that our country will participate in the United Nations Climate Summit. As the CEO of an environmentally conscious company, it is my honor to represent the United States of America at the Summit. Climate ChangeRead MoreEssay on Global Warming: Is it a Real Problem?2692 Words   |  11 Pagescertain accident ahead unless he jumps out of the bicycle, he is willing to go a bit farther for his personal fulfillment. Today, we face a similar situation in which we are seemingly unwilling to help ourselves out of a possibly disastrous problem of global temperature rise. For as long as human beings have been in existence, and long before that, our earth has been a hospitable and habitable planet. No other planet yet known to human civilization has conditions so similar to earth that are vitalRead MoreClimate Warming : Global Warming Essay1095 Words   |  5 PagesCurrently, the temperature of the earth’s climate system continues to rapidly increase which leads to global warming. Global warming, by definition is the â€Å"gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants†(Webster’s). There are many reasons why global warming occurs, such as human activities and the increasing of gases; for instance carbon dioxide in theRead MoreGlobal Warming Is Not Real Or Happening?1515 Words   |  7 Pagesscientists indicate that, from carbon emissions and several other factors, glob al warming does exist. Countries throughout the world have been putting their efforts into research surrounding this topic to see if it is an actual problem. Globally, all of the top ten warmest years have happened since 1998 (NOAA, 2015). One of the most confused claims from citizens is that â€Å"It is cold outside, therefore global warming is not real or happening.† But, just because the temperature of one area is belowRead MoreClimate Change : A Changing For A Brighter Future1485 Words   |  6 Pageshumans were starting to prosper and this was becoming a problem for the earth. As the earth was starting to support new forms of live, many of it resources were being used up and as a result, problems were arising. Problems such as is there enough water, food and resources were questions of the past. Recently, the new question has revolved around climate change and its effect on mankind. The reason no one questions climate change and global warming is because not so many people saw a tremendous differenceRead MoreThe Issue Of Global Warming1504 Words   |  7 Pagesaffecting you all. It’s about global warming. This issue will more than likely take away from everyone in the end, or at least humanity’s efforts to be a greater civilization, if you don’t take care of it. My question is, why aren’t you? For billions of years your Earth withstood countless hardships and has since lived among the cosmos, but now it’s going to be intoxicated and fall ill in a manner of hundreds of years, because of you? Global warming is the issue of the earth warming up due to man’s technologicalRead MoreGlobal Warming Is A Real Issue997 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal warming is an ongoing issue throughout the world that has been talked about for years now. Many people, like us, talk about the consequences of it and how we believe that it is a problem yet no one does anything to prevent it. In February of 2016 it was confirmed that February was the hottest month recorded in at least the past one-thousand years. Global warming is starting to become a real issue that we have to start dealing with so that our future generations do not have to suffer from theseRead MoreGlobal Warming and its Issues1198 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Introduction Global warming is perhaps one of the most urgent and complicated global issues we face today. While there are those who dispute the very nature as well as causes of the global warming phenomenon, available data clearly indicates that the planet is becoming warmer. This text revisits the issue of global warming. In so doing, compelling evidence will be presented in an attempt to prove that the global warming phenomenon is indeed real. Global Warming: An Overview In simple terms, global warmingRead MoreGlobal Warming And Climate Change1256 Words   |  6 Pagesthe downfall of the Earth’s survival. Those terms are global warming and climate change. Although both terms are used interchangeably by some, they cover two different subjects that go hand in hand. There is extensive research done on both terms, with plenty of scientific evidence proving that both are occurring and are major problems. However, there is still an uncanny amount of people who claim that climate change and global warming is not real, and their reasoning is usually either unscientificRead More Exemplification Essay: Why The World Is Doomed1086 Words   |  5 Pagesearth has become detrimental to the health of our planet and the safety of mankind. Through the use and production of resources such as oil and energy, man is gradually poisoning the earth. Pollution has become such a dilemma in society; there is no real control or a feasible solution to societys reckle ssness. Without complete change, our system will collapse. The earth will eventually retaliate with disaster, or corporate control of our economy will cause hysteria and depression. Evaluation of the

Product Stewardship and Integrity Resilience Growth

Question: Discuss about the Product Stewardship and Integrity Resilience Growth. Answer: Introduction: A multinational company can be defined as company, which has its operations in a range of different countries or nations. BHP Billiton is one of such multinational companies as it has a number of locations as its operational points; and it is stated as being the biggest global resource companies in the country. Furthermore, it is also amongst the global leaders. The company works on production of different commodities, some of which include energy, manganese, copper, coal, aluminum, nickel, and silver. The number of people employed by BHP Billiton stands at 100.000 individuals, which form a sum of both contractors, as well as, the employees. This huge database of individuals helps in attaining new heights for it (Business Review Australia, 2013). The companys success is because of consistent strategies which have proved their worth, and the unique manner in which it works, which distinguishes it from the others (BHP Billiton, 2016a). The company works in the mining and metals industry and is also an Anglo-Australian multinational company (Mining Global, 2015). BHP Billiton was born in New South Wales small abandoned mining town, Broken Hill. Through an amalgamation of Anglo Dutch Billion plc and Australian Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited in the year of 2001, and this gave it its present identity (Thompson and Macklin, 2010). At two places, the company is listed. Its UK registered part is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company is amongst the FTSE 100 Index as a result of being listed there (FTSE, 2015). The company has takes pride in being listed at the Australian Securities Exchange, for its Australian registered part (Dick and Merrett, 2007). The company operates in both America and also in Australia. BHP Billitons global headquarters are situated in Australia. The lead point of its sales and marketing team is at Singapore and at United States Houston (BHP Billiton, 2017a). The address of this location can be easily found, and the same is 171 Collins St, Melbourne CBD, Australia (Norman Disney Young, 2013). For the year of 2016, the company proudly employed 26,827 employees and this figure depicts its workforce in Australia alone. Though, the employees from such entities which are under the control of BHP Billiton or its subsidiaries are included in this count (IBIS, 2016). Internationally, including the count of its employees, as well as, the contractors, the company shows a workforce to the number of 65,000 (BHP Billiton, 2017). Regulatory Framework Through the previous part the location of the global headquarters of the company was highlighted. This depicts that the company has its operations in Australia. As a result of this, the Australian regulatory framework, in form of certain codes, or different legislation and their supporting regulations become applicable on it. A few of these have been covered below. The previous part aptly highlighted the strength of BHP Billiton is in its huge strength of human resource. This human resource demands that it is provided with a safe working environment, which is safe for their working. To ensure this particular point of its human resource, for its operations in Victoria, the company follows a range of regulatory framework pertaining to the health and safety of the workforce. However for the other jurisdictions, it follows the ones which are applicable in such jurisdiction. So, for Tasmania, Western Australia, or South Australia, the company has to abide by the health and safety regulations of these states. Some of the regulatory framework which is applicable on the company, for its operations in Victoria, includes Vic Compliance Codes, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007, and Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. To ensure that the company follows the provisions in its true sense, the applicability of these regulatory frameworks is regulated, for Victoria, by the Work Safe Australia (Business, 2017a). Each and every company in Australia, until the same has been particularly exempted, has to adhere to the provisions contained in the Corporations Act, 2001, which is an act of the Commonwealth. This particular act puts forward an obligation on the directors of the company to prevent any such trading which could result in the insolvency of the company; to act in good faith; the proper use of information of the company, the naming of the company; and various other provisions. In short, this act as the guiding document for all of the companies in the nation. Due to the applicability of this particular act, the company is required to make certain specific disclosures each year in its Annual Reports. For the last year, i.e., the year of 2016, BHP Billiton had to declare in this report that the company did not bring out, or no one on its behalf brought about any proceedings as per this acts section 237. Section 299(1) provides that the details of fines, which have been levied on the compan y, have to be declared in its annual report and the same was done by the company, when it declared that a fine to the value of US $60,609 was levied on it (BHP Billiton, 2016b). The industry in which a particular company runs its business, also results in the applicability of a range of frameworks. BHP Billiton, as was stated earlier, works in the mining industry. Mining has a direct impact over the environment, and so the mining industry companies are required to strictly follow the acts to the line of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, or the statutory legislations like the Environment Protection Act 1970, as the provisions of these acts ensure that the environment is maintained while carrying the mining activities (Business, 2017b). Apart from these acts, the jurisdiction in the nation, as was seen in the case of health and safety framework, also require the adherence to certain legislations. So, the company follows the Mineral Resources Development Act 1990 for its operations in Victoria and Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991, as well as, Mining Act 1992, for its operations in New South Wales (Chambers, 2013). The company, before it can begin its mining operations, has to enter into a State Agreement, which contains all the activities or phases of the mining activity. For the individual stages, the company has to get a hold of certain leases and licenses, for its operations in the nation. These include the Mining and general purpose leases, and the licenses for retention, exploration, prospecting or miscellaneous activities (Chambers, 2013). Treaties, Conventions or Agreements As has been the purpose of this whole study, a multinational company works in different nations. So, as for each of the jurisdictions in Australia, BHP is required to follow a range of different norms, in the same manner, for having its business in different nations, it has to follow the agreements, treaties or conventions which become applicable on the company, due to its worldwide presence. Some of such applicable norms have been covered in the ensuing parts. In the previous segment, it was highlighted how the human resource is the strength of BHP Billiton. Humans have to be treated with dignity and respect. And to deal with this particular aspect, the company makes certain attempts towards both the realization and the respecting of human rights. Recognizing the significance of this aspect, the company abides by the provisions given by the United Nations, i.e., the UN, in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There are other frameworks given by the UN, which are also followed by BHP Billiton, and these are the 10 UN Global Compact principles, along with the United Nations in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Even though, these are not directly applied by the company, but their reflection can be noticed in the companys Code of Business. A Sustainability Committee Board has been adopted by the company, which monitors the performance of human rights with the company. This particular board ensures that the HSEC, i.e., the health , safety, environment and community connected performance of the company, is monitored properly (BHP Billiton, 2016b). The company took its way out from the OTML (Ok Tedi Mining Limited) in the year of 2002. For this, there was a transfer of shares to the PNGSDP (PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited) for the shares which were held by the company in OTML. This was accompanied by taking a way out from the statutory undertaking through which the company was protected by any such claims which could be raised by PNGP (Papua New Guinea Parliament) pertaining to the environment. When the PNHP acquired the shares, in September 2013, which were held by the PNSHDP in OTML, the exit arranged was modified/ amended and along with this the guarantee was also repeated. Upon a challenge being raised to the validity of these particular actions, the company was successful in securing the indemnity. The company made a promise in the direction of making certain that the long term funds held by PNGSDP would be governed properly, for the use of the PNGPs people. This particular agreement and its resulting arrangeme nt could be seen in its financial position, as the same proved as a costly affair for BHP Billiton (BHP Billiton, 2016b). The company has been criticized, time and again for the impact of its mining operations over the environment. And the criticism is not within the walls of this nation, but abroad also. A claim was raised against the company and two other participants in the last parts of 2015, by the Federal Government of Brazil, along with other institutes and people and the amount of claims was as high as R$20 billion. To deal with the same, the company formulated an agreement with the other parties, so that the environment and the affected community, as a result of the dam failure, could be properly restored (BHP Billiton, 2016b). In part of its tax treaties, the company has signed the Australian Tax Treaty, which helps in avoiding the double taxation. This particular treaty has been created between the US and Australia. Hence, the applicability of this particular treaty helps in avoiding the 30% taxes which are normally applied in the United States (BHP Billiton, 2016b). Both the use and export of AOMN (Australian Obligated Nuclear Material) is controlled through the Government of Australia and this is done in strict manner. The AONM is sold to the NPT (Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) parties or when the same is subjected to a bilateral safeguards agreement. A new bilateral agreement is needed for the company to export the copper concentrate as the same contains uranium. Through this bilateral agreement, the uranium containing copper concentrate could be easily exported for processing in China by the company. The reason for an agreement is due to the surety, which has to be taken to show that the uranium which has been recovered has been subjected to the companys accounting and general requirements (BHP Billiton, 2011). BHP Billiton is a signatory to the Bali Agreement and hence, the company has entered into an agreement with others for raising awareness about the climate. This has been done by an international agreement which is in the line of the MARPOL Treaty, i.e., the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MOL, 2017). The company expects to create 50 million jobs and raise the trade by a value of $3 trillion, through the implementation of the same (Maher, 2014). References BHP Billiton. (2011) 27 Product Stewardship and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. [Online] BHP Billiton. Available from: https://www.bhpbilliton.com/-/media/bhp/regulatory-information-media/copper/olympic-dam/0000/supplementary-eis-main-report/chapter-27-product-stewardship-and-the-nuclear-fuel-cycle.pdf [Accessed on: 22/04/17] BHP Billiton. (2016a) Annual Report 2016. [Online] BHP Billiton. Available from: https://www.bhpbilliton.com/investor-centre/annual-reporting-2016/annual-report [Accessed on: 22/04/17] BHP Billiton. (2016b) Integrity Resilience Growth Annual Report 2016. [Online] BHP Billiton. Available from: https://www.bhpbilliton.com/-/media/bhp/documents/investors/annual-reports/2016/bhpbillitonannualreport2016_interactive.pdf?la=en [Accessed on: 22/04/17] BHP Billiton. (2017) About us. [Online] BHP Billiton. Available from: https://www.bhpbilliton.com/our-approach/our-company/about-us [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Business Review Australia. (2013) Australia's Largest Companies 2013. [Online] Business Review Australia. Available from: https://www.businessreviewaustralia.com/top10/1166/Australia%27s-Largest-Companies-2013 [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Business. (2017a) WHS/OHS acts, regulations and codes of practice. [Online] Australian Government. Available from: https://www.business.gov.au/info/run/workplace-health-and-safety/whs-oh-and-s-acts-regulations-and-codes-of-practice [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Business. (2017b) Environmental legislation. [Online] Australian Government. Available from: https://www.business.gov.au/info/run/environmental-management/environmental-legislation [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Chambers, R.H. (2013) An Overview of the Australian Legal Framework for Mining Projects in Australia. [Online] Chambers Company. Available from: https://www.chamberslawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/10/060518-Presentation-Eng.pdf [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Dick, H., and Merrett, D. (2007) The Internationalisation Strategies of Small-country Firms: The Australian Experience of Globalisation. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 258- 262. Federal Register of Legislation. (2013) Corporations Act 2001. [Online] Australian Government. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2013C00605 [Accessed on: 22/04/17] FTSE. (2015) BHP Billiton PLC (UK) and BHP Billiton Ltd (Australia): Demerger of South32 Ltd. [Online] FTSE. Available from: https://www.ftse.com/products/index-notices/home/getnotice/?id=1357423 [Accessed on: 22/04/17] IBIS. (2017) BHP Billiton Limited - Premium Company Report Australia. [Online] IBIS. Available from: https://www.ibisworld.com.au/australian-company-research-reports/mining/bhp-billiton-limited-company.html [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Maher, S. (2014) Bali trade treaty must be signed, says BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie. [Online] The Australian. Available from: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/bali-trade-treaty-must-be-signed-says-bhp-billiton-chief-executive-andrew-mackenzie/news-story/2b6fa58df7b77937a8065039aa66c837 [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Mining Global. (2015) 2015 Edition: Best Mining Companies to Work for in Australia. [Online] Mining Global. Available from: https://www.miningglobal.com/top10/1364/2015-Edition:-Best-Mining-Companies-to-Work-for-in-Australia [Accessed on: 22/04/17] MOL. (2017) MOL Teams up with BHP Billiton/DNV GL/Rio Tinto/SDARI/Woodside on Joint Study of LNG-fueled Capesize Bulker - Initiative on Environmental Protection Ahead of International Rules. [Online] MOL. Available from: https://www.mol.co.jp/en/pr/2017/17004.html [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Norman Disney Young. (2013) BHP Billiton Global Headquarters. [Online] Norman Disney Young. Available from: https://www.ndy.com/project/bhp-billiton-global-headquarters-171-collins-street-melbourne [Accessed on: 22/04/17] Thompson, P., and Macklin, R. (2010) The Big Fella: The Rise and Rise of BHP Billiton. Melbourne: Random House Australia.

Settler In Colonial America Essays - Food And Drink, Staple Foods

Settler In Colonial America The settlers in Colonial America continued to cook in tradition with their heritage, while incorporating new foods into their diet. Colonists had staple foods which they used in almost everything, but they also had seasonal foods. All and all most settlers had similar diets to the ones they had had in their old country, but when faced with an abundance of new, unfamiliar edibles, they couldn't help but try them. The main staple food of the settlers was actually a food native to America: corn. Every farmer grew corn as the early settlers were taught by the Native Americans. Indians taught the settlers how to harvest the corn, how to grind it into meal and how to preserve it throughout the year. Settlers made it into an oatmeal-like dish and this could be eaten for breakfast and even sometimes lunch. They were careful not to waste the rest of the corn either. The stalks were used as food for the cattle in the winter, the husks to stuff mattresses, and the cobs as jug stoppers, tool handles and the bowls of pipes. Chickens also enjoyed the kernels. Another staple food was the hog. ?....[hogs] were excellent foragers and able to live on what they found in the woods.....?(Hawk p38). These characteristics made them easy and ?cheap? to take care of. Additionally, hogs provided a large amount of meat for the settlers. The meat from four fairly sized hogs could last a family through the winter. A hog killing was quite an orderly project considering the fact that settlers used every part of the hog. An old colonial saying used to say ?All of the hog is used except the squeal.?(Breen p47). The blood was caught and used in blood pudding, the intestines for sausage skins and chitterlings, and the fat portions for lard. The shoulders, hams, and bacon flanks were salted and cured to eat in the future. The Native Americans tried to introduce the settlers to other new foods, but some didn't catch on. For example, sweet potatoes were tried, but they quickly rejected. Settlers basically didn't like vegetables and believed they were ?food more meet for hogs and savage beasts to feed upon than mankind?(Hawk p75). The only vegetables they really ate were ones brought from Europe: parsnips, turnips, onions, peas, carrots, and cabbage. Cabbage was a favorite of the Dutch and the German settlers. With it they introduced ?koolslaa?(coleslaw) and sauerkraut into the culinary world. Settlers also ate other game and produce. Venison, raccoon, chicken, goat, and beef were all part of a person's diet as well as seafood and flying game. Some popular berries eaten by colonists were huckleberries, blackberries, blueberries, also called sky berries, and wild strawberries. As far as how food was prepared, settlers stuck mostly to the traditional cooking ways of their old countries, especially the English Puritans. Their meals are described by one author as being ?dull and tasteless....? (Wright p75). The day began with breakfast. Breakfast usually consisted of a hot cereal-like dish called samp, which was corn pounded into a powder and eaten hot or cold with milk and butter. Sometimes, if one was lucky, a little molasses was added. A similar meal was eaten for lunch, and then came dinner. Dinner usually consisted of a stew or ?pottage? whose contents varied according to the season. Little spice was added to these leaving them pretty flavorless. In the German settlements of Pennsylvania, food would be a tad more lavish for special occasions. One major event was a barn raising. While the men worked on the barn, the women prepared the feast that would be had afterwards. The tables were set with metzel soup, hamburg soup, wurst, sauerkraut, potatoes, snitz and knep, assortments of pies and cakes and a variety of spreads. Another event in the new German culture was the autumn butchering in late November. People would spend the day cutting meat, making sausage, rendering lard, making scrapple, and smoking hams and bacons over fires. The Settlers of Colonial America didn't have a fancy outlook on eating. They cooked and ate as needed. Gourmet suppers were not very common. Even though the settlers food and preparation style were traditional and basic, they still incorporated the new

Archimedes Essays (910 words) - Archimedes, Buoyancy, Eureka

Archimedes Archimedes is considered one of the three greatest mathematicians of all time along with Newton and Gauss. In his own time, he was known as the wise one, the master and the great geometer and his works and inventions brought him fame that lasts to this very day. He was one of the last great Greek mathematicians. Born in 287 B.C., in Syracuse, a Greek seaport colony in Sicily, Archimedes was the son of Phidias, an astronomer. Except for his studies at Euclid's school in Alexandria, he spent his entire life in his birthplace. Archimedes proved to be a master at mathematics and spent most of his time contemplating new problems to solve, becoming at times so involved in his work that he forgot to eat. Lacking the blackboards and paper of modern times, he used any available surface, from the dust on the ground to ashes from an extinguished fire, to draw his geometric figures. Never giving up an opportunity to ponder his work, after bathing and anointing himself with olive oil, he would trace figures in the oil on his own skin. Much of Archimedes fame comes from his relationship with Hiero, the king of Syracuse, and Gelon, Hiero's son. The great geometer had a close friendship with and may have been related to the monarch. In any case, he seemed to make a hobby out of solving the king's most complicated problems to the utter amazement of the sovereign. At one time, the king ordered a gold crown and gave the goldsmith the exact amount of metal to make it. When Hiero received it, the crown had the correct weight but the monarch suspected that some silver had been used instead of the gold. Since he could not prove it, he brought the problem to Archimedes. One day while considering the question, the wise one entered his bathtub and recognized that the amount of water that overflowed the tub was proportional the amount of his body that was submerged. This observation is now known as Archimedes' Principle and gave him the means to solve the problem. He was so excited that he ran naked through the streets of Syrac use shouting Eureka! eureka! (I have found it!). The fraudulent goldsmith was brought to justice. Another time, Archimedes stated Give me a place to stand on and I will move the earth. King Hiero, who was absolutely astonished by the statement, asked him to prove it. In the harbor was a ship that had proved impossible to launch even by the combined efforts of all the men of Syracuse. Archimedes, who had been examining the properties of levers and pulleys, built a machine that allowed him the single-handedly move the ship from a distance away. He also had many other inventions including the Archimedes' watering screw and a miniature planetarium. Though he had many great inventions, Archimedes considered his purely theoretical work to be his true calling. His accomplishments are numerous. His approximation of between 3-1/2 and 3-10/71 was the most accurate of his time and he devised a new way to approximate square roots. Unhappy with the unwieldy Greek number system, he devised his own that could accommodate larger numbers more easily. He invented the entire field of hydrostatics with the discovery of the Archimedes' Principle. However, his greatest invention was integral calculus. To determine the area of sections bounded by geometric figures such as parabolas and ellipses, Archimedes broke the sections into an infinite number of rectangles and added the areas together. This is known as integration. He also anticipated the invention of differential calculus as he devised ways to approximate the slope of the tangent lines to his figures. In addition, he also made many other discoveries in geometry, mechanics and other fields. The end of Archimedes life was anything but uneventful. King Hiero had been so impressed with his friend's inventions that he persuaded him to develop weapons to defend the city. These inventions would prove quite useful. In 212 B.C., Marcellus, a Roman general, decided to conquer Syracuse with a full frontal assault on both land and sea. The Roman legions were routed. Huge catapults hurled 500 pound boulders at the soldiers; large cranes with

Free Essays on The Painted Door

The Painted Door Of the many different mood disorders, depression is the most common, and one of the most misunderstood. While modern research indicated that brain chemical imbalances cause the condition, many people still believe that chronic depression indicates a weak personality or character flaw. This makes seeking help difficult as people hesitate before admitting this weakness, however healing only starts with learning to recognize the symptoms. â€Å"The Painted Door’s,† Ann, demonstrates many qualities that lead the reader to believe such disorder is present. Ann is so unhappy due to her dissatisfaction with her lifestyle, her frustration with her husband, and the inner conflict she experiences. In the first instance, it’s quite clear that Ann is not satisfied with her lifestyle. When John first decides to go visit his father, Ann is quick to explain how lonely she gets while alone in the house. Even though staying home alone is a regular occurrence for her, it’s not something she’s necessarily gotten used to. Ann tries to explain this to John but he doesn’t understand, so she finally gives up; â€Å"Pay no attention to me. Seven years a farmer’s wife– it’s time I was used to staying home alone† Also, Ann comes to the realization that they are on a path of never ending routine. Each day consists of labour, day in, day out, with nothing to look forward to. Unfortunately, this isn’t good enough for Ann; â€Å"She was young still, eager for excitement and distractions† Regrettably, these desires of hers are not ones easily fulfilled as a farmer’s wife. Ann is a sociable person but doesn’t get out as much as she’d like. The labour involved in such a lifestyle is constant without much change. All of these norms of being a farmer’s wife are still estranged to Ann, and she doesn’t seem willing to settle for it anymore. The dissatisfaction she holds towards her lifestyle contributes to her unhappine... Free Essays on The Painted Door Free Essays on The Painted Door The Painted Door Of the many different mood disorders, depression is the most common, and one of the most misunderstood. While modern research indicated that brain chemical imbalances cause the condition, many people still believe that chronic depression indicates a weak personality or character flaw. This makes seeking help difficult as people hesitate before admitting this weakness, however healing only starts with learning to recognize the symptoms. â€Å"The Painted Door’s,† Ann, demonstrates many qualities that lead the reader to believe such disorder is present. Ann is so unhappy due to her dissatisfaction with her lifestyle, her frustration with her husband, and the inner conflict she experiences. In the first instance, it’s quite clear that Ann is not satisfied with her lifestyle. When John first decides to go visit his father, Ann is quick to explain how lonely she gets while alone in the house. Even though staying home alone is a regular occurrence for her, it’s not something she’s necessarily gotten used to. Ann tries to explain this to John but he doesn’t understand, so she finally gives up; â€Å"Pay no attention to me. Seven years a farmer’s wife– it’s time I was used to staying home alone† Also, Ann comes to the realization that they are on a path of never ending routine. Each day consists of labour, day in, day out, with nothing to look forward to. Unfortunately, this isn’t good enough for Ann; â€Å"She was young still, eager for excitement and distractions† Regrettably, these desires of hers are not ones easily fulfilled as a farmer’s wife. Ann is a sociable person but doesn’t get out as much as she’d like. The labour involved in such a lifestyle is constant without much change. All of these norms of being a farmer’s wife are still estranged to Ann, and she doesn’t seem willing to settle for it anymore. The dissatisfaction she holds towards her lifestyle contributes to her unhappine...

Alcan Paper Five Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alcan Paper Five - Essay Example The enterprise has operating facilities across 61 countries with a work force of about 68,000 employees (Dube, Bernier, & Roy, 2009). The organization takes the leading position in production of raw materials, fabricated products and primary metals. The enterprise is involved in creating and selling of a variety of products, which include bauxite, automobile iron, sheet ingot, aluminum recycling services, forging stock (INDUSTRY CANADA, 2005). This paper explores a report of Alcan based on the case studies. The report discusses the application of Information Technology within the Alcan organization and it is a summary of issues addressed in part 1 to part four all of which focused on the Alcan. It addresses a range of issues that concerns Alcan Organization. The issues of concern include the General Systems, Theory and Social-Technical Theory, Organizational Success, Failures and Consequences, Communication Policies, STS Practices, and application of theories within the Organization, the Alcan’s organization and operating technology, technological contributions to the organization, dominant Information Technology strategies and practices, technological barriers or success, the Alcan’s business continuity plan, the company’s organization and operating technology, technological contributions to the organization, dominant Information Technology strategies and practices, technological barriers disaster recovery plan, and business continuity plan. Organization Environment. Alcan Organization has operating facilities across 61 countries with a work force of about 68,000 employees. It has four principal business groups which are: Bauxite and Alumina, Primary Metal, packaging and the engineered products. The four business groups are the main revenue contributors for the organization (Dube, Bernier, & Roy, 2009). The company sells a variety of products, which include bauxite, automobile iron, sheet ingot, aluminium recycling services, forging stock. It is extremely vertically integrated having eight mines and deposits, a transport network with ports and facilities, seven alumina plants, 26 aluminium smelters, 17 laminated products plants, 12 electric power plants, seven alumina refineries, 180 packaging materials plants and 49 engineered products plants (Dube, Bernier, & Roy, 2009). Organizational Structure. The senior management in Alcan Company consists of a CIO and four associates (Dube, Bernier, & Roy, 2009). These associates include: Strategic IT-Program director, Chief information-security- officer director, performance-management director, and the Enterprise Architectural director. Next to these are two services that are shared. One service is for the application, and the next is for infrastructure. In the centre of the ladder, there are different business groups of Information Technology directors. Each business group is headed by an IT director referred to as VP (Dube, Bernier, & Roy, 2009). Challenges Faced by Alcan Organization. Alcan organization is faced with various environmental, economical, social as well as technological challenges. The environmental challenges facing Alcan include sustainable raw material development, industrial waste, air emissions, and water. The company overcomes this challenge by developing a clean manufacturing process and designing a method of recycling the waste products (Foster, 2005). Economic Challenges in Alcan include high costs due to funds misappropriation in the company, ineffective and inefficiency business

Evaluation of DHS's Ethics, Cooperation, Leadership, and Legal Research Paper

Evaluation of DHS's Ethics, Cooperation, Leadership, and Legal Decisions - Research Paper Example Investigations by the DHS are still ongoing, while other stakeholders in the incident representing the government have taken preventive measures. For example, Mungin & Brady (2013) write that Connecticut governor, Dannel Malloy signed a law increasing the number of guns banned by the state. In addition, background checks are to be conducted on all gun purchases, and schools allocated 15 million U.S dollars to improve their security. Parents of the murdered children, as well as other residents of Connecticut welcomed the law and called for tougher regulations to curb illegal gun possession (Mungin & Brady, 2013). On 16th April 2013, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston marathon, killing three people and injuring 100 others. Two brothers were suspected of being behind the bombings and one is in custody, while the other was shot dead in a shootout with police, when the latter were looking for the suspect. According to Homeland Security (2013), Mr. McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, the two brothers appear to have received help in planning the attack. The sophistication of the devices used and the timing of the attack led to this conclusion. Accordingly, investigations into the attack cover areas outside the U.S, particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan. On its part, the federal government pledged to get to the bottom of the matter, but president Obama avoided terming the attacks as â€Å"terrorism†. To the public, a day of celebrations turned tragic, especially considering that the marathoners had paid tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting at the beginning of the race. According to the Center for Public Integrity’s article by Fred Schulte on â€Å"ATF’s struggle to close down firearm dealers† (2013), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) does a shoddy job inspecting dealers. Apparently, ATF inspectors may delay to inspect a dealer for as long as eight years and when they do, the inspection is not thorough enough. In cases where inspectors find dealers to have violated gun laws and revoke the dealer’s licenses, the latter usually appeals revocation. This process drags in the courts for years and meanwhile, dealers pass their business over to relatives or turn them into â€Å"personal† collection, which does not require background checks. Probably, this is the reason why people like Adam Lanza owned guns capable of killing more than 26 people in 5 minutes. There is no telling how many more people own guns illegally, and how safe the U.S citizens are. A second article by Berlow on â€Å"current gun debate may not help beleaguered ATF† addresses how the congress has played a role in ATF’s failure to control weapon use, particularly in conducting investigations. It also addresses the fact that the agency lacks funds to run operations smoothly. In addition, the current laws are too weak to recognize the role of TF in cases involving gun trafficking. Leadership influences The leadership of DHS is hierarchical in structure, headed by the Secretary of Homeland Security, who is appointed by the President, with the consent of the senate. The Deputy Secretary comes second, followed by Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries who head different departments. This style of leadership allows for the formation of mechanism to assess risks, and allocate funds for countering terrorism.

BUS LAW wk3 dq Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BUS LAW wk3 dq - Assignment Example Rudy becomes irate and tells Marie she will be hearing from his attorney. Is there an enforceable contract in this situation? Identify and discuss the elements of a valid contract and predict whether Rudy can legally compel Marie to surrender the paint sprayer.   No, there was no enforceable contract since Marie and Rudy did not have a written agreement which transferred the paint sprayer to Rudy. An enforceable contract would require two important aspects that are associated with statue of frauds and concept of acceptance. Hence, in this case if one party only agreed to the contract without signing it, Rudy cannot legally compel Marie to give her paint sprayer. aâ‚ ¬? Felipe Underwood is a famous artist whose portraits are in demand nationwide. Doris Williams thinks it will give her prestige to own an Underwood portrait, so she pays Felipe $50,000 to paint her portrait from a photograph. Unknown to Doris, Felipe gives the photograph to Malina because he has accepted another com mission to paint the portrait of the president, and Malina completes the portrait. When Doris has a party to unveil her portrait, an art critic guest tells her that although the portrait is painted in the Underwood style, it is a fake. Dorisaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s attorney files suit against Felipe for breach of contract and for seeking specific performance.

Effect of Social Class on Children in the Educational System

Effect of Social Class on Children in the Educational System Social class and how it affects children aged 7 years and below within the English educational system This report considers recent research evidence related to inclusive education, and equality of opportunity, in relation to social class and how it affects children aged 7 years and below within the English educational system. A definition of inclusive education relevant to early educational practice will be offered. A literature review will be undertaken, that will principally examine the size of the social class differences amongst young children, and will go on to consider a case study of inclusive practice that was implemented at one English primary school. Recommendations for future research are made. Introduction Since the publication of the Plowden Report in 1967, it has been apparent that social class has a profound effect on the educational achievement of primary school children. In the past two decades, there have been a number of specific legislative changes that have altered the shape of primary school education. With the Education Reform Act(1988), schools have been required to undertake standardised testing of7 year old children in English, Mathematics and Science subjects. Furthermore, schools have been required to publish controversial ‘league tables’ of performance, alongside national averages, in their school prospectus publications. There have been several policies introduced to reduce the effects of deprivation on young children including Sure Start, and a planned widening of availability of nursery education all in the name of ‘inclusive education’ (Barnes, Belsky,Broomfield, Dave et al, 2004, p 46-9). Indeed, Geertz (2001) has argued that New Labour policy makers strive to â€Å"make all families like middle-class families, or at least the ideal-typical middle class family of much educational research† (p 7). However, there is surprisingly little empirical research evidence available on inclusive education, or equality of opportunity in early educational settings, with most studies focussing on secondary school children. This is also regrettable since Sammons and Sees (1998) have clearly shown that at the age of seven, prior attainment accounts for 26-43% of variance in national assessment results (p 389 – 407). Therefore, early teaching support of children with special educational needs, or affected by poverty or difficult personal circumstances would appear to be of immense importance to prevent children who start school behind their peers from falling further behind as their school careers progress. This report will critically assess available empirical studies related to the education of children aged 7 years and below within the United Kingdom. Furthermore, it will examine theoretical and philosophical perspectives on early inclusive education, and make recommendations for further research. Method The search strategy employed for the literature review involved searching electronic bibliographical databases for relevant research and policy papers related to the topic of inclusive education, and equality of opportunity, and social class issues with English school pupils aged 7 and under. No date restrictions were imposed on the searches, although most papers that were located and subsequently considered in this literature review were published in the 1990’s and2000’s. The electronic bibliographical databases that were searched were ERIC, the British Education Index and Psych Lit. Abstracts for each paper were inspected on an individual basis to assess their relevance to the literature review. Research papers within the terms of the literature review were then obtained from various library sources. However, it was felt that much of the research on early inclusive education would be found in the grey literature. Therefore, the Education Line database of conference proceedings, provided by Leeds University, was also searched for relevant papers. Finally, a search of the websites of highly regarded academic educational research centres, and government official statistics, was undertaken and further relevant research reports were obtained this way. Literature Review Although ‘inclusive education’ has been the buzz word of the education sector for many years, there is a lack of clarity in its definition. It broadly includes reference to a schools receptivity to accommodate the needs of all its pupils, and be â€Å"more responsive to pupil diversity†(Fiorina, Rouse, Black-Hawkins and Jull (2004), p 118). Furthermore, Fiorina et al (2004) have argued that inclusion and achieving high standards are not necessarily mutually exclusive goals, with some schools achieving both (p 115). Stephen and Cope (2003) have further elaborated on the interpretation of inclusive education, drawing distinction between the individual model where the deprived pupil is seen as ‘the problem’ (p 274) to be moulded into the school system, towards a social model of inclusive education. The social model acknowledges that there may be individual characteristics of the child that need to be considered, but also consider the possible institutional and operational barriers that hinder children’s entry and integration into infant schools. In their study, children from middleclass homes were supported by parents when they started infant schoolboy practising numeracy and literacy at home, and through more proactive involvement in school activities (p 273). Gallannaugh and Dyson (2003) have conducted a study of 25 practitioners working in three English LEA’s to assess what ‘inclusive education ‘development was possible in schools, and make sense of school responses to the inclusion agenda. Some teachers reported confusion over what ‘inclusive education’ was, since many official sources of information focussed on inclusion of children with special educational needs only(p 1). However, most teachers saw ‘inclusive education’ as provision for all children who were at risk of underachieving within the educational system, a version of inclusive education that is compatible with New Labour’s ‘social inclusion’ agenda ensuring that all members of society participate in the opportunities and activities of mainstream society (Blanket, 1999). A definition of inclusive education that attracted consensus amongst the teachers was â€Å"a set of broad values which we understood to be inclusive, and which we articulated as a commitment to equality, and increasing participation of all children (rather than one or other marginalised groups) in common education† (p 2). In synthesising research papers on social class related to early education, it is apparent that the term ‘social class’ has been interpreted in different ways by different authors. Sammons (1995) has highlighted that some researchers have attempted to â€Å"identify and separate the effects of different combinations of disadvantaging factors, noting that whilst not additive there is evidence of cumulative disadvantage (i.e. experiencing one factor such as low social class or low income on its own is less closely associated with low attainment than experiencing both these factors)† (p 467). Furthermore, Sparks (1999) has classified the different interpretations as including children from low income households, parental unemployment, paternal/ maternal occupation and inappropriate housing environment (p 10). She has examined research studies that look at each of these aspects, but only a few studies specifically examine the age range of 0 to 7 years. Pupils coming from a low income household, as indicated by eligibility for free school meals, appears to have marked effect on educational achievement at the age of 7 years and above (p 14). Furthermore, West, Pennell, West and Travers (1999) have shown that receipt of income support benefit by the household accounted for 66% of variance in educational achievement at a local authority level (p 10). Sparks (1999) has stated that â€Å"non-school factors are a more important source of variation in educational achievement than differences in the quality of education that students receive† (p 9).However, there is a broad consensus that schools can counteract some of the effects of social deprivation through inclusive educational practice. Indeed, empirical evidence suggests that schools have an independent effect of between 8% and 15%, and school effects are greater within the primary school sector (Reynolds, Sammons, Stoll, Barber et al, 1996 (p 140)). In the UK, research evidence on the effects of pre-school education are mixed (Sparks, 1999, p 12). However, research studies have indicated that when children receiving nursery education are compared to those receiving no nursery education, pre-school experience has a positive impact on achievement in national assessment tests at the age of seven (Sammons and Sees, 1998, p 400).However, poor families may not have access to quality services in areas where demand for nursery services is high. Middle class families, however, may have the advantage in that they can turn to the private sector provision where necessary. Smaller studies have shown an association between social class and early pupil attainment. However, stronger evidence is supplied by McCullum (1993) who compared aggregated Key Stage One results for local education authorities in England, against measures of social class obtained from the 1991 Social Census. This study clearly showed that social class, as evidenced through the number of social class 1 and 2individuals in the local population, showed a statistically significant and positive relationship with the Local Education Authority’s Key Stage One test scores, across all LEA’s sampled (p 95). Furthermore, Thomas (1995) has also shown how free school meal entitlement, and special educational needs, were strongly correlated with performance at Key Stage One (p 280). More recently, Sammons (1995) has studied 2000primary school children longitudinally at 50 ethnically diverse inner-city schools over a 9 year period. The children were monitored from the ages of 7 to 10 years. For the purpose of this report the results will be reported for the youngest of the cohort. The main purpose of the study was to assess primary schools effectiveness at developing cognitive and non-cognitive educational outcomes amongst children. Detailed records were kept on every child’s background characteristics such as ethnicity, socio-economic status and gender. For the purpose of the study, social class was measured as father’s occupation, and eligibility for free school meals. There were statistically significant differences in absolute attainment at ages 7, and above (p 479), with the biggest effect being in reading rather than mathematics performance. At 7 years, receiving free school meals accounted for just over 7% of variance in reading test performance, while having father working in an semi or unskilled profession accounted for 14.5%of variance, and having a father who was unemployed accounted for8.35%. However, for mathematics test performance, free school meals accounted for just 1.3% of variance, and having a father in a semi/unskilled profession accounted for 4.22% of variance while having father who was unemployed at the time of the study accounted for 2.57%of variance (p 471). This study was based on pupils attending primary schools in the decade of the 1980’s, and prior to the onset of the National Curriculum. It is the only longitudinal study of its kind that has been published using a British school population. With high statistical power afforded through the sample size, it is possible tube confident in the results. However, research studies are required that adopt a similar design but that are carried out now that the National Curriculum is an established format of educational provision within primary schools. Studies are also required that examine more dimensions of social class than the ‘outdated’ paternal occupation, and free school meals eligibility. In 1998, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority introduced a National Framework for Baseline Assessment for all pupils at the start of their school careers. The baseline assessment is a structured series of questions designed to assess pupils’ English ability, in terms of oral, reading and writing ability. In addition, early mathematical understanding is measured through a series of questions that require teachers to judge the ability of the child. Strand (1999) has studied the results of baseline testing of over 11,000 four year old children prior to their entry to primary school reception class. The data cover the period of 1993 to 1997, and are based at Wandsworth Local Education Authority in London. The results indicate that there are significant variations in baseline test score achievement based around a range of background factors such as age of child, gender, ethnicity and economic status. Measures of interest to the present literature review are length of preschool education by the pupil and entitlement to free school meals, which is the surrogate measure of social class used for baseline testing. Measures of attainment collected by the study were the LARR (Linguistic Awareness in Reading Readiness) test of emergent literacy and the teacher checklist described above. The results show statistically significant, strong correlations between school entrants on baseline measures and their subsequent overall Key Stage 1 achievement, in the region of 0.6 or above. Furthermore, the test battery are highly predictive of both English and Mathematics achievement in Key Stage 1 assessments in the individual subjects, with correlations in the region of 0.55 for mathematics, 0.55 for reading, and 0.49 for writing. The combination of the LARR objective measure of literacy, and the teacher checklist, together make the best overall indicator of later achievement for the children, compared to either test in isolation. Amount of preschool education received by children also significantly predicted Key Stage One achievement in all subjects. Furthermore, children in receipt of eligibility for free school meals were noted to score, on average, over five whole points less than their peers on baseline tests. Their mean scores were 29.7 (SD 11.4) compared to 34.9 (SD 12.2) for non-entitled children (p 20). In a further study, Strand (1997) tracked the educational progress of1669 Wands worth school children who had completed baseline assessments during 1992 and 1993. He considered the important of school effects, which is importance to social class considerations in the sense that schools are located in specific catchment areas that can be defined according the level of deprivation in the local community. The same assessment materials were used for this study as in Strand (1999). The pattern of achievement described for children eligible for free school meals at school entry was one where they started below other peers, in terms of baseline testing, and gradually fell further behind as time went by; as reflected in their Key Stage One performance (p 479). Composite measure of school effects of child performance at Key Stage One was taken to comprise of seven factors including gender ratio of school population, proportion of pupils with eligibility for free school meals and percentage of bilingual school pupils. Strand (1997)found that where there was a high rate of free school meal eligibility, this was one of the statistically significant factors, along with gender ratio and proportion of ESL pupils in school composite effects. â€Å"These compositional effects are significant even after each individual pupils baseline scores, sex, FSM entitlement and ESL background have been taken into account† (Strand, 1997, p 479). This means that school performance as a whole, as well as individual pupil progress, would appear to be associated with the proportion of free school meal claimants in the school population. Indeed, â€Å"It can be hypothesised that schools with a low proportion of socially disadvantaged pupils may have some benefits associated with their context: they may receive greater help from parents, have fewer disciplinary problems or an atmosphere more conducive to learning† (p 485). Buchanan-Barrow and Barratt (1998) have considered how young children understand school, and how this is affected by socio-economic factors, along with gender and birth-order. They suggest, â€Å"The school constitutes, in microcosm, a multifaceted and multi-layered society with an extensive and complex system†¦in order to operate successfully in this system, the young pupil needs to acquire an understanding of the connections between such important system-concepts as rules, roles, power and community† (p 250). A total of 112 children were included in the study from the age of 5 and upwards, at two primary schools in London. The first school had a free school meal ratio of 3% and was therefore broadly classified as a middle class school. The second school had a much higher free school meal ratio of 49% and the intake population was largely working class. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires, and the children were interviewed about their understanding of the power structure in the school, and their attitudes towards their school. In general, young children had the most positive attitudes towards school of all children studied. Furthermore, there were no differences in the attitudes towards school by socio-economic class, but there was a significant correlation between child and parental views on the school. The importance of the head-teacher in the power structure was evident in the responses of all children, butane understanding of the purpose of the class teachers was patchy until the middle primary years. The researchers closely examined the responses of the children at both schools for social class effects on comprehension and understanding of the school. At the middle-class school, the responses of the children followed general age trend patterns where children’s knowledge and understanding increased with years. However, for the working-class school, the pattern of responses were more complicated. Children were much less likely to discuss the role of parents, and children in the organisation and function of school compared to children at the other school. This suggests that children are not feeling ‘included’ in school, with a strong sense of membership that children often report at the middle class school (p263). Examination of parental responses to the questionnaire revealed broadly similar responses between schools, but working class parents reported feeling more welcome at the school than middle class parents. As Buchanan-Barrow and Barratt (1998) have suggested, â€Å"Since middleclass parents are likely to be readier to take issue, more assured of their ability to achieve their aims and better equipped to make their feelings known, it might be expected that the staff might be more wary of their interventions and less warm in their welcome. On the other hand, working class parents, without the same sense of empowerment, maybe seen as less threatening† (p 263). This is an important study in that it reveals age-trends in children’s understanding of school, and their place within the power structure and function of the school. According to Piaget cognitive theory, age-related differences in understanding are to be expected, as a combination of increased cognitive abilities with age. However, constructivism alone does not explain the individual differences in responses. The age related findings in the children’s responses may not be due to developmental changes in cognitive ability alone. In particular, social-interactional factors may have an important contribution to children’s understanding of the school, with parents, teachers and children’s interactions about the school being mediated by the age of the pupil. A social representation perspective would emphasise the individual differences in responses according to social class, gender and so forth (Elmer and Hana, 1993). However, this study showed that the acquisition of social knowledge and social understanding was more individual, than collective (p 265). Gallannaugh and Dyson (2003) have provided a useful detailed case study of how inclusive education can work at improving primary schoolchildren’s educational achievements. They collected data from one primary school (‘Broad mead’) in an urban area, primarily serving families of the local council housing estate where the eligibility for free school meals was above national averages. The school decided to address the specific issue of underachievement in writing ability during Key Stage assessments. The school had identified a group of middle ability school pupils who were failing to meet national expectations. School staff did not feel that poor teaching maybe the cause of the problem, and many teachers cited specific and concerted efforts by teachers to improve writing standards using a range of teaching strategies. However, â€Å"the school’s response to the problem was to problematize some of its existing practices. To some extent, this appeared to be a result of the realisation that customary practice simply did not ‘work’ in the sense that despite all efforts to hone teaching skills, the school had apparently reached a ceiling in attainment† (p 3). The school had moved towards a more experimental approach in the curriculum, and included new teaching strategies to help pupil learning such as thinking skills techniques. However, the actual underlying purpose of introducing a specific intervention was unclear, with more emphasis on anxiety about school performance compared to national standards, as opposed to inclusion for all. Nevertheless, it represented a departure from standard practice. Over the course of the project, the experience of implementing new approaches and of their impact on children’s learning led teachers to rethink their ideas about educational/ personal outcomes that are important to children. The original aim had been to improve achievement standards in writing, but the intervention had also appeared to impact on child self-esteem, learning in other subject areas, and educational confidence. The teachers reported that they valued these additional attainments in their own right amongst their pupils. Teachers had identified that the children had very limited learning techniques and strategies, and had therefore decided to focus on teaching children how to learn, in parallel to the curriculum subjects. When the research team interviewed teachers about why they felt their pupils had struggled in writing skills, it was generally felt that the critical barrier to raising all aspects of literacy was due to the fact that children entered school with very limited language skills that affected their access to most subjects. The head teacher felt that ‘catch up ‘once they started school was insufficient to counter the effects of poor literacy environment at home, and lack of family communication about education at home. This lack of preparation for school was complicated by local cultural factors such as socialisation of boys from working class households into the role of the ‘northern lad’ who was expected to behave stereotypically, and not necessarily express an interest in education. In summary, â€Å"some children came to school from families where education was not valued, with limited experiences, and(particularly in primary schools) limited language skills† (p 5). Gallannaugh and Dyson (2003) provide two competing perspectives on the work at Broad mead primary school. In one sense, teachers were willing to implement new teaching strategies as they had ‘internalised’ the demands of the national curriculum and school assessment system, but also the characteristics of working class children that make them deficit (p 7). This could be regarded as anti-inclusive practice since it aimed to socialise working class children into middle class ideals. However, an alternative perspective on the work at Broadmeadis that the school resisted the pressure and constraints of current educational policy, and found time to try out alternative learning strategies, which children self-reported as beneficial. Furthermore, teachers’ deficit view of the working class children was increasingly challenged as they were equipped with new skills to allow them to demonstrate their true abilities. Conclusion Recent Government policy has moved towards emphasising inclusive education, particularly in the early years. However, there is a danger that policy will remain mere ‘rhetoric’ unless there is evidence based research to provide teachers with practical skills to provide equality of opportunity for their pupils. Research studies have consistently shown that working class children are regarded as the ‘problem’ that must be adapted to the middle class educational environment of the infant school classroom. However, a social model of inclusive education that acknowledges individual difficulties in adaptation, as well as institutional barriers to learning maybe a more constructive approach. Teachers working within English schools are constrained in the classroom by their need to meet national curriculum requirements, and achieve required standards from their pupils. Conversely, teachers recognise that some children enter infant school poorly prepared forth demands of formal education through their home backgrounds, and require additional support. Implementation of special strategies to enhance the language, communication and thinking skills of children, such as at Broad mead school, maybe one solution. However, children of lower social class backgrounds may require long term intervention if ‘inclusive education’ is truly ‘inclusive’ throughout their school careers. This literature review has revealed the lack of research studies to support teachers’ implementation of effective strategies to promote learning amongst young children from deprived backgrounds. To date, research studies have concentrated on identifying the size of the discrepancy in performance between school pupils. The next step is to develop longitudinal, vigorous research programmes within English infant schools to inform evidence-based teaching practice. Furthermore, there is a need to explore the concept of social class, and how it affects young children, in more detail, and to understand how it interacts with other risk factors such as English as a second language. Sparks (1999) has shown that factors, such as social class, are associated with educational attainment, amongst young children. However, it is less clear about what aspects of social class are causal, and not merely correlated (p 10), and there is a need to investigate the specific aspects of social class that maybe associated/causing educational difficulties for children. References Barnes J, Balky J, Broomfield K, Sana D, Frost M, Melhuish E and the National Evaluation of the Sure Start Research Team (2005)Disadvantaged but different: variation among deprived communities in relation to child and family well-being. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46.9, pp. 952 – 962. Blanket D (1999) Excellence for the many, not just the few. CBI Presidential Address 19 July 1999 (DFEE, London). Buchanan-Burrow E and Barratt M (1998) Individual Differences in Children’s Understanding of the School. Social Development 7.2, pp250-268. Elmer N and Hana J (1993) Studying social representations in children: just old wine in new bottles? In G Break well and D Canter (ends)Empirical Approaches to Social Representatives (Oxford University Press, Oxford). Fiorina L, Rouse M, Black-Hawkins K and Jull S (2004) What can national data sets tell us about inclusion and pupil achievement. British Journal of Special Education 31.3, pp. 115 -121. Gallannaugh F and Dyson A (2003) Schools understanding of inclusion: issues in inclusion and social class. (British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Edinburgh). Geertz S (2001) Cloning the Blair’s. Journal of Educational Policy 16.4, pp. 365-378. McCollum I (1993) Testing Seven Year Olds – performance and context. Population Advice Note, pp. 93-101 (London Research Centre, London) Reynolds D, Sammons P, Stoll P, Barber M and Hillman J (1996) School effectiveness and school improvement in the United Kingdom. School Effectiveness and School Improvement 7, pp. 133 – 158. Sammons P (1995) Gender, ethnic and socio-economic differences in attainment and progress: a longitudinal analysis of student achievement over 9 years. British Educational Research Journal 21.4, pp. 465-485. Sammons P and Sees R (1998) Measuring pupil progress at key stage one: using baseline assessment to investigate value added. School Leadership and Management 18.3, pp. 389 – 407. Sparks J (1999) Schools, Education and Social Exclusion. (Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE, London). Stephen C and Cope P (2003) An Inclusive Perspective on Transition to Primary School. European Educational Research Journal 2.2, pp. 262 -275. Strand S (1997) Pupil Progress during Key Stage 1: A Value Added Analysis of School Effects. British Educational Research Journal 23.4,pp 471 – 487. Strand S (1999) Baseline assessment results at age 4: associations with pupil background factors. Journal of Research in Reading 22.1, pp. 14-26. The Plowden Report (1967) Children and their Primary Schools. (HMSO: London) Thomas S (1995) Considering primary school effectiveness: an analysis of 1992 Key Stage 1 results. The Curriculum Journal 6, pp. 279 – 295. West A, Pennell H, West A and Travers T (1999) The financing of school based education. (Centre for Educational Research, London). Effect of Social Class on Children in the Educational System Effect of Social Class on Children in the Educational System Social class and how it affects children aged 7 years and below within the English educational system This report considers recent research evidence related to inclusive education, and equality of opportunity, in relation to social class and how it affects children aged 7 years and below within the English educational system. A definition of inclusive education relevant to early educational practice will be offered. A literature review will be undertaken, that will principally examine the size of the social class differences amongst young children, and will go on to consider a case study of inclusive practice that was implemented at one English primary school. Recommendations for future research are made. Introduction Since the publication of the Plowden Report in 1967, it has been apparent that social class has a profound effect on the educational achievement of primary school children. In the past two decades, there have been a number of specific legislative changes that have altered the shape of primary school education. With the Education Reform Act(1988), schools have been required to undertake standardised testing of7 year old children in English, Mathematics and Science subjects. Furthermore, schools have been required to publish controversial ‘league tables’ of performance, alongside national averages, in their school prospectus publications. There have been several policies introduced to reduce the effects of deprivation on young children including Sure Start, and a planned widening of availability of nursery education all in the name of ‘inclusive education’ (Barnes, Belsky,Broomfield, Dave et al, 2004, p 46-9). Indeed, Geertz (2001) has argued that New Labour policy makers strive to â€Å"make all families like middle-class families, or at least the ideal-typical middle class family of much educational research† (p 7). However, there is surprisingly little empirical research evidence available on inclusive education, or equality of opportunity in early educational settings, with most studies focussing on secondary school children. This is also regrettable since Sammons and Sees (1998) have clearly shown that at the age of seven, prior attainment accounts for 26-43% of variance in national assessment results (p 389 – 407). Therefore, early teaching support of children with special educational needs, or affected by poverty or difficult personal circumstances would appear to be of immense importance to prevent children who start school behind their peers from falling further behind as their school careers progress. This report will critically assess available empirical studies related to the education of children aged 7 years and below within the United Kingdom. Furthermore, it will examine theoretical and philosophical perspectives on early inclusive education, and make recommendations for further research. Method The search strategy employed for the literature review involved searching electronic bibliographical databases for relevant research and policy papers related to the topic of inclusive education, and equality of opportunity, and social class issues with English school pupils aged 7 and under. No date restrictions were imposed on the searches, although most papers that were located and subsequently considered in this literature review were published in the 1990’s and2000’s. The electronic bibliographical databases that were searched were ERIC, the British Education Index and Psych Lit. Abstracts for each paper were inspected on an individual basis to assess their relevance to the literature review. Research papers within the terms of the literature review were then obtained from various library sources. However, it was felt that much of the research on early inclusive education would be found in the grey literature. Therefore, the Education Line database of conference proceedings, provided by Leeds University, was also searched for relevant papers. Finally, a search of the websites of highly regarded academic educational research centres, and government official statistics, was undertaken and further relevant research reports were obtained this way. Literature Review Although ‘inclusive education’ has been the buzz word of the education sector for many years, there is a lack of clarity in its definition. It broadly includes reference to a schools receptivity to accommodate the needs of all its pupils, and be â€Å"more responsive to pupil diversity†(Fiorina, Rouse, Black-Hawkins and Jull (2004), p 118). Furthermore, Fiorina et al (2004) have argued that inclusion and achieving high standards are not necessarily mutually exclusive goals, with some schools achieving both (p 115). Stephen and Cope (2003) have further elaborated on the interpretation of inclusive education, drawing distinction between the individual model where the deprived pupil is seen as ‘the problem’ (p 274) to be moulded into the school system, towards a social model of inclusive education. The social model acknowledges that there may be individual characteristics of the child that need to be considered, but also consider the possible institutional and operational barriers that hinder children’s entry and integration into infant schools. In their study, children from middleclass homes were supported by parents when they started infant schoolboy practising numeracy and literacy at home, and through more proactive involvement in school activities (p 273). Gallannaugh and Dyson (2003) have conducted a study of 25 practitioners working in three English LEA’s to assess what ‘inclusive education ‘development was possible in schools, and make sense of school responses to the inclusion agenda. Some teachers reported confusion over what ‘inclusive education’ was, since many official sources of information focussed on inclusion of children with special educational needs only(p 1). However, most teachers saw ‘inclusive education’ as provision for all children who were at risk of underachieving within the educational system, a version of inclusive education that is compatible with New Labour’s ‘social inclusion’ agenda ensuring that all members of society participate in the opportunities and activities of mainstream society (Blanket, 1999). A definition of inclusive education that attracted consensus amongst the teachers was â€Å"a set of broad values which we understood to be inclusive, and which we articulated as a commitment to equality, and increasing participation of all children (rather than one or other marginalised groups) in common education† (p 2). In synthesising research papers on social class related to early education, it is apparent that the term ‘social class’ has been interpreted in different ways by different authors. Sammons (1995) has highlighted that some researchers have attempted to â€Å"identify and separate the effects of different combinations of disadvantaging factors, noting that whilst not additive there is evidence of cumulative disadvantage (i.e. experiencing one factor such as low social class or low income on its own is less closely associated with low attainment than experiencing both these factors)† (p 467). Furthermore, Sparks (1999) has classified the different interpretations as including children from low income households, parental unemployment, paternal/ maternal occupation and inappropriate housing environment (p 10). She has examined research studies that look at each of these aspects, but only a few studies specifically examine the age range of 0 to 7 years. Pupils coming from a low income household, as indicated by eligibility for free school meals, appears to have marked effect on educational achievement at the age of 7 years and above (p 14). Furthermore, West, Pennell, West and Travers (1999) have shown that receipt of income support benefit by the household accounted for 66% of variance in educational achievement at a local authority level (p 10). Sparks (1999) has stated that â€Å"non-school factors are a more important source of variation in educational achievement than differences in the quality of education that students receive† (p 9).However, there is a broad consensus that schools can counteract some of the effects of social deprivation through inclusive educational practice. Indeed, empirical evidence suggests that schools have an independent effect of between 8% and 15%, and school effects are greater within the primary school sector (Reynolds, Sammons, Stoll, Barber et al, 1996 (p 140)). In the UK, research evidence on the effects of pre-school education are mixed (Sparks, 1999, p 12). However, research studies have indicated that when children receiving nursery education are compared to those receiving no nursery education, pre-school experience has a positive impact on achievement in national assessment tests at the age of seven (Sammons and Sees, 1998, p 400).However, poor families may not have access to quality services in areas where demand for nursery services is high. Middle class families, however, may have the advantage in that they can turn to the private sector provision where necessary. Smaller studies have shown an association between social class and early pupil attainment. However, stronger evidence is supplied by McCullum (1993) who compared aggregated Key Stage One results for local education authorities in England, against measures of social class obtained from the 1991 Social Census. This study clearly showed that social class, as evidenced through the number of social class 1 and 2individuals in the local population, showed a statistically significant and positive relationship with the Local Education Authority’s Key Stage One test scores, across all LEA’s sampled (p 95). Furthermore, Thomas (1995) has also shown how free school meal entitlement, and special educational needs, were strongly correlated with performance at Key Stage One (p 280). More recently, Sammons (1995) has studied 2000primary school children longitudinally at 50 ethnically diverse inner-city schools over a 9 year period. The children were monitored from the ages of 7 to 10 years. For the purpose of this report the results will be reported for the youngest of the cohort. The main purpose of the study was to assess primary schools effectiveness at developing cognitive and non-cognitive educational outcomes amongst children. Detailed records were kept on every child’s background characteristics such as ethnicity, socio-economic status and gender. For the purpose of the study, social class was measured as father’s occupation, and eligibility for free school meals. There were statistically significant differences in absolute attainment at ages 7, and above (p 479), with the biggest effect being in reading rather than mathematics performance. At 7 years, receiving free school meals accounted for just over 7% of variance in reading test performance, while having father working in an semi or unskilled profession accounted for 14.5%of variance, and having a father who was unemployed accounted for8.35%. However, for mathematics test performance, free school meals accounted for just 1.3% of variance, and having a father in a semi/unskilled profession accounted for 4.22% of variance while having father who was unemployed at the time of the study accounted for 2.57%of variance (p 471). This study was based on pupils attending primary schools in the decade of the 1980’s, and prior to the onset of the National Curriculum. It is the only longitudinal study of its kind that has been published using a British school population. With high statistical power afforded through the sample size, it is possible tube confident in the results. However, research studies are required that adopt a similar design but that are carried out now that the National Curriculum is an established format of educational provision within primary schools. Studies are also required that examine more dimensions of social class than the ‘outdated’ paternal occupation, and free school meals eligibility. In 1998, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority introduced a National Framework for Baseline Assessment for all pupils at the start of their school careers. The baseline assessment is a structured series of questions designed to assess pupils’ English ability, in terms of oral, reading and writing ability. In addition, early mathematical understanding is measured through a series of questions that require teachers to judge the ability of the child. Strand (1999) has studied the results of baseline testing of over 11,000 four year old children prior to their entry to primary school reception class. The data cover the period of 1993 to 1997, and are based at Wandsworth Local Education Authority in London. The results indicate that there are significant variations in baseline test score achievement based around a range of background factors such as age of child, gender, ethnicity and economic status. Measures of interest to the present literature review are length of preschool education by the pupil and entitlement to free school meals, which is the surrogate measure of social class used for baseline testing. Measures of attainment collected by the study were the LARR (Linguistic Awareness in Reading Readiness) test of emergent literacy and the teacher checklist described above. The results show statistically significant, strong correlations between school entrants on baseline measures and their subsequent overall Key Stage 1 achievement, in the region of 0.6 or above. Furthermore, the test battery are highly predictive of both English and Mathematics achievement in Key Stage 1 assessments in the individual subjects, with correlations in the region of 0.55 for mathematics, 0.55 for reading, and 0.49 for writing. The combination of the LARR objective measure of literacy, and the teacher checklist, together make the best overall indicator of later achievement for the children, compared to either test in isolation. Amount of preschool education received by children also significantly predicted Key Stage One achievement in all subjects. Furthermore, children in receipt of eligibility for free school meals were noted to score, on average, over five whole points less than their peers on baseline tests. Their mean scores were 29.7 (SD 11.4) compared to 34.9 (SD 12.2) for non-entitled children (p 20). In a further study, Strand (1997) tracked the educational progress of1669 Wands worth school children who had completed baseline assessments during 1992 and 1993. He considered the important of school effects, which is importance to social class considerations in the sense that schools are located in specific catchment areas that can be defined according the level of deprivation in the local community. The same assessment materials were used for this study as in Strand (1999). The pattern of achievement described for children eligible for free school meals at school entry was one where they started below other peers, in terms of baseline testing, and gradually fell further behind as time went by; as reflected in their Key Stage One performance (p 479). Composite measure of school effects of child performance at Key Stage One was taken to comprise of seven factors including gender ratio of school population, proportion of pupils with eligibility for free school meals and percentage of bilingual school pupils. Strand (1997)found that where there was a high rate of free school meal eligibility, this was one of the statistically significant factors, along with gender ratio and proportion of ESL pupils in school composite effects. â€Å"These compositional effects are significant even after each individual pupils baseline scores, sex, FSM entitlement and ESL background have been taken into account† (Strand, 1997, p 479). This means that school performance as a whole, as well as individual pupil progress, would appear to be associated with the proportion of free school meal claimants in the school population. Indeed, â€Å"It can be hypothesised that schools with a low proportion of socially disadvantaged pupils may have some benefits associated with their context: they may receive greater help from parents, have fewer disciplinary problems or an atmosphere more conducive to learning† (p 485). Buchanan-Barrow and Barratt (1998) have considered how young children understand school, and how this is affected by socio-economic factors, along with gender and birth-order. They suggest, â€Å"The school constitutes, in microcosm, a multifaceted and multi-layered society with an extensive and complex system†¦in order to operate successfully in this system, the young pupil needs to acquire an understanding of the connections between such important system-concepts as rules, roles, power and community† (p 250). A total of 112 children were included in the study from the age of 5 and upwards, at two primary schools in London. The first school had a free school meal ratio of 3% and was therefore broadly classified as a middle class school. The second school had a much higher free school meal ratio of 49% and the intake population was largely working class. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires, and the children were interviewed about their understanding of the power structure in the school, and their attitudes towards their school. In general, young children had the most positive attitudes towards school of all children studied. Furthermore, there were no differences in the attitudes towards school by socio-economic class, but there was a significant correlation between child and parental views on the school. The importance of the head-teacher in the power structure was evident in the responses of all children, butane understanding of the purpose of the class teachers was patchy until the middle primary years. The researchers closely examined the responses of the children at both schools for social class effects on comprehension and understanding of the school. At the middle-class school, the responses of the children followed general age trend patterns where children’s knowledge and understanding increased with years. However, for the working-class school, the pattern of responses were more complicated. Children were much less likely to discuss the role of parents, and children in the organisation and function of school compared to children at the other school. This suggests that children are not feeling ‘included’ in school, with a strong sense of membership that children often report at the middle class school (p263). Examination of parental responses to the questionnaire revealed broadly similar responses between schools, but working class parents reported feeling more welcome at the school than middle class parents. As Buchanan-Barrow and Barratt (1998) have suggested, â€Å"Since middleclass parents are likely to be readier to take issue, more assured of their ability to achieve their aims and better equipped to make their feelings known, it might be expected that the staff might be more wary of their interventions and less warm in their welcome. On the other hand, working class parents, without the same sense of empowerment, maybe seen as less threatening† (p 263). This is an important study in that it reveals age-trends in children’s understanding of school, and their place within the power structure and function of the school. According to Piaget cognitive theory, age-related differences in understanding are to be expected, as a combination of increased cognitive abilities with age. However, constructivism alone does not explain the individual differences in responses. The age related findings in the children’s responses may not be due to developmental changes in cognitive ability alone. In particular, social-interactional factors may have an important contribution to children’s understanding of the school, with parents, teachers and children’s interactions about the school being mediated by the age of the pupil. A social representation perspective would emphasise the individual differences in responses according to social class, gender and so forth (Elmer and Hana, 1993). However, this study showed that the acquisition of social knowledge and social understanding was more individual, than collective (p 265). Gallannaugh and Dyson (2003) have provided a useful detailed case study of how inclusive education can work at improving primary schoolchildren’s educational achievements. They collected data from one primary school (‘Broad mead’) in an urban area, primarily serving families of the local council housing estate where the eligibility for free school meals was above national averages. The school decided to address the specific issue of underachievement in writing ability during Key Stage assessments. The school had identified a group of middle ability school pupils who were failing to meet national expectations. School staff did not feel that poor teaching maybe the cause of the problem, and many teachers cited specific and concerted efforts by teachers to improve writing standards using a range of teaching strategies. However, â€Å"the school’s response to the problem was to problematize some of its existing practices. To some extent, this appeared to be a result of the realisation that customary practice simply did not ‘work’ in the sense that despite all efforts to hone teaching skills, the school had apparently reached a ceiling in attainment† (p 3). The school had moved towards a more experimental approach in the curriculum, and included new teaching strategies to help pupil learning such as thinking skills techniques. However, the actual underlying purpose of introducing a specific intervention was unclear, with more emphasis on anxiety about school performance compared to national standards, as opposed to inclusion for all. Nevertheless, it represented a departure from standard practice. Over the course of the project, the experience of implementing new approaches and of their impact on children’s learning led teachers to rethink their ideas about educational/ personal outcomes that are important to children. The original aim had been to improve achievement standards in writing, but the intervention had also appeared to impact on child self-esteem, learning in other subject areas, and educational confidence. The teachers reported that they valued these additional attainments in their own right amongst their pupils. Teachers had identified that the children had very limited learning techniques and strategies, and had therefore decided to focus on teaching children how to learn, in parallel to the curriculum subjects. When the research team interviewed teachers about why they felt their pupils had struggled in writing skills, it was generally felt that the critical barrier to raising all aspects of literacy was due to the fact that children entered school with very limited language skills that affected their access to most subjects. The head teacher felt that ‘catch up ‘once they started school was insufficient to counter the effects of poor literacy environment at home, and lack of family communication about education at home. This lack of preparation for school was complicated by local cultural factors such as socialisation of boys from working class households into the role of the ‘northern lad’ who was expected to behave stereotypically, and not necessarily express an interest in education. In summary, â€Å"some children came to school from families where education was not valued, with limited experiences, and(particularly in primary schools) limited language skills† (p 5). Gallannaugh and Dyson (2003) provide two competing perspectives on the work at Broad mead primary school. In one sense, teachers were willing to implement new teaching strategies as they had ‘internalised’ the demands of the national curriculum and school assessment system, but also the characteristics of working class children that make them deficit (p 7). This could be regarded as anti-inclusive practice since it aimed to socialise working class children into middle class ideals. However, an alternative perspective on the work at Broadmeadis that the school resisted the pressure and constraints of current educational policy, and found time to try out alternative learning strategies, which children self-reported as beneficial. Furthermore, teachers’ deficit view of the working class children was increasingly challenged as they were equipped with new skills to allow them to demonstrate their true abilities. Conclusion Recent Government policy has moved towards emphasising inclusive education, particularly in the early years. However, there is a danger that policy will remain mere ‘rhetoric’ unless there is evidence based research to provide teachers with practical skills to provide equality of opportunity for their pupils. Research studies have consistently shown that working class children are regarded as the ‘problem’ that must be adapted to the middle class educational environment of the infant school classroom. However, a social model of inclusive education that acknowledges individual difficulties in adaptation, as well as institutional barriers to learning maybe a more constructive approach. Teachers working within English schools are constrained in the classroom by their need to meet national curriculum requirements, and achieve required standards from their pupils. Conversely, teachers recognise that some children enter infant school poorly prepared forth demands of formal education through their home backgrounds, and require additional support. Implementation of special strategies to enhance the language, communication and thinking skills of children, such as at Broad mead school, maybe one solution. However, children of lower social class backgrounds may require long term intervention if ‘inclusive education’ is truly ‘inclusive’ throughout their school careers. This literature review has revealed the lack of research studies to support teachers’ implementation of effective strategies to promote learning amongst young children from deprived backgrounds. To date, research studies have concentrated on identifying the size of the discrepancy in performance between school pupils. The next step is to develop longitudinal, vigorous research programmes within English infant schools to inform evidence-based teaching practice. Furthermore, there is a need to explore the concept of social class, and how it affects young children, in more detail, and to understand how it interacts with other risk factors such as English as a second language. Sparks (1999) has shown that factors, such as social class, are associated with educational attainment, amongst young children. However, it is less clear about what aspects of social class are causal, and not merely correlated (p 10), and there is a need to investigate the specific aspects of social class that maybe associated/causing educational difficulties for children. References Barnes J, Balky J, Broomfield K, Sana D, Frost M, Melhuish E and the National Evaluation of the Sure Start Research Team (2005)Disadvantaged but different: variation among deprived communities in relation to child and family well-being. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46.9, pp. 952 – 962. Blanket D (1999) Excellence for the many, not just the few. CBI Presidential Address 19 July 1999 (DFEE, London). Buchanan-Burrow E and Barratt M (1998) Individual Differences in Children’s Understanding of the School. Social Development 7.2, pp250-268. Elmer N and Hana J (1993) Studying social representations in children: just old wine in new bottles? In G Break well and D Canter (ends)Empirical Approaches to Social Representatives (Oxford University Press, Oxford). Fiorina L, Rouse M, Black-Hawkins K and Jull S (2004) What can national data sets tell us about inclusion and pupil achievement. British Journal of Special Education 31.3, pp. 115 -121. Gallannaugh F and Dyson A (2003) Schools understanding of inclusion: issues in inclusion and social class. (British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Edinburgh). Geertz S (2001) Cloning the Blair’s. Journal of Educational Policy 16.4, pp. 365-378. McCollum I (1993) Testing Seven Year Olds – performance and context. Population Advice Note, pp. 93-101 (London Research Centre, London) Reynolds D, Sammons P, Stoll P, Barber M and Hillman J (1996) School effectiveness and school improvement in the United Kingdom. School Effectiveness and School Improvement 7, pp. 133 – 158. Sammons P (1995) Gender, ethnic and socio-economic differences in attainment and progress: a longitudinal analysis of student achievement over 9 years. British Educational Research Journal 21.4, pp. 465-485. Sammons P and Sees R (1998) Measuring pupil progress at key stage one: using baseline assessment to investigate value added. School Leadership and Management 18.3, pp. 389 – 407. 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