Root Causes of Migration free essay sample

These and other types of events displace millions of people across the globe every day. Since the mid-twentieth century, however, the nature of migration has also become largely influenced by globalization. Advances in communication and transportation technology have driven globalization forward, allowing us to live in a world where distances between countries and travel time are no longer as significant an obstacle. * In this age of migration and globalization, the worlds economies have become more integrated. As a result, it is now common for migrants to send remittances to their home country and, not surprisingly, many developing nations depend on these funds. Overall remittances sent in 2004 totaled 226 billion dollars and remittances accounted for approximately 20 percent of GDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haiti, Jordan, Lesotho, the Republic of Moldova, and Tonga. [1] * Additionally, disparities between developing and developed nations have accelerated with globalization. In 1900, the ratio of the average income of the five richest countries in the world to the 5-10 poorest countries   was about . We will write a custom essay sample on Root Causes of Migration or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Today that ratio is 100:1. 2] These disparities among countries combined with limited opportunities for employment that provides high enough wages to care for ones family has stimulated increased migration from developing to developed nations. * During 2000-2005, the more developed regions of the world gained an estimated 2. 6 million migrants annually from the less developed regions. As a result, undocumented immigration from Mexico has risen from 332,000 since 1993 to 530,000 in 2000a 60 percent increase since the passage of NAFTA. [5] * Big corporations in the United States have also gladly taken advantage of cheap labor, sending labor recruiters into economically depressed areas of Mexico, Central America, and elsewhere. This pattern of behavior has existed since this countrys formation. War and Governmental Oppression Map: Major Countries of Origin of Refugees (End-2008) Source: UNHCR 2008 Global Trends The end of the cold war saw a shift from inter-state conflicts to a dramatic number of intra-state conflicts. * From 1990-1995 over 70 states were involved in 93 wars that left 5. 5 million people dead. [6] Nearly all of 60 refugee flows studied in the 1990s can be attributed to internal conflicts. * The persistence of genocide throughout the 1990s has contributed substantially to the number of refugees and internally displaced persons. The involvement of developed countries through weapons trade have prolonged conflicts and made them deadlier. Government oppression and brutality in countries like China, Iran, El Salvador, Cambodia, Somalia, and other countries that have tortured, detained, and killed its citizens have also contributed to refugee flows. [8] * Most recently, the U. S. war on Iraq has created well over two million refugees who have no home. [9] * In 2008, there were 15. 2 million refugees and 827,000 asylum-seekers (pending cases). There are a number of pull factors that draw people towards countries like the United States to seek a better life. * Aging populations and low fertility rates in industrialized countries have resulted in a decline in replacement workers entering the workforce, while also creating greater demand for service-sector jobs and low-skill employment. * Developed countries like the U. S. have come to rely on immigrant labor to fulfill their labor needs and will need to so even more in the future as the country faces a mass retirement of baby boomers. Also, consider that the average per capita income in Haiti is less than $400 per year-in the United States, an undocumented day laborer could potentially earn that much in just one week. [12] * In the absence of a livable wage, access to credit, insurance, or social welfare benefits, the value of migration is greater than its hardship or potential for exploitation. In other words, for most people in desperate situation-as the factors above have illustrated-migration is worth the risk.

Personal Goals Essays

Personal Goals Essays Personal Goals Essay Personal Goals Essay I have made several goals and aims that I feel I should meet in order to gain a profit and to help me to run my business successfully. My main aim is to find a local vacant business site and make recommendations on the business idea. I could develop this local business site into my business. Afterwards if all the planning looks reliable I will go ahead with my ideas. I want to open a business that is prosperous and can make me have my own personal satisfaction. Personal Goals My personal goals are to be able to feel content with the outcome of my business. I want to bring a new trend of clothing to British people, especially young youths. With the money made I want to be able to settle down and start a family. I also want to provide the consumers wants and needs. Plus have a good relationship between my employees and customers. I felt that I was motivated by the youth in my society. I know that the youths are craving for these materials after conducting some interview this was the most desired shop. I know for a fact that the things would sell to the youth of my community. Also have always wanted to work for myself and be my own boss. I find it less hassle once my business gets of the ground to work for myself than have the hassle working for someone else. My personal aim is to make new friends and new contacts I would like to leave the business when it is successful to my children. Business Aims I want to be able to maintain a steady profit margin in while running my business. I need to make sure that the launch of my business is well promoted and advertised to the public. Be able to borrow sufficient money for my business from a bank loan. I want to be able to provide a good service to my customers and make them feel comfortable. I want to be able to pick the right location. I would have a sales promotion to try and encourage customers to buy from my shop. I want to be able to expand my business when the time is right. I want to be able to situate my business in a part of London. I would also install changing rooms and security men because it would be tempting to buy from my stall. But this will be useless if I didnt find a vacant local business site. My main business aim is to find that site with the right location. Then make recommendations pertaining to the site and the business. It is essential that the location I choose is legitimate because if I buy a premises and the price is to high or not enough customers pass by there. The before I start my business is already doomed. Methods of arriving at my aims If I want to fulfil my aims there are certain procedures I have to take into consideration. I would need to carry out some research into my chosen field to try and find out what my potential customers want. I would find my data by conducting a field research to gain customers views. I will use questionnaires as my tool for my research. It would provide facts and figures that are up to date, appropriate and specifically on what I want to find out. The disadvantage is that it is expensive to collect, I may get a low response rate and I need a large sample size to get an legitimate result. To have a good relationship with my employees I would be polite and courteous towards them. Like no other job I would make them look forward to coming in to work. I am going to definitely use Abraham Maslows motivation theory, which is: Methods of arriving at my aims To make certain that the local public know about the arrival of my business and it location I will need to advertise my business. Since I dont have a lot of money to spend I would advertise locally first then expand. But for the time being I will advertise on a local radio station. I would consider the time as well, I would want to put my message on when potential customers would be listening. For example I want young youths so I would put my advertisement on what they would be listening to. I wouldnt put it on when the classical music program is playing. To find out what youths listen to I would ask them that in my questionnaire. Also I would set up some posters to give an visual effect. Most people may not know what I am going to sell. The poster would have some sample clothing of what I would sell in the shop. The potential buyers would see it and would want to have it and be able to see more. My adverts would be persuasive and try to convince the consumer that they need this product to look cool. They would play on peoples fears and vulnerabilities and cause desires that didnt exist before. In order to keep customers coming back regularly I would use the pricing strategy of skimming. I would charge a high price for the product first which would attract people with large incomes. When the product has been established I would then lower the price to make it a mass-market product. The customers would feel they are getting a bargain and buy the product. Also after a few months when the sales start to reduce I would introduce discounts to the products. When the price decreases the quantity of demand would rise. These clothes would become a substitute to the other expensive clothing that is worn. I will also sell current cool clothes to attract the customers. Also there would be a constant piece of advertising in my front window. A manikin would be placed in front of the shop window displaying some clothing. This method is known as point of sale advertising. In order to pick the right location I need to consider how customers can travel to my store. Is it easy to get to? The easier it is to get to and the more noticeable it is the more customers I would receive. I would try to make the store as modern as possible to make it appeal to the young youths. I would also play music in the store that they would be into to help them feel more welcome and relaxed. My Business Objectives It is a necessity for my business to have understandable and clear objectives in for my business to run according to plan I need objectives and goals to set. An objective is anything that the business wants to achieve. The reason I am opening a business is because I want to be able to provide a different style of clothing to the youths of today. I also would like to feel independence that comes from being my own boss. I intend to meet new people and make new companions. I want my store to be diverse according to the other stores. I want to be able introduce new trend to the society. I would investigate the chosen area to see the crime rates and the transport and communication links. Also I would research on what other shops look like selling products similar to mine. It would help me accumulate more information about what features modern shops have. Which would result in better ideas. I anticipate that the average product life cycle of my products would be like this: My main business objective is to make a substantial profit, which would allow me to pay the bills and be able to have some money left over for me to live off. I need to be able to fulfil my needs which are food, water, warmth, shelter and clothing. An additional objective would be to supply the clothes that the public demand from my business. Also my turnover should always be greater than my expenses.

An Investigation Into the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Among Veterans Essay Example for Free

An Investigation Into the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Among Veterans Essay There are numerous issues facing American veterans returning home from war, both past and present. They are taught how to transform themselves into different people who are better adept at performing under severe war-zone stressors. They are prepared physically and sometimes mentally for what they will be entering into on foreign territory but not often enough for the challenge of re-entering civilian life. Soldiers are falling through the cracks in our system upon returning home, shown through an increase in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse among veterans. Two theories that I will be exploring in this paper are Conflict Theory and Phenomenology Theory. There is more conflict everyday over what our troops should be doing and why. Any doubt of following the path to become a soldier is critiqued as going against the protection of our country, yet once they come out the other end of this journey the supported soldier is gone and in its place is either the glorified hero or sympathized victim. The phenomena of PTSD can create confusion for everyone involved. There is rarely a great understanding of a soldier’s mind and how it interprets their experiences into reactions after war. These experiences have a real effect on their lives and how they care and handle themselves after war. The way society has constructed what a soldier should represent does not include asking for help and makes them appear weak when if they show vulnerability. This issue is important because even today with easier access to treatment, many veterans today won’t or can’t seek out help. To many it is easier to turn to substance abuse to self-medicate and erase confusion from past experiences. In the book Fields of Combat, stories are told of how soldiers are trained to kill and understand that to be a true soldier you must accept you own death. Author Erin Finley describes what it is like for soldiers who came home and developed PTSD, and puts their experiences into a social and cultural perspective. She paints a portrait of PTSD to reveal to readers that there is no comprehensive way to understand or experience it. â€Å"As an anthropologist, I find the web of tangled arguments over PTSD fascinating because these conflicts are in many ways about the nature of war-related suffering itself† (Finley, 2011). She describes how to understand PTSD, we must listen to the experience and concerns of the veterans before we can begin to help them. The Conflict Theory can be applied to many aspects of a veteran’s life, the individual, their families, communities, and organizations around them. These troops return home without knowing how to integrate back into society. The families who should be overjoyed about the safe return of one of their members are displaced without having proper resources to help their loved ones mental health. They are not given the same stress and trauma training the soldiers is given, nor do they know of the experiences causing change in the soldier. There is not often enough knowledge available to the family of what it will be like for the family to have a soldier return home and can be caught off guard by what the soldier will experience upon return. Communities are affected by having one of their members experiencing side effects of war form attempting to re-enter the work force to social events and even the death of such troops of veterans. There is much debate about how war is handled in t he United States. It is generally agreed upon that protection of American citizens is of importance, but from there on out there is little agreement among groups. When thinking about this debate I cannot help but recall driving up to an intersection in my hometown and seeing picketers on either side of the street. Pro-war protesters held signs on one hand that said â€Å"FREEDOM IS NOT FREE† while anti-war protesters fought back with signs that reminded drivers of the ever-growing death toll of soldiers and civilians. Each side questioning the motives behind the other, from wasting America’s resources to question one’s loyalty to America. While these groups have different interests about sending our troops off to war, they should be able to come together when the troops return in order to offer services to help return to a life as normal as possible. From a Marxist view, veterans can be seen as an exploitation of the government by using the troops to their advantage and profit. While the troops are deployed the government basically owns them, but when they return they must often fend for their own mental and physical well-being. Capitalism has created a class division in this case. The bourgeoisie of our government sit back passively and brush off the symptoms of PTSD as a common experience expected after war. The most common symptoms of PTSD for veterans are thoughts of suicide, domestic violence, substance abuse and panic attacks. These symptoms would cause concern from anyone else but they are brushed under the rug for veterans because it is simply assumed that war experiences will have these kid of severe affects on those exposed. To critique the theory that a small elite group is responsible for deploying troops, we must acknowledge that many groups with similar interests come together to enable war to take place. Propaganda is imposed among society from interest groups on either side of the fence on war. Troops do not simply decide to pack up and head overseas to kill people, nor are they currently forced into deployment; it is their choice to enlist. The people in higher government position who can declare war do not just wake up in that position, they are elected there by the people of this country knowing, for the most part, what views they stand behind. This theory is consistent with social works ethics because it represents the working class and wants to bring consciousness to those who hold power and how we can reduce conflict, ignorance, and inequality. In the book, David Grossman tells readers how soldiers killing patterns have changed over time. During previous wars years ago soldiers were more reluctant to kill and fired their weapons more as a warning instead of a kill shot. The Army has since taken steps to increase the percentage of shorts fired to be directed at the actually enemy. Since it was shown to have be easier to get soldiers to kill from a distance instead of up close, machines were provided to allow for distance physically and mentally. The soldiers are basically be dehumanized to be better weapons to the government. He refers to this as Acquired Violence Immune Deficiency, where people have such a fear of what they are experience that their brain reverts to classical and operant condition, which the government has replaced by weakening the part of the soldier that does not want to kill and inserting the actions they prefer. This action represents yet another way that higher ups are using soldiers as their own material resource, in context to the Conflict Theory. The exploitive subordination of soldiers allows the government to profit by actually influencing how the soldiers think. The government understands that changing the social behavior of a soldier will lead to more power over them and their actions. This theory would show clear winners being the government who benefits from soldiers subordination and the soldiers who suffer. In contrast, you cannot presume that every action the ruling government takes over soldiers is for their benefit alone. The actions, while not always moral, are taken to protect the entire country. Treatment is provided for returning soldiers, even if it is not know or easily accessible to all. The emphasis is not solely social control but consensus and conformity. To go to war is a decision made by different group, not only elites, and a general agreement must be reached before actions are taken with soldiers or deployment. Soldiers are not forced into employment; they conform to the position because their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors are similar to those around them in the Army. In the article by David Zucchino, it tells about a soldier who opened fire from his home without warning because he felt he was under attack. This event took place after he received inadequate treatment for PTSD after being diagnosed at â€Å"high risk† for the disease. He was sent to a prison that did not offer him any further treatment for PTSD since they were not affiliated with the military. He is one of the many veterans that has not being given proper treatment after being diagnosed to be at rick for PTSD and ending up in civilian prison where they cannot access further help. He is now left in prison where his symptoms and condition will only worsen. From the Phenomenology standpoint we would look at expectations of his experience to understand and describe this phenomena. Looking at what appears to be instead of reality, his subjective experiences show emotions he is not fully aware of. His actions, like those of other veterans, stem directly from past and present sensory experiences and cannot defined the same way for each person. The appearance of returning veterans is seen as this joyous moment where they step off a plane in to the loving arms of family and are then forgotten about by most of the culture. Families and communities are left to deal with the veteran’s actions without knowing the driving forces behind their appearance of their actions. The government sees what it wants to see and transfers that to the public. We are shown this ideal soldier who is deployed to protect us and comes home a hero, which our consciousness retained as a singular memory of a soldier. That is what society wants to believe about war because our consciousness does not want to identify killing, death, and destruction with our freedom or it would not be as easy to ship off members of our own community to their impending death. Once they return they are given a pat on the back for a job well done and turned over with the intention of re-entering a community as a normal member once again. We define the content of our consciousness as making this place, America, better by using an object, the soldier, to do so. â€Å"Central Prison has done a good job of treating Eisenhauer’s physical wounds† (Zucchino, 2012). We treat what we can see, but leave what we do not understand unattended. In this theory we can only see one side of the situation at a time, and we are stuck on this glorified soldier but cannot combine with him the vulnerability and confusion he returns home with. In critique to this theory, there are things outside of our memory and consciousness that do exist. Just because we cannot fully grasp what is happening to these veterans does not mean that it is not happening. They are sent essentially sent to another world to deal with hardships and are thrown back into reality without being reprogrammed. There are not always theoretical structures that will allow us to understand the phenomena of what the veterans will go through. References Carter, A. C., Capone , C., & Eaton Short, E. (2011). Co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorders in veteran populations. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 7(4), 285-299. Finley, E. P. (2011). Fields of combat: Understanding PTSD among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Grossman, D. (2009). On killing: The psychological cost of learning to kill in war and society. New York: Back Bay Books. Levinson, N. (2012). What really happened to america’s soldier, The Nation. Retrieved November 20, 2012 from http://www.thenation.com/article/168652/what-has-really-happened-americas-soldiers# Litz, B., & Orsillo, S. M. (2010). Iraq war clinician guide . (pp. 21-32). Department of Veteran Affairs. Retrieved December 1, 2012 from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/manuals/manual-pdf/iwcg/iraq_clinician_guide_ch_3.pdf Stecker, T. (2011). 5 Survivors: Personal stories of healing from PTSD and traumatic events. Center City: Hazelden Foundation. Zucchino, D. (2012, June 24). Accused soldier is a prisoner to ptsd; believing he was under attack by insurgents, he started firing from his home. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on December 1, 2012 from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uvm.edu/docview/1021854523/13AE8FF837D23A623BE/7?accountid=14679 An Investigation Into the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Among Veterans. (2017, Feb 13). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Social Media Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Media Project - Assignment Example The topics circled to address customer trust issues are wide ranging from the employees, product launch and customer service. However, the core problem identified is the customer care and after sales services as highlighted by the selected posts below. The negative perception by customers makes one wonder why Wal-Mart is still the largest retail chain in the world. A key profit determinant would be improvement in the public relationship area for it would multiply their current earnings based on the obviously large number of dissatisfied customers which must be the fraction enjoyed by its competitors. No. Date Feedback 1 12th 04/2012 Webersouza Flamengo: Always admired Wal-Mart till it came to Brazil and got hired. Disappointed because it segregates customers and employees according to its own preference. He was fired. 2 11th 04/2012 Kimberly Smith Higashi: Wal-Mart had a grand opening in San Jose L.A and totally forgot it’s all about customers who were neglected and felt disap pointed for attention was reserved to Wal-Mart executives and Employees. 3 11th 04/2012 Sandy H. Parker: Disappointed by Wal-Mart Online order services because her order was delayed and moved to a later delivery date and the customer care did not have courtesy to inform her. 4 10th 04/2012 Ben R. Dazzle: He claims Wal-Mart is the worst thing to ever happen in USA because it uses child labor from immigrants as well as chokes down small family retail businesses. 5 9th 04/2012 The worst store to buy a computer: Wal-Mart only cares before it gets your money then changes. Their goods do not reflect the warranties thus when defective, consumers end up suffering. Wal-Mart does not investigate the sources of its products. The above 5 posts represent a summary of 30 posts evaluated from the start of March this year to the current day. The main issues of concern can be diagrammatically represented in a pie chart as follows. The leading was dissatisfied customers from poor after sales services which included purchase of faulty products that were not accepted back in exchange by warranties and guarantees. The employees were not effective in advising the customers on how to service and maintain some of the purchased products. No one really cared after money was exchanged for a product reason being they had many more people to serve. Poor customer care was also an issue especially with regards to low effectiveness and efficiency in the customer service department. Delays and inconveniences highlighted this segment, many a times causing embarrassment to the customers. Majority vowed never to come back in these incidences. Misplaced marketing vision is best defined at new outlet launches where the attention seemed to be given to the executives and staff members thus making consumers feeling unwanted. The store also pays more attention in marketing themselves rather than what they offer to the consumers. Adverts should show a substantial content of what brings people into the stores; the products and services, rather than magnificent buildings and smiling employees. Weak employment policies refers to the child labor issues with focus on foreigners, low pay packages to employees, poor working conditions which make employees tired and thus impacting on customer interactions in a negative way. It is evident from the site that Wal-Mart has done little to explore social media options as well as collect electronic

Project Managers and Functional Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Managers and Functional Managers - Essay Example Project managers have more critical leadership challenges b. Project managers have multifaceted teams c. Project manager use synthesis, functional managers use analysis IV. Skills and competencies of project managers a. Traditional skills and competencies b. Emerging skills and competencies V. Project Managers and Functional Managers There is a greater emphasis on project management techniques in the business world today. This is because of the unique value that project management brings to certain aspects of the life of the organization that includes change management, product development, and marketing. Many businesses recognize that instead of relying on the functional managers to see specific projects through, it is better to organize such aspects under project managers. A project manager is the person who heads a team that handles a specific project that has a time limit, and which has verifiable resource limits (Flannes & Levin, 2005). Project managers participate more as team leaders than as bureaucratic entities. They normally work with cross-functional teams with members picked from various backgrounds to bring diversity to the project team. A functional manager on the other hand exists to coordinate the functions of an institution on ongoing basis. Normally, a functional manager will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department they head (Meredeth & Mantel, 2011). They tend to be in charge of departments like finance, accounts, human resource, and security, among others. It is important to note that functional managers may also serve as project managers for small-scale projects in the firm, which do not warrant the establishment of a separate project team. Normally, functional managers graduate into project managers when the need for project managers comes up in the firm. However, more and more organizations hire project managers at entry level because of the consistent nature of project operations in many companies. Most companies i n the IT and construction industries, for instance, operate under project regimes, hence they keep permanent project managers in their firms. Comparison of Project and Functional Managers There are some important similarities between project managers and functional managers. The first on is that they both manage people. More than anything else, they have a responsibility to ensure that the people under them are working towards achieving the overall aims of the organization. This makes them leaders to a varying degree in the organization. Secondly, they require technical competence in the functional role that they perform, or in the project area that they are in charge. Both types of managers need a substantial amount of appreciation of the issues that they deal with. In most firms, both managers will report to senior management of the company. Depending on the hierarchy, a project manager will more often be senior than a functional manager if the firm uses the progression described earlier. However, in other cases, these managers form part of the management team and interact t as peers. Another key characteristic that defines both project and functional managers is that they have specific tasks to accomplish. It is their role to deliver certain aspect of the organizations mandate and hence each of them answers for the tasks over which they superintend. Finally, both types of managers have resources at their disposal. The resource allocation procedures normally vary from the way departments get

Military Commissions Act of 2006. How Should Detainees Be Treated? Ess

Guantanamo Bay in Cuba houses some of the most dangerous people captured during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The people being held have been accused of committing a range of crimes. One of the most poignant and well-known features of Guantanamo Bay is the long time period a detainee spends there without going to trial. Being in the prison for an extensive period of time, a detainee is bound to be disciplined for not following orders from the guards. There are often a variety of different methods that the guards use to discipline to the detainees. Some who follow Guantanamo Bay as an institution often criticize the measures taken. What makes Guantanamo Bay an ironic place to start this journey is that it is at the center of attention of a very important and controversial law passed by Congress in 2006. The law was called the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The purpose of this law was to define the powers of the executive branch in determining how detainees in Guantanamo Bay and o ther prisons held on terrorism charges against the United States should be treated as well as define the parameters of what is a fair trail. â€Å"No president should ever be given the power to call someone an enemy, wave his hand, and lock them away indefinitely† (Military Commissions). Instead, the way detainees are to be treated is up to the country in control of the prison, not just one person. When President Bush ran and succeeded getting a second term beginning in 2005, he had more policy initiatives he wanted to put in place. One of his initiatives was centered on the idea of counterterrorism (Head). After the September 11th attacks and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security President Bush felt there should be more tools to help crea... ...eb. 08 Dec. 2011. . Kryanek, Michael. "Capital Punishment." Debates, Differences, and Divisions: The 25 Issues That Shape American Politics. Boston: Longman, 2011. 180-88. Print. "Military Commissions Act of 2006." American Civil Liberties Union. 13 Mar. 2007. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. . Roskin, Michael G., Robert L. Cord, James A. Medeiros, and Walter S. Jones. Political Science: An Introduction. Twelfth Edition. Boston, CO: Longman, 2012. Print. "USA: Military Commissions Act of 2006- Turning Bad Policy Into Bad Law." Amnesty International. 29 Sept. 2006. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. 8743-d305bea2b2c7/amr511542006en.html>.

Gagne’s Nine Events

The process of learning is an on-going event that occurs in each stage of human development. Human beings acquire a great deal of their personal qualities and characteristics through a variety of different learning methods. Through the work of educational psychologist Robert Gagne, a better understanding of learning and instruction can be found. Gagne presented the idea that there are different types of learning and that different instructional methods are needed to accompany these learning types in order to achieve the desired learning outcome.In recognizing learning as a process composed of several phases, Gagne created the Nine Events of Instruction. Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction are a series of steps to be followed during the instruction phase, often said to be necessary for learning to occur. The work Gagne produced is considered the primary research and contributor to instructional design and training.Robert Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction can best be desc ribed as an instructional design model utilized to organize strategies within a lesson. The Nine Events of Instruction include: Gain Attention, Inform the Learner of the Objectives, Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning, Present the Stimulus Materials, Provide Learner Guidance, Elicit Performance, Give Feedback, Assess Performance, and Enhance Retention and Transfer. Gagne firmly believed that effective learning involved a series of events.The instructor begins by gaining the learners attention and from there he/she will use â€Å"†¦a series of steps related to the development of learning expectations, introduction of stimuli, and recall of related ideas to move concepts from the student’s short to long-term memory† (Zhu & StAmant 2010). The events are completed successfully when the learner is able to apply what they have learned to new situations outside of the classroom. This is often seen within workplace training, where the employee applies what they have learne d in training to their job.The Nine Events of Instruction were created to work in conjunction with the cognitive stages associated with the adult learning process (2010). Prior to the development of the Nine Events of Instructions, Gagne performed an in-depth examination of learning and its conditions. The foundation for the events model can be found in his book, The Conditions of Learning. To better understand the Nine Events of Instruction it is important to examine the work documented in this book. Learning, according to Gagne, is â€Å"†¦a change in human disposition r capability, which persists over a period of time, and which is not simply ascribable to processes of growth† (Gagne, 1977, p. 3). Learning, in its most basic form, is a change in behavior. This change may be brought upon by a change in attitude, interest or value and is often due to an increased capability for some type of performance. To be classified as change it â€Å"†¦must have more than mom entary permanence; it must be capable of being trained over some period of time†¦it must be distinguishable from the kind of chance that is attributable to growth, such as a change in height or the development of muscles through exercise† (p. ). With a clear definition of learning, one can identify the ways in which learning is brought about. Gagne’s work identifies four elements having to do with learning: learner, stimulus situation, contents of memory and response/performances. For learning to take place, there must be a learner. The learner is a human being whom possesses sense organs through which he/she receives stimulation. Learning will occur when stimulus situation and contents of memory (information previously learned and stored) affect the learner in a way that his/her performance changes.This change in performance ultimately indicates that learning has occurred. It is important to note, however, that it is necessary to show that there has been a change in performance, for the presence of the performance does not always result in learning (Gagne, 1977, p. 4). In understanding learning, to its very core, Gagne concluded that there are multiple levels of learning and that each level requires a different type of instruction in order to achieve the desired learning outcome. Learning takes place throughout a person’s lifetime.In all stages of development a person learns to interact with their surrounding environments. Education at a young age allows individuals to learn basic knowledge and skills such as language and symbol-usage. Once these basic skills are acquired and education continues, people are capable of learning more specialized knowledge and complex skills that will be useful in their areas of interest. Though learning becomes more specialized and focused to the individual as they progress, Gagne determined a common ground among the many instances of learning by identifying five major categories of capabilities that hu man beings learn.The five categories are as followed: intellectual skills, verbal information, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes. Intellectual skills involves the interactions people often learn to engage in by using symbols. As their education becomes more advance, so does their symbol-usage. Verbal information is ultimately the ability to state information or ideas that have been previously learned and organized. Following this learned capability is cognitive strategies, which describes the individual as managing his/her own learning, remembering and thinking.Learning to execute movements through a series of motor acts, such as throwing a baseball refers to the learned capability of motor skills. Lastly, mental states are learned which influence the learner’s choice in personal actions which has been categorized at attitude (Gagne, 1977, p. 27 & 28). Each of these categories require different internal and external conditions. Meaning, learning distinctions a re partly internal, in which they come from the memory of an individual’s previous learning. They are also external, which may be arranged as an aspect of instruction (p. 48).For example, â€Å"†¦for cognitive strategies to be learned, there must be a chance to practice developing new solutions to problems; to learn attitudes, the learner must be exposed to a credible role model or persuasive arguments† (Culatta, 2013). In identifying the categories of learned capabilities, Gagne was able apply this information to the planning of instruction. It is important to understand the various ways in which people learn prior to planning instruction. In understanding what learning is and how learning is engaged will provide the instructor the necessary information he/she needs to address all levels of learning.This is where Gagne’s Nine Events come into play. Each step within this model creates opportunity for the instructor to incorporate various learning methods th at cover all learning types. Gagne understood that having knowledge of the learning process as well as the analysis of human tasks would be essential to designing instruction. Understanding learning and the ways in which people learn is crucial when designing an instruction plan because the instructor must know the various ways in which people learn.It is recognized that there is information far beyond what has been mentioned in this paper that accompanies the development of the Nine Events of Instruction. However, this paper serves to identify the underlying meaning of learning and how knowing what learning is, in all aspects, is important to understanding the Nine Events of Instruction. Though Gagne’s Nine Events have been specifically designed for creating instructional programs, its functions can easily be used elsewhere. As a graduate student in the Communications program I am exploring all areas of communication and hope to one day work within the Public Relations field .During my examination of Gagne’s Nine Events it was easy for me to connect his series of events for instruction to those conducted in Public Relations. While they differ in many aspects, it seemed that a variety of steps within the events of instruction could be used when developing and conducting a Public Relations campaign. Which brings me to why I chose to focus on this particular topic from our formal training discussions. Not only have we utilized Gagne’s Nine Events, on more than one account, but I have also found great interest in its functions and similarities to what I hope to be doing in the future.Designing a Public Relations campaign for a client or an organization involves a series of steps, which are general in nature but become more specific depending on the organization or client in which you are working with. Public Relations practitioners, from the start, need to understand their client in their entirety. This involves extensive research on the clien t, ranging from financials to previous campaigns and employee information. I would link this stage to the Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning step in Gagne’s Nine Events because it involves getting the client to recall information on their business or organization.Ultimately, they are recalling what they do and what they have done in order to determine what needs to be done, which ties into the objective. Public Relations practitioners also need to become well aware of who their clients audience is. Once they have determined this they need to come up with a way in which they will gain the audience’s attention, just as Gagne proposes in his Nine Events. This is often done through the use of celebrities or community leaders. Assessing performance, too, can be linked to that of what a Public Relations practitioner does.Though they are not testing a person on what has been learned, they are gathering results on what they have done which assesses their performance throughout the campaign and tells them whether or not the campaign was successful. To determine success, results are measured, quantitatively or qualitatively, and compared to the objectives. Lastly, the Enhance Retention and Transfer step in Gagne’s Nine Events can be compared to Public Relations in that they both serve to inform the individual about how the information given to them will affect them and why t is necessary to know the information. The work Robert Gagne produced throughout his lifetime has been heavily used in instructional design and training. Best known for his book, The Conditions of Learning, Gagne provided an in-depth examination of learning in all aspects of its meaning. This book served as a foundation for the creation of the Nine Events of Instruction which attends to the idea that there are many different learning levels, all of which require different instructional methods.In identifying the categories of learning, Gagne was able to produce an instructional m odel that allows instructors to engage in a variety of techniques to meet the needs of all learners. Though Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction were created for instructional design and training purposes, I have found many similarities between his approach and the work a Public Relations practitioner produces. In recognizing these similarities I was interested in learning how the Nine Events of Instruction came to be. Knowing what learning is, in all aspects, is essential to creating an instruction plan.References Gagne, Robert, M. (1977). The Conditions of Learning (3rd ed. ). New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc. Zhu, P. , & StAmant, K. (2010). An applicaton of Robert Gagne’s nine events of instruction to the teaching of website localization. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication. Retrieved from, http://ezproxy. ithaca. edu:2048/login? url=http://search. proquest. com/docview/633019743? accountid=11644 Culatta, Richard. (2013). Conditions of Learning (Robert Gagne). Instructional Design. Retrieved from, http://www. instructionaldesign. org/theories/conditions-learning. html