An interview with Mexican immigrant student Assignment

An interview with Mexican immigrant student - Assignment Example One of the motivations was the fact that the quality of education in the U.S is excellent compared to Mexico. The seriousness and resources committed to education in the U.S is quite commendable, and this was a major motivation to pursue education in the America. When I came to the U.S, my mastery of the English language was below average. One of the conditions was to have an excellent command of the English language, and this prompted me to join the English Institute to learn the language. I had to learn, and that was quite understandable because most of the lessons are taught in English. In the event, that a student has a poor understanding of the language, failure in the class is the resultant factor, and so I had to learn the English language. There were a number of challenges experienced while learning the language. Communication was a problem because I did not understand some of the English vocabularies effectively affecting my level of comprehension. Coping with the class was a problem in the initial stages. I would say the learning process was successful and quite satisfactory. The teachers understood that I was an immigrant and gave me more attention, and this was an added advantage in so far as learning is concerned. I am by nature a reserved person and socializing with people is a problem sometimes. However, I had to learn to mingle with the rest of the students. Interacting with other students made the learning process relatively easy because I learned some of the things from them. There are a number of difficulties and challenges because one has to learn English as a prerequisite for admission. Moreover, some teachers do not recognize the immigrants as special groups effectively making learning a struggle to some extent. Americans have an excellent reading culture and so many times you find them reading either an inspirational book or story

Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Corporate Strategy - Essay Example .W.O.T analysis shows the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company and the external opportunities and threats in conjunction to the environment in which the company operates (Stimpson Peter,Farquharson Alastair, 2010). Primarily, Dyson Private Ltd.’s main internal strengths of are its human resource of the company, which consists of highly professional fleet of engineers and scientists including Sir James Dyson himself. Secondly, the company has an edge as a resultant of the cost saving which was achieved when the operations such as an introduction of a manufacturing assemblies being established in Malaysia, most significant strength of the company lies with the quality of products it offers to its customers. On the contrary, the weaknesses associated with Dyson Pvt. Ltd. are the remoteness of its operation in Malaysia that is the cost of transport incurred and the communication problems in Malaysian corporate culture restricting effective communication. Moreover, the external factors resulting in future opportunities and hence success for the company is the potential of customers in the global market for its promising products, similarly the continuous research and development of new prototypes and designs. External threat for Dyson Private Limited is mainly the competition from the home country and foreign countries, the main competitors for Dyson vacuum cleaners are Kerstar (Kerstar, 2014), which also like Dyson Co provides a large range of vacuum cleaners with alternative variations, such as dry vacuum cleaners, wet and dry dwarf vacuum cleaners, industrial vacuum cleaners, carpet vacuum cleaners and others. However, Kerstar’s pricing strategy is penetration pricing strategy, as per renowned UK ranker website (Brandes, Werner, 2014), Dyson Pvt. Ltd. ranks number 1, and for this reason, Kerstar uses this pricing strategy. Another major competitor confronted by Dyson Private Limited is the Big Brute Co (Big Brute, 2004). Big Brute Co. of fers a wide

Value Added Services In Logistics Operations Marketing Essay

Value Added Services In Logistics Operations Marketing Essay Logistics is a procedure to optimize all activities to ensure the delivery of cargo through a transport chain from one end to the other. The comparative efficiency of a countrys trade logistics chain is of vital importance in enhancing competitiveness of its industry and commerce. In this regard, international differences in trade logistics efficiency determine in large extent the efficiency and sustainability of the economies. In developed countries such as the U.S. and Japan, logistics costs are about 10 per cent of GDP. For some less developed economies, these costs exceed 30 per cent. Moreover, these differences among countries appear to be widening. According to the European Logistics Association, the logistics costs in relation to annual turnover can amount to more than 30 per cent in the food industry, 27 per cent in the metal industry, 23 per cent in the chemical industry, 15 per cent in the automotive sector. The percentages may differ from country to country and industry by industry, but many of the critical cost factors are influenced by public policy. The logistics chain consists of activities that facilitate the movement of goods from supply to demand. As many such activities require the use of ports, port authorities have taken a particular interest in the various port activities involved in logistics. Logistics costs are not limited to costs consumed in carrying out logistics activities. Rather, they should be understood as all costs input into a given logistics system for the provision of logistics service. According to the US Department of Transportation, logistics is defined to be the method that service groups position themselves to perform activities such as transportation, warehousing, inventories, information processing and customer relations. Advanced logistics is the term used when the firms make use of technologies and permits to reduce costs by substituting large inventories, multiple warehouses and customer service outlets with transportation, e-commerce and just-in-time deliveries. To reap the benefits of advanced logistics, firms have restructured themselves in relation to transporting of goods from one point to another and improving infrastructure. During the 1970s typical logistics functions focused on traditional physical distribution activities, including the movement and storage of finished goods between the producer and consumer. Those specific functions were identified in the 1985 A.T. Kearney study of logistics organizations as outbound transportation, logistics administration, intracompany transportation, logistics control, finished goods field warehousing, and logistics systems planning. These activities were eventually determined to be quite narrow in terms of meeting customer needs. Therefore, they provided the foundation for broader interpretation of logistics, which led to inclusion of various activities like the processing of orders and development of customer relations, finished goods plant warehousing, finished goods inventory management, and inbound transportation. The third phase in this evolutionary process was identified to include logistics engineering, production planning, sourcing or purchasing, raw mater ials or work-in-process inventory management, sales forecasting, and international logistics. This evolutionary process moves logistics from its traditional physical responsibility to an integrative value added role in the business. As logistics becomes more important in an organization, it encompasses more functional areas within a single responsibility center to provide more coordination and more highly integrate the logistics channel. Because of the evolution of the logistics operations, its responsibility travels further back through the supply chain to the raw material source. When logistics operations is linked with manufacturing operations, it can be seen that the aspects of manufacturing activities with logistics operations activities address the common underlying foundations that contribute to the value of the products and services offered to customers. According to a study conducted by Frost Sullivan in 2009, about logistics operations in ASEAN countries, it was found that Singapore accounts for the lowest percentage of logistics as a part of total sales at 8 percent while Indonesia has the highest at 19 percent. According to this 2009 study, Malaysia and Thailand accounts for 17 and 12 percent, respectively. It has been noted that the high logistics costs may be attributed to inefficiency in operations. The inefficiency may be linked to the lack of trained man power and inadequate support to facilities and infrastructure, which has led to the slow flow of cargo and distribution of goods. Based from this study it can be deducted that an efficient operation is due to the presence of trained professionals, high quality and an array of logistics services offered and an excellent infrastructure and communications or information system. As of present date, studies have shown that transportation is the largest contributing factor to the cost acquired by most companies. Currently, the primary reason of most consumers for engaging in a third party logistics provider or what is known to be a trucking service is to enhance the efficiency of logistics operations through professional intervention. Engaging in a trucking service also has its cost advantages and thereby acts as a cost saving move for most companies. An arrangement with a logistics company also provides the consumer the ability to focus on other concerns such as their own competency and reliability. It is no surprise therefore that the main criterion evaluated by most companies engaging in this service is the cost savings factor. There is only Malaysia that evaluates the services offered and the condition of the equipments when choosing their logistics service provider. Meanwhile, it has also been found out that across ASEAN countries, technology is the least considered factor. On the other hand, it can be noted that the most efficient country in logistics operations, Singapore, is heavily focused in the communications area. This countrys most influential consideration factor is the network coverage employed by the logistics service provider since Singaporean companies are main players in the international market. Technology wise, there are sixty percent of consumers adopting technology are heavily rely on warehouse management and the bar coding system. On the other hand, transportation planning system and vehicle tracking system are yet to be embraced by more than sixty percent of the end-users. The use of the smart labeling system or RFID for public vehicles is still low. The adoption and usage for RFID or smart labeling system are still low mainly because of the high cost of implementation and the less mature technologies across South East Asia. Among all the activities in logistics operations, transportation is the most utilized activity accounting for more than seventy percent of end users outsourcing such logistics activities to service providers. Freight forwarding comes to a close second to transportation followed by inbound warehousing accounting for more than fifty percent. On the other hand, processes like the packing and labeling of goods and management of fleet are the value added services that are most utilized. DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS Value Added Services (VAS), which is loosely defined as a collection of specific requirements mandated by customers involving additional processing of a product or an order beyond the simple picking of the product for an order, is an especially common practice in the retail supply chain and is estimated to consume +10% (and growing) of total labor hours. According to Logistics Managements 2nd Annual Warehouse Operations Survey, 80% of respondents are dealing with some form of VAS in their DCs. This was confirmed during in-depth interviews conducted by Distribution Digest for our report on Automated Case Picking (ACP). Value added services are offered by the logistics companies in order for customers to benefit from their full use and application. This may include anything from routine maintenance and customer technical support; to customization and application training; to real-time inventory management and state-of-the-art channel support. It refers to the process of developing rela tionships with customers through the provision of an augmented offer, which may encompass many aspects of value-added activities. Value added services are aimed at ensuring that special requirements of customers are met and that product is received as ordered. These services are integrated with logistics operations through a global network of agents and coordinated at either point of origin or final delivery location. These services may include: complete shipping documentation from start to finish; cooperation with convention/trade show coordinator; pickup and delivery of time definitive freight; unpacking and setup assistance including the removal of packing materials; repackaging of materials at end of trade show; pickup and return; logistics consulting; performance reporting and distribution services. Through out the years, an evolution to the terminologies relating to the consumer has been witnessed in the logistics industry. Logistics initially gave birth to the concept of customer relations which represents the combined output of the various processes in logistics. Eventually, end products of marketing and logistics activities were connected to customer relations to create customer satisfaction. Most recently, the concept of customer success has been introduced to link the service provided by the firm not only with the satisfaction of the customer, but with the success that the customer realizes in attaining its organizational objectives. Since, transportation, warehousing and freight forwarding are activities that are most likely to continue in the next 2-3 years, there is an increasing trend for consumers to look for companies that can supply value added services. The value added service employed by the logistics companies are created through the eyes of the logistics executi ve. It is critical that the strategies and tactics used influence the perception that the customer has of the organization and has the potential of transaction creation during the short term as well as the long term. Therefore, the logistics executives perception of value is directly linked to the firms ability to satisfy the customer. This can result in customer satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to a positive attitude by the customer towards the service provider. The value of the logistics service provided is measured by an assessment of the logistics executives perception of how customers perceive the service provided by the firm and how they react, or respond to this service. This measure, called customer reaction, include the level of perceived satisfaction with the existing service levels, whether customers are inclined to reduce or increase their business with the firm if the service levels change relative to their expectations, and whether customers can recognize change s in the service levels provided by the firm. These days, the commercial success of a logistics operation could stem from a productivity advantage in traditional cargo-handling service, from value-added service, or from a combination of the two. Productivity advantages come mainly from economies of scale and economies of scope, suggesting that the most productive ports will be those that are equipped to handle large cargo volumes and significantly reduce unit costs through efficient management. Shippers and carriers select individual ports not only based on their cargo handling service capabilities, but also on the benefits they are capable of delivering. Unless a port can deliver benefits that are superior to those provided by its competitors in a functional aspect, customers are likely to select logistics providers based merely on price. This fact raises the question of how to one logistics company can stand out from the rest of the companies that are in the market or what is known to be value differentiation. In the 1970s, almost every logistics company provided the same basic package of services to almost every customer. Nowadays, however, it is more difficult for service providers to compete on the basis of cargo-handling service. There has been a convergence of technology within cargo-handling service categories. This means that though new technology may sometimes provide a window of opportunity for productivity improvement, in many cases that same technology is also available to competitors. It is no longer possible to compete effectively on the basis of basic, traditional functions. Thus, there is a need for logistics service providers to seek out new means of gaining a competitive edge. The late 1980s saw the emergence of major changes. Consumers began to ask service providers to provide a greater variety of services. Providing value-added services is a powerful way for logistics companies to build a sustainable competitive advantage. Shippers and customers are becoming increasingly demanding. Customers now tend to look at value-added logistics services as an integral part of their supply chain. As a result, service providers must attempt to satisfy these needs by offering differentiated services. This poses a particular challenge for logistics operators in the industry. Studies show that the most successful logistics service providers are those that not only have a productivity advantage in cargo-handling services, but that also offer value-added services because operators who do not provide additional services are indistinguishable to their competitors. Although there have been researches that have found that there continues to be a need for operators to provide the basic, traditional cargo-handling function and that there continue to be many customers for such services, it is clear that, in the future of the logistics operations industry, there will be fewer ports that prosper only in this area. Rather, we will see the dominance of superior service leaders that possess both a productivity advantage and a value-added service advantage. Logistics companies that provide value-added services are on their way to becoming the more superior logistics company. The advanced ports around the world have continuously emphasized the function of logistics centres mainly due to the high degree of global production and the need for value added services. These trends in international logistics strongly suggest that the trend toward value added services is likely to continue into the future. Currently, the logistics discipline continues to revolutionize itself with the adaptation of various e-business practices and forms of just in time delivery. The nature of these adjustments may result to more single package deliveries requiring additional transport services. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS Therefore, for logistic operations to have an edge, it is recommended that logistics companies incorporate valued added services to the array of services that they provide in a matter that is cost efficient. There is also a need for service providers to be able to offer services of high quality and as well as cost reducing solutions. Service providers must also take a closer look at the activities in operations and ensure that there are no repetitions of activities for maximum optimization. The elimination of redundant activities results in more efficiency and cost reductions. Providing trainings for inexperienced personnel is also vital in achieving maximum customer satisfaction in the future. The ultimate output of the quality effort by the logistics organization should be through the customers reaction in the market. This reaction is continually perceived by the logistics executive in the form of individual customer sales, business in specific traffic lanes, changes in facility in ventory levels, or changes in the volume of customer complaints to the customer service department. However, the simple truth is that when you are processing thousands of cases an hour and shipping dozens of trailers per day, there just isnt a lot of time for value added services, especially that which doesnt provide real benefit. In the end engaging in value added services is a business decision. A customer can be told that the service provider can do just about anything they want, but the customer must also know that its not free. Value added services make the services provided by the logistics service providers more expensive. The customer needs to gauge how important it is to its business. Sometimes retailers are surprised that their requests dont add any value. As an example, in a certain logistics company, one Vice President of Operations, described a situation where an existing customer ordered standard 12 packs last year, however this year all their orders were in 6 packs. The Operations VP went back to the customer explaining that when youre handling 80,000 cases verses 40 ,000 there is a big difference in handling and processing cost. That particular customer understood the logistics cost impact for the DC, as well as for them, and immediately changed their Purchase Order back to 12 packs. Still, for some companies the consequences of value added services have been more frequent shipments and in smaller quantities, forcing many of them into piece-pick operations where they had previously been a full case-based pick. Or, at the very least, having to open full cases to apply tickets and other paperwork and then manually applying a special shipping label.    If it is determined that the cost absorption for a specified value added service is too great, the logistics company has the option to try and work out a deal with the customer to obtain waivers, or in some extreme situations refuse to comply. On the other hand, a major component of an efficient supply chain is getting everything done on the first touch. Therefore, it can be logically argued that in many cases moving value added services upstream to the manufacturing level is moving it in the right direction. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢

Child Abuse: An Inexcusable Crime Essay -- Violence Against Children

Child abuse occurs in families of all different social classes and of all different cultures. According to the Heritage Foundation, abuse and neglect of American children has increased 134% since 1980 ("The Child Abuse Crisis†). No excuse for child abuse exists. Children are among the most defenseless group of people in society, and to harm those who are defenseless is simply unacceptable. Abusers may make excuses for their actions or even deny they are harming the child, but they are wrong. Child abuse causes significant damage to the victim’s physical and psychological health, the victim’s behavior and social skills, and society as a whole. The most obvious form of child abuse is physical abuse, which involves physical harm or injury to a child (Smith and Segal). While physical abuse can come through the form of neglect, inaction on the parent’s part is not the only issue. Other common examples of physical abuse include actions such as the following: Chocking, shoving, pinching, spitting, hair pulling, arm twisting, pushing into or pulling out of a car, banging someone’s head, pinning against a wall, punching, attacking, and even harming to the point of death. According to Dr. James Kent, there are four different categories of physical abuse; these categories are termed â€Å"flashpoint,† â€Å"spare the rod,† â€Å"you asked for it,† and â€Å"who needs it.† The term â€Å"flashpoint† refers to the parent’s need for psychotherapy to address the root of the problem. The â€Å"term spare the rod† refers to the parent’s need for help in learning altern ative discipline methods. The term â€Å"you asked for it† refers to the parent’s need for help in actually managing the child’s behavior and the need to address the parent’s or parents’ lack of economic stability.... ...buse Suffer Long-Term Consequences." Family Violence. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect." 2008. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. "Emotional Abuse." Emotional Child Abuse – Definitions of Child Neglect and Other Emotionally Abusive Behavior. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014. Grapes, B. . Child Abuse: Contemporary Issues Companion. Greenhaven Press, Inc., Print. National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. "Poverty Is the Leading Cause of Child Abuse." Child Abuse. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Child Abuse and Poverty." Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. Smith, Melinda, and Jeanne Segal. Ed. Lawrence Robinson. â€Å"Help Guide,† Aug. 2013. Google. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.

Are you writing a dissertation? Essay

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Mauritius, Social Housing: Social Movement and Low Income Housing in Mauritius Essay

Social Housing Social Movement and Low Income Housing in Mauritius Abstract: The Republic of Mauritius has been a model success story in both economic and social progress among both the African nations and the whole world. Despite many odds, the country has made tremendous economic progress and has succeeded at the same time to uplift significantly the living standards of the population in general. This paper gives an overview of the matter of the low-income housing in Mauritius. The first part of the paper gives the economical background and the evolution of the social movement in Mauritius. The second part introduces the current housing conditions and the situation of poverty and low-income groups in Mauritius. Finally the strategy of social housing is discussed. The Mauritius social housing strategy is discussed in terms of the changes in the institutional structure, and policies. Then the types of social housing and their financing are introduced. Keywords: Mauritius; Welfare State; Social Housing; Low Income Households AUTAR Bhotish Awtar | | Matric No: 2011280122 | Masters Candidate Tsinghua University | School of Architecture | Department of Urban Planning Please submit any feedback to bhotish@hotmail. om Submitted to: |dengweizyh@mail. tsinghua. edu. cn | Submission date: 17th June 2012 Introduction At independence, Mauritius did not appear predestined for the progress that followed. Challenges included: extreme cultural diversity as well as racial inequality; power concentrated in a small elite (of French & British colonial descendants); high unemployment; and high population growth. The country suffered from an economic crisis throughout the 1970s, was remote from world markets and was commodity dependent. It also exhibited low initial levels of human development. Nobel Laureate for Economics, James Meade even said in 1961, as quoted below: â€Å"It is going to be a great achievement if Mauritius can find productive employment for its population without a serious reduction in the existing standard of living†¦ The outlook for peaceful development is poor† Despite multiple factors stacked against it, Mauritius has achieved stellar progress in economic conditions, and has been unique in its ability to take advantage of privileged access to international markets to develop in a sustained and equitable manner. This has been enabled and complemented by effective poverty reduction and equitable improvements in human development. These achievements have been made by means of: a concerted strategy of nation building; strong and inclusive institutions; high levels of equitable public investment in human development; and a pragmatic development strategy (Vandemoortele, 2010). This success against all odds was coined as the ‘Mauritian Miracle’. In independence year of 1968, the country’s GDP per capita was US$ 2601, and in 2010, the figure rose to around US$ 14,0002 in 2010. Comparatively, in 2010 the average GNI per capita (PPP) for Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 2,1083. During the same period of 1968 to 2010, population rose from 787,000 to 1,281,0004. In 2011, an expectancy of life of 73 years5 at birth and the country had a Human Development Index (HDI) score of 7. 26, compared with an average of 4. 6 in the Sub-Saharan African region. The country was also ranked highest on the Earth Institute’s World Happiness Index among the Sub-Saharan African countries7, leaving behind Botswana and South Africa, other regional economic champions. Socialist movement in Mauritius Mauritius is a welfare state. It has a comprehensive social security system for the whole population and various other social protection schemes. Education is free from primary to university level, with 1 2 Source: IFAD, 2005 For 2010, GDP per capita (PPP) of US$ 14,194, according to IMF, 2011 World Economic Outlook, and GNI per capital (PPP) of 13,960 (units International Dollar) according to World Bank, 2011 3 (units International Dollar) according to World Bank, 2011 4 Figures for population for Republic of Mauritius is from various open source, such as Mauritius CSO, World Bank and other online open data sources. Source: UN Statistics, from WorldBank. org 6 Source: http://hdr. undp. org 7 Mauritius Ranking 64th out of 156 countries with 5. 5 points, on a 0-10 scale, 0 being extremely unhappy and 10 being extremely happy compulsory education up to age of 16. Health care including tertiary care, like heart surgery) is also free. Basic foodstuffs (rice and flour) as well as housing for lower middle-income group are heavily subsidized. Income support is provided to household with low income. The government provides nnual grants to a number of NGOs that cater for the specific needs of handicapped persons and vulnerable groups (Deerpalsingh, 2011). There are also price controls on some other commodities such as cement, petroleum products, bread, onions and edible oils. The state plays a key role in social welfare and security. In fact, expenditure on community and social services attracts the largest share of total government expenditure. The percentage out of total government expenditure spent on health, education, social security and welfare, and housing, over the period 1980 to 1988 averaged 43% and by 1999 was as high as 52%. Preferential access to markets in the European Union and the USA has facilitated this strong welfare state (Bundoo, 2006) The construction of a comprehensive welfare state in Mauritius did not emerge out of a smooth and steady process. Each of the three episodes of welfare reform – the formal introduction of noncontributory old-age pensions in 1950, family allowances in 1962 and social insurance in 1976-1978, were borne out of long-periods of deliberation and procrastination from the colonial officials (Phaahla, 2000). It took riots by unorganized sugar estate workers in the late 1930’s and strong trade unions today, to obtain and maintain a particularly socialist environment in the country, despite, a very open and capitalist market economy in Mauritius, it has been succeeded to preserve a considerable labor protection and benefit to the workers. In the more modern times, the social movement is directly related to the democratic governmental system. Around every five years general elections are held, and the public’s voting of a certain party is very sensitive to the economic and social conditions of the country. In many instances in the history, after independence, the government has been ‘overthrown’ out of office, as sanction voting by the population, due to bad economic and social performances. The most popular example, would perhaps in the 1982, elections when the government in office, with the ‘father of the nation’ as the head of the country, faced the worse possible defeat. This was because the unemployment and other economic and social indicators were all in the red. In terms of social services, Mauritius has been practicing a s ‘five pillar’ model as advocated by the World Bank in a report in 2005. But, it is worth noting that the five-pillar system in Mauritius was completed as far back as 1994. So, Mauritius had already been implementing the social model for 11 years (Deerpalsingh, 2011). Providing decent shelter for low-income groups has been another major social priority of the government. In the face of the rising price of rented accommodation, the government initiated projects for the construction of working-class flats in different parts of the country. The National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) was set up in order to expedite large-scale construction of low-cost housing. House ownership grew from 66 per cent in 1983 to almost 93 per cent in 20018. Current Housing Conditions To understand the access to housing to the low income household, it is important to understand the general housing condition of the Mauritian. This helps in explaining the ownership policies and housing types that are provided to those who have financial difficulty in possessing a shelter comparable to his fellow countryman. With around $ 14,000 per capita GDP (PPP), Mauritius currently has a relatively high housing quality. In the 2011 Housing survey, it was noted that around 89% of the building stock in the country were residential building (with 85% wholly residential). Of which, 77% were separate housing units, 12% were semi detached or apartment types and 5% are mixed residential-commercial. In Mauritius, traditionally the houses are self-constructed by assigning small contractors to the job, who solely rely on their experience and owners design expectations. For medium and large projects, bigger contractors and construction specialists like architects and engineers are employed. The construction of houses were 92% of concrete walls and roof, 3% concrete walls and iron sheet roofs, and 5% were made out of wood and iron sheets. Although the human settlement patterns in Mauritius is quite dispersed, in terms of basic amenities, almost all (more than 99%) of the houses were connected to nation electricity grid and water systems. 96% of all the housing units had running water in the bathrooms and had modern flush toilets facilities. 8% had their waste collected regularly by municipality or other authorized companies. Almost all the housing units in Mauritius are privately owned, 99% in 2011, among which only 12% were reported to be mortgaged. An astonishing low percentage of 0. 3% of housing units was reported to be public housing in the same year. In terms of the tenure rate of the housing in 2011, 89% of the residents were owner of the hous e they were living in, compared to 8% who were renting or sub-renting. Another 3% were living for free in the housing provided by relatives or employers. It is interesting to note that the average monthly rent in 2000 was Rs 2,300 and increased to Rs 4,400 in 2011, however after adjustment for inflation, the housing rent actually remained the same as 2000. Poverty in Mauritius In 2010, the National Empowerment Fund that was created in 2005 to reduce poverty had enumerated around 70009 households in 225 regions of the country. These represented the families that were most in need of social help. But, the definition of poverty in Mauritius is quite versatile. 8 Bundoo 2006, p175 Exactly 6983 families that lived under national poverty line; According to NEF, Poches de pauvrete, downloaded from http://nef. mu 9 Using the poverty line $1. 25 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) per person per day, and data from the 2001/02 and 2006/07 Household Budget Surveys, the proportion of poor people in Mauritius is estimated by the Central Statistics Office to be below 1% in both 2001/02 and 2006/07. For developing countries like Mauritius, the $2 a day poverty line is more relevant. Even, using this line, the proportion of poor people is estimated to be less than 1. % in 2001/02 and 2006/07 household income surveys. So, the concept of ‘extreme poverty’ (as internationally defined) is not used in Mauritius. Instead, the concept of ‘relative poverty’ is used. Relative poverty is assessed using data collected at Household Budget Survey (HBS) and a relative poverty line defined on the basis of median household incomes. Household income c omprises income from employment, property, transfer, income from own produced goods and services and imputed rent for non-renting households. Data published by the CSO in the 2001/02 and 2006/07 Household Budget Surveys indicate that the percentage of households having income below the half median increased from 13. 1% in 2001/02 to 14. 3% in 2006/07. Average monthly household income for the poor is estimated at Rs 7,055 against Rs 22,242 for all households. The poverty line was fixed at Rs 3,821, which is the half median monthly income per adult equivalent. So, the official figure for poverty in Mauritius in 2007/07 was 26,400 households, or 7. 9% of the total 335,000 households in Mauritius. This concerned 8. 5% of the national population. From the 2007 Poverty Report, it can be also seen that 55% of the total government expenditure went to ‘Community and Social Services’. Monthly public transfers (social security benefits paid by government) derived by the poorest decile group of households was estimated at Rs 1,367 per household in 2006/07. Public transfers for poorest decile represented 22% of their total household disposable income against 2. 4% for the richest decile. Public transfers were found to be significant on bringing down poverty; it is estimated that if public transfers would have been discontinued, the overall household poverty rate would be 15. % instead of 7. 9%. Characteristics of Low Income Household Understanding the particularities of the poor or low-income households, are very important to know their economic strength and lifestyle. This would help to understand the type and cost of social housing that is offered to them. Again, in 2006/07, the average of ‘low income’ hou seholds in Mauritius was calculated to be around Rs 7,000 (compared to Rs 22,200 for all household), with an average expenditure on Rs 6,500 (compared to Rs 14,300 for all households). 1% of the income came from paid employment, 24% from government support, and the rest from self-employment and odd jobs. In terms of employment, where the national share of employment by sector in 2006/07 was as followed: Primary sector- 9%, Secondary sector- 32% and Tertiary sector- 59%; the structure was a little different for the poor families, as followed: Primary sector- 21%, Secondary sector- 37% and Tertiary sector- 42%. So, it can also be noted that the poorer people were more dominant in agricultural and manufacturing industries, and less present in the service industry. This explains partly, their low income. This phenomenon is also related to their level of education. The study has shown a very clear correlation with the distribution of income and the education level of members aged 20 and above. The higher the incomes, the proportion of the members having passed the primary and secondary education are larger. The share of expenditure on basic items such as food, clothing and housing over total expenditure was 65% for poor households, against 48% for all households. Figure 1 shows the detail expenditure of the poor against all households. It is interesting to note in the report that the average monthly loan repayment10 was Rs 1400 for poor housing, against Rs 4,353 for all indebted households. The highest loan repayment for poor households was on housing11. Figure 1: Expenditure habits of poor households, 2006/0712 As mentioned above, according to the 2010/11 Household survey, 8% who were renting or sub-renting. In 2006/07 the figure was 8. 4% for all households, but for the poor households, 16. 7% were renting their housing. The rest owned their houses or were provided free by relative or employer. The average poor household had a size of 4. 0 members, however the house had on average 3. 7 rooms, compared to average of 3. 7 members with 5. 2 rooms for all households. The amount poor households 10 11 Including, loans or purchase on credits, for housing, furniture, electric appliances, personal loans and other loans. 26% of the poor households had housing loans, which on average was Rs 2,491 12 Source: CSO 2007, Poverty Report 2006/07, p59 with two or less rooms accounted for 19%, against only 5% for all households13. There were more than one person per room in 63% of the households, against only 29% in all households14. This gives an idea of how poor households lived in a denser indoor environment than their other country man. Low Income Housing in Mauritius Strategies & Institutions Since the 1980’s Mauritius was still an economy based on mono crop agriculture. Sugar cane cultivation had been the economic backbone for centuries of colonization, and only in the 80’s the diversification help Mauritius get out of the trap. Saying so, after independence in 1968, all successive governments regularly reiterate their will to gradually dismantle the ‘sugar estates camps’, which were the housing provided by colonial estate owner to workers. It was important to do so, as they remain powerful physical and psychological symbols of the sugar plantations hierarchy of the 19th century. A study in 1990 revealed that there were still 125 such estates in the country, and on the basis of finding long term alternatives for such residences, the government put pressure on the sugar estates, to phase out these camps and develop housing programs for their workers. The options offered were either to resettle the workers on an alternative site, out of the master’s property, or to sell the land and house to the current resident on the estate (UN, 2000). As seen above, the poor are usually less educated and work in agriculture. And since the structuring of the sugar industry 15 in the last decade, more and more of these people are losing their job, and because of age and education level, they cannot find other jobs. So, an early retirement scheme, worked out by all concerned parties and government, and involves giving a lump sum and a plot of residential land to the worker. The land given to the worker, are usually sugar plantations16 that have been converted to residential with basic infrastructure of road, electricity and water supply. This helps in reusing the abandoned agricultural lands and reduced the pressure of cash reward to the estate companies. In 1983, the house ownership in Mauritius was 66%, and then it rose to 76% in 1990, rose again to 87% in 2000, to reach a high 89% in 201117. Although official figures indicate a very high rate of owner-occupiers compared with other countries, these figures hide other quite serious problems of housing which may culminate into a crisis in years to come if some issues are not addressed in time Social housing programs for low income groups which had begun in the 1960s, gave way to a new housing strategy based on cost recovery through the setting up of a public company, The National Housing Development Company Limited (NHDC) in 1991 (UN, 2000). 13 14 Author calculation from CSO 2007, Poverty report 07, table 4. Author calculation from CSO 2007, Poverty report 07, table 4. 7 15 which currently contribute less than 4% of the GDP and less than 8% of employment 16 Since restructuring, large areas of sugar plantation have been abandoned by the sugar estates 17 Various Source, Boodoo 2006 for 1983 & 1990; 2011 Housing Survey for 2000 and 2011 Until 1991 the Central Housing Authority (CHA) was responsible for the task of building and administering of the low income housings estates. Medium rise apartment type buildings were built and let to the low income groups. The system was not successful at different levels. Firstly, most of the units were rented to low income households, instead of been owned. So, rents were sometimes not been paid, and the residents paid little attention to the built environment. This lend to a rapid degradation of the buildings and amenities. Secondly, although targeted for low income earners, the middle income group could somehow buy the apartment units. Thirdly, due to the deplorable design and soft policy, the CHA estates turned into undesirable living places where social problems grew. In 1991, the responsibility of providing low income housing has been passed the newly established National Development Company (NHDC), and the CHA was renamed the Housing Management Unit (MHU), which just left to administer these estates and collect rents. Another important institution was restructured shift to be noted during the same period. Since its creation in 1963, the Mauritius Housing Corporation, was governmental body was responsible to create housing for the middle income class, while the CHA was doing the same for low income class, financed by loans through the Mauritius Agricultural Bank18. In 1989, the Mauritius Housing Corporation (MHC) was incorporated and renamed the Mauritius Housing Company Limited, which then was more like a bank, to cater better to the need of the housing demands. Then the new MHC, no longer deals with the construction and policy of the social housing, it provides soft loans to those below a certain income level, and started the Plan Epargne Logement, PEL (in English, Housing Savings Scheme), that offer exceptional loan rates to anyone, who would deposit money in MHC bank. Nowdays, the MHC has developed into a one-stop shop for all need of housing services. In additional to loans, it deals with the providing of architectural, structural, legal, technical, insurances and project management services, at nominal or free of charges. Prior to 2006, the social housing responsibility lied solely within the hands of the government. But, as the demand was growing and the government could only built around 900 units a years, with a waiting list of 25,000 housing units, the private sector was called to participate through various PPP (publicprivate partnership) projects. The aim was to raise the rate of construction to at least 1500 yearly19. Another interesting fact is that as from 2009, the government established a policy of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that requires profitable private companies to invest at least 2%20 of their profit, into social help, like donation to NGO, or other social and environmental programs, including housing for the poor. The CSR is the concept whereby companies act to balance their own economic growth with the sustainable social and environmental development of their areas of operation. A company performing highly in CSR is one that goes beyond compliance with the legal framework to actively pursue positive impacts on local communities and its environmental footprint. 18 19 Source: Mauritius Housing Company Ltd, website: http://www. mhc. mu/mhc/; retrieved June 2012 Speech of Minister of Lands and Housing, March 2006 20 Source: NEF, http://www. nef. mu/csr/, retrieved June 2012 Low Income Housing Types and Finance Up to date, there are five main players in the housing sector. They are the Commercial Banks, the Insurance Companies, the Mauritius Housing Company Ltd (MHC), the National Housing Development Company LTD (NHDC) and the Housing Division of the Ministry of Land and Housing (Joseph, 2007). The role of the commercial and insurance companies is to offer housing finance facilities, in addition of their usual core activities. However, the other three players have a very important role in the provision of housing to the general public of Mauritius, but to especially the low and lower middle income group. Even if the government continued to build some apartment types housing, single housing or duplex types were more and more practiced. These types of housing created a better environment for social diversity and were more inclusive in term of equality. It should be noted that in Mauritius, these units are not built in large numbers, but in small numbers between 50 to 100 units spread all over the island. This is due to the availability of land for development and the concentration of poverty in the region. The spread of the social housing and its small numbers help social integration and the balance of the local diversity. Currently, these locations are mostly located in the rural area, as part of the National Plan to increase rural population and develop and reduce the burden on the already dense urban regions. Figure 221 shows an example of a type of social housing units that NHDC are building with the help of the Export-Import Bank of China. Site Bois Mangue St Pierre (Circonstance) Dagotiere Highlands Bambous Montagne Blanche Mon Choisy Cottage La Cure Notre Dame Pointe aux Sables (A & B) Pointe aux Sables (C) Units 108 72 52 84 148 100 98 52 120 60 128 70 21 Source: Ministry of Lands and Housing, retrieved June 2012 Rose Belle Camp Levieux Trou aux Biches Mahebourg Total 76 152 76 78 1474 Figure 2: Example of 1474 housing units scattered into 18 sites around the island. The ‘Firinga Type’ is the one most currently built for the lowest income groups. These are semi-detached units of 40m2 each. It provides for bathroom with toilet and a kitchen table with sink. There are better duplexes types that are constructed for lower middle class. Some houses are spread on two stories and have 2-3 bedrooms with balconies. As the types of housing vary from one income group to another, the financing to these group are not the same. As for the Firinga units the interest rate is fixed at 6. 5% per annum, for other types, the finances vary according to the cost of the housing and household income (that is total income of husband and wife). The current loan scheme from the MHC is as below: For household earning up to 7,500 per month: ? ? ? Long term credit repayment period up to 20 years, depending on the age of the applicants; Subsidized rates of interest of 6. % during the first five years, 8. 0% during the next five years, and 10. 0 % during the remaining years of the repayment period; and A non-refundable Government grant equivalent to 20 % of the gross credit amount subject to a maximum of Rs 30 000. For households earning more than Rs7 500 and up to Rs 10 000: ? ? Long term credit repayment period up to 20 years, depending on the age of the of the applicants; and Subsidized rates of interest of 10 % d uring the first five years, 12 % during the next five years, and 14 % during the remaining years of the repayment period. And finally for those earning more than Rs 10 000: ? ? Long term credit repayment period up to 25 years, depending on the age of the of the applicants; and Rates of interest of 13 % during the first five years, and 14 % during the remaining years of the repayment period. To protect those in the most needs, there are strict eligibility criteria to obtain a NHDC unit like they should not be owner of a housing unit or of a plot of residential land, have made regular contributions o a PEL savings account for a period of at least six months; and priority is given to applicant that reside in the region where the house has been constructed. It should be noted that, in order to relief the burden on the government to provide affordable housing, the MHC provide loans at favorable rates to low and lower middle income applicants who want to construct their own house or want to buy a plot of land. A subsidy for the concrete roof construction, which is considered one of the most expensive parts of the construction, and to prevent the houses have iron sheet roofing. Conclusion: We have seen in this paper that the social movement has been present since before the independence and the movement was stronger after the independence, by the pressure of strong trade unions, and the strong democratic system, where the public opinions and demands could not be undermined. In the welfare state of Mauritius, the government has done greatly in terms of policies and investment to provide decent housing not only for the poor, but also for the less poor. In 2011, the housing ownership approached the 90% and the private sector was also made part into the responsibility to provide housing for all Mauritian, in the way the Mauritians like it. The institutional and financial structure in Mauritius is quite mature after evolving for around 50 years now. It is important to note that Mauritius has a large lower middle and middle class population and that housing benefit are also given to them, in terms of favorable loans rates, and subsidies. References: Websites: Mauritius Housing Company Limited, MHC: www. hc. mu Ministry of Lands and Housing, Housing Division: www. gov. mu/portal/site/housing/ National Empowerment Fund, NEF: www. nef. mu National Housing Development Company Limited, NHDC: www. nhdc-online. com Literature: Bundoo S. K. (2006); Financial and Trade Reforms and Impact on Poverty and Income Inequality: The Case of Mauritius; from Pro-Poor Macroeconomics- Potentials and Limitations, Chapter 8; edited by Cornia G. A. CSO (2009) ; Poverty Report 2006/07 CSO (2011); 2011 Housing Census Main Results Deerpalsingh N. 2011); Access to Social Services for Non-Citizen and the Portability of Social Benefits in Mauritius; From Assess to the Social Services for Non-Citizen and the Portability of Social Benefits within the SADC; Chapter 3, edited by Mpedi L. G. & Smit N. Joseph Mathew (2007); Mauritius Housing Company Limited; AUHF AGM Conference, 17th -21st September 2007 in Ghana Ministry of Housing and Land (2006); Speech of Minister A. Dullul; Government Social Housing Projects on a Private Public Partnership Basis; on 1st March 2006 Phaahla L. E. (2000); Development with Social Justice- Social Democracy in Mauritius; Master’s Thesis presented at Stellenbosch University United Nations (2000); Common Country Assessment, Mauritius; Office of the UN Resident Coordinator, Mauritius, May 2000 United Nations Habitat (2004); Human Settlements Country Profile, Mauritius Vandemoortele M. and Bird K. (2010); Progress in economic conditions: Sustained success against the odds in Mauritius; for Overseas Development Institute

Jean Piaget theory on child development Essays

Jean Piaget theory on child development Essays Jean Piaget theory on child development Essay Jean Piaget theory on child development Essay Jean Piaget theory on child development Piaget was a psychologist who developed interest in children’s intellect. He worked with Alfred Binet and later came up with a theory on cognitive development of children. This theory explains cognitive child development. This type of development entails changes in cognition processes and capabilities. According to this theorist’s view, early development in cognition includes processes founded on actions. Later on, it advances to changes in mental activities. Piaget states that adults are not intelligent than children. The difference is children have a different way of thinking. This observation amazed Albert Einstein because people would not see its simplicity. Piaget came up with some concepts of this theory. Some of them are schemas, which is the description of mental and physical activities included in knowledge and understanding. The schema contains knowledge and its method of acquisition. When children encounter experiences, the new knowledge is added, or schemas change. For instance, if a child only sees a kitten he or she will tend to think all cats resemble that kitten. After he or she sees a cat, her perception will change.