Discuss teaching strategies that enhance pupils' writing ability with Essay

Discuss teaching strategies that enhance pupils' writing ability with particular reference to improving boys' writing skills. Focus on at least two different genres of writing in your answer - Essay Example Though in general, both the gender find writing challenging, the differences in learning styles, and attitude to literacy, and cognitive abilities make teacher’s work challenging in the classroom to ensure delivery of equitable education. This paper gives an overview of the general difficulties faced by literacy pupils and moves on to have a closer look at boys and literacy, with specific reference to their writing skills. It also strives to suggest teaching strategies, learning resources and activities to enhance writing skills of boys in literacy classroom. National Literacy Trust (2009) says that â€Å"national tests have indicated that writing scores lag behind reading generally†. Teaching language involves four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, of which writing is of the highest difficulty level and comes at the end. This partly explains the challenge faced by pupils in any literacy classroom. Writing is a complex skill that involves critical operation of the thinking abilities that works hand in hand with the knowledge of language structure, vocabulary, syntax and grammar. It is obviously challenging to learn this complex skill of writing. Literacy and language teachers adopt various teaching methodologies and classroom techniques to develop writing skill in their students. Different tools like journals, notebooks, and group sharing strategies are widely used in the classrooms. Equal importance is also given to pre-writing tasks as much as that is given to the actual writing itself. Beyond this, revision also is insisted. In general, there are a few apparent reasons for writing being one of the challenging skills to learn. Firstly, it is a complex activity that requires the use and coordination of multiple faculties like cognitive and linguistic abilities. Also, genre-specific conventions are to be adhered to and require knowledge of the

Reflection Paper final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection Paper final - Assignment Example I believe another issue that makes the writing appealing to me is the candid manner in which Bugbee voices his doubts and uncertainties which I believe is instrumental in describing his wondrous journey of the mind and the heart while not only making him a participant in his own philosophy, but also a witness of his own processes and productions. For purposes of this reflection, I will reflect upon driving to Mexico which I find most interesting and the one that I can best identify with. The first thing that makes me identify with driving to Mexico is that while also driving I tend to let my mind wonder about things I find most pressing and more often than not, I end up agreeing that actually faithful reflection on the experience of things must resist the attenuation of experienced reality which I also believe arises from ignoring concrete realization. As a matter of fact, I can relate my life’s journey with the driving to Mexico as reading the part brings back the sobering experience of the extraordinary difficulty of coming to grips with my own beliefs while also reinforcing my belief that one should not say something that does not arise from what he believes in his heart. When criticizing what he seemed to be doing while driving from Massachusetts down deep to Mexico which made him clarify the basis of his objections, it downed on me that before clarifying the truth behind by doubts and thoughts, it is important that I take my time and deeply reflect upon the issues which would make the reflective concern to which should keep recurring. Greenwood Bugbee in the text makes a profound statement against philosophical certainty and the quest for nothing but the absolute truth. I tend to agree with the author that while it is true that confusion is not necessarily a bad thing, it is actually a natural part of human experience. I agree and believe that indeed the only aspect of life that provokes anxiety is the false notion that there exists a single path for

Analyze Psychological Impact Of Television Media Essay

Analyze Psychological Impact Of Television Media Essay The aim of this paper is to analyze psychological impact of television. This paper claims that television has mostly negative impact on our lives. Although there might be some advantages of television, we should spend less time in front of it for several reasons: television is addictive, watching television has a negative influence on our behavior, television negatively influences childrens socialization, and watching television undermines important aspects of family. First, it must be said that television is rather addictive. The average American spends about 4 hours a day watching television( Condry 31), with older adults watching the most of any age group; even teenagers, who watch the least amount of television, still spend an average of nearly 24 hours a week in front of the TV set (Condry 31). The term television addiction, according to Mcilwraith first appeared in the popular press bolstered only by anecdotal evidence, but it gained widespread acceptance among parents, educators, and journalists (371). Television consumes large amounts of people time. Addicted people watch TV longer and usually more often than they wanted and their efforts to cut down their TV watching are often unsuccessful. According to Mcilwraith, people very often gave up important activities (social, family, or occupational) just to watch television. television addiction is defined as heavy television watching that is subjectively experienced as being to some extent in voluntary, displacing more productive activities, and difficult to stop or curtail (371). Condry states that it is unclear the extent to which individuals use television, like a drug, to change their affective state (114). People certainly claim this to be the case when asked about why they watch television. Most people say they use television for escape and relaxation. They use television to unwind, and that it the reason why watching television is rather addictive (Condry 114). This ability to use television for ones own purposes, as an unwinder, for example, raises another important series of questions about the degree of choice available to most viewers. Individuals with cable, or better yet, with a video recorder, should be more able to use television as an unwinder because they have a wider selection of material to choose from. Each person knows him or herself better than any other, we know what turns us on and what might best unwind us. No one has studied it yet, but those with more choice should be better able to accomplish this than those without (Condry 115). Second, watching television has a negative impact on our behavior. Television influences human behavior because there are mechanisms whereby the content of television which can have an effect on what we do and on how we act (Condry 120). According to Condry: Part of televisions influence comes about because of how we learn (by observation and imitation), because of how we respond to certain kinds of story material (arousal/desensitization), and because of the structure of our inhibitions and the way television provides the kind of stimulation necessary to release them (121). Condry calls these behavioral mechanisms, because for the most part the influence was shown on some activity (120). Television also influences what we believe and think about the world, and it does so, again, because of our make-up, our psychology. Just as the behavioral effects have behavioral mechanisms, the cognitive effects of television have cognitive mechanisms based on the structure of attitudes, beliefs, and judgments and on the way in which these cognitive structures are acquired (Condry 120). A series of studies provide evidence for a small but significant influence of televisions content on attitudes and beliefs about the real world. Heavy viewers exposed to persistent displays of violence and mayhem on television drama come to believe that the real world incidence of such violence is higher than do light viewers of the same age, sex, education, and social class. Apparently the facts of the world of television tend to slip into the belief and value systems of individuals who are heavy consumers of it (Condry 123). Violence laden television not only cultivates aggressive tendencies in a minority but, perhaps more importantly, also generates a pervasive and exaggerated sense of danger and mistrust. Heavy viewers revealed a significantly higher sense of personal risk and suspicion than did light viewers in the same demographic groups who were exposed to the same real risks of life (Condry 123). Third, watching television affects greatly the process of childrens socialization. Socialization is the process of learning the attitudes, values, and behavior patterns of a given society or group in order to function effectively within it (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey). The aim of socialization is to prepare children for different social roles, including occupational role. We know that children can imitate behavior greatly. Evra notes that even infants as young as 14 months have demonstrated significant and deferred imitation of televised models(79). One of the most important forces in young peoples lives is television, because it provides many additional salient and attractive role models (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey 282). There is much evidence, which shows that young people unconsciously imitate television characters, they learn from the values, beliefs, and behaviors (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey 282). Television shows numerous law firms, hospitals, restaurants, businesses, and de picts people engaged in various work-related activities. Nevertheless, many traditional occupations, and much of what typically takes place during a workday, are not exciting or dramatic enough to be depicted on programs designed primarily to entertain (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey 283). Moreover, according to Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey: television often transmits an inaccurate, stereotypic image of how people behave and communicate in various occupations, and portrays women and ethnic minorities in less glamorous or prestigious occupational roles than white males Television also over-represents law- enforcement and professional positions while under-representing managerial, labor, and service jobs (283). The context for television viewing is a very significant component in childrens television experience. Those children who receive parental comment, input, and supplementary information and interaction have a very different experience of television viewing than those who view alone or with less involved parents. Such differences in the viewing context play an important role in determining the strength and nature of televisions impact. Families differ in their attitudes toward, and in their use of, television; these differences in turn influence childrens understanding and attitudes about the content and its impact on them. Coviewing with siblings and peers can also affect a childs behavioral response to television content. Fourth, television has often been criticized for undermining important aspects of family life by displacing other important family activities (Evra 150). It is interesting to point out that since its development as a commercial vehicle, families have come to accept television as a valuable member of the family (Evra 150). Television viewing with family members is common. Televisions danger lies not so much in the behavior it produces as in the behavior it prevents, such as family talks, games, arguments, and other interactions. Despite the fact that families still do special things together, television diminishes their ordinary daily life together, because it is a regular, scheduled, and rather mechanized daily activity (Evra 151). Poor family communication affects greatly overall family health. Problems and conflicts are caused by the family communication dysfunction. It is necessary to spend time together, having a family meal and turning off the TV can create more opportunities to talk. However, because there is TV, children and parents are distracted from talking, and in such a way suffer communication. Television influences various spheres of family life leisure relations, aesthetic interests and values, consumer behavior patterns, parent-child attitudes and socialization practices (Cohen 103). Television is an accepted, approved and readily accessible source of information, and it both creates and reinforces models of social behavior (style of dress, idiomatic language, attitudes toward sexuality and gender, parent behavior) that define not only individual behavior, but also family behavior (Cohen104

Dominicans And Afro-americans Essays -- essays research papers

In America today, there is a large and diverse African-American population. Within this population, there are several ethnic groups. The other ethnic group similar to Afro-Americans is Dominicans. Not only are they both minorities, but they also look similar as well. Both Dominicans and Afro-Americans are originally from Africa, but their slave masters separated them into two different cultures. African-Americans was African slaves of Americans, and Dominicans were African slaves of the Spanish. Hevesi of the New York Times says, "Dominican and Afro-Americans culture was formed from one ethnicity, Africans" (Hevesi 86). As a person of these two ethnic groups, I have two perceptions of my dual ethnicity. Among Afro-Americans’ and Dominicans’ culture, language, history and values, there are large differences, but there are also several similarities. I will compare and contrast these two ethnic groups which are within me. Dominicans and African-Americans are similar in their African origin, but they are different â€Å"in their newfound slavery-induced cultures.† Dominicans were Africans mixed with Spanish culture. Through slave settlements, Dominicans were settled in Hispanola. In Hispanola, Dominicans were influenced between two ethnic groups. As a new ethnic group formed, their African traits were mixed with Spanish traits (Saillant-Torres 131). African America history was African culture mixed with American culture. As a group, slave masters made their voyage to Africa, took slaves, and formed a group called Afro-Americans. African culture was integrated into Western civilization. Most Africans were slaves in the Southern part of North America. Arnold Rose points out; "Negro’s are not accepted in America" (94). Some Dominicans were settled in America. Many live in New York in a city called Spanish Harlem. Today, over 100 million Dominicans live there. The histories of these two ethnic groups have very little similarity, but the African influence is one unifying force. The languages of these two ethnic groups are completely different. Dominicans speak Spanish and Afro-Americans speak English. Dominicans don't speak casual Castillan Spanish. They speak Spanish with a twist of African influences. Gleijeses says, "Dominicans don't speak true Spanish, so they are not treated as Spanish† (7). African-Americans speak English with a diffe... ...ning their ethnic identity and becoming part of American culture. I view Dominicans and Afro-Americans similarly because I am a person of these two ethnic groups. Most of the time people perceive me as Black and other time’s people call me Puerto Rican. I know I shouldn’t get angry, but I feel like others don’t respect me and are trying to label me. My mother is Black and my father is Dominican. Most Dominicans think that it is an odd mixture, but they don’t realize that they have the same origins from Africa. In a way it is hard to be a part of two ethnic groups, but it is very interesting. In my life, I had a lot of criticism from both sides of my family. My mother doesn’t like my father’s family and the feeling is mutual. So, I have many problems with my race, but I am still very proud. I always try to unite my family to become equal. In America today, I feel every ethnic group should see themselves as equal. Regardless of their heritage, they are still Americans. So, I feel any racism between Americans is very ignorant. In conclusion, I think difference is good, but similarities are better, because you find out the things that you share and how you can relate to one another.

Personality Analysis on ‘The Breakfast Club’ Essay

Released in 1985 and directed by John Hughes ‘ The Breakfast Club’ is a film about teenagers that seem different on the surface but come to discover otherwise . When five students from different high school cliques are forced to spend their Saturday in detention, the brain, athlete, basket case, princess and the criminal together are faced with the question of who they think they are. The five characters put aside the ir dissimilarities in aid to survive the painful eight hour detention and in the process they discover they aren’t as unalike after all. The Breakfast Club is a n all time classic film that portrays a number of individual and complex personalities. It is visible in the film that each teenager has their own traits and characteristics due to various circumstances such as; environmental and parental influences . The character focus will be John Bender, the so-called ‘the criminal’ of the five teenager s . Upon first glance, Bender seems to be the average high school ‘bad boy’ getting his position in this specific detention for pulling a false fire alarm . This gives viewers th e idea that his character does whatever he can for attention. Bender also has a tendency to say and do things that will get a negative reaction out of a person, by insul ting and antagoni sing every character at some point in the film . By applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and B. F. Skinner’s theory of personality you ge t a more intellectual psychological understanding of Bender’s personality. Abraham Maslow developed his Hierarchy of Needs theory in 1954 to help himself and other humanistic theorists to better understand what motivates people. Maslow believed that people are motivated to satisfy specific needs, in saying this he created a five stage pyramid that depicts the order of importance of these specific needs. Maslow has suggested that o nce one need or category is satisfied and fulfilled by person they can then move on to fulfilling the next need . (McLeod 2007) Figure 1 (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs diagram- 1954) Thus according to Maslow; if a person does not fulfil their basic physiological needs they lose motivation to satisfy belonging and esteem needs. When this occurs the person feels a disinterest to socialise and make friends, typically leading in said person to become disrespectful and inconsiderate of the feelings of others and their opinion. (NetMBA 2010) Bender is clearly portrayed throughout the film as a person who has failed to meet the first two basic needs of the hierarchy table; refer to figure 1 . In the film, when lunch break is commenced it is showed that Bender has come with no food for lunch, whilst the other characters have all got substantial packed lunches. This could be classified as a sign that shows that Bender’s physiological needs are not being fulfilled. When Bender pulls out a pocket knife during a heated discussion you get the idea that Bender clearly doesn’t feel safe and that he needs a weapon as form of protection, showing that Bender is clearly lacking a sense of security and safety . Further construction of the idea that Bender does not have substantive or rewarding home life takes course when Bender shows the group a scar on his fore arm, given to him by father as mere punishment for accidentally spilling paint in the garage. That being said, it is seen throughout the film that Bender is failing to adequately satisfy his physiological and safety needs, leaving him disinterested in fulfilling social needs and lacking in self-esteem and respect. Bender’s lack of motivation in socialising and making friends is the most dominant aspect of his ‘bad boy’ personality, he constantly insults the other characters in the film about things that genuinely upset them -evidently pushing them away. Bender also suffers from low self-esteem which is why he compensates by putting on a tough, ‘bad boy’ front. You see this through the way in which he dresses, disobeys the Principals orders, constantly challenge s another male character and also in the way that disrespects the school and its property. In behavioural theorist B. F. Skinner’s perspective; an individuals personality development is heavily influenced by their environment and prior experiences (Sincero 2012) , he wrote that ‘A person does not act upon the  world, the work acts upon him’ (Skinner 1971) . Skinner proposed that the development of an individuals personality is largely dependant on the way in which significant adults in their lives would reward or punish then throughout the course of their childhood. (Carter Grivas 2005, p. 407-408) Therefore, children and adolescents raised by abusive and aggressive parents are more inclined to also be come aggressive and hostile towards peers. (Hellesvig-Gaskell n.d) Throughout The Breakfast Club (Hughes 1985) there are multiple scenes that express the negative home life in which Bender is being raised and how it is influencing his personality. In a specific scene Bender imitates a previous heated discussion between him and his father and according to Bender his father called him â€Å"stupid, worthless, no good, goddamn, freeloading son of a bitch. Retarded, big mouth, know-it-all, asshole, jerk† then Bender pantomimes getting punched in the face by his father as a result of Bender retaliating. In a behaviourists perspective this would justify Benders aggressive personality and tendency to lash-out and insult the other characters. When comparing Bender to Brian Johnson; the character portrayed as the ‘brain’ or the nerd of the group, it is visible that as result of polar opposite home environments that Brian and Bender have e qually opposite personalities. Brian’s family are shown as very over supportive and pushy in his school work, yet still compassionate. T his is well symbolised again in the lunch scene of the film when Brian unpacks his nutritious, home-made lunch , whilst Bender has been sent to school with nothing to eat. Brian’s personality comes off as very timid and anxious, and not once throughout the film does Brian retaliate towards Bender when he acts in a hostile or cruel manner- although if the roles were reversed and Brian was acting in a similar fashion toward Bender he w ould lash-out violently or show signs of aggression in return , just as father would to him. By comparing Brian’s personality with Bender ‘s; you come to understand the impact an abusive  home environment and negative parental influences has on Bender’s personality. Al t hough both Maslow’s and Skinner’s theories o f personality assist in better understanding Bender’s character; the two theorists have are entirely opposite perspectives on personality and how it is developed. Behaviourists believe that personality is determined by environment and the way an individual reacts to different stimuli (Sternburg 1995, p.589), whilst Humanistic theories state that personality is a conscious and free choice for the individual to control. (Coon 1998, p.543) Behaviourist s also state that personality is motivated by all kinds of drives, whilst Humanists think that personality is motivated by the want to fulfil self-actualisation. In conclusion, the application of Maslow’s humanistic perspective and Skinner’s behaviour ist views help to understand Bender’s personality efficiently. Discarding the point that both theorists completely contradict one another they both give a deeper explanation into why Bender chooses to be insulting and why he lacks interest in making friends, along with justifying Bender’s rage and aggression struggles. Overall humanist and behaviourist theories on personality assist in the process of understanding and evaluating the personality that makes John Bender of The Breakfast Club. (Hughes 1985) Bibliography- Coon, D 1998, Introduction to Psychology Exploration and Application , Brooks/Cole Publishing Company , California, United States of America. Grivas, J, Carter, L 2005, Psychology VCE Units 1 & 2 , John Wiley & Sons Australia , Queensland, Australia. Hellesvig- Gaskell, K n.d, Parental Influence on Personality , Viewed 12 th March 2014, http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/parental-influence-personality-5605.html McLeod, S 2007, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs , Viewed 12 th March 2014, http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html n.a, 2010, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Viewed 12 th March 2014, http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/maslow/ Sincero, S 2012, Behaviourists Theories of Personality, Viewed on 12 th March 2014, http://explorable.com/behaviourist-theories-of-personality Skinner, B 1971, Beyond Freedom and Dignity , Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Indianapolis, Indian, United States of America. Sternberg, R 1995, In Search of the Human Mind , Earl McPeek , Orlando, United States of America. Van Lersel, H, Bradley, K, Clarke, V, Coon, Koerner, J, Montalto, S, Rossborough, A, Spackman-Williams, M, Stone, A 2005, Nelson Psychology VCE Units 1 and 2 , Nelson, Southbank, Victoria.

Economy Oil and gas Essay

Qatar occupies a small peninsula that extends in to the gulf from the east side of the Arabian Penisula countries bordering it are Saudi Arabia to the west and the United Arab Emirates to the south it’s located in the Middle East and borders Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Its population is approximately 907,229 with a population growth of 2. 4 %. The birth rate is 15. 6/1000 and has an infant mortality of 17. 5/1000. The life expectancy is 74. 1 and the population density per square meter is 214. Males from 0-14 years and 15-64 years are more than females and generally males are more than females. The death rate is currently 4. 82/1000. The total fertility rate is 2. 75 children per woman. Life expectancy is 76 years for women and 71 years for men. The population is under threat as women are marrying later in life and the abortion rates are increasing The official language in Qatar is Arabic and English is the second common language. The highest percentage of its population is Arab that forms approximately 40% the Pakistan and Indians constitute each 18% of the total population while Iranian and other races form 24%. 95% of its citizens are Muslim. Qatar’s total area is 11,437 km2 all of which is on land. The climate is arid mild and has pleasant winters but very hot and humid summers. The terrain is mostly flat and barren desert that is covered with loose Island and gravel. The natural resources in this state are petroleum and natural gas. Qatar territories include a number of islands and the most renowned Island is Hawar Island. Halul is the export terminal for the offshore oil fields. (http://www. infoplease. com/ce6/world/A0840678. html) It consists of flat rocky surfaces but has some hills and sand dunes, which reach an altitude of 40m above the sea level, in the western and northern parts. It has a rainwater-draining basis in the North and Central areas. The climate is a desert one with hot summers and mild winter. Coral reefs along the ports and shallow waters make navigation difficult especially on those areas where channels have not been dredged. Long summers from June through September have intense heat and alternating dryness and humidity with temperatures exceeding 55 degrees centigrade. From November through May there are moderate temperatures. Winter temperatures can fall to 17 degrees centigrade. The country receives very little rainfall that fills small ravines and the dry wadis. Water is saline and hence unsuitable for drinking or for irrigation purposes due to the high mineral content. Desalination of seawater is a common practice in Qatar. Through desalination In the North West there are jagged limestone outcroppings that rise over 40 meters high. To the South, impressive sand dunes rise up to 60 meters. Other notable features include coastal salt pans that are elevated by limestone formations along the west coast where Durkhan Oil fields and massive sand dunes surrounding Khor al Udaid which is an inlet of the gulf in the South East known as inland sea. Halul, the most important island, lies about 90 kilometers east of Doha and it serves as a storage area and as a loading terminal for oil from surrounding offshore fields. Qatar is limestone and dolomite peninsula of both flat and rocky surfaces and extreme desert conditions. The coasts are generally low with marine terraces and Sabkhas in several places. The sand dunes have moved progressively southwards due to the effect of the prevailing winds. Major Sand dunes are situated in the south eastern parts while limestones are to the western and northern parts of the country. Most land is quiet, uncultivated and scenically beautiful. It contains geographical features that are peculiar to the western side of the Arabian Gulf. There are the rainwater draining basin to the north and central parts which are considered the most fertile and attract heavy agricultural investment. Khor al-Udaid is a deep inlet from the sea on the south east coast. It is a ‘water sanctuary’ and fishing for commercial purposes is banned. It is a sea bay that harbors sea animals like sea turtles, water fowls, and sea birds. It is also an important breeding ground for dolphins. Flamingos also gather there during winter. It also has ponds like the Umm-Said sewage pond and Salwa road ponds. Al-Aliyah Island is also an important feature. It is located 13kilometers to the north east of the capital, Doha. It consist weathered limestone rocks and has uneven patches of salt tolerant bushes. It is an abode of shore birds, gulls, and* Al-Dhakita mangrove located 7 km north Al Khor consist of a group salt water bays. With dense mangrove growth with broad mud flats and salt marshy vegetation. It has valuable fish and shrimp stocks and is important destination for wintering birds and water ducks and flamingoes. Sabkha refers to flat saline areas of sand or silt lying above the water table and often containing soft nodules and veins of gypsum and a hydrite that was deposited over a long time by the action of wind blown sand. They have a crust of halite and gypsum. Caves or dulus are also widespread in Qatar. Ground water and rainwater reaction with soft surface and subsurface dissolves in limestone and gypsum creating cavities and the ceilings may collapse exposing the interior. It contains ten substantial caves although most have collapsed to form depressions and dolines of the northern Qatar. Sand dunes are also prominent features in Qatar. They have a crescent shape as the wind ward face is ripped off by the wind action. The leeward side collapses under the driving wind. Qatar has an interesting plateau of tertiary limestone standing out in the desert about 20meters high. This is between Dukhan through Umm Bab towards the Saudi Arabian border. Low hills are mushroom shaped due to erosion of underlying softer rocks. Gypsum crystals are also common. They are found south of Umm Said and are formed when high tides bring sea water into Sabkha. As the water evaporates, it forms gypsum crystals that appear as low crystalline forms. To the western side Geodes are found. Natural hazards that are dominant here are haze dust storms and the common sand storms. Most of its population is literate and the illiteracy levels are very minimal. Political system The government type of Qatar is emirate. The capital city is Doha. There are 10 municipalities that include. Al Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumaliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan, Al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Said and Umm Salal. The 3rdSeptember is the national holiday when people commemorate their independence. The capita city Doha is located on the central East Coast and it’s major functions are administrative, commercial and it is a population center. It is located on a harbour. Other ports include Umm Said Al Khor and Al Wakrah, Umm Said and Doha handle commercial shipping . The legal system is based on Islamic and civil law codes and the Amir controls the discretionary system of law. However civil codes are being implemented. The Islamic law dominates family and personal matters. Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has been the chief of the state since 27th June 1995 after a bloodless coup. His father was not able to handle the country’s economic reforms. Since it is a monarchial government the father did not lose his title as much power was already in his sons. Crown prince Jassim did not want to be king and he abdicated in favor of his younger brother. He rose to power after outdoing his father Amir Khalifa. The government is constitutional monarchy and the president’s fourth son Tamin bin Hamad is the selected heir. Amir Hamad was the Armed forces commander and defense minister when he seized power from his father who was out of the country. He retains that title to date. He survived an attempted coup in 1996. He had also taken his father t court on alleged state fund misappropriation. However this matter was solved outside the court. Amir Hamad Khalifa father had deposed his cousin Emir Al-Thani family continued to hold power after independence in 1971. Government departments are responsible for ensuring economic and social progress. The emir’s leadership is influenced by consultation’s consensus and personal appeal. He is not accountable to anyone and he cannot violate the Islamic laws sharia. In per taking his functions he must seek the opinion of the leading notable and religious leaders. Expatriate and residents are excluded from elections. The role of municipal council is not executive but offering advice to the minister. . The prime minister is Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani since April 3rd 2007. His deputy is Abdullah bin Hamad al-Atiyah. He replaced Abdullah bin Khalifa who resigned April 2007. The cabinet comprises of council of ministers all of which are appointed by the monarchy. Elections are rarely done since the system of ruling is monarchial. However in April 2003 it held nationwide election for a 29-member central municipal council (CMC). The CMC has consultative powers geared to improving the efficiency in provision of municipal service. The advisory council or Maljis al-shura has 35 members who are appointed by the monarchy. Council members have their terms extended after every four years. However since the establishment of a new constitution in 2005, 10 more positions were to be introduced and the public had a chance to elect 2/3 of the seats while Amir the president appoints the other 1/3. Introduction of the first constitution would guarantee freedom expression assembly and religion and increment of parliament seats. Elections are to be conducted late this year. Amir appoints all judges based on recommendations of supreme judiciary council. The branches of the judiciary are courts of first instance appeal and cassation. Since it’s a monarchial government there are no political leaders or parties and political pressure groups. Women were allowed to vote for the first time in 1999 and municipal consisted of 29 members. Democracy is being incorporated ever since Amir brought liberal changes in to the economy. Economy Oil and gas are the dominant trade goods. They both account for more than 60% of the countries GDP. They also contribute to a tune of 85% of the country’s export earnings and 70% of the government’s revenue. They are the reasons the country is one of the world fastest growing countries. They have seen it’s per capital rise to equal that of European Union. Due to sustained high oil prices the country is able to build its budget trade surpluses and foreign reserves. The oil reserves in this country are more than 15 billion barrels and they can sustain continued surplus for more than 20 years. Natural gas reserves are also abundant. They exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, which is more than 5% of the word total and 3rd largest in the world. The country is undertaking measures to develop its gas field in ensuring that the country becomes the world’s top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. Foreign investment is also being encouraged so that non- energy projects can be improved by liberalizing the economy further. The country’s GDP real growth rate in 2006 was 7. 1% and the per capita GDP was $29,800. Composition of the GDP is mainly industry, which is 75. 8%, and service sector, which is 24. 1%. The unemployment rate was 3. 2% in 2006 and the inflation rate was 11. 8%. The major trading partners with Qatar are Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, France, U. S, Saudi Arabia, united Arabs emirates, Germany and UK. Major imports are machinery and transport equipments manufactured goods, food and live animals. Japan receives the largest proportion of Qatar exports. Other important trading partners include South Korea and France. The service sector accounts for approximately a ? of the total GDP and creates employment for the Qatar people. The government is promoting the tourism sector in an effort to trying to make it match other industries in the economy. Qatar is the richest country in the Islam-dominated countries rising global demand for oil ensure increase prices of oil and this leads to increase economic growth. The economy of this country is not diversified it depends so much on oil and gas. Qatar’s industrial plants are located in Umm Said. There is a fertilizer plant for urea and ammonia a steel plant and a petrochemical plant. These industries use gas as their source of energy ands they are owned by state or European and Japanese firms. http://www. nationsencyclopedia. com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Qatar. html To control the influx of expatriate workers Qatar is tightening the administration of its foreign manpower programs. Foreign educated Qatar’s are returning back home to develop their home country. Development of other industries will enable the economy to withstand future possible negative oil shocks. Real economic growth had slowed down in 2002 after OPEC enforced oil output cuts. The gas industry was however not affected. Private investment is encouraged to ensure that the country’s economic growth does not decline with changes in the market. Steel industries have been making profits for the past 10 years, non-oil sectors in Qatar are building and construction, real estate communication, agriculture, fishing water and electricity and banking. The state provides incentives to foreign investors, which include security loans from Qatar Industrial bank QIB eliminates quantitative quotas on imports no income tax on salaries of expatriates no export duties and no taxes on corporate profit for pre determined periods. The country has a comparatively high public sector external debt. Debt has been incurred to finance LNG and other industrial products. The GDP is raising and thus the ratio of public external debt to GDP is declining. http://www. nationsencyclopedia. com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Qatar. html The economic challenge that the country faces is to maintain global competitiveness. There is need to improve on the macro-economic management and the public sector institutions. Absorption of new technologies ought to be done at a faster rate. This translates to more revenues being redirected in imports over reliance on one industry is an issue that needs to be addressed. Diversifying the economy is a safe approach of ensuring toast hock ups in oil industry will not adversely affect the countries economy. Investment in quality education will also be a wise approach of addressing the country’s issue. It will reduce the number of foreign employees in the country by substituting them with the locals. Leadership or quality of government also ought to be changed. Democracy will go along way in maintaining economic stability in the long run. The monarchial system needs to be reformed. Levels of unemployment ought to be completely eradicated investing heavily in human capita and education city project sponsored by the Qatar foundation has seen worlds top universities and research centers to the country. Qatar joined other emirates of the Tricia coast in forming the United Arab Emirates but together with Bahrain they disagreed about the merger but instead formed independent nations. (Crystal Jill,1995) A border dispute with Saudi Arabia was settled in 1992 although the dispute with Bahrain remains unsolved. It signed a defense pact with the US and it became the third country in the Gulf to do so. It is home of the immensely popular but controversial Arabic Satellite Television Network Al Jazeera. Contraversial because it is accused of not being free and fair in its broadcasts. Al Jazeera is not only popular in the Arab world but also globally. It was the only channel allowed to operate from Afghanistan and the first to air Osama bin Laden’s statement in October 2001. It favors those who are its allies and does not criticize or air anything negative about its own Government. (El-Nawawy et al, 2002) Pollution from oil and gas industries has negative impact on the diversity of species. It is an issue that ought to be addressed. Qatar is surrounded by sea on three sides and its territorial waters encompass 35,000 square kilometers. Marine life has to adapt to the harsh conditions of salty water and soaring temperatures.