Postcolonial Novel Essay

To fully understand Chinua Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart, one must not fall for the idea that there is one main purpose for the novel. Simply stated the story is much too rich and complex for that. The themes of Okonkwo’s life, and the Ibo culture, are twofold: it is the relation of the conflict between an individual and society, and also the description of the conflict between the larger forces of cultures clashing. Support for this dual thesis is overwhelming. To begin with the text itself demands that interpretation. Things Fall Apart clearly begins with a focus directly aimed upon the main character of Okonkwo. It is going to revolve around his life. However, at the very same time, the protagonist is not mentioned even one time early on without being connected simultaneously with thoughts of both his home village and the larger culture of the Ibo people. This cannot be ignored. One could argue that rather than being a larger purpose book Things Fall Apart is just a novel of the life and growth of one man, but this is rather silly and simple. The title of the book puts one right on the path to refuting this, giving context to a larger meaning. It is clearly encouraging one to look at larger ‘things’ as opposed to a person. This is coupled with the basis for the title itself, quoted on the flyleaf: The Yeats’ poem The Second Coming: Turning and turning in a widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. (Quoted in Things Fall Apart). Therefore given the context of a large chaotic world it would be more than naive to assume a different interpretation, that of a more concentrated work based upon an individual. To best prove the ambivalent statement of purpose about Achebe’s novel it is vital to review critical and popular commentary. This book has struck a highly resonant chord with readers in the fifty years since its first publication. It unabashedly describes an African culture in such a way that the power of the society is shown, and the power of the African individual is also demonstrated. Naturally, all minority groups and oppressed people can find inspiration within the pages. As a result, as may be expected, strong opinions have been catalogued as analysis over time. This paper reviews two such supports for each purpose stated in the thesis. The first part deals with the conflict between individuals and society. The primary source naturally is the book itself. Briefly paraphrased Okonkwo is a well known warrior. He is extremely self centered and important at the beginning of the novel. This has as its roots a severe cynicism regarding the life and experiences of his father Unoka. In a world where the society of Ibo is stronger than the individuals, this lack of respect seeps into Okonkwo’s world. The foible is too much and eventually pits him at odds with his society. Charles H. Rowell held a conversation regarding this aspect of Things Fall Apart with the author himself. What resulted was a fine understanding and awareness of this thesis through the words of Achebe. One example of his thought process and the workings of the story of Okonkwo on a personal level is this answer. â€Å"People are expecting from literature serious comment on their lives. They are not expecting frivolity† (250). Or as Rowell comments, the creation of Achebe’s stories such as Okonkwo’s are not made just to entertain. They are to connect with readers about their own experiences and then instruct them from there. Rowell’s interview shows an awareness of the importance of the social story. His questions aim to reveal this oft overlooked aspect of writings such as Things Fall Apart. It is tempting, he relates to merely dismiss (if this is even fair wording) the book as commenting only on the larger theme of Ibo society and what happens when an established social realm is invaded by foreigners. Instead he and Achebe through the discussion point to the power of a narrative surrounding the conflict that one can have on a smaller, more concentrated level: the conflict that occurs when one runs counter to their own society’s expectations. When Okonkwo becomes too heavily involved on a personal level with the sacrifice of the neighboring Mbaino culture, he runs into direct opposition to the world directly around him. That and his character traits create early conflict and show to the world a story based upon that – an important revelation to readers across the spectrum that may find themselves sometimes in this predicament. The biography of Achebe by Ezenwa-Ohaeto reveals this purpose to be true as well. And this comes from a treatment of just where Achebe was in his own personal life and the moods and hopes that he possessed while writing the book. He was working as a controller at the time in Eastern Region when he first began attempting to introduce Things Fall Apart to the publishing world. At this time, he ran into the sort of direct conflict with his own society, ironically, that he would develop in the story of Okonkwo. There was great objection to a book about Africans by Africans at the time. The 1950s were not exactly a compassionate moment for the words of Africans. Independence was on the horizon for many countries, but there was also a great deal of fear. This desire of many to not rock the boat, so to speak, put those who would speak out in a path of intersection with their own society (65). This only encouraged Achebe to produce a vision of that for his protagonist. There must be the strong character trait in one that wishes to change his social culture for the better, he reflects in his novel. The experience of Okonkwo is the experience of an individual in conflict with his society and the results that may come, unexpected or not, from that. The second section concerns itself with the conflict inherent when two cultures clash. This is the broader perspective, necessarily, compared to the experience of the individual. This also is the more basic and popular understanding of the novel. It is very easy to see all of the reasons why. Again, a look at the primary source of the novel is the starting point for any discussion. Commentary on the book will never quite serve the reader as well as the book itself. And what does it indicate? Most of the second section of the story is examining what happened to the Ibo people and their culture when the white culture insidiously worked their way into it. It broke the home culture into pieces. Things did, indeed fall apart. Consider this quote directly from the book: If we fight the stranger we shall hit our brothers and perhaps shed the book of a clansman. But we must do it. Our fathers never dreamed of such a thing, they never killed their brothers. But a white man never came to them. So we must do what our fathers would never have done. (Achebe 203). There is no better analysis of this second theme of Achebe’s work. Two cultures clash. Chaos results. And yet that is only the superficial layer of the problem, as this quote clearly shows. The problem that occurs when cultures come into contact and then conflict with each other is the assimilation effect. There will always be faction that fall prey to the invaders and their attractive ideas. Sometimes that is enough for them to forget the values of their peoples. This conflict then with their own home society can cause open resentment and actual warfare. Then the culture falls into shambles even worse as shared societal values are discarded. In the end there are not only two social cultures left: the home and the invaders. There are three: the home culture, the invaders, and the home culture that is infected by the invaders. None of them are true allies and only further conflict can be expected. Chapter three of John Ball’s book Satire and the Postcolonial Novel (79-114) examines this issue and the breakdown that results from it. He takes the even larger view that is used often as well when looking at the clashing of the Ibo with the whites that have come into their world. He reviews this setting of Things Fall Apart to be a criticism and revelation of the greater issues of colonialism in Africa (and other parts of the world, for that matter) as seen through one African author’s eyes. Rather than look too thoroughly at the early parts of the novel, he focuses rather on the part of the book in which the two cultures come into contact. This is the point of departure for this second theme. It is accurate to say that most of the pages from that spot and onward deal with this cultural clashing issue. I think, too, that it is accurate that this does work as a satire. That is to say that I fully believe that Achebe is trying to achieve this effect. Only too well did he personally understand what happens when two completely variant cultures meet. His hope and the hope of the Africans around him was that if treated peacefully, the foreign culture would come in and only benefit them, but he also saw the harsher side of the realities. This is how Things Fall Apart deals with the situation. Ball is not the only one who could see this expression in the novel and in other works by Achebe. It is a strong defense of the idea that one of the two main themes of the book is that of what happens when two cultures clash. A final proof would use is Isidore Okpewho’s commentary on Achebe in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. She sees too this problem with assimilation, cultural conflict and resultant expectations. These are all the values and stories of Things Fall Apart. Seen from the outside she has several comments and thoughts about how these topics are addressed by connecting them to the outside world at the time of the writing. She describes the authorship of this book as being a â€Å"succession of forces controlling his [Achebe’s] development as a writer† (5). This is a great assessment. It sets the stage for understanding the direction of his landmark work Things Fall Apart. It is indeed this stage that the book concerns itself with. There is a succession of forces, to use Okpewho’s words, that are acting upon the Ibo culture. These control the development of the world of that African region and create mass conflict between the two cultures. The assimilation effects, she continues, were strongest in the Ibo part of the world. This is accurately reflected, too, in the sinister ways in which the foreigners crept in with their influences. That is the warning cry of Okonkwo with the text. He sees that the policy of indirect rule is only designed to place one group of people into opposition with another group of their own people. This splinters and fragments the strength of the initial cultures. It created enemies where there weren’t any other, as reflected in the quote concerning the killing of brethren, used above. This was the white way. It is no surprise then, that this theme would find its way so strongly into Things Fall Apart. The topic is addressed as a cautionary tale. Achebe had already seen this happen in his own world. He saw the sad results. He knew how destructive the penetration of home cultures could be. All of these can be found in Part Three of the book. â€Å"It is already too late,† said Obierika sadly. â€Å"Our own men and our sons have joined the ranks of the stranger. They have joined his religion and they help to uphold his government† (176). It is the despondent tone of the theme describing the clash of cultures. All of the above commentary from several sources, combined with a close and analytical reading of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart reveals the thesis to be strongly supported. Of the novel’s purpose, two things then are true: it aim to relate an expression of conflict between an individual and society, while concurrently exploring the description of conflicts resulting from the larger forces of cultures clashing. References Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Print. Ball, John C. Satire & the Postcolonial Novel: V. S. Naipaul, Chinua Achebe, Salman Rushdie. New York: Routledge, 2003. 79-114. Print. Ohaeto, Ezenwa. Chinua Achebe: A Biography. Oxford: James Currey, 1997. Print. Okpewho, Isidore, Ed. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. Oxford: UP, 2003. Print. Rowell, Charles H. â€Å"An Interview with Chinua Achebe. † Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. Ed. Isidore Okpewho. Oxford: UP, 2003. 249-272. Print. Conversations with Chinua Achebe. Ed. Bernth Lindfors. Jackson, MS: UP, 1997. Print.

Lilian Kim Global II

Throughout the course of written history, people have made great changes that have made the society, government, and traditions what they are today. Even before written history, some individual made huge a revolution in the world by creating a writing system. People try hard to change and mold the world and many have come out positively, and others negatively. A great time of change and revolution in history is the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution. Some people who have had a great impact during this time were the Scientists Copernicus and Galileo, and the philosopher Locke. Before Copernicus's time people had agreed with Ptolemy's Geocentric Theory, that the Earth was the center of the universe and the sun and everything else revolved around the earth. This also went with the church's teachings and the church was basically the law in that time, so they influenced and stressed that idea, and most people agreed and believed it. However Copernicus went against the church, the people, and the accepted law and said that the sun was the center of the universe and not the earth. He declared that the Sun was a solitary object while all the other planets including the earth rotated around the sun, called the Heliocentric Theory. This caused turmoil and confusion within the people with some still believing the old law and others siding with Copernicus. If Copernicus did not have the courage to stand out and speak against the church then who knows when we would've figured that out. Another scientist backing the Heliocentric Theory was Galileo, probably one of the most famous scientists of this time period, and was also a heretic. Not only did he help prove that the Theory was true, he also proved all of Aristotle's ancient theories wrong. The church had been teaching and believing these century old teachings Aristotle had made and it had been the law for decades. Yet Galileo came and proved every single theory wrong thus angering the church and he was taken to inquisition by the church and took back all that he said for his life, which was a little negative, but the fact that he had said it so people would know was good because then the people would know and more people would finish the studies that he started. A great philosopher of this time was Locke. He declared many things that still affect many nations today. He came up with three natural rights that he said were, life, liberty, and property. In the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, there are three rights that are unable to be taken away from you, which are, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Although the one of the rights were changed, Locke's Philosophy still influenced it. Another nation that has taken his philosophies into account is France. However in their declaration, the rights are life, liberty, and resistance to oppression. He also stated that if the government takes one or more of these rights away from anyone, the people should rebel and abolish the unjust rulers /government, and create a new system that will preserve those rights. He also wrote two treatises on government in 1690. His ideas have affected the world's greatest nations and those nations have prospered during the time after him. These people, the scientists Copernicus and Galileo, and the philosopher Locke have made a huge impact on the world and what it has become today. Though these three had most positive effects, some great people did not have that result. Thanks to these three great men, the world is a more knowledgeable and prospering place to live.

Analysis Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston English Literature Essay All through literature and stories, words and characters will always represent different meanings and symbols. Readers will continue to venture deeper and deeper into the meanings of the words a writer puts on paper. The writer of the story may not even have a deeper meaning to the writing but we as humans have a need to explore. The short story known as â€Å"Sweat† by Zora Neale Hurston may also be one of those types of stories. The short English literature story â€Å"Sweat,† written by Zora Neale Hurston, shows Sykes as the husband of the leading character Delia in the story. During the story it seems as though Sykes gets easily upset and angered at his wife Delia.  Ã‚  Sykes takes his frustration out on Delia all throughout the story by hurting her physically, cheating with another woman, and teasing her with one of her biggest frights, which are snakes.  Ã‚  Even though Sykes’ behavior should not be accepted or followed, he possibly could show signs of a mental problem that is not fully addressed or dug into during the story. Sykes may also feel threatened because Delia is the sole provider of the house. He wants to feel as if he still has the â€Å"man† power and control over the marriage. More often than once he tries to take Delia and make her feel lesser to him as he feels it should be.    During this time many women may have backed down after being yelled at or threatened by their husbands but Delia did not back down however. She took a stand against Sykes by saying to him,†Mah tub of suds is filled yo’ belly with vittles more than yo’ hands is filled it.  Ã‚  Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it† (Hurston 408). In the story the reader can almost tell and feel that Sykes also does not want to be reminded that he was unsuccessful in making a complete family or the fact that he has failed to take care and provide for his family. Betty Nosa m writes in the book, â€Å"Sweat, Looking for a Man`s place†, â€Å"In Sweat, the husband named Sykes is frequently exposed to his let down and failures to provide for his family, his wife by her recurring talks of ‘her’ carriage, pony, other physical items† (Nosam 66).   Hollering, screaming and yelling all seem to fail, which will make Sykes feel the need to resort to other means of making Delia listen, violence.  Ã‚  All Through the story Sykes will be threatening Delia and informing her that he will hit her physically in one way or another. Author of the book,  forming a Straight punch with a curved fist, Loren Bruckheimer, will explain how, â€Å"Zora Neale Hurston uses descriptions of the whip to propose a people of manliness expressed in an over powering nature and deeply seeded in ethnic tyranny† (Bruckheimer 44).  Ã‚  This would imply that Sykes hits Delia only because the only way of manliness that he has known is the kind that th e white townsmen seem to portray.

Business Plan- Sports Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Plan- Sports Center - Essay Example SWOT Analysis of the business Strengths The first advantage of the center is its ability to cater the health needs of all people under one roof. Firstly, it offers a large number of health and recreation activities that suit all age groups. For example, it has arrangements to offer swimming classes for various age groups. In addition, it has the capability to cater for all the health needs of all people. For example, a person who comes to gym can also go to the diet center and talk to the expert regarding food habits. It can also act as a place for healthy eating. As the entire program is set up in a single building with adequate parking space, it will be the only sport center in the city where one can have some recreation, food and shopping that attracts the entire family. The second major advantage over other sport centers in the area will be presence of experienced and qualified trainers and health and food specialists. The management has decided to have only experienced and well qualified trainers and volunteers. The next strength is the strong financial base the business has got. Also, the initiative has secured strong support from local politicians and other local service organizations. The last point is its connection with various voluntary organizations and governmental agencies who will conduct regular programs which are health oriented. This will improve the image of the center among the public and it will help the center gain public trust. Weaknesses The first weakness of the project is the absence of a strong market research committee that is required to identify the changes and trends in the market from time to time. The second weakness is the inability of the center to immediately introduce newer recreational activities if necessary. As different floors are designed for various sport activities, they cannot be altered for other sport activities. In addition is the huge expenditure involved in making any changes if required. The last weakness is th e limited space availability that makes it impossible to admit more people if necessary. For example, it will only be able to admit a limited number of people into the swimming pool at a time, and this may make many potential customers go to other centers. Opportunities The first opportunity in front of the center is the increasing number of health-conscious people. As there is an increasing consciousness among people regarding diet and health, there is a likely increase in the number of people who visit health centers on a regular basis. The second opportunity for the center is the new governmental legislations and initiatives that encourage people to live healthy. Another point of opportunity is seen in the interest shown by various governmental and private agencies to sponsor health activities. Lastly, there is the continuing seasonal interest in various sports like football and swimming. Threats The first threat is the coming up of competitors with better facilities. Admittedly, there is the possibility of other centers adding better facilities, thus taking away a considerable proportion of customers. The second threat is people losing interest in the recreation activities and looking for other interest areas. The third major threat is the possibility of various organizations and governmental agencies giving up the sports and concentrating other forms of health and recreation. The last threat is people’s lack of time to visit the center due to work and study. Niche

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Marketing Fundamental - Assignment Example Target marketing and market segmentation is one of the important marketing fundamentals. It is important for the business organizations to segment their products and services according to the characteristics of target market. Business organizations generally develop several marketing strategies according to the age, gender, location and behaviour of the customers. Effective and appropriate target market strategy can help an organization to develop strong and potential customer and business client base. In addition to this, it is important for the organization to control several business operation cost in order to maximize business profit margin. Lack of effective operational cost control strategy may result significant loss which can hamper entire business operation and productivity. Brand management and brand building strategies are considered as other important marketing fundamentals. It is true that high brand image motivate the target customers to buy or consume the products. Strong brand building strategy helped an organization to secure an intangible asset that helps to attract the customers of various cultural backgrounds towards the brand. Detailed market research is important for the organization to develop a new brand or a product. It is highly important for the organizations to plan several marketing activities according to the competence of products and current market demand. Last but not the least; it is essential for the marketing managers to judge the performance of products. and services through the help of product life cycle matrix. It is the most important marketing fundamental strategy that

I don't understand artwork I saw Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

I don't understand artwork I saw - Essay Example malist movement of the time, choosing to indulge in her own vibrant, pulsing style of art that reflected not only her talents but her personal experiences as well (Kimmelman). Murray’s art consists of bold paintings which are usually centered around depictions of domestic objects and interiors; but these everyday objects are transformed into diverse, fluid, multi-layered designs which often carry double meanings. The paintings borrow generously from the strong canvassing of Cubism and free floating forms of surrealism to turn the objects of the art into pliable formations (Moyer). While overly humorous or even cartoonish, her paintings have a deeper edginess which stems from her negative experiences in the art world. "Theres a great deal of pain and a great deal of tragedy and a great deal of anger in her work, so she expresses that anger and that pain in forms that seem kind of comfortable ...when you get close to them you realized that they can bite." Quoted by Robert Storr, the Dean of the Yale School of Art (Sydell). Her 2005 piece is titled â€Å"Do the Dance† based on the name of a song by Ray Chalresand Betty Carter. The painting features a clear influence from the visuals of comic books and cartoon, with eye popping colors and shapes that seem to bulge and distort moving from one corner of the piece to the other. Murray counted Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso  and Jackson Pollock as her main inspirations, but her own work is a blend of the styles of these different masters and she adds her own brand of insanity to the work. The painting features some familiar objects like an overturned and over flowing bottle, faces in various stages of abstractism as well as bodies, organs and vaguely human shapes. But the overall picture is shape shifting and gives a dizzy impression to the viewer. The painting showcases the fine painterliness and strong palettes (Horsely) that Murray was known for; the edges between each object are finely defined and the shapes seem not

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Politics&Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Politics&Society - Essay Example Historically, the father was the breadwinner and the primary responsibility of the mother or wife was ensuring that the domestic chores, as well as the domestic welfare of the husband and children were taken care of. With the introduction of new legislations and modern trends the position of that idea of family has been threatened, replacing it with different types of family structures. The gender role was intertwined with the different responsibility of the adult members. The father was seen as the aggressive member, expecting to hold certain jobs, while the woman was thought to be more submissive and docile. With numerous discoveries in science and technology and the improvement in modern medicine, the occurrence of extended families has become prevalent in many societies. Some writers contend that extended families are more common in agricultural societies than in urban situations (Sussman, Steinmetz and Peterson 99). There were some legal reforms in the 1960’s that led to greater diversity in family structures. In the United States for example, divorce was based on fault for a greater part of the twentieth century. In 1969, the state of California enacted The California Family Law Act which made it possible for couples to divorce based on irreconcilable differences. This eventually became possible in other states as well. The 1969 Divorce Reform Act of England also allowed for couples to divorce on a no fault basis. Although divorce is handled by religious institutions in many societies the legislative reforms in industrialized countries make it very easy for men and women to end their marriages. Compared to the beginning of the twentieth century divorce has become very popular. Currently, about fifty percent of all first marriages in the United States end in divorce (Erera 136). The sharp rise in divorce rates coincided with the legal reforms in the 1960s. This led to a transformation of marriages as well as families. These

Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment Thought Essay

Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment Thought - Essay Example In the realms of romanticism, a number of examples have helped people to understand the kind of philosophical thought that passes through the minds of characters and people and what changes their minds with respect to the relationships that they share with people around them. In modern day society, such a thought process might have changed but is inherently very similar to the days of yore. When talking about cultural mutation, one can easily witness changes taking place in modern day society with respect to the formation of global economies and socio-cultural scenarios. As compared to the past, in order to depict the growth in thought, one should be able to determine the causes and inferences of the Lutheran Reformation, victory of the usage of empirical methods and statistical data in order to prove scientific methods rather than relying on normative thought processes. (Triki, Rachida) Furthermore, the journey of conversion from the identity of a hero to a saint also finds a very p romising exemplary while discussing the power and established Renaissance Empire during the time of Michelangelo.

Kishwar Naheed Essay Example for Free

Kishwar Naheed Essay She conveys that women were unwanted and were not cared for. In particular female infants were seen as a financial burden to an Indian family as they were discriminated from working and were not allowed to have an education. Naheed emphasises that she felt as if she was in the family for no purpose. Male infants were seen as the family gaining prosperity, they were celebrated and it was a gift to be proud of. The opening of the stanza Brash with glass immediately tells the reader that this is a luxurious place or arrogant. The word Brash is ironic as it can mean white faced. The harsh vowel of the assonance helps the reader to suggest the poets anger. The simile and alliteration of the phrase flaring like a flag conveys the idea that the restaurant asserts itself, even in its name. The word flag suggests that the people who set up a flag, have conquered someone elses land. This highlights the idea of when the whites stole the land of South Africa. Flaring suggests that the whites are bragging to the masses (blacks) about their superior lifestyle and it conveys Afrikas anger as this links to the image of heat used earlier in stanza two anger of my eyes. The simile guard at the gatepost suggest that the restaurant is reserved exclusively for white people. The guards are threatening the masses (blacks. ) He explains that even though there is No sign displayed outside the whites only inn and Apartheid was supposed to be put to an end. The guard is replaced instead of the sign as they block the masses (blacks) from entering the haute cuisine. Therefore, Afrika gives a clear image to the reader that Apartheid still exists. In I am not that woman Kishawar Naheed attempts to redefine the man-woman relationship; and address the situation she faces in her everyday life of exploitation and oppression. It is illustrated in the words Now it is time for me to flower free. The alliteration gives the impression that she wants to fight back and does not want to live restricted anymore. The words Now and free shows when she wants to redefine the man-woman relationship. Moreover, she explains how she wants to live like. Naheed wants a life with no restrictions and for men and women to be treated equally. The message in the poem is that men and women are not always treated equally; and how there is still sexism and discrimination. In particular, women are not dominated by men and men are treated with prestige and power. The poem helps her express her thoughts and feelings. Afrikas words are ambiguous we know where we belong. This perhaps emphasises that the masses (blacks) know that they are discriminated from entering the inn as there is a guard at the gate post. The use of the pronoun we emphasises that he believes that his identity belongs with the masses (blacks.) The single rose on each table contrast with the working mans cafe. As a single rose symbolises high quality lifestyle or perfection. It could also mean the arrogant wealth that was amongst the mass poverty at the time. In the words My motherhood Naheed conveys that women were born to nurture and care. On the other hand, the men in her society have stolen this substantial and amazing gift from them. Instead women are forced to be voiceless, obedient and were unfairly treated as servants due to the male dominance. My loyalty suggests that her husband and her father took away her loyalty and treated her unfairly. Naheed is aware that she has the right to achieve her loyalty again. In the fifth stanza the poet uses the words bunny chows to convey the masses (blacks) poor lifestyle in the working mans cafe. Bunny chows was cheap at the time and a common local snack of a poor mans hamburger; it is a stark contrast with haute cuisine. In the restaurant there are plastic tables top, this suggests the poor lifestyle the masses had. The plastic tables top suggests that there is no tablecloth and they felt incomplete, empty and it must have been uncomfortable to eat on. Wipe your fingers on your jeans gives the impression that there is nowhere to wash ones hands after eating or a tissue to wipe hands. Afrika uses direct imagery to show the life of the masses (blacks. ) Kishwar suggests that women do not have self respect. This is evident in The woman on the poster half naked. Naheed is commenting on how men view women as objects or for sexual pleasure. She wants this view to change. The tone No, no I am not that woman! emphasises that Naheed is not a woman who is obedient, subservient and does not want to avoid any arguments or disagreements with anything the men verbalize. The repetition of no shows that she is certain on her actions and strongly disagrees with how many women in the Asian culture are living. Afrika uses the words boy again to show that the appearance of District six brings back memories of his childhood when the Apartheid system existed. He does not feel independent as he feels like a boy and believes he is following the whites like how a child is with their parents. Hands burn emphasises his anger against the system and his urge to destroy the symbol of segregation. Afrika repeats the title Nothings changed at the ending of the poem. He conveys that even though Apartheid has been Abolished, the masses (blacks) are still treated inferior. The final stanza shows his anger and disappointment of the economic division between the whites and the masses (blacks) and conveys that the society has not changed at all. The layout of Nothings changed is set out in eight short lines in each of the six stanzas. The layout creates a sense of control as he is clear on what he is feeling and no sudden rage is introduced at any point in the poem. His anger increases gradually within each line. The poet makes his argument straight forward by emphasising his feelings in a calm manner. In the first stanza the use of imagery makes the reader feel as if they are in the poets shoes. This makes it clear and easy to imagine how life was like for Tatumkhulu Afrika. This is illustrated in the words Small round hard stones click under my heels. It makes it easy to imagine the masses (blacks) unpleasant and unfortunate lifestyle. The structure of I am not that woman is informal. The layout of the stanzas do not fit in a regular pattern and none of the words rhyme with each other. The free flowing structure shows how determined Naheed is about her argument. This conveys that nothing can change the way she is and nothing will hold her back. Even by the simple rules of poetry. It emphasises how infatuated she is towards emancipation. Furthermore, she is protesting about women having access to equal opportunities and rights as men; and women should not be treated as if they are worthless or disempowered. It is seen in the words my loyalty. The tones between Nothings changed and I am not that woman are very different. Kishwar Naheeds tone in I am not that woman is very calm, but firm. Her steady tone conveys that she has control over what is being said by repeatedly claiming I not that woman. Tatumkhulu Afrikas tone contrasts compared to Naheeds. In Nothings changed the poet seems to be increasing his rage within each line as he sees more things that have not changed even though Apartheid was abolished. Moreover, he is feeling angry because he had not been to District six for many years. In-conclusion, I believe that Kishwar Naheed in I am not that woman argument is stronger as the poem relates more to her lifestyle, cultural beliefs and traditional values about what she has experienced as a woman herself. Naheed clearly explains that wants equality between men and women. Moreover, she does not want to live a typical lifestyle of an asian; and leaves the reader in hope that there is a chance of change. However I believe that Tatumkhulu Afrika argument in Nothings changed. Is not as strong as Naheeds as he leaves the reader feeling helpless and has not attempted to change his lifestyle as much as Naheed has in nothings changed. Afrika has allowed the whites to treat the masses (blacks) unfairly; because he was not as determined or eager as Naheed. He mainly just agreed how nothings changed however, Naheed believes that no one can stop or change her views. This is why I strongly believe Naheedss argument is more effective. I believe that Naheeds argument will become more powerful if the majority of women did not accept the cultural beliefs of a submissive Asian housewife and they were all determined to fight for equality. By women taking action as a group by giving their views and speaking; the men may realise that women are treated unfairly, and their lifestyle may change once they have taken action.

The Importance Of Entrepreneurship And Innovation

The Importance Of Entrepreneurship And Innovation It is known to all that entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as an important driver of economic growth, productivity, innovation and employment, and it is widely accepted as a key aspect of economic dynamism: the birth and death of firm and their growth and downsizing. As firms enter and exit the market, theory suggests that the new arrivals will be more efficient than those they displace. Existing firms that are not driven out are forced to innovate and become more productive in order to compete. Many studies have given empirical support to this process of creative destruction according to Joseph Schumpeter. There is no doubt that innovation were, are will be extremely important for the individual and society. Today, people increasingly realize that innovations are even more critical that in the past. Thus, industrial competition is increasingly cruel and companies must continuously bring innovative products and services to the global market. To survive, companies need creative and inventive employees whose novel ideas are, to a certain extent, a necessity for the companies continued existence and future success. Consequently, modern society indeed requires highly able citizens who can produce innovative solutions to current challenges and contribute new ideas that aid in the development and growth of the market for a particular product or service. Contemporary society, without doubt, is highly reliant on innovations. The future will be synonymous with innovation. Despite the quite evident importance of innovations in the life of any organism, one should acknowledge that the phenomenon o f innovation is far from well understood. Terms and definitions Innovation is the specific function of entrepreneurship, whether in an existing business, a public service institution, or a new venture started by alone individual in the family kitchen. It is the means by which the entrepreneur either creates new wealth-producing resources or endows existing resources with enhanced potential for creating wealth. (Drucker, 1985) Creativity and innovation are not synonymous, but Innovation= Invention+ Creativity+ Exploitation (Rosenfeld and Serso, 1990). Innovation is one of ways to explore change as an opportunity for a business or service. Innovation can be taught and learned (Drucker, 1985). On the average about sixty percent of all jobs in the U.S. are generated by firms with twenty or fewer employees. Large firms with over five hundred employees generate less than fifteen percent of all the jobs (Birch, 1979). Students can also work for large companies as leaders within then large company, but must see small business as a viable option. According to Timmons (1989) defined that Entrepreneurship is a human, creative act that builds something of value from practically nothing. It is the pursuit of opportunity regardless of the resources, or lack of resources, at hand. It requires a vision and the passion and commitment to lead others in the pursuit of that vision. It also requires a willingness to take calculated risks 2.0 Identification of Opportunities and Generating Ideas The first challenge may occur to the business start-ups is to find the real opportunities from the changing business environment. According to Lowe and Marriot (2006), the starting point of business start-up is to identify the where a gap in the market might exist to where changes in the market might act as a catalyst for developing a new solution that customer will need. Muzyka (2000) explains that opportunities come in many ways, shapes and forms and entrepreneurs, while not needing to have the idea themselves but must structure a business around the idea. Lowe and Marriot (2006) emphasized that many opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship come from applying technology or bringing new ideas into the functional areas of a business to create change within and established market. According to Ansoff and Mcdonnell (1990), when facing the unexpected events, the organization who can responds to the opportunity and threat more innovative than its competitor, the organization is more likely to succeed, apart from Ansoff and McDonnell s point of view, Drucker (1985) also suggested that, the unexpected event that triggers off a new demand. For example, demands for construction following the earthquake and tsunami. Individuals think creatively and build knowledge from their own experience and expertise that will lead to potentially commercializable opportunities, however, Lowe and Marriot (2006) argued that an organization can work against the creative capability. There are several methods that can be used to generate business ideas. Firstly, entrepreneur can use someone else s ideas to start their own business, often some else s idea is interesting but not commercially exploitable; however, the idea can be modified and developed into a real market opportunity. Secondly, entrepreneur can use his or her own knowledge to make observations about the market gaps and opportunities. The knowledge can be from work, hobbies or just simply reflecting on normal life experiences, all of these knowledge can transform into the new business ideas. Thirdly, according to Lowe and Marriot (2006), the market is crowded with services and products, so it is important to identify the market gap and generate new pro duct or service to meet their own specific needs. Fourthly, Baron and Shane (2005)discuss the importance of intelligence in creativity and suggest that entrepreneurs need to balance three components to achieve successful intelligence: (1) creative intelligence to come up with new ideas, (2) practical intelligence to identify ways to develop these ideas and (3) analytical intelligence to evaluate the ideas and determine whether they are worth pursuing. 3.0 Business Plan 3.1 The importance of business planning for start-ups Cater and Dylan (2006) suggested that Planning is generally perceived as a curial element in the survival of new and small business. The business plan is just a plan and like any other plan, the only way to see if it really works is to monitor its progress at regular intervals, (Butler, 2006) so that the entrepreneur will be able to respond to any potential problems which may occur in the future and if necessary, the entrepreneur will also be able to change the business strategy straight away. There are three main reasons why entrepreneur need to produce a business plan: First, the business planning process acts as a very efficient method of focusing the ideas of potential entrepreneurs in terms of defining their objectives and assessing their own abilities to organize and run the business (Butler, 2006). The business plan can also help to test the feasibility of the business proposal before the actual implementation or commit to any substantial expenditure or investment. Typically, the business plan would be prepared before the start-up or acquisition of the business. Second, there are only few entrepreneurs who have their own resources to fund their business, most are faced the challenge to raise external finance, it may not occur at the start-up stage but probably when they wish to expand their established business. For these persons, possession of a good business plan is crucial to their future. A clear description of how the entrepreneur will exploit the business opportunity allows investors to decide whether the project is a worthwhile investment and assess the risk attached to it. (Frank, Plaschka and Roessl, 1989, p.191) Third, the processes of the business planning produce the parameters and specific targets (Butler, 2006) which provide a yardstick, which can measure the progress and profitability of the business. Again, this planning activity is a prerequisite to starting or acquiring a business but, apart from that, it is also part of the ongoing process of running a business and should be continued as an ongoing process, long after the initial start-up. 3.2The layout of the business plan The importance of the business plan has been discussed in the previous section, this section will suggest a basic structure for the business plan: The Business Idea is the preliminary section to demonstrate the basic background information about the proposal, and it also helps to stimulate the reader s interest for a further reading. The section of The Proprietors of the Business will describe the proprietors key skills and abilities which would help to make the business successful. According to Butler (2006, p.17), the business plan must act as a sales document to convince the lender of the viability of the proposal, so this section is the key to that process and must therefore be concise, positive and upbeat (Butler, 2006, p.28). The Resources Required section will identify the capital investment requirements of the business (Premises, transport, plant and equipment) and other resources required (personnel, raw materials, consumables, etc.) and also show the reasons why they needed. (Butler, 2006, p.35) The section of Financial Plan will identify the budgetary plan and also will forecast the cash flow and the profit. In the Marketing section, it will analyse the marketing sector which the business plan to operate, and also will demonstrate what kinds of marketing policy will be used. The Implementation of the Proposals section will show the way in which the business will operate, the timetable for the Implementation of the proposal and discuss any possible contingencies. The last section will be Summary, it will summarise the belief in the potential Profitability and viability of your business proposal and the potential of success.

Things Fall Apart - Oronoko :: Essays Papers

Things Fall Apartoronoko He had learn?d to take Tobaco; and when he was assured he should dye, he desir?d they give him a pipe in his mouth, ready lighted, which they did; and the executioner came, and first cut off his members and threw them into the fire; after that, with an ill favoured knife, they cut his ears and his nose, and burn?d them; he still smoak?d on, as if nothing had touched him; then they hacked off one of his arms, and still he bore up, and held his pipe; but at the cutting of his other arm, his head sunk, and his pipe drop?d; and he gave up the ghost, without a groan, or a reproach. My mother and sister were by him all the while, but not suffer?d to save him; so rude and wild were the Rabble, and so inhumane were the justices, who stood by to see the execution, who after paid dearly for their Insolence. They cut Caesar in Quarters, and sent them to several of the chief plantations: One Quarter was sent to Colonel Martin, who refused it; and swore he had rather see the quarters of Banister, and the Governor himself, than those of Caesar, on his Plantations; and that he cou?d govern the Negroes without terrifying and grieving that them with the frightful spectacle of a mangl?d King.? (p. 99-100) This is the second to last paragraph in the book, where Oroonoko is being decapitated. The executioner, Oroonoko and all the towns? people, who were looking on, were involved. The child of someone who was watching on was telling the story of Oroonoko?s death. The characters involved do not really agree with eachother. Some were in favor of the death of Oroonoko and some were greatly opposed. Most of the white people that were looking on, supported the decision that Oroonoko should die. We are hearing from the narrator at this time and I don?t think they are very skeptical at all. The way the story is told gives Oroonoko much bravery and compassion. There are no similes or metaphors in this particular passage. The only words that are repeated are the names of Caesar and plantations. This may suggest that this is an important person and an important place. The only historical events that I can think of would be Jesus or Napoleon. Both of these two figures, not relating to eachother, made such a bold statement for their day. Things Fall Apart - Oronoko :: Essays Papers Things Fall Apartoronoko He had learn?d to take Tobaco; and when he was assured he should dye, he desir?d they give him a pipe in his mouth, ready lighted, which they did; and the executioner came, and first cut off his members and threw them into the fire; after that, with an ill favoured knife, they cut his ears and his nose, and burn?d them; he still smoak?d on, as if nothing had touched him; then they hacked off one of his arms, and still he bore up, and held his pipe; but at the cutting of his other arm, his head sunk, and his pipe drop?d; and he gave up the ghost, without a groan, or a reproach. My mother and sister were by him all the while, but not suffer?d to save him; so rude and wild were the Rabble, and so inhumane were the justices, who stood by to see the execution, who after paid dearly for their Insolence. They cut Caesar in Quarters, and sent them to several of the chief plantations: One Quarter was sent to Colonel Martin, who refused it; and swore he had rather see the quarters of Banister, and the Governor himself, than those of Caesar, on his Plantations; and that he cou?d govern the Negroes without terrifying and grieving that them with the frightful spectacle of a mangl?d King.? (p. 99-100) This is the second to last paragraph in the book, where Oroonoko is being decapitated. The executioner, Oroonoko and all the towns? people, who were looking on, were involved. The child of someone who was watching on was telling the story of Oroonoko?s death. The characters involved do not really agree with eachother. Some were in favor of the death of Oroonoko and some were greatly opposed. Most of the white people that were looking on, supported the decision that Oroonoko should die. We are hearing from the narrator at this time and I don?t think they are very skeptical at all. The way the story is told gives Oroonoko much bravery and compassion. There are no similes or metaphors in this particular passage. The only words that are repeated are the names of Caesar and plantations. This may suggest that this is an important person and an important place. The only historical events that I can think of would be Jesus or Napoleon. Both of these two figures, not relating to eachother, made such a bold statement for their day.

Influence of Newspaper Work on the Writing Style of Ernest Hemingway

Influence of Newspaper Work on the Writing Style of Ernest Hemingway Hemingway’s first introduction to newspaper work came right after he graduated high school in 1917. His parents expected him to go to college, but instead he accepted a job that his uncle arranged for him as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. It was at the Star that Hemingway learned many of the rules that would shape his writing style later in life. The Star advocated short sentences, active verbs and precision in Hemingway’s writing; Hemingway said: "Those were the best rules I ever learned for the business of writing. I've never forgotten them." (www.lostgeneration.com) His time at the Star was cut short, however, when he joined the Red Cross and was shipped to Italy for the war. Upon returning from the war in January 1919, Hemingway spent nearly a year living at home with his parents off of his insurance money. In early 1920, however, he moved to Toronto to accept a position writing for the Toronto Star Weekly. He continued to write for the Toronto Star Weekly even after he moved to Chicago in...

Mexico :: essays research papers

Why should I invest in Mexico? Mexico has established itself as one of the biggest emerging markets in the world today. It has exhibited many of the signs of a high growth economy, offering several advantages to prospective investors. Some highlights of the Mexican economy include single-digit inflation, a balanced public budget, real economic growth (presently at a rate of 12 percent), a deregulated economy and a favorable investment climate etc. Mexico also possesses a strategic geographic location as a gateway to Latin American markets. Mexico is among the fastest- growing export markets for the United States. In 1985, Mexico became the third largest market for total U.S. exports, behind Canada and Japan. In 1992, Mexico surpassed Japan as the second largest export market for U.S. manufactured goods. Mexico now has become the second most important U.S. trading partner after Canada. U.S. exports to Mexico have grown at double-digit annual rates in every year since 1995, culminating in an astonishing 28 percent growth in 2000. U.S. exports to Mexico grew from $46 billion in 1995 to more than $112 billion in 2000 -- more than our 3rd and 4th largest trading partners, Japan and the U.K., combined, and more than double the value of U.S. exports to the entire European Community. U.S. export growth to Mexico has been buoyed by strong growth in Mexican GDP. The Mexican economy grew a remarkable 7 percent in 2000. Growth declined sharply in 2001, however, in concert with the economic slowdown in the United States. Projections for 2001 have been scaled downward from an initial 5.5 percent to a second quarter estimate of 2.5 percent, and are likely to go lower still. This could be the first year since the inception of NAFTA that U.S. exports to Mexico fail to grow at double-digit rates. Political developments in Mexico have contributed to the country's long-term market potential. On July 2, 2000, voters elected a more plural Congress and chose Vicente Fox of the opposition PAN party as President, ending 71 years of one-party rule by the PRI at the federal level. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of Fox's victory, which marks the first opposition presidency in Mexico's modern era, and symbolizes Mexico's march toward increased pluralism and more open democracy. Fox's priorities include expanding legal avenues for Mexicans seeking employment in the United States, reaching a lasting peace in Chiapas, enhancing foreign trade and investment, and reforming Mexico's fiscal policies.

Family sociology journal

There have been changes between generations of family structure and family oleos over the years. Both my great grandparents are Ghanaian. They had twelve children, my grandma being the youngest. In those days, houses in Ghana were largely built and accommodated every member of the extended family. Their main idea and aim of living together under one roof was to give care, support and perpetuate their cultural heritage. They provided each other with physical needs, emotional and economic support, meeting the basic human needs for food, shelter and intimacy.Since hunting and gathering could not feed the whole family, they resulted to farming. Agriculture was their main source of work and income. It brought a very significant amount of produce to feed the entire extended family. The men were actively involved in farm work, particularly in the growing of crops and rearing of animals. The men ensured that the supply of food was evenly shared to the family members, whiles the women stayed home and performed household duties like cooking cleaning, caring for the children and the elderly among other functions.My great grandparents made sure that the married couples procreate and socialism the next generation to perpetuate the society cultural heritage, traditions, practices, values, language, and so on. In addition, they ensured that the security of every member Of the family was achieved, as well seeing to it that the new generations were nurtured and rooted in the customs and norms of the society. My great-grandfather passed away at the age of 1 1 0, and my great, grandmother at the age of 1 15 respectively.In their old age, my mother, among other siblings – including those from external branches of the family provided support for them in their daily activities such as personal care. My grandparents were both traders; they were into the exportation and importation of farm produce to various parts of the world. My mother being the eldest of six children helped my grandparents in the running of the business. Moreover, my grandparents, being the head of the family, provided moral guidance and ensured that members of the family lived harmoniously with each other.This resulted in us spending more quality time with one another, promoting unity, integration and thereby fostering happiness. In addition to all these, my grandparents also assisted to the other mothers in the community in their support for the daily needs of the younger ones. My grandfather died peacefully, at the age of 96. His death really had a devastating impact on my grandmother since they performed various family functions together. She was later diagnosed with depression and dementia, which worsened with age.My mother with her other siblings took turns in caring for her until she passed away at the age of 95. After the death of my grandparents, my mother married and divorced six years after. Her other five siblings also married and migrated from the village and are now scatt ered across Europe, America and Asia. Subsequently, my mother relocated to live in Germany and left me in the care of my father who eater remarried twice and had two children with each woman.Fifteen years ago, got married, moved out of Ghana and have since lived in Chocolates with my family. Though am now separated from my husband, I still live in Chocolates with my four children. Although my father still resides in Ghana, my other half siblings are living in different countries around the world. Due to the distance between us all, our ability to see each other and provide care and support ; as was the case in my grandparent's generation has been greatly reduced.In view of the above, agree to the fact that due to the recent changes in the enervation of family, there has been issues affecting the family such as divorce, smaller families, single parenthood, families scattered across the globe and greater number of people living alone. This has really decreased the family ability to ca re and support each other. In this journal, I will define what the term family means to me, and also how George Morocco and Talcum Parsons viewed the family and its roles from a functionalist perspective.Furthermore, I will again explain the changes in the roles and relationship within the family in the last century, followed by a conclusion. The arrival of he industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism were primary factors that resulted in the changes in family role and structure in this modern era. The family role has been an interest and focus by functionalists such as Tailcoat Parsons and Morocco George. Sociologist, anthropologist, historians, and economist have all defined â€Å"family/' from their various different perspectives.One of the main institutions that can have the most impact on society is the family. The meaning of family is different to every one of us. Family to me; is the basic building block of society. It comprises a group of people who are elated by blo od, such as great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces, cousins, parents children who live together or apart, thus representing a single household (see picture 1). The family could also be seen as an institution or a social group united through bonds of kinship, marriage or adoption that joins members as one (Mansions and Plumper, 2008, p. 80). Pictures 1 : Extended Family. Source: http://www. Backslash. Com/De tutorial/05/08/edited . HTML. Ideally, the family is an institution Of solicitation and nurturing. It ensures unity and cooperation among members, providing protection, companionship ND security. Some other may also view the family as a group of people living in love, protecting and supporting each other in spite of race, blood, gender, culture etc. In order to further elaborate on this issue of family, I will look at how family was before and how much it has changed up until this date.One of the main changes in the dynamics of families is the social c hanges in the Women's movement and the changes from the extended family unit to nuclear family, then to other forms of families such as the single parent family unit, cohabitation, homosexuals families and so on. Parsons identifies two oleos the family plays. The first is the primarily, the socializing of children. He argues that through solicitation, children acquire language; absorb the accumulated knowledge, attitude, belief and values of their culture; and learn the social and interpersonal skills they need if they are to function well and effectively in the society.The second aspect of the role Parsons assets is the stabilization of adult personalities. Parsons stated that the different roles men and women play could lead to stress and strains, thus family is seen as functioning when it provides warmth, security and emotional support for ACH other (see picture 2) and thus, all family members benefit from the loving relationships that they share with each other. This process is also known as the â€Å"Warm Bath† theory where the family provides a very relaxing atmosphere at home to release stress and tension after a hard day at work (see picture 3).Pictures 2: The Family Members Supporting Each Other. Source: http://blob. Wellness. Com/blob/-not-set–vitamins-d-c-and-BBS-lend- each-other-helping-hands Picture 3: The Family Relaxing at Home. Source: http://cytologist. Ham. Com/2008/06/27/functions-of-the-family- part-2/ George Morocco, arguably, took an entirely different approach in defining family as â€Å"a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, and production† (Sitting, 1 985, p. 60).He added that the family includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the social cohabiting adults. Morocco (1949) looked at 250 societies and came up with four basic functions of the family. He claimed that the family is u niversal because it fulfils the following essential functions for society. These unction's focus on: sexual, reproductive, educative and economic roles Of the family.Morocco believed that the sexual function serves to regulate sexual behavior. This function relates to the activity between the husband and wife, mating to bring forth children. This leads us to the reproductive function, which relates to bearing and raising the children for the next generation. The educational function serves as a platform for families to train and transmits values and virtues to the younger generation, thus building human capital. This function socialists the children into the culture of their society thereby asking them responsible adults.As the Bible states in Proverbs 22:16 â€Å"train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it† (King James version). Morocco fourth function of the family is how it serves as economic unit, which provides financial secur ity and stability among members. Undoubtedly, households do entail an economic relationship in different ways; it ensures that the production and allocation of resources are distributed equally among members (Kittens, 1985, p. 62).Families supply each other with basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing and other eternal resources that insure the emotional ties to one another. The men are the breadwinner of the house whiles the women perform various household duties and provide constant care and support for the children and the elderly. The functionalist perspective has focused on the role of the family in society and for its members. In other words, it looks at how the family, as an institution helps in maintaining order and stability in the society and the importance of the family for its members.There are different kinds of family system, namely: the extended family, the nuclear family, single parent Emily, cohabitation family, gay and lesbian family etc. The extended fam ily is defined as â€Å"a family system in which several generations live in household† (Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, 2005). Tailcoat Parsons believed that the extended family in the pre industrial era was the most beneficial as they were a unit of production. This means that the work and home lives were combined and so each member of the family takes turns in helping and supporting each other in times of need.One reason that the extended family was often not more prevalent than now is because of the lower life expectancy rate. Today, grandparents are in good shape and are living longer; this can be attributed to a number of factors including the improvements in public health, nutrition and medicines. The welfare system has also encouraged the De- institutionalizing of the elderly and created changes within the family structures giving rise to grandparents to assist in the caring of their grandchildren.Grandmothers in today's world are playing a very vital role in caring f or their grandchildren while their mothers and fathers go to work. It has been commonly believed that the nuclear family came about as a exult of industrialization, with small families better able to meet the demands of an industrialized economy (see picture 4). From my point of view, the nuclear family comprises of two adults, male and female, with their offspring (see picture 5). Sitting (1985) suggest that the nuclear family consist of a parent and a child or parents and children.Industrialization, arbitration, and capitalism were the main factors that led to the promotion of the nuclear family and household change (Sitting, 1985, p. 133). The main reason for this change was that industrialization saw the development of stories, which facilitated the rapid growth of large urban centers to support and supply labor for factory-based production. Furthermore, these rapidly growing economic centers necessitated smaller family units in order to function optimally. Pictures 4: Extended Family. Source: http://YMMV. Ambulant. Com/about/family. Tm Picture 5: The Nuclear Family. Source: http://www. Preconditioning. Com/2013/03/13/parents-opinions- matter-win-prizes-with-parent-survey-panel-2/ Obviously, the structure of the family unit keeps changing, and with that, being a single mum or dad is much easier today than in previous years due to social acceptance and higher prevalence. Single parent families involve one adult and child (or children); most often the adult turns out to be female. This family unit is often derived from the nuclear family through the break-up of one family through divorce or death.In the past, people got married and stayed married regardless of the problems and difficulties the marriage will be facing. A divorce procedure was difficult, expensive and could take ages to come to end, making it impossible for marriages to breakdown. However, the number of single-parent families is growing at length. Divorce parents with heir dependents do not be ar the stigma they once did, as it has become a norm in this modern era. (Wolfing, 2005, p. 2) Nowadays, one can get married today and divorce tomorrow. More women are choosing to have children out of wedlock.Functionalist like Parsons and Morocco have regarded the nuclear family as the best family unit for society since it fulfils many roles. Personally, I believe that the lone-parent family is still capable of socializing children into society. Gay and lesbian family unit is taking centre stage in today's words. In the Islamic society it is recognized as a taboo and loud lead to punishment by death (Mansions and Plumper, 2008, p. 392). This family unit consist of adults of the same sex with or without children; the children could be their own from previous marriages Or adopted.Society looks down on homosexuals for seeking sexual gratification from the same sex. This lifestyle is not seen as a social norm considered by the family and community where one lives. Due to recent changes in human right laws and regulations, same- sex marriage are seen as heterosexuals, given the same right and benefits as the nuclear family, overturning centuries of est. blushed radiation whereby homosexuals acts were kept out of the public domain and was seen as sin and a taboo. I Mill continue by outlining the changes in the roles of the family, how it has evolved and the impact on society since the twentieth century.Despite the changing lifestyles and ever-increasing personal mobility that characterize modern society, the family still remains the central element of contemporary life; offering care and support, companionship, security and protection. But, the structure of the family, and society at large has undergone massive changes in terms of the roles they lay. Before the industrial revolution, families were a unit of production and were considered to be multifunction. Members within the family (extended Family) had to work to support each other.Agric True was primarily their source of work and production. With the development of machine, equipment as well as the building of factories, which made the working process easier and increase in volume of production, people had to adapt to new conditions and lifestyle. Industrialization required a move from rural areas to urban centers and precisely, to where the factories were located, this ad a negative effect on the extended family since this led to higher geographic mobility reducing the kinship network.This changes brought about the nuclear family system, which was better fitted at that time. Men were the breadwinners and chief provider of the house and the women and kids were confirmed to the house performing household duties such as taking care of the children, cleaning of the house, cooking, among other functions (see picture 6 &7) Pictures 6 & 7: The Misery of working conditions in the Early Periods of Industrialization. Source: http://www. Tepidity. Com/Genderless/How-Women's-Roles-in-the- Family-Hav e-Changed/ Source: http://WV. Demutualization. Mom/business/bobcat/ Family+will+prove+good+thing+business+Ions/7939185/story. HTML However, functionalist like Karl Marx and Frederica Engel's interpret the effect of industrialization, arbitration and the existence of the nuclear family from a negative perspective. They argued that the role of the family benefited the ruling class, thus helping to maintain class inequality and capitalism. Marx and Engel's viewed the family as a unit of consumption, which promoted the products of the capitalist and generated profit for the capitalist businesses Kismet, 2007).Marx believed the family socialists its members especially the children to become the next generation of labor power to the capitalist system. Marx went on to argue that parents exert authority and control over their children thereby preparing them to abide by the capitalist authority in the work place (Goode, 1964, up. 219-224). Throughout the years, the family unit has changed dr astically, the role of women have shifted from home based to outside of the house likewise the men. Women have now moved into the workforce, equaling the same right and privileges men have in the ark place.Stacey (1987: 238) seems to have noted that ‘the massive increase of female participation in higher education and the labor force are both cause and effect of this family crises; they both facilitate and are made necessary by family change† (cited in Jaeger and Wright, 1999: 4). At most majority of women in the workforce are highly positioned and managing various branches of the organizations due to their caring nature. Men's traditional roles have also changed. With working wives they are relieved from the burden of being the sole responsibility for supporting the family.Aside Of being the breadwinner, men are nowadays participating actively in the running and managing of the household. They help in the caring of the children, like taking them to school, picking them up from school, preparing meals for the family among other duties. In my opinion, the new changes in the role of the family can lead to family harmony and happiness since the mother, father as well as the children share in almost all the household activities. However, the changing relationship to work is also undermining the pattern of rights and expectations in the marriage.As women attachment to he paid labor force increases, they would require to exert the same power, control and rights in the making of family decisions as supposed to men. When theses rights are not respected, most women find this intolerable leading to a break down of the marriage. Majority of women in full time employment continues to take responsibility of work in the household than the men, this is because they are pressured by the traditional sex roles duties in the past leaving them to work longer hours.Women have been performing majority of household duties for decades, and they will continue to do so unti l should task becomes a paid profession. It is very obvious that the modern family has many changes and differences in comparison to the traditional family. In the past the family lived and worked together, so the family relationship was attached. The size Of the traditional family had two or more generations living together to provide care, warmth and support for each other. Children in this family unit are cared for not only by the parents, but other kindred.In contrast with modern society today, children within the nuclear family unit often stay with child-minders and neighbors whiles their arenas are at work. When mothers are at the workplace or away from their children for various reasons, they sometimes feel guilty that someone is being responsible for performing their duty of caring and raising their child or children. There is limited time for solicitation in the nuclear family unit. Working parents may have less time for each other if they do not schedule a time for solicit ation as a result of their hectic pace of family life.This can have a significant effect on marriage and family life resulting in their life not being fulfilled. Relationship may become more stressful, family members will tot feel as close and as involved with one another, and family living can become less enjoying. For this reason, the relationship of today's modern family system will not be close-knit as supposed to before. However, women who work outside the home report significant benefits associated with their job. They describe having high reputation and self-esteem and a greater sense of autonomy and respect.When a mother enjoys her work and gains a sense of satisfaction from it as well as good earnings, her children can benefit more than if she stays home. There will be adequate income for the should decreasing financial pleasure, and promoting a healthy lifestyle and relationship. Marriage to me is the union between two people that is a man and a woman who show long time co mmitment for each other. From the beginning God revealed that marriage was a special union between a man and a woman to come together and replenish the earth. That was the only way to have children.People marry for various reasons. These reasons could be based love, security, for protection, to procreation, financial benefit, among other reasons (see picture 8). Interestingly, people refuse to get aired for various reasons. Some people strive to stay single because they like freedom. Others would want to be free do anything they want and not have to feel the burden of a family. Some will remain single so they can have fewer responsibilities than a married person. Majority of people have the fear of getting divorce and this pushes them away from getting married.This fear could be due to an experience the person has gone through or witnessed. From my standpoint, when parents or a relative of yours goes through an unpleasant marriage relationship, which ended in divorce when you were a nouns, this could have a negative impact on you thinking you will face that same experience and problems, thereby avoiding having a taste of marriage. Nowadays, marriage have become less of an important for women who are now able to undertake paid work outside the home and are able to fend for themselves and their dependents leading to their increasing ability to form separate households.Adding to this, a divorce procedure doesn't take a significant amount of time and money like it was in centuries past. This has also resulted in the increase rate of divorce. Picture 8: Marriage: the union of love. Source: http://manifoldness. Mom/2011 /09/15/7-reasons-to-believe-in-the- power-of-marriage/ For centuries now, the issue of divorce and increased in divorce rate in this modern era is increasingly taking centre stage in the public domain (see pictures 9 & 10).In Great Britain for instance in 1 984, it was estimated that there were 940,000 lone parents families and half a million childre n living in these family unit (Snell and Millard, 1987, P. 389). Recently it is estimated that about one in two new marriages will fail (Wolfing, 2005, p. 2). Undoubtedly, divorce causes so much harm than good; however, it can be viewed from a costive angle. Parents being separated can be better for the children so that they will not have put up with so many quarrels and fighting among the parents.Most often, the children are the ones who are being affected greatly when a divorce process begins. Quite interestingly, more than twenty studies conducted over the last thirty years confirmed, children of divorced are likely to end up the same way, thus they refrain from entering into marriage (Wolfing, 2005, p. 3). Many single parents are as a result of divorce, others could be the death of one of the spouse. Whichever way it comes, being a ingle parent with dependents from my own perspective is not an experience one should go through.In most instances the men walk away leaving the women the sole responsibility in rearing and raising the child or children with very little help from the absent father. This often leads to financial constraint on the women (Wolfing, 2005, p. 4). However, the Welfare System has provided social security benefits such as (e. G. Tax credit, child benefit, income support, healthy start vouches, NASH exemption certificate, housing and council tax benefit, among other benefits) to help ease their financial burden. Most often, after divorce, people turn to cohabitate rather than getting remarried due to previous experience.

Voucher programs: Tuition Subsidied for Public School Students

Vouchers are tuition subsidies for students in public schools to attend private schools and/or for students already in private schools. Proponents for publicly funded school vouchers see them as a way for poor parents to leave a failing public school system and allow their children to go to the school of their choice. Opponents fear that school vouchers would take money away from public schools, causing grater segregation while not helping the majority of students remaining in the public school system. The Catholic Church supports school vouchers and believes that every person should have equal opportunity to send there children to the best schools regardless of there financial situation. This paper will attempt to explain the complex arguments around the issue of publicly funded school vouchers, so that one could understand both sides of this issue. Voucher programs allow students to take a portion of funds reserved for public education to put toward private education. The major supporters of school vouchers are poor parents, and the Catholic Church. Before 1999, the Catholic Church had been one of the chief enemies of all federal grants for education. Then the Hierarchy gradually changed direction, and it decided to support federal aid in principle on condition that any specific measure should include auxiliary services for Catholic schools. The condition has never been met, and the failure of agreement has created the longest and most caustic church-state controversy in the history of Congress. According to the Church and Catechism it is the obligation of the state that â€Å"public subsidies are paid out in such a way that parents are truly free to choose according to their conscience the schools they want for their children. † Supporters of such a program believe that allowing students to choose the school they will attend will result in a better education and a more level playing field, where not only middle- and upper-class students dominate the private school system. Some proponents of vouchers see the public school system as promoting atheist views and denying the freedom to practice a religion other that atheism. School vouchers would allow parents to send their children to religious schools and allow them to assert the right to practice the religion of their choice. Cavailer Daily, a scholar and leader in the voucher movement states, â€Å"Freedom of Religion should allow students to attend a parochial school, rather than prevent them. † Vouchers allow choice for all people not only the ones wealthy enough to afford a religions education. The current system has allowed students â€Å"to be rigorously secularized† striking down â€Å"most forms of public assistance to parents who desire to protect their children from an educational system that is often actively promoting values that are profoundly at odds with religious convictions. The net result has been that a crucial aspect of religious freedom is exercised only by families wealthy enough to afford private education after paying taxes for public schools. † Mary Ann Glendon, a constitutional scholar and professor at Harvard University. Many proponents of vouchers do not want to eliminate the public school system; they want to use . School choice means better educational opportunity, because it uses the dynamics of consumer competition to drive service quality. As students leave the public school system and choose private school they will take there voucher money with them causing profit loses for that district. Many proponents of vouchers feel that this will cause the public schools to reform and offer a better educational program, so they can also become competitive in the schools market. Public schools currently account for 90% of the educational institutions, thus cornering the market. Proponents of vouchers believe that the short term benefits will allow students to get a better education, and in the long term public schools will be forced to radically change there programs in order to compete with a growing school market. The advantage of voucher programs is that parents can spend their money how they see fit. Public schools are funded with taxes-often property taxes, which partially accounts for better schools in richer districts. Each district gets a different amount of money per student so in the poor areas of the country the schools get less money per student resulting in lower quality teachers, and inability to buy adequate materials. People must pay these taxes regardless of the quality of local schools, or where they want to send their child. Even if you send your child to private school, you are still required to pay taxes to fund a public school system that you do not use. The voucher system, then, acts as a refund system for parents who wish to educate their children elsewhere. Leading the charge against publicly funded school vouchers is the American Teachers Union, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, as well as The National Council of Churches and many constitutionalists. Opponents of school vouchers believe that while vouchers might seem like a good idea on the surface, a deeper investigation reveals its fatal flaws and irreversible social implications. The biggest argument against vouchers is that they are unconstitutional. It has been decide that according to the establishment clause of the 1st amendment giving any funds to private school that promote religion is against the law. Vouchers also have the ability to hurt the majority of students in public schools by taking away their funding. According to expert on the subject of school vouchers, Henry Levin, â€Å"not only are vouchers unconstitutional but they completely undermine the public education system, thus threatening our system of democracy. † The issue is one of separation between church and state. Under the establishment clause of the 14th amendment, may public money be used for sectarian schools? During the 1940†³s, the high court decided that all direct appropriations for the central expenditures of such schools would be unconstitutional. No federal or local tax funds may be used for building costs, teachers† salaries, or other regular operational expenses. These perimeters were established in the Everson v. Board of Education ruling in 1947. In this case, a New Jersey town had allowed local tax funds to reimburse Catholic parents for busing their children to school. The Court, speaking through Justice Black, said: The â€Å"establishment of religion† clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws, which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force nor influence a person to go to or remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief of disbelief in any religion. No person can be punished for entertaining or professing religious beliefs or dis-beliefs, for church attendance or non-attendance. No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, what ever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice or teach religion. Neither a state nor the Federal Government can, openly or secretly, participate in the affairs of any religious organizations or groups and vice versa. In the words of Jefferson, the clause against the establishment of religion by law was intended to erect â€Å"a wall of separation between church and state. † For the past 50 years the Supreme Court has held up the â€Å"wall of separation† in such high profile cases as the Nyquist decision in 1973, which invalidated a New York State program that provided tuition reimbursements to poor parents whose children attended private schools. Although the court found that New York had attempted to ensure the secular effect by making the payments directly to the parents, it ruled that the program had a primary function of advancing religion, and there for was unconstitutional. This ruling affirmed Justice Black†s decision in making publicly funded school vouchers unconstitutional. Opponents of school vouchers believe that not only are they unconstitutional; they also hurt students and the Public School System. The United States Public School system was founded during the mid 1800†³s to promote economic and social well being. The United States prides it self on being one of the only countries to provide a free and equal education to all children from kintergarden too high school. There is an apparent connection between public schools and the common good in democracy because as our country becomes increasingly diverse, the public school system stands out as an institution that unifies Americans. Research from the United States and abroad show that vouchers lead to greater segregation of students by socioeconomic status and race. Countries such as Ireland and Canada are divided because their governments provide education for each different religion, and consequently a deep cultural division in the population has been accentuated. The public school systems serves the majority of people and most are satisfied and don†t want to change where they go to school. Opponents of school vouchers believe they do not help the majority of poor and underprivileged and benefit more advantaged families. In Milwaukee, for example, parents who accepted vouchers, on average, were better educated, more involved in their children†s education, and had higher expectations for their children than parents of public school children. Only 1% of public school students are currently participating in a school voucher plan, so the majority of children are left in the public school system to fend for themselves. Voucher advocates often claim that private school education is cost effective because these schools can operate for less money. However, looking at the record of accomplishment of the only two experimental voucher schools, Milwaukee voucher program started in 1990, and Cleveland voucher program started in 1996, shows a very different story. In Milwaukee, analyses indicate that voucher schools received about $1,000 more per student than comparable public schools for the1996-97 school year. In addition, private schools are not required to have mandated services such as, special education, ESL, transportation, breakfast and lunch programs, which is accounted for in the money that the public schools receive per pupil. The most reasonable conclusion,† notes researcher Henry Levin, â€Å"Is that voucher schools in Milwaukee are receiving at least comparable allocations per student to those of the Milwaukee Public Schools, once the service mix is accounted for. † Voucher schools do not cost less to operate and in many cases, they cost more, taking precious funds away from public schools that are trying to reform. Voucher money likely would end up in the hands of private-school parents, essentially subsidizing those who already have fled the public school system, instead of creating incentive for public-school reform. Cleveland last month joined Milwaukee as the only school systems with vouchers. However, 27 percent of the 1,864 low-income kids in the Cleveland program were already in private schools. Private schools often charge high tuition. Since vouchers usually will not cover the full cost of tuition, the wealthy, who can already afford to pay private school tuition, will benefit the most. Low and middle-income families, who will not be able to afford the difference between the voucher and tuition costs, will be less likely to benefit. Even if poor families could come up with the full tuition amount, few private schools are located in the nation†s inner cities or other economically depressed areas. Fewer still are likely to admit children from disadvantaged backgrounds. For this reason, 45% of students participating in the Milwaukee program attend Catholic schools because they cost less. In any event, no voucher plan will benefit more than a small number of poor children. A voucher system also will not work if kids who want to leave public schools have no place to go, as many will not. Voucher supporters claim new private schools will spring up to meet new demand. However, this may be wishful thinking. â€Å"Many private schools believe government money means government regulation and do not want to take it,† says Joe McTighe, executive director of the Council of American Private Education. Proponents of vouchers feel that they are being unfairly taxed or taxed twice but â€Å"Double taxation† does not exist. Private school tuition is not a tax; it is an additional expense some parents have chosen to pay. All members of society are expected to support certain basic public services such as the police and fire departments, libraries and the public schools, whether they use them or not. Childless couples and single people, for instance, must still pay school taxes. ) We all have a vested interest in maintaining a strong public school system to make certain that our people are educated. Under a voucher plan, all taxpayers will face double taxation. They will have to pay for public schools, then pay-increased taxes to make up for funds being channeled too parochial and other private schools. The heavily contested issue of whether public money should be used to subsidize private, religious schools has raged on for over 50 years and will continue to as long as people challenge the constitution. Proponents believe vouchers will give opportunities to the poor, freedom of religion to all, and help begin a trend of reform in public schools. However, opponents fear that school vouchers will blur the lines separating church and state, and cause undue harm to the public school system. If nothing else it works for its designed purpose of creating a neutral environment that fosters learning. This neutrality has made possible the spread of tolerance to other institutions in our society. Children who learn to live together without religious distinctions are prepared as adults to build a more cooperative world.

Isobel Dixon uses language Essay

Explore the ways in which Isobel Dixon uses language and other poetic devices to present her ideas of freedom and restriction in â€Å"Plenty† Isobel Dixon went to heaven and hell, she is one woman who knows what it is to suffer. She went from humble beginnings as a child living in the extremely poor and dry region of Karoo in South Africa. To an affluent and successful poet, Dixon manages to write a poem about freedom and restriction, a poem where she goes from having ‘Plenty’ of suffering to ‘Plenty’ of money. Using language and other poetic devices we can precisely analyze how Dixon presents her ideas, and if it is possible to have both, plenty of money, and happiness. When Dixon introduces her family in the first paragraph, she uses rhymes, making the text have rhythm and a twist to it, but what is most important is that Dixon rhymes the two most important words in the second line, it was a â€Å"running riot to my mother`s quiet despair†. It is important to note how she linked these two contradicting words, she is indirectly admitting her guilt to the reader, and how her mother restricted her feelings, and remained calm, when there was always a â€Å"running riot† going on inside the house. Their bathtub was in an awful state, â€Å"age-stained and pocked†¦ † which is parallel to the state of the family. The tub became a central symbol in the poem for the memory of her family. The bathtub is not only â€Å"age-stained† but it is also â€Å"pocked/ upon its griffin claws,† the claws helps us picture the old bathtub, but it also gives us the image of claws holding down on the ground, as if it was going to fly, because it â€Å"was never full†. â€Å"Mommy`s smile† presents the idea of restriction perfectly, where she tries to smile, but it was anchored down, as if it was â€Å"a clasp to keep [them] all from chaos† . Her mother`s smile also can be seen as a â€Å"lid clamped hard† upon all the small amounts of resources and worries that spill out, it is a simile that holds the family together. Her mother is stoic and a survivor, she cannot therefore show what she actually feels inside, she must clasp it with a smile. The third stanza gives us the adult perspective, Dixon’s present day thoughts of her difficult childhood. She feels guilty, because only now she is mature and can understand what her mother had to put up with when raising her children, only now she understands why her mother spared every gram of aspirin, every millimeter of porridge and every crumb of bread. Dixon uses sibilance, to present the idea of restriction as well as freedom, whereas the ‘s’ sound represents water flowing smoothly, † She saw it always, snapping locks and straps,/ the spilling: sums and worries, shopping lists† as if it was free, the strong consonance alliteration cuts the ‘s’ sound, as if the water is restricted to flow. The author, in the fifth stanza, explains how she used to feel about her mother, how â€Å"[she] thought her mean. † Dixon did not understand what her mother was going through, and now that she does, she feels sorry. Consequently, she wishes to forget those memories. Dixon omits the personal pronouns when informing the reader what she used to do with her mother, she wrote simply â€Å"Skipped chores,/ swiped biscuits† not â€Å"We skipped chores,/ We swiped biscuits†. Dixon also uses â€Å"precious† to describe an inch of water, which is in turn a very effective adjective. Moreover it portrays just how much her family is poor and humble. Dixon presents her ideas of freedom and restriction in the sixth stanza by the use of an oxymoron, â€Å"†¦ such lovely sin,† which gives us an idea of the complexity of her guilty pleasure. The seventh and eighth stanza’s Dixon compares her rich life of freedom, to her restricted and difficult past: â€Å"Now bubbles lap [her] chin. † She no longer has to spare precious inches, she can now take bubble baths, with water up to her chin, Dixon is now self-indulgent in her fondness for sensuous luxury. The water is no longer â€Å"disgorged from fat brass taps†, it is now a â€Å"hot cascade†. She presents her ideas of freedom by demonstrating how a rich person takes a bath, how she is free to let the hot cascade fall on top of her, with not the slightest sense of guilt. On the other hand, she is not completely happy. After having everything, she still misses her now â€Å"scattered sisters†, who were no longer cramped up in a single age-stained bathtub, but spread across the globe, and her mother’s smile was finally â€Å"loosed from the bonds. † She is now really smiling, not preventing chaos. Dixon walked the long path of life, living the most difficult conditions one could have, until she finally managed to make her way to the doors of richness. She had indeed plenty of suffering as well as luxury, but having both was the real challenge. There is a bittersweet feeling in the end, as she is now materially sound but alone in her tub.